Daily Devotion, Daily Wisdom

August 6, 2015

Devotional:
A man has joy in an [fn]apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!Proverbs 15:23 (NASB)

Knowing the right word at the right time is a great gift. But even the best of speakers has to admit that the best of his or her words are not nearly as good as those the Spirit gives. Nevertheless, we must not excuse ourselves for our insensitive speech, unkindness, or missed opportunities. Not paying attention to what was said is no excuse. Not being spiritually in tune with the needs of our companions is a cop out. Simply not knowing Scripture well enough to bless others with gracious speech at the appropriate time is self-deception. Listening to others after having listened to God in his Word is what tunes our ears and our hearts to bless others.

Prayer:
Loving Shepherd, I will spend much of my time today with people. Some of them know you, but most do not. Please give me wisdom to say things that lead people closer to you. Give me words of help and hope for the broken. Give me words of tenderness for the fainting. Give me words of direction for the confused. Father, I pray that whatever words I do say today may reflect your will and may be led by your purposes to bless others. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. Proverbs 23:19 (NASB)
 
August 7, 2015

Devotional:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.Proverbs 9:10 (NASB)

We pursue so many things, but only one pursuit brings wisdom. Paul reminded the Athenians that God made us to seek after him and find him (Acts 17). The wisdom of Proverbs keeps leading us back to "knowing God" and having a deep and reverential awe toward him as the source of wisdom. Understanding of priorities, needs, purposes, goals, problems, and issues can only occur when we first recognize who the Lord is and know him in our day to day lives.

Prayer:
Holy, Majestic, Righteous, and Eternal God. I confess that I know you so much less than you know me. But your faithfulness in my life, your power displayed in history, your grace shared with so many through the cross of Christ, and your promise to bring me home to you one day all help sustain me. I want to know you so that my life can be lost in your will — not for my glory or gain, but for your praise, I ask that you make yourself known to me in the things I do today. In the name of Jesus I ask it. Amen.


Wisdom:
Whatever you do, do your work [fn]heartily, as for the Lord [fn]ather than for men knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward [fn]of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve., Colossians 3:23-24 (NASB)
 
August 8, 2015

Devotional:
speaking to [fn]one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to [fn]God, even the Father;Ephesians 5:19-20 (NASB)

Hearts full of thanks — that's what makes for good singing! With Jesus as the source of our salvation and center of our future, how can we not sing! But singing is not just for us and God. God wants our songs to bless others. It is our ultimate spiritual talk.

Prayer:
O Lord my God, you are awesome and wondrous. Your works are magnificent and your deeds are beyond comprehension. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart ever declare your praises. May my heart be filled with thanksgiving for all that you have done to save us from sin, shame, law, and death. You alone are worthy of my praise, my songs, and my life. In the holy name of Jesus I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
And without faith it is impossible to please Himfor he who comes to God must believe that He is and thatHe is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)
 
August 10, 2015

Devotional:
All Scripture is [fn]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [fn]training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)

God wants us to be prepared to do good works. Thankfully he gave us the Scriptures. Today we have the Bible translated into many different languages, dialects, and versions. Rather than a threat, this is a great blessing. But we must remember that the goal of Scripture is not to be learned but to be lived. God intended his Word to be practical truth — a gift that prepares us to do every good work.

Prayer:
Holy God, it still amazes me that you chose to speak to us, your finite creatures, in our own words. May I never take for granted the great gift of being able to read your Word and learn your Truth. But Father, please give me the character and the courage to put it into practical use and let it train me to do your will. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8 (NASB)
 
August 11, 2015

Devotional:
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)

How often do you let God do major surgery on your spirit as his Spirit uses the Word to encourage, judge, motivate, convict, instruct, and inspire? With such a great tool so readily at hand for most of us, let's not let a day go by that we don't let God use his word on hearts.

Prayer:
Almighty God, your will is my heart's desire. But I realize that I need to be fed more consistently by your Word revealed in Scripture. Give me strength and consistency in my walk with you through your Word. Through your Spirit, inspire me to change what needs to be changed and to be blessed and encouraged in the areas that I need it most. I turn to you and trust in your Word to point me in the way of life. I pray in the name of your ultimate Word, Jesus of Nazareth. Amen.

Wisdom:
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [fn]care for itself. [fn]Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (NASB)
 
August 12, 2015

Devotional:
For, “ALL FLESS IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS, THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was [fn]preached to you.1 Peter 1:24-25 (NASB)

As the seasons change, the leaves fall, and the grass dies, we are reminded once again of how short our lives are. Despite the rapid advancements of technology, our deepest needs are addressed only by the eternal and proven will of God in Scripture. Whether you get your Scripture off the Bible on disk or from an old family Bible, access it today. Don't you need a dose of the eternal today?

Prayer:
As I age, I am constantly reminded, O God, of my transitory stay on earth and your eternal reign in heaven. Give me a sense of my place before you as I seek your will in your Word. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
The fear of man [fn]brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25 (NASB)
 
August 13, 2015

Devotional:
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [fn]that not of yourselves, it isthe gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)

Don't you love gifts! Especially when they're truly given, with no strings attached, all we have to do is receive them. The greatest gift we've ever received has nothing to do with our efforts. It is a gift from God. We didn't earn it, deserve it, or purchase it. God gave it through his sacrificial gift so our salvation would not be our boast, but his kindness.

Prayer:
Holy God, I can never thank you enough for sending Jesus and paying the debt for my sin. May I never presume on your grace or take the cost of your gift lightly. At the same time, Father, I want to live confidently, knowing that my salvation is not dependent on my mistakes but upon your grace. Because of such a lavish gift, I want to live for you today in a way that reflects the joy I have at receiving such an awesome gift. In the name of Jesus, my source of hope and grace, I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
“Blessed are the [fn]gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (NASB)
 
August 14, 2015

Devotional:
Be of sober spirit be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [fn]But resist him, firm in yourfaith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your [fn]brethren who are in the world.1 Peter 5:8-9 (NASB)

Satan is no play or pretend thing. He and his power are real and intended to harm. But rather than spending our time worrying about him, let's resist him when we are tempted and focus on Jesus. He's the one who won the big showdown at Calvary, triumphing over Satan. He took Satan's greatest tool and disarmed it. Now we can resist and Satan will flee.

Prayer:
Thank you, Almighty God, for sending Jesus to break Satan's stranglehold over us. Through the Savior's death you have assured me that mine won't be the end of our relationship, but the beginning of life with you. Today, however, I ask that you help me especially resist Satan's power over my life in the following ways... Through power and in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [fn]shifting shadow. James 1:17 (NASB)
 
August 15, 2015

Devotional:
I pray thatthe eyes of your heart [fn]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the [fn]saints,Ephesians 1:18 (NASB)

Heaven is something we see with our heart. When we are discouraged, doubtful, and depressed, we need to have the eyes of our hearts "enlightened." The dawn needs to rise in our darkness and we see the dawn of hope and the riches of our inheritance. But when things look bad, sometimes the only way to remember these things is to sing them, pray them, and read God's promises of them.

Prayer:
O God, you are my Hope. I trust in you and your promises. But I admit that at times, like even right now, I sometimes struggle with my confidence that you will act in response to my prayers and do what I've trusted you with my life to do. Please fill me with your Spirit and comfort my doubts and kindle my passion that I may serve you with boldness and share with others your grace. Through my Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not [fn]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Psalm 40:4 (NASB)
 
August 17, 2015

Devotional:
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;1 Peter 2:9 (NASB)

Excluded. Rejected. Discarded. Abandoned. Forgotten. Pushed aside. Not picked. Each of these describes an aspect of feeling like you are a nobody. Satan gives our sinful flesh the tools and the opportunities to speak these words of self-condemnation to ourselves. But God — two of the greatest words in the Bible — loved us in Christ and brought us into his family and gave us a purpose. We are now part of the people of God! We have been chosen for the victorious team of teams. We have received mercy! Grace has washed over us and the love of God has adopted us in his family. Peter is giving maligned and persecuted people the reminder that they can choose to see themselves as "nobodies" or they can choose to see themselves by their new identity. Thankfully, Peter's words speak to our hearts, too. You, dear friend in Jesus, are God's child. You are part of his eternal and conquering people — like Moses, Esther, Paul, and Mary Magdalene. Mercy has reversed the power of sin and failure and put grace in place empowered by the Holy Spirit's presence in you. So don't live today as you once "were": live today as you are in Jesus!

Prayer:
O Father of Mercy and God of all grace, thank you for making me new — your child, part of your people, and a purpose put in the world around me on purpose. Please help me hear your description of me and not Satan's. Please help me define my identity by your words and not my own words of self-condemnation. I thank you for who I am and that I a no longer bound by what I once was. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [fn]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NASB)
 
August 18, 2015

Devotional:
Every [fn]person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except [fn]from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1 (NASB)

Yes, there are things we don't like about our government. But God has truly blessed most of us so we can enjoy the protection of the authorities where we live. But we also live in the time of some of the greatest persecution ever known in the Christian era. So as we pray for our leaders and thank God for our freedoms, let's not forget the persecuted church all over the world.

Prayer:
O Great Deliverer, God of the Exodus, as you have shown your power and deliverance in the past, we ask that you act today and bless every believer who is persecuted for your sake. Please bless them with tenderness, healing, and protection on this day. In the powerful name of Jesus we ask it. Amen.


Wisdom:
“FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THE PRAYER. BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.”1 Peter 3:12 (NASB)
 
August 19, 2015

Devotional:
who also made us adequate asservants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.2 Corinthians 3:6 (NASB)


A new covenant — God willingly entered into a new agreement with us, his creatures, sealed it with the blood of his Son Jesus, and sent the Spirit to give us the power to live the life of this new covenant. God has made a covenant of love and grace with us. The Almighty has then turned around and made us worthy and competent to share that covenant with others. No wonder it is life giving: it brings life to us and through us!

Prayer:
O holy and majestic God, thank you for your grace that has saved me from sin and has redeemed me from the law of sin and death. Thank you for sending the gift of your Son and the gift of your Spirit so that I can live with you in a covenant of life, grace, and love. While I confess my weaknesses, I also commit to you that I will live to honor your sacrifice, love and covenant, trusting that you will ultimately empower me to be what you are calling me to be. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his [fn]life. Proverbs 16:17 (NASB)
 
August 20, 2015

Devotional:
For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulersare servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.Romans 13:6 (NASB)

Ouch! I hate taxes. But I have to admit, I enjoy many of the privileges and blessings that those taxes afford. Paul reminds us in Romans 13, that civil authorities are God's tools to hold back anarchy, chaos, and lawlessness. As a Christian, I'm immune to most laws because my faith in Jesus is going to regulate my behavior far more strictly than a legal code. But I do have a responsibility (I "owe" it, Paul says) to be a good citizen, a good financial manager, a nice respectful neighbor, and a person who willingly honors those who have merited it.

Prayer:
Almighty God, I pledge my allegiance to you. You alone are Sovereign, Ruler, and King. But because you call me to honor my government, because you have so richly blessed me to be in a land such as this, because you have lavished your grace on me so richly, I commit to live today in a way that honors my allegiance to you, my citizenship in my country, and my respect toward those whom I meet this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
Therefore [fn]consider the members of your earthly body as dead to [fn]immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [fn]amounts to idolatry. Colossians 3:5 (NASB)
 
August 21, 2015

Devotional:
He [fn]made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His [fn]kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration [fn]suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things [fn]in the heavens and things on the earth. In HimEphesians 1:9-10 (NASB)

Jesus IS Lord! God's plan was purposed in Christ. God's plan centered on Christ coming at the right time. God's plan was to bring unity in Christ by making him Lord of all! What's more, this plan that brings our salvation brings God great pleasure. God is the only saving God. Jesus is both our Savior and Lord. So the real issue we face today is this: What area of our lives, our hearts, our secrets, our sin, our rebellion, have we not submitted to his lordship?

Prayer:
O Precious Father, I know my heart can be deceitful. At times I can even fool myself. But when I kneel in your presence and am convicted by your Word, I find myself reminded of those areas I have not yet fully submitted to your control and Jesus' lordship. Please, dear Father, use the Holy Spirit to gently show and convict of my self-deception so that I may be wholly lost in your will. In the name of Jesus, Lord of lords, I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
For the choir director. A Psalm of David. How blessed is he who considers the [fn]helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of [fn]trouble. Psalm 41:1 (NASB)
 
August 22, 2015

Devotional:
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties andprayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, or kings and all who are in [fn]authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and [fn]dignity.1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NASB)

God wants us to be a praying people. But more than that, God wants us to pray for people. The blessing of that kind of prayerful life is that we get to live peaceful and quiet lives full of godliness and holiness. So pray, dear friend in Jesus, pray as if world peace depends upon it, because it does!

Prayer:
Majestic and Holy God, your greatness is beyond my mind to grasp but your grace reaches me and teaches in a new way each day. Forgive me when my prayer life has not been passionate. Forgive me for letting my prayers focus only on what is wrong. Use your Spirit, O God, to ignite a hunger in my soul so that I come to find satisfaction only in you and your presence. In the name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NASB)
 
August 24, 2015

Devotional:
“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD,” Joshua 24:15 (NASB)

While we can't speak for everyone in our family, we can commit to what everyone in our family should desire: We will serve the Lord! But more than commit, let's set the example and lead the way. "I will serve the Lord, TODAY!" Then we can ask them to join us.

Prayer:
Give me wisdom, O tender Shepherd, on how to lead my family to love you more. Please bless my parents and thank you for their faith. Please give me courage and sensitivity so that I can effectively share your truth with my children. O God, please bless those parents who are seeking to raise godly children that will someday marry the children you've given me. I want my house to be a place where you are known, appreciated, honored, and loved. In Jesus' name I humbly ask it. Amen.


Wisdom:
‘For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:45 (NASB)
 
August 25, 2015

Devotional:
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.Isaiah 1:18 (NASB)

Nothing stains quite as sin. It not only leaves a stain in our heart but a residue in our minds. But God's grace is shown in that he doesn't just forgive our sins, he doesn't just forget our sins, he banishes them. They are gone. The stain is removed, the guilt is taken away. We are clean by his grace.

Prayer:
O the joy your grace gives me, glorious God! I can never thank you or praise you enough for rerouting the whole direction of my life so that it will end, and begin again, in you and your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
As forman, his days andas grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD isfrom everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.Psalm 103:15-18 (NASB)
 
August 26, 2015

Devotional:
“God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend. “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ And to the [fn]downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’Job 37:5-6 (NASB)


Isn't that a beautiful phrase! "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding." Rather than spending a lot of time talking or thinking about how marvelous God is, let's praise him in prayer.

Prayer:
Holy, Righteous, and Eternal God! You alone are truly and fully holy. I cannot but comprehend the distant outskirts of your ways, but I love you. You are so far beyond me on my best days, I can't quite understand why you would pay such a cost to redeem someone like me. But, Dear God, I thank you and praise from the bottom of my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.


Wisdom:
Likecold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25 (NASB)
 
August 27, 2015

Devotional:
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.1 John 2:15-16 (NASB)


Love for things, especially temporary ones, can sure get us into trouble. Even worse, we can begin to think they will make us happy or fill the empty places in our hearts. But if we really sink our hopes and dreams in our Abba Father, we are attached to eternity and what we need most is always with us!

Prayer:
Give me wisdom, Holy God, to invest in you and things that matter. I confess to you that my eyes and my heart are often distracted by the glitzy stuff that is temporary. By your Spirit, O Father, stir my heart to yearn for you. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
“You shall therefore love the LORD your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments. Deuteronomy 11:1 (NASB)
 
August 28, 2015

Devotional:
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it,we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the [fn]knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,1 Colossians 1:9 (NASB)


In a world where we can feel so isolated and alone at times, it is so important for us to know that someone is praying for us and for our spiritual needs. As I think of the thousands who are a part of the Today's Verse ministry, I cannot help but pray that each of them, that you, are blessed by knowing that you share a spiritual journey with people all over the world, and that today, we will praying for each other. And of course there can be no better prayer than the one that Paul prayed for the Colossian friends he had never met — "I ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Let's pray that for each other today.

Prayer:
Oh precious and divine Father, today I pray for the other believers who come before you and seek to live for you. I pray especially for those who share the Today's Verse journey with me. Even though we live all over the world and have all sorts of needs, we all know that our deepest need is to know and live your will and to be confident that we are known and loved by you. Please fill all of us with the knowledge of your will through Spirit-led wisdom and understanding. We want to know you, honor you, serve you, and ultimately see you face to face. In the name of our older brother Jesus, we pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
(“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) Revelation 16:15 (NASB)
 
August 29, 2015

Devotional:
For [fn]such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Actas free men, and [fn]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use itas bondslaves of God.1 Peter 2:15-16 (NASB)


What does the world most need to hear from me today? A life tuned to the melody of grace that I claim I believe. Doing good, being like Christ, is Peter's answer to opposition, cynicism, and even persecution. We are free in Jesus, but being free means that we don't have to pretentiously prove we are free. Instead, we can live for him who died to conquer death and renounced absolute heavenly freedom so we could find it. We are free to serve others, and most of all to serve God.

Prayer:
Holy Father, my Great Emancipator, you have freed me from sin, law, and death at the cost of your precious Son. I open my heart to you today to say I love you. I and want to thank you for this gift of incredible redemption. Please accept the actions of my life and the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my mind and the emotions of my heart today as my offering of thanks. In the name of Jesus, my Sacrifice and your holy Son, I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 (NASB)
 
August 31, 2015

Devotional:
For Christ also died for sins once for all, thejust for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the [fn]spirit;1 Peter 3:18 (NASB)

Having stood over the open caskets of friends, family, and strangers, I know the appearance and feel of death's finality and our human frailty. But Christ's death is that great reminder that death is a matter of perspective and faith. I believe God raised Jesus from the dead and that Jesus is the first fruits of those of us who believe in him. He is alive, not just in Spirit, but in bodily form. Because Jesus lives, so will we!

Prayer:
Almighty God, thank you for the gifts of your grace, Spirit, forgiveness and life. Most of all, thanks for the gift of your Son, who brought life and immortality to life in me through your salvation. While I have no great desire to die, I know I can look through death to you and your victory in me through Jesus. Please give me the courage to live for you every day until that day you take me home. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3 (NASB)
 
September 1, 2015

Devotional:
Trouble and anguish have [fn]come upon me, YetYour commandments are my delight.Psalm 119:143 (NASB)

This verse is hard for me, because I know I am so blessed. Trouble and distress do not seem to be a part of my vocabulary right now. But I know in many places in the world this statement is true of Christians who are under attack and live under the threat of persecution and possibly even death. But their love for God and their commitment to obedience is greater than Satan's threats because God's will is their delight.

Prayer:
Majestic and holy God, I ask you to bless and liberate your church under persecution. But Father, I also ask that if physical deliverance is not what is coming, I pray for my brothers and sisters and I, that we may be found faithful in death before surrendering to compromise in life. Please strengthen our faith: we believe but help our unbelief. Empower us through your Spirit to be obedient: forgive us when we fall. Most of all, deliver us into your glorious presence without fault. I pray this in the name of Jesus, in whom I find my salvation and assurance. Amen.


Wisdom:
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire [fn]fulfilled is a tree of life.Proverbs 13:12 (NASB)
 
September 2, 2015

Devotional:
Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.Psalm 119:18 (NASB)


From our perspective of grace and having been liberated from law-keeping as a means of justification and righteousness, this is a very fitting prayer. We can look around our world and see the anarchy and brutality when there is no principle of law undergirding the soul of a society. God's law provided so many wonderful blessings, and can still bless us today if we will let it. But the greatest blessing of the O.T. Law is Jesus, in whom all of God's promises find their fulfillment.

Prayer:
Holy Father, thank you for your righteousness. I know that you will dispense justice and settle all injustice when you judge the earth. This gives me comfort because I know that through Jesus, you see me as your righteous child. My prayer today is that I can live in a way that brings honor to you and reflects the character of your Son when he walked this earth. In his name, Jesus my Lord and Messiah, I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may [fn]be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on theevil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:44-45 (NASB)
 
September 3, 2015

Devotional:
Nun. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.Psalm 119:105 (NASB)


God's promises, God's Scripture, helps us find our way in a pluralistic world of competing voices and lights our path in time so given to cynicism and despair. What such great grace we have to know God's will in our own words! Now if we will only walk in the light!

Prayer:
Loving Father, thank you for giving me your truth in Scripture. To know that you love me enough to communicate in language so I can hear and read your message is truly awe inspiring to me. Make my heart hunger for your truth revealed in your Word. I want to grow to be a righteous and gracious child in your family. With all my love I pray to you in the name of my older Brother and Savior, Jesus. Amen.


Wisdom:
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NASB)
 
September 4, 2015

Devotional:
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.John 17:17 (NASB)


God's promises, God's Scripture, and God's clearest message of all, his Son, are truth. But only the last of these is truth, grace, deliverer, friend, Lord, Savior, brother, Redeemer...

Prayer:
O God, give me a holy passion to know your truth and live it in both word and deed. Make my life a reflection of your Word, who both proclaimed and lived your truth. In the name of Jesus, your ultimate Word, I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84:12 (NASB)
 
September 5, 2015

Devotional:
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the [fn]path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.Psalm 1:1-2 (NASB)


I get to choose which sources of information I feed my mind. But this privilege and freedom is also a responsibility. God longs to bless me, but that blessing remains dormant until my heart delights in knowing and doing his will.

Prayer:
Wondrous Creator, just as you fashioned such a beautiful world and put me together in my mother's womb, I also ask that you create in me a desire to know your truth and an insight in how to live that truth. I know your Holy Spirit is in me to help me in this journey, but I want so much to please you and bless you because of all the ways you have blessed me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Wisdom:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 (NASB)
 
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