Lay Aside Your Pride

by Ed Young
DESCRIPTION

When we are faced with obstacles that seem insurmountable, the greatest thing we can do is go to Jesus.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”  Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him”  (Matthew 8:5-7).

THINK

It’s an interesting situation. On one side is the Roman centurion, charged with keeping martial law in Capernaum. On the other, Jesus Christ, the one making waves in the Jewish world. Yet despite the glaring differences in these men and in this story, the centurion lays aside his pride and boldly comes to Jesus with a difficult situation.

When we are faced with obstacles that seem insurmountable, the greatest thing we can do is go to Jesus. All it takes is our willingness to lay aside our pride, walk to Him and present our problems. Have you given up control of what you are facing? Have you turned to Jesus with the difficulty in your life?

PRAY

Thank God for His ability and willingness to help us with anything we are facing. Pray for His direction, His purpose, and even for His help.

ACT

One a half sheet of paper, write down one area you need God’s help in. Throughout the week, as you pray and seek His help, write down ways you see God helping you with that area.

Throwing Gasoline on the Fire

by Bryant Wright
DESCRIPTION

If you turn your thoughts over to the Lord, you will be able to have the power to resist temptation.
"But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 niv)

You can’t avoid it, no matter how hard you try. Television commercials, the Internet, billboards on the road, window displays in the mall, even magazines in the supermarket checkout line—we are constantly assaulted with sexual images everywhere we turn. These media and cultural assaults are like throwing gasoline on the fire. They make it even more challenging to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Notice that I said these things add gasoline to the fire—the “fire” is already there. Even if we lived alone on a desert island with no TV, no computer, no magazines, nobody else there, we would still struggle with the lusts of the flesh. We would still wrestle with our thought lives. We will always struggle with attitudes and drives that are displeasing to God! Avoiding outside temptations is certainly important in avoiding sin, but recognize that the real problem begins—and ends—with how we deal with temptation inside our own minds. We can’t stop being tempted, and temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted in every way we are. But don’t flirt with it. Show real courage and run from it. Ask the Lord to help you turn your thoughts over to Him, and you will be able to have the power to resist temptation.

The Great Thing About Prayer

by Greg Laurie
DESCRIPTION

The great thing about prayer is that God looks primarily at our hearts.
Never stop praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT).

I clearly remember when I was a new Christian and first began to pray. I had never prayed in my life. I wasn't aware that I could know God in such a way as to call on Him and listen to Him. I also remember the first time I prayed with a group of other Christians. I was so nervous. With every word, I was convinced I was bombing in my prayer. My heart was pounding and my throat was dry.

Sometimes we think we don’t know how to pray properly because we’re not sure how to phrase certain things. We wonder if we should use some special kind of language or pray in a certain posture. But these aren't the main issues at all. Far from it! The most important thing is our hearts. The great thing about prayer is that God looks primarily at our hearts. Even if our prayers aren't perfectly structured, even if they aren't eloquent, if they come from a heart that is directed toward God, then they are pleasing to Him.

God keeps up with all the latest terminology, so don’t worry about that. He knows what you are saying. He knows what you are thinking. The main thing is to start praying. Just start where you are and speak to God straight from your heart. Luke 18:1 tells us that Jesus told his disciples a story “to show that they should always pray and never give up” (NLT). So spend time in prayer. You can pray at home. You can pray while you’re stuck in traffic.

We read in the Bible that people of all ages from different walks of life prayed every day, always, in any posture, and under all circumstances. God can hear prayer at any time in any place.

Look Again and Think

by James MacDonald
DESCRIPTION
Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our lives.
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. —Matthew 6:27-33

A warning which needs to be repeated is that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,” and the lust for the other things, will choke out the life of God in us (see Matthew 13:22 NKJV).

We are never free from recurring waves of this invasion. If the front line of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends. Or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.

“I say to you, do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25 NKJV). Our Lord says to be careful about one thing —our relationship with Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, “That’s absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.”

Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our lives. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship with God first.

“Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, “What are your plans for next month—or next summer?” Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the “much more” (Matthew 6:30) of your heavenly Father.

Journal:

How much importance do I place on spending time nurturing my relationship with the Lord versus planning my life?
What does it look like to put my relationship with Christ first in my life? Who will hold me accountable to doing that?
Prayer: Dear Father, my prayer this day is to seek You first. I spend my time running around in busyness rather than looking closely to how You would have me spend my time. Help me to thirst for You more, Lord. And if that means bringing trials into my life to keep my attention on You, then go ahead. Just help me through them! In Jesus’ name, Amen

Doing God's work, God's way

http://links.intouchministries.mkt4193.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MTY1NDMyNDUS1&r=MTA3MzY0NTYyMDQwS0&j=OTYwOTQ5Nzg5S0&mt=1&rt=0

God Has a Purpose for Our Lives

by Dr. Ken Boa
DESCRIPTION
What is God’s purpose for your life? Ask God to give you a clear sense of purpose that combines ability with passion.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (John 17:4).
In 1902 Meyer Kubelski, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, gave his son a violin for his eighth birthday. It cost Meyer $50, a small fortune in those days.

The son loved music and soon was playing well enough to give concerts at the Barrison Theater in Waukeegan, the town where the Kubelskis lived. By the age of 18 he had teamed up with a woman pianist as a concert team in vaudeville.

One night as Benjamin Kubelski was playing, he felt impelled, between numbers, to tell the audience about a funny incident that had happened to him during the day. “The audience laughed,” he recalled later, “and the sound intoxicated me. That laughter ended my days as a musician.” Jack Benny, as the young Kubelski later called himself, had found his rightful career.

What is God’s purpose for your life? Ask God to give you a clear sense of purpose that combines ability with passion

Day 6 - God's Purpose: The 3

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/revelation/revelation-12/

Embracing God’s Purpose

by Anne Graham Lotz
DESCRIPTION
Be single-minded as you embrace God’s purpose for your life and realize that there are times when you have to just say no.
I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do (John 17:4, NIV).

Jill Briscoe, noted author and international speaker, was recently asked what she saw as her life’s greatest mission. She answered that her life’s greatest mission is “to figure out what to do every day in my life—as ordained by God—and then to do it.” Jill knows there are many things to do in life that are not ordained of God, which is why we must be single-minded.

To be single-minded as I embrace God’s purpose for my life means that there are times I have to just say no. . .

to an invitation to join my friends for coffee,

to an offer for a lucrative job,

to a long weekend . . .

To be single-minded as I embrace God’s purpose for my life means there are times I have to just say yes. . .

to less sleep and more prayer,

to less TV and more study,

to less work and more worship.     

Called for God’s Purpose

by Dr. Charles Stanley
DESCRIPTION
God’s calling includes not only what we do but also who we are.
Esther 2:1-8, 17

The story of Esther is filled with romance, adventure, and danger. Her ordinary Jewish life suddenly became remarkable when she found herself crowned Queen of Persia. We clearly see the Lord’s sovereign hand at work as He called her to fulfill a very important role in His plan for the Jews. But can you imagine how upset, confused, and uncertain Esther must have felt as the details were unfolding?

We may feel the same perplexity as we live each day without knowing the future. Sometimes it is easier to see God’s calling in someone else’s life than in our own. His plans and purposes are working out in perfect progression, but from an earthly perspective, the developments may seem chaotic and bewildering.

Esther’s story is an encouragement to trust in God’s will and purpose for our life. Every believer in Christ has a calling from the Lord. He doesn’t save us and then leave us to fend for ourselves; instead, He continually guides each of His children in the work He has planned for his or her life.

God’s calling includes not only what we do but also who we are. Each experience in life is a tool that the Lord uses to shape and equip us to become the person He wants each one to be—with regard to character as well as conduct.

Begin looking for the Lord’s hand in your life. He is working out His plan, sometimes silently and softly, sometimes with jarring disruptions. But He is always there, directing and moving. Never imagine yourself to be insignificant in His eyes. You’re so highly esteemed that almighty God has designed a unique calling just for you.

Day 5 - God's Purpose - Lord am I

https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B150522/mary-magdalenes-high-calling

Day 4 - God's Purpose: Deborah: The Woman God Uses

https://bible.org/article/deborah-woman-god-uses

Answered Prayer

by Dr. Charles Stanley
DESCRIPTION
Our heavenly Father tells His children to pray and assures that He will respond.
Matthew 7:7-11

In His Word, our Father commands us to pray continually (1 Thess. 5:17). And He promises that when we ask, we will receive (Luke 11:9). Yet, how often has silence seemed to be the answer to our prayer requests?

The Lord wouldn’t tell us to pray if He were not going to respond. In fact, He points out that any father who loves his children gives them what they need and what is good (vv. 11-13). And He, as our heavenly Father, will provide so much more. But if we want God to respond, we must meet three important conditions.

First, we must have a right relationship with Jesus Christ by trusting Him as Savior. But some people choose to live in ungodliness even after salvation. Scripture states, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps. 66:18, KJV). This doesn’t mean we can never make a mistake—God understands our frailty. But we must repent of all known sin and avoid continuing in it.

Second, we must make right requests. Scripture reminds us to ask according to God’s will (1 John 5:14). That means we can share our hopes and desires while submitting to whatever He deems best. Over time, certain yearnings may lose appeal or give us a check in our spirit.

Third, we should pray specifically and with confidence. When making requests aligned with God’s will, we can be sure He’ll answer.

Our heavenly Father tells His children to pray and assures that He will respond. As you present your requests, ask Him to show you if anything is getting in the way of His answer.

Day 3 - God's Purpose - Focus on what he wants—not what others expect.

http://www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2016/march-16/discovering-gods-purpose-for-your-life.html

God’s Great Understanding

by Lenae Bulthuis
DESCRIPTION
o weep and wail and say, “No one understands me!” may be what you’re feeling, but it’s not true. Jesus knows. Jesus understands.
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.
Proverbs 14:10
There’s a part of your heart and mine that sits alone in solitary confinement. There’s an isolated space in our souls that no one else can climb into and fully understand. There are parts of our physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or mental pain that no one else gets.

People may nod in understanding, listen intently, and walk in your shoes as best they can, but to fully press into every ounce of what we’re feeling and experiencing is impossible. No amount of tears, words, or time can reach into that deepest space.

Except for Jesus. To weep and wail and say, “No one understands me!” may be what you’re feeling, but it’s not true. Jesus knows. Jesus understands. Jesus feels every ounce of your pain and can reach into the deepest hurt. In Christ there is no solitary confinement of the soul.

Jesus knows what it is to be misunderstood. He experienced all sorts of differing reactions to His ministry. Even His disciples didn’t get Him most of the time. In the gospel of Mark after He explained His death a second time, Scripture says they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask him about it (9:32). As if further proof were needed that they were clueless to His mission, the next thing we read is that on their walk to Capernaum they get in an argument about who is the greatest! So Jesus sits down with them again and explains something we still struggle to “get” today: Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all (Mark 9:35).

Jesus knows suffering. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain (Isaiah 53:3). He suffered His entire life, but especially at the end. Not only did He experience the excruciating pain of the crucifixion, He drank the cup of wrath as God crushed Him on the cross. His ultimate agony was God turning His face away. The relational pain pierced deeper than the physical!

Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). He has great understanding about what you’re going through. He feels your pain; He knows your hurt. Cry out to Jesus! Approach His throne of grace with confidence so you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

HE>i: Will you take your hurt to Jesus and rest in Him today?

Don’t for a second believe the lie that Jesus likes your suffering. He hates it, and He wants to do something about it. Let Him help you now, and look forward to the day when He will destroy suffering forever.

Day 3 - God's Purpose - Discovering God’s Purpose for Your Life

http://www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2016/march-16/discovering-gods-purpose-for-your-life.html

God’s Greater Purpose

by Anne Graham Lotz
DESCRIPTION
Would you tell God now, in prayer, that you want what He wants more than what you want? Then trust Him!
“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” John 11:4, NIV

Why does God let things go from bad to worse for those He loves—those like me? Like Martha and Mary?

Yet, consider this: When Jesus expressed words of encouragement concerning Lazarus’ condition, Lazarus had already died! (John 11:4) Was Jesus lying? Was His promise some sort of empty “hope so”? Was He just toying with Martha and Mary’s feelings? NO! What Jesus said meant . . .

that Lazarus’ sickness did not have physical death as its ultimate purpose.
that God has a greater purpose than our immediate comfort.
that getting what we want, when we want it, is not always the best for us or glorifying to God.  
Would you tell God now, in prayer, that you want what He wants more than what you want? Then trust Him!

Day 2 - God's Purpose - Submitting to God’s Purpose

https://utmost.org/submitting-to-god%E2%80%99s-purpose/

Day 1 - God's Purpose - You or Me

https://utmost.org/god%E2%80%99s-purpose-or-mine/