Category: living by faith
Have you prayed about it?
Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.
Psalm 86:6-7 (NIV)
Sometimes there are no immediate answers for the troubling events in life. We have prayed and cried and tried and gone sleepless and mourned and shouted. Still there are no answers. The days roll by in an agonizing parade of pain. Still there are no answers we can identify. What do we do? We can go to the Psalms. We allow let them raise up our heart’s cry. We are honest with the God of the entire universe and yet we can still anticipate mercy from him. We are convinced that in our troubles, he will not only hear us, but he will also care about what is happening in our lives.
Almighty God,
the only true Healer
of disease and Mender
of broken hearts,
please hear the cry today
of those I love who are
in such desperate situations.
May your will be done
in every one of their lives
with tenderness, grace,
and a sense of your presence.
And Lord, please be near me,
and help me see your
answer to my prayers.
Forever yours in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
What’s in a name?
Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12 (NIV)
While many substitute saviors have been offered, only the True Messiah saves. While we often live for many masters, but only one Lord liberates and sets us free from sin and death. While many ways are claimed to bring us close to God, Jesus insists that he is the only way, the truth and the light.
By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are
filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Proverbs 24:3-4 (NIV
So we’re driven to one ultimate reality: do we believe salvation is in Jesus alone, or do we not. It’s our choice. But what we decide about Jesus is really deciding about everything. Is Jesus your Lord? Is Jesus the name above all names in your life? Is Jesus your Savior? If not, then please reconsider, for the Bible says: “Salvation is found in no one else.”
Thank you, Almighty God,
for choosing to share your
grace with me in Jesus.
May I never take the precious
name of Jesus in vain.
May Jesus himself come and reign
as Lord in my heart and in my life.
May Jesus be seen in the
way I treat others.
May Jesus know that there
is no other rival for
my allegiance to him.
In that precious name of Jesus,
your Son and my Savior, I pray.
Amen.
His Grace is Sufficient
“It’s no good to sit up and take notice
if we just keep on sitting.”
– Author Unknown
But he said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.
“Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
To do what I want, not necessarily what is best or most expedient for those around me or for the good of the Kingdom. I don’t like to hear that God told Paul that he had asked enough about deliverance from his problem. Instead, Paul needed to learn that God’s gracious strength and mercy were enough to sustain him even in trial. While I know I need to learn this same lesson, it is daunting. I want God to keep things nice and tidy for me. But then I remember I am a follower of Christ. If I am to become like my Savior, then I have to let go of my requirements on God’s answers and open up to God’s work to redeem others through me, no matter the personal cost. Only then can I truly know that his grace is sufficient for me!
Patient and loving Shepherd,
guard my heart from discouragement
in tough times and guard it
from arrogance in good times.
I know that without you
I have nothing that is permanent.
Thanks for giving me a permanent,
steadfast hope of heaven with you,
because of your grace and
strength shared with me.
In the name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.
Quality Assurance…
You know that when
you were still unbelievers,
you were led astray
and swept along in
worshiping speechless idols.
So I want you to know
that no one speaking
by the Spirit of God
will curse Jesus,
and no one can
say Jesus is Lord,
except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:2-3 NLT
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit spoke through human writers to give us some absolute truths. When the Holy Spirit lives inside people, they are not going to curse Jesus. Instead, the Holy Spirit impels them to confess Jesus as Lord and Master — not only as the Lord and Master of all creation but also as the Lord and Master to whom they yield their hearts! Because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, the Holy Spirit declared the Lord Jesus Christ as the powerful Son of God (Romans 1:4). Do people see Jesus in your words and deeds?
Almighty God,
I confess that I believe
that Jesus Christ is your Son,
my Lord and Savior.
I yield my heart to Jesus
and pray that my life reflects
his character and compassion.
May the words of my mouth
and the meditations of my heart
always be guided by your Holy Spirit
and lead me to confess the
glory and grace that I have found
in my Lord and Master,
Jesus Christ,
in whose name I pray.
Amen.
Who can you trust?
“Nothing is too great and nothing is too small
to commit into the hands of the Lord.”
– A. W. Pink
Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? – Isaiah 2:22 NIV
How many times have you been disappointed by someone for whom you voted, betrayed by a friend, been abandoned by a loved one, or let down by a church leader? While we love others and care about them, every other person in our world is just like us — a flawed human being who breathes the same air and walks the same ground as we do. Only God is worthy of our ultimate trust. He showed us by sacrificing what was most precious to him so we could know his love. Let’s not put our hope in other mere mortals; only God can safeguard our trust. Let’s put our hope in him!
Father, you know the broken places in my heart that were caused by the failure of people in my life. I confess that I have sometimes become disillusioned with your way because of the failures and inconsistencies in your people. Deep down I know, dear Father, that their failures do not mean your failure, but it is hard for it not to feel that way. Call me close to you. Give me a more gracious heart toward those who fail me. Establish my faith, strong and firm in you, O LORD. In you I put my trust.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Slip Sliding Away…
This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
– 1 John 2:17-21 NLT
– 1 John 2:17-21 NLT
Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit, whom he called the Comforter (Counselor or Advocate depending on the translation), would come and lead us into all truth (John 16:13). The Spirit, who inspired the writing of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 2:16-17), is alive in us and helps us discern, know, and understand God’s truth (1 Cor. 2:10-16). The Spirit of the Living God lives in us and is at work in us — in me! So each of us needs to ask our self if we are inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives to help us discern, know, and understand God’s truth. Am I yielding to the Spirit and am I in the word of God seeking to be informed and transformed by the Holy Spirit? Am I asking the Holy Spirit to filter, correct, challenge, and redeem what I think, read, hear, and see? Rather than succumbing to the lie that all truth is subjective, let’s subject what we think, read, hear, and see to the Spirit of truth!
Father, I join my heart with the words of your servant David, who said: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Please transform my thinking and my living by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Let’s Just Praise the Lord!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
Psalm 98:1 (NIV)
“It is the acknowledgment of our humanity and our frailness that places us in a position to have a personal encounter with the living God.” (Os Hillman) Songs can stir us up or they can bring us comfort. Songs can take us back to a special time, or songs can give us hope for things to come. Unfortunately, we usually leave the words and the music of our songs only for someone else to write, never taking time to write our own “new song.” But today, why not make up your own new song of praise and thanks to God. It doesn’t have to be great, just heartfelt and offered to the Father from whom all joyful songs come.
Father God,
thank you for the gift of song.
Please receive my song of thanks
and praise from a heart you
have filled with your delight.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Grace for Everyone
“Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live.”
– Jackie Windspear
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
– Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)
We are fragile creatures that can easily be crushed by rejection and defamation of character. This can trigger both defensive and offensive actions to protect our name. We seem to have even more courage however, to be incensed when wrong is done to a friend. We are ready to fight injustice when someone we love has been wronged. However, God reminds us that our worship means little if we do not also protect those who are weak, marginalized, oppressed, and forgotten. It’s not just our friends who need our help; it’s also those who have no friends who need us. “To do right” doesn’t just mean being a good person and avoiding evil in our sanctified little enclaves; it also means to care, comfort, and encourage those no one else wants to notice. Our circle of caring and comfort is often far too small… it is time to change!
Forgive me please, dear Father, for being selfish with your love and grace. I confess that I often find it easy to stay near those who are like me — who look like me, think like me, and dress like me. I know that there are so many in the world around me that do not have a friend, much less a defender. Open my eyes, dear LORD, to see those in my world that you would have me protect, encourage, and bless. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God is Able
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us,
to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus
through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT
While we may often dream of doing great things for God and his Kingdom, the dreams aren’t as big as God’s plans. While we may be richly talented, influential, powerful, or rich, these are merely tools in God’s hands, not symbols of our sufficiency. “God is able” has to be one of the best and most accurate phrases in the Bible. But this time, it’s said about his work in you in me. He is able of much more than we imagine to work through and in us. What can we say to that? Just say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”
Loving Father, please help me to know and live your will in my life.
I want to be your vessel of ministry, healing, blessing, and hope to those around me at work and play. Please use me to your glory today, and always.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Ken Crawford 