What can you do about it?

Do you have the gift of speaking?
Then speak as though God himself
were speaking through you.
Do you have the gift of helping others?
Do it with all the strength
and energy that God supplies.
Then everything you do
will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.
All glory and power to him
forever and ever! Amen.
1 Peter 4:11 NLT

We tend to busy ourselves and over-book our calendars in an attempt to justify our relevance. We can become frustrated and discouraged when our lofty goals are not achieved. There is the urge is to do more and more until we become exhausted. Failure to achieve success can be deflating and this misdirection takes us down a path of self-pity and perceived failure. This may be God’s way of keeping us humble. When we get to the end of a day, sometimes there is nothing left for us to do except thank and praise God!


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.

Taking a bite out of sin…

A new command I give you:
Love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another.
By this all men will know
that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.
John 13:34-35 NIV

 

How do you recognize Jesus’ followers? How do you find Christians? Jesus said they love each other just as he loved the disciples. In the immediate context this means he is willing to give sacrificially and extravagantly by dying for them at the cross, and he is also willing to love selflessly and practically by washing their feet. His ministry reveals he will do almost anything in between extravagant and practical. Imagine if we all read the Gospels and committed to love each other in the same way Jesus showed his love to his disciples!

 

Father of Compassion and God of all grace,
I thank you for teaching me to love
through the example of Jesus.
May my words and actions
reflect his love toward your people today,
tomorrow, and until you bring us all home to you.
In the name of Christ, my Great Example, I pray.
Amen.

 

Sweet, semi-sweet, or nasty?

“All you need is love.
But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
– Charlie Brown (Charles M. Schulz)

Therefore, anyone who refuses
to live by these rules
is not disobeying human teaching
but is rejecting God,
who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
But we don’t need to write to you
about the importance of loving each other,
for God himself has
taught you to love one another. 
1 Thessalonians 4:8-9 NLT

God keeps on giving us the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. One of the great blessings about this presence is that God pours love into our hearts through the Spirit (Rom. 5:5). Along with the great example of God’s love in sending Jesus (John 3:16-17), the Father uses the Spirit to teach us to know how to love each other. This is part of the Spirit’s fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) as well as the work of the Spirit that brings us into fellowship (2 Cor. 13:14), that holds us together in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3-4), and that fills us as we submit to one another (Eph. 5:17-21). Loving each other is not only a command; it is also part of God’s continuing work in us through the Holy Spirit. The reward for this obedience is kind of like good chocolates… heavenly!

Dear God, I confess
that I do not always love others as I should.
I ask you to make me more like Jesus
in my love for others.
I am thankful for the presence
of the Holy Spirit
to help me see those
whom I need to show your love
and to empower me to love them
when it is difficult.
In Jesus’ name I pray for this grace.
Amen.

 

No legacy is so rich as honesty.

Instead, speaking the truth in love,
we will in all things grow up
into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

If we are careless with the truth in small matters, it stands to reason that we cannot be trusted with important matters. Sometimes the truth is difficult. Truthful words are accurate. Words spoken in love can be a blessing. Difficult and painful truth spoken in love is redemptive, this kind of speech blesses those hear it and matures those who speak it. While speaking the truth in love is often not easy, it’s worth it! Look at God and see how painful it was to speak his Word in love by sending Jesus. But in the process of that one sacrificial Word, he has saved us and revealed his heart of grace, mercy, and love.

Holy God, may the words I speak
be truthful and loving.
Please forgive me when I have told the
“painful truth” to win arguments,
to hurt feelings, or to impress others.
Please forgive me for the times I exaggerated
and distorted your truth.
I want my words to be simple and tender,
truthful and loving.
I want others to see your grace
in the way I speak to them.
In the name of my Savior, Jesus, I pray.
Amen

 

What are you looking for?

A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 14:15 (NIV)

Are you a God-seeker? What is it that occupies most of your thoughts and energies? We never know when our time is about to close in this life. The way we live and the way we die is a telling sign of our priorities. Life is indeed a very short span of time and a certain urgency demands our attention… the reason for our very being and our purpose in life. Is God first in your life and does anyone know it? Will your faith be known when you depart this earth?

God looks down from heaven on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
Psalm 53:2 (NIV)

Through much of history, especially when things are going well or in times of great wickedness, people make decisions and take actions that lead them away from God. God however, delights over those who turn around and seek after him. He is always looking for the best in people… someone to redeem. He is constantly searching. It matters to him. Just as God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day before sin destroyed their relationship, God longs to walk with us. But he is looking for those whose hearts are yearning for his presence in their lives. So let’s yearn!

Father, Redeemer, and Savior,
my heart yearns to know you
and to be known by you.
I look forward to the day
that I see you face to face.
Until that day,
please show your presence in my life
and do your will in my character.
May others see my life
and know that I am your child
and that I live to exalt your holy name.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

 

“You never stand alone while standing on the Word of God.”

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
Psalm 63:3 NIV

Dear brothers and sisters,
I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me
in my struggle by praying to God for me.
Romans 15:30 NLT

Prayer must always be our first priority in daily life. The praise of God and the petition of Spirit are the empowering factors that we experience in Christ. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we pray (Rom. 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit pours love into our hearts to give us hope and endurance (Rom. 5:5). So it shouldn’t surprise us that the love we have from the Holy Spirit moves us to pray for others in their struggles. Praying for others, what is sometimes called intercessory prayer, is a great gift empowered by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Paul wanted this Spirit-led and love-driven prayer to focus on his desire to proclaim Jesus, something we’ve focused on for several days. However, this Spirit and love driven kind of prayer can be offered for almost anything that another brother or sister in Christ needs. Let’s remember that the love we feel for others and the prayer we are given by the presence of the Spirit are there as gifts to equip us to pray for others!

On this day Father, I want to pray for a number of folks on my heart who face struggles of all kinds. Some are family members… some are friends… some are faithful servants of your Kingdom doing your work in hard places… some are grieving… some face tough times… some are making hard decisions… some have family struggles… some have great opportunities they don’t want to miss… some are overcoming addictions… and there are so many others. Please hear my prayers for them today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God does not ask your ability or your inability… only your availability.

The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,
but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4 (NIV)

Words are very powerful. Communicators and negotiators know this. Deep down, you know this too. Words have blessed you and words have devastated you. The healing that comes from a kind and tender word is precious. The destruction of a cruel taunt or a well-told deception is crushing.

To have such power is absolutely amazing. To use this awesome power found in our speech is an awesome responsibility. Words do have the power to give life, hope, and peace when offered in love to honor Jesus. Let’s speak the good and kind words today!

Father God,
I want my words to be a blessing today.
I want them to reflect your grace.
I want them to bring healing to the hurting
and comfort to the grieving.
I want them to be tender with the broken.
I want them to be honorable and truthful
in difficult circumstances.
I want them to be upright
when the language around me is crude.
Through your Spirit, use my speech
to bless others and bring you praise.
In the name of Jesus, your ultimate Word,
I pray.  Amen

Stop and Thank…

Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8

 When was the last time that you took the time to examine all of the blessings encountered in a routine day? Our daily routines are often self-focused on our immediate needs. This pattern of living will stunt our realization of true happiness and keeps us at a distance from God.

Every moment of every day is a precious gift. Some days are full of sorrow and some days are full of joy. Everything we experience is a proof of life and the reality of our existence. Take some time today to stop and thank God for what you have and for what you are about to receive.

Lord, I thank you in advance for this day
and await with anticipation
the glory and splendor of the world around me.
Help me to see the world and others
as you see them
that I might be able
to help someone find your joy.
Amen

The message we send…

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
Luke 1:1-4 NLT

The opening statements of the Gospels of Luke and John prepare the reader for the incredible and wonderful message of salvation. Each day, we could be living in the grace of salvation. It is so easy to get caught up in the rush of life’s chores that we can take all too lightly the wonder of each day. It is necessary to properly prepare for the events of the day.

We live in a world that is confused about truth. Truth has become a subjective choice rather than the unquestionable and indisputable reality of God and his grace. Darkness tries to cover up the value of truth and some people are easily misled. Today, try to become a reflection of the light of grace by starting with the Word of God before trying to seize the day. The message we send by our actions is noticed by others.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:1-5 NLT

 

Say a little prayer…

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:
You must all be quick to listen,
slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 
Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
James 1:19-20 NLT

Navigating the stresses of everyday living can either help us grow or make us weak. When we rise to the challenge to become people of peace, joy will fill our hearts and the overflow will proceed from our mouths. Take some time today for the seeking of God’s perfect peace and you will not be disappointed. Say a little prayer each day to begin the process.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.