Love covers all

"Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 NAS

In this day and age we do not have enough love in our hearts and churches. All I hear is how bad someone is and what sin they are living in. Isn't it about time to reach out in love to one another. Yes, we sin but when love comes in the sins seem to disappear and that person is transformed as Jesus love transformed us. If we are to live as Jesus lived we need the love of his heart in ours.

Father God,

You have showed us how to love. Now help your people to reach out love one another and those who need love. Amen

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Corinthians 5:16-18 NIV

What can I add? Amen

Think

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found..." Proverbs 10:12-13 ESV

I want wisdom. So I will think before I speak. I will think before I react. I will think love at everyone I meet. Then I can spread love instead of hate. How about you? Will you join me for love of Jesus covers all.

Spending time with God

"After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone." Matthew 14:23 NLT

The reason Jesus walk with God is because he spent time in prayer with God. He taught us how to pray, what to pray for and how to be in touch with God. If we take the time each day to tell God how thankful and appreciate him and all he does when we pray. We also need to read and contemplate his word. Make God number one on our lips as we wake each day. Talk to him because he is with us always and see what a difference it makes in your life. God is real and closer than your brother, so act like it and watch you grow mature in your Christian walk.

Be filled

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6 NIV

Fill me up God I am parched and very hungry for you. Amen

Walk humble

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 NIV

We, Christians have made serving the Lord to complex with man made works. When God's word gives us simple instructions on what God wants us to do. Jesus has shown us the way we should act. We just need to dig our bibles out and read them for ourselves to see that it is simple to live a Godly life.

Trust

"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me." Psalm 31:14-15 NIV

I went through a time where I felt God let me down. It was a long time when I just didn't trust God to take care of me. I knew I was saved and believed with my heart that Jesus could not lose me, but I just had hard time believing that God was trustworthy. I knew in my head that this was not truth, but in my heart I was hurt and was scared to trust him again. It has taken me several years to overcome this lie that had lived in my heart. So that I could say with the Psalmist, "I trust you, O Lord." How about you do you trust God to keep you in all ways or do you doubt that He can do all that he said he can do. Choose you this day to put your full trust in him who is trustworthy with all.

Father God,

Forgive me for not trusting you in all ways. Help me each day to put my faith in you and trust you to bring me through all things. Amen

Our weakness is His strength

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness..." Romans 8:26 NIV

We are all weak until the Spirit intervenes. When we call upon the Lord, the Holy Spirit connects with God and gives us strength to go thought what ever the problem is. Our part is to dwell in him and listen to what he is saying to us.

Father God,

Thank you for your Holy Spirit who gives us strength in our weakness. Help us, your children, to listen and obey what he is telling us so that no matter what we can overcome all things. Amen

Live wise

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise ...."
Ephesians 5:15 NIV

This year I have been looking out how I look to others. Am I kind, considerate or mean and selfish. We must be aware how we treat the people around us, especially when we are God's people. It doesn't matter who sees us but what God calls us to do daily. We are to walk and act as if Jesus is right beside us, because he is. He hears our deepest thoughts and knows what our actions and reactions will be. Choose this day to live wise and see what a difference it will make in your life.

Father God,

Make us aware of how we live and to live as you called us to live. Amen

What does your mouth say

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." Proverbs 18:21 NLT

The old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me," is so wrong. Words hurt and can even kill. If you have ever been the object of a rumor you know what I mean. It spreads like wild fire and never goes completely out. That is why as Christians we have to be aware of every word we speak. For we can speak life or death into ourselves and others. Take today and start listening to the words you speak and those of others. I think you'll be shocked at what words are spoken. Today, choose to speak life and remove death from your tongue.

Father God,

Your Son is life, your Spirit is life, and you are the giver of life. Help us, your children to speak out in that life. Amen

Live in peace

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no on will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV

This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I want to lash out when those around me make me angry or frustrated. It is an effort to live in peace but God works with us and as we change then those around us change also. Peace kills the root of bitterness within us when we live in it.

Father God,

Open our eyes to the way of living in peace so the root of bitterness can not survive in our lives. Amen

Give us understanding

"I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes."
Psalm 119:125 NIV

I pray this for all your children and from my heart I ask this for myself. Amen

Show me the way

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 NIV

Lord write these word on my heart and open my eyes to see your truths. Amen

I call on the Lord

"I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues." Psalm 120:1-2 NIV

When we are faced with vindictive people, what do we do? Do we retaliate in kind or ignor the situation all together. Our first reaction is "a tooth for tooth", but that is not what we should do. We should call on the Lord and put it in his hands. He knows exactly what needs done to turn away the harm these people are causing. He alone can protect and abort the arrows of mean people. Know I haven't got there yet. I still have knee jerk reaction when harmful words head my way. All I can do is throw myself to my knees and ask forgiveness for reacting before I call on the Lord.

Father God,

Forgive me for not coming to you first before I react to those who are against me. Help me to remember your way is always the best way. Amen

Delight in the Lord

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4 NIV

God knows the desires of our hearts and is waiting on us to be delighted in him and not on our desires. Our modern day churches have forgotten this truth and believe we are to delighted on the blessings and not on the blessing giver.

Father God,

Turn your people back to seeing it is You who we need to delight in. I ask for your forgiveness for delighting in your blessings and instead of you. Amen.

Raised with Christ

"Since, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." Colossians 3:1 NIV

Christ is above all things and over all things. If we set our hearts on him, he'll direct your path to what he wants you to do in all aspects of your life. When our hearts are troubled, he is there to see us through the trouble. If we lift up our faces to see him in all his glory and authority we will see that everything pales in his light. We were raised with Christ so let us take our place and walk with him today.

Father God,

It is you that called us by name and raised us with Christ to walk this life on earth. Help us to keep our eyes on him and walk the path you have placed before us. Amen

More than conquerors

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Romans 8:37 NIV

These days I have been trying to overcome several things in my life. More and more I keep telling myself I need to get into my bible, pray more, and believe what God is saying to me. I need to trust him more and myself as well. For together, God and I can conquer all my doubts and fears. How about you? Will you go on this journey with me. For God's worth is truth and with him we can be more than conquerors, we can be victorious in all we do as long as we depend on God.

Father God,

Help us, your children to get our head knowledge into our hearts, so that we can say as your word says, "We are more than conquerors." Amen

Hearts at rest

"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:19-20 NIV

God gives us his Spirit at conversion and it is his Spirit that teaches our hearts to condemn us when we do something wrong. It is our duty to listen to our hearts and turn away from the wrong choice to the right choice. Each person has been taught and some have learned the lessons early and has moved on. So it is not our place to condemn a person for their sins it is between God and them not you and God.

Father God,

Your people have become to self-righteous in their attitudes toward one another. Open our eyes to see how we are hurting each other and not helping. Let us reach out in love and not with our tongue. Amen

Favor and work

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17 NIV

We are all taught to want the favor of God but do you know you have to be working for him to get it. God made each of us for a purpose and we must be working on that purpose to be in his favor. So like the Psalmist we must ask God to establish our purpose in us so that he'll favor us and bless the work of our hands.

Father God,

Open our hearts and minds to our given purpose and establish the work of our hands and let your favor rest on each of us. Amen

Free from accusation

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held in the gospel.... Colossians 1:21-23 NIV

What do we do when we are angry with people for the accusations or implied-accusations? This was a question I heard yesterday. People meaning well in their convictions said condemning things that made the person angry and then guilty because of their anger. This verse is very clear that when we are reconciled through Christ blood that we are free from accusations. If we are living as sin free as we can then we have no guilty reason to fall under peoples condemnation. We are only to feel the Holy Spirits promptings if we move away from what God wants us to do. Man is not our conscience and never should be our barometer of how we stand with God. Lift up your head and listen to what God's word says to you and say with him, I am free from accusations and holy in his sight.

Father God,

Help your children to be careful on how they talk to others and help us not to depend on people to gage our acceptance by you. Help us to depend on you and only you to know if we are sinning or not. Amen

Choices have consequences

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" Galatians 6:7-8 NIV

Our choices always have consequences. We must be careful how we act and react to every situation that comes our way. God gave us his Spirit to help us on our journey and we need to stay connected to him so that we can make right decisions. If we disregard God's teachings to go our own way then we should not be angry at God when things go badly for us. Yes, we still can go through bad times and awful things do happen to God's people but he is always there for us to reach out and lean on him through them all. Good or bad times God's people should be making right choices and know that we are doing his work.

Father God,

Help your people to reconnect and stay connected to Your Holy Spirit so that the choices we make will be the right choices no matter what situation we find ourselves in. Amen

A lesson of contentment

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13 NIV

If you are like me, you can say I have learned a secret but don't know how to apply it to my life. All last year I have done is gripped and grumbled about everything. I was unhappy because my situation was not what I wanted. I know the truth in my head, but how do I get it in my heart and believe it to be true. That is my quest for this year. I want to be like Paul and say I am content in all situations because with God I CAN do all things through him.

Father God,

You know that I want to take your secret truths out of my head and into my heart to be mixed with faith and apply them to my life. Help me, give me wisdom to use what I have learned. Amen

Heart of Wisdom

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90:12 NIV

This verse really spoke to me. I feel 2009 was wasted and I went backwards instead of forwards. I want 2010 to be a year of renewal and growth, to make up the lost ground and then some. So I add my prayer to the Psalmist, God teach me to number my days aright so that I may gain a heart of wisdom and use it as you have created me to do. Amen.

Glue that holds all things together

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Colossians 1:15-17 NIV

Sometimes we feel like everything is falling apart and nothing we can do to hold it together. We don't have to hold it together for Jesus is the glue that keeps everything together. God moves things around to keep his plans heading in the right direction. Sometimes we must be moved to correct a wrong decision we have made so that we are going where God needs us to be. Sometimes he let's us fall down but he never leaves us there. He picks us up dust us off and sets our feet on the correct path. We ourselves take the path of our choosing but God will keep turning us until we reach where he wants us to go and Christ keeps us together forever. He is the glue that we can depend on.

Works for good

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 NIV

When God called us to be his children he had a purpose already and waiting for each one. Even in bad times God is working for the good of his children to fulfill his purpose. Today take the time and spend it with him and he will direct your path to that purpose.

Father God,

Help us who have strayed from your paths and help us believe in your words that you are working for our good according to your purpose. Amen

By faith

"By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." Hebrews 11:3

Believing in God is the easy part of faith. Believing God is the hard part. For we have to have faith to trust him at his word and to believe his word is truth. When we have had a bad experience and prayed and nothing seems to change or got worse, our trust is either shaky or gone. Even though we believe in God at that moment we either just think God failed us or didn't answer because we failed him. If we believe what man says that we as God children never go through bad times then we will think the worse of God and give up believing all together. Man is wrong and God's word is truth. Why would there be prayers about going through the valley if all God's children are on mountain tops. Stop listening to man, pull out your bibles and read all of his words and not verses taken out of context. If the disciples were persecuted and killed for their faith. Then we also have to go through bad times, worse times but God is always there with us no matter what we are able to see.

Father God,

Give your children a greater understanding of your word and a desire to believe you at your word. Amen

A new year

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

In starting a new year we hope for many things and hope for the best. We have a little flame in side us that keeps us going even during the worst of times. My hope for you is that faith wells up and overflows into your life the conviction of great things for this new year.

Father God,

Your children need you more today then they did yesterday. Open our hearts, minds and soul to your direction for each of us for this year. Amen

Holiday Season

Holidays are here and I'm going to take a break. Sorry I know I shouldn't but I need to. Check back after the New Years Eve. You have a blessed and safe holidays!

Praise and thanksgiving

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is you name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." Psalm 8:1 NIV

Here we are in the middle of November and it will soon be Thanksgiving. Which should remind us that we should be thankful for all the Lord has done for us, seen or unseen. We have alot to be thankful for and we should shout praise and thanks to the one who has blessed us.

You Lord God loved us and blessed us by calling us by name. Open our hearts and minds to all you do daily for each one of us. Amen

Love is everything

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

God is love, pure love. So we as his children should love one another even if they are unlovable. Love conquers all things. It is hard to love but since we are loved even when we feel unlovable the fact remains the same. We are loved.