Category: living by faith

Why do the wicked get away
with despising God?
They think,
“God will never
call us to account.”
But you see the trouble
and grief they cause.
You take note of it
and punish them.
The helpless put
their trust in you.
You defend the orphans.
Psalm 10:13-14 NLT

Just as God saw the plight of the Israelites in Egypt and heard their cries for help, he still sees and hears today. But now, he not only hears because he is omnipotent; he hears because of the intercession of his Son and our Savior, Jesus. Jesus has been here. Jesus has faced the specter of death and the pain of torture and ridicule. Jesus means God not only hears our cries for help; he also feels the agony with us. That is why he came. He is our assurance that God feels, cares, acts, and ultimately saves.

God, Father and Savior,
please be with those who
are bearing the incredible
weight of agony and pain.
Some of these I know
and pray for personally.
Others I do not know,
but they still need your
comfort, strength, and grace
to sustain them in their
days of agony and grief.
Please bless them with
clear evidence of your care.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  –  1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV)

What determines our financial worth? Do we compute it in terms of dollars, or possessions, or investments? Paul reminded Timothy that ultimate gain, the gain of inestimable value, is really determined by a very simple formula: net worth = (godly character) X (contentment). What would happen if we recognized the truly wealthy as those who were godly in their character and contented with their blessings in life?

O LORD God,  the one from whom every blessing flows,  readjust my values from the greed  of this world to a holy set of financial convictions.  Conform my character to the godliness that Jesus demonstrated in his daily life.  Teach me the contentment that can only be found in you.  In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol
your name for ever and ever.
Psalm 145:1-2 (NIV)

The way we praise God forever, the way we honor our pledge to give him glory for all the days of our life, is really pretty simple: we do it today. As long as we praise God today, the forever takes care of itself. So as you commit to lift high the name of God and praise him for all eternity, remember the place it starts: praise God today — not only in the things that you say, but also in the way that you live!

Mighty God and loving Father, today I want to tell you how marvelous and wonderful I believe you to be. You are righteous, faithful, holy, and merciful.
You are tender, loving, and yet magnificent in glory and incomparable in strength. You have redeemed me from my sin and given me hope beyond my own death.
You have filled my life full of good people and have promised me a home with you. You, O God, are without peer and without rival. You are my King, my awesome and majestic Father. In Jesus’ name I praise you, today and forever. Amen.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. — Romans 8:12-13 NLT

We have been given the power to overcome temptation and sin. Those of us with a past entrapment to sinful addictions, with current struggles, with sinfully rebellious co-workers and friends surrounding us, and with dysfunctional backgrounds don’t have to repeat the destructive patterns in which we’ve been entrapped. Jesus’ sacrifice for our sin makes us right with God. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead unleashes a new source of incomparably great power for us. The Holy Spirit who lives in us makes this power available to us. Escaping sin’s patterns, addictions, and influences is never easy. It is a daily battle to put to death these powers and influences (Colossians 3:5). Jesus described this battle as denying ourselves daily, following him, and losing our lives for his sake (Luke 9:23-24). We cannot live Jesus’ way on our own! But, when we surrender our wills to the leading of Jesus as Lord and follow the way of the Holy Spirit, we can find a new source of fresh power, the Holy Spirit. Let’s ask the Spirit to help us in our daily battle, and let’s open ourselves to the Spirit’s work in our lives. Ephesians 1:17-20, Ephesians 3:14-21, Ephesians 5:17-21, and Ephesians 6:17-18 give ways to invite the Spirit into our lives with power!

Father, thank you for this promise of the Spirit to bring us the power to live for you. Jesus, I praise you for your sacrifice. Holy Spirit, please lead and empower me to overcome the pull of sin and its addictive power in my life. In the name of the Lord Jesus and through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, I praise you for your grace, dear Father! Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. — Philippians 4:4-5

Because the Lord is near, we can rejoice and treat others with gentleness. He is near because he lives in us through his Spirit. He is near because his coming is at hand. He is near when we gather with other believers, serve others in need, or share the Gospel with friends and people of different cultures. The Lord is near because he has promised to be with us and never forsake us. We can be joyful and tender because Jesus lives in us, works through us, and is coming for us! Nothing is more infectious than a joyous and kind person who knows the Lord IS near!

Father, I am thrilled to know that I will never be alone. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus to join me when I meet with other believers, serve others in his name, and share the Gospel with those who do not know him. Please let the abiding joy I feel from his presence be evident in how I live and serve others. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
— James 4:14-15

“If the Lord wills!” Do you do short-term and long-range planning? I do. But my planning always has an invisible asterisk: “If Lord, this is your will and timing, please help me complete these plans.” I don’t know about you, but God has shown me time and again that if I am open to him, his timing is always better than my planning. Does that mean I quit planning? Nope. I plan with prayer, asking for wisdom and the Holy Spirit to help me find God’s timing to know and do his will in his timing (James 1:5-6; Ephesians 5:15-18). Life is too short not to plan. Life is too important not to plan with prayer and seek to be led by the Holy Spirit!

Not my will, Father, but yours be done… this day and all the days of my life that follow. I want to walk in your will and follow your timing. In Jesus’ holy name, I ask this. Amen.

But you must remain faithful
to the things you have been taught.
You know they are true,
for you know you can trust
those who taught you.
You have been taught
the holy Scriptures from childhood,
and they have given you the wisdom
to receive the salvation that comes
by trusting in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize
what is wrong in our lives.
It corrects us when we are wrong
and teaches us to do what is right.
God uses it to prepare and equip
his people to do every good work.  
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT

I love Paul’s challenge to Timothy to be faithful to what he had been taught and to remember why he could trust what he had been taught. Paul reminded Timothy that Scripture can make us wise, give us faith, correct us, teach us, prepare us, and equip us in two important ways: First, through a Spirit-filled mentor or parent, and second, through the Scriptures themselves, which he describes as holy and inspired (God-breathed or Spirit-inspired). The Scriptures’ power lies in the words the Spirit inspired and the people who show the transforming influence of the Spirit at work in their lives. Why wouldn’t we be eager to let the “sword of the Spirit” (God’s word, Ephesians 6:17) be at work in our lives?

Almighty God, thank you
for speaking to us in words.
As I place myself under the guidance
of the words of Scripture,
dear Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit
uses them to form me into a person
who is increasingly more
like Jesus each day.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen.