Dec 31 - Jesus The Conqueror

Daily Devotion

Jesus The Conqueror

Jesus. That is the Name by which you conquer. Jesus. Not as cringing suppliants but as those recognizing a friend, say My Name -- Jesus. "Thou shalt call His Name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins."

And in that word "sins" read not only vice and degradation, but doubts, fears, tempers, despondencies, impatience, lack of Love in big and little things. Jesus. "He shall save His people from their sins." The very uttering of the Name lifts the soul away from petty valley-irritations to mountain heights.

"He shall save His people from their sins." Savior and Friend, Joy-bringer and Rescuer, Leader and Guide -- Jesus. Do you need delivering from cowardice, from adverse circumstances, from poverty, from failure, from weakness?

"There is none other Name . . . whereby you can be saved" -- Jesus. Say it often. Claim the Power it brings.

"Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven." Psalm 148:13

 

 

Dec 30 - Fishers of Men

Daily Devotion

Fishers of Men

When you think of those of whom you read who are in anguish, do you ever think how My Heart must ache with the woe of it, with the anguish of it?

If I beheld the city and wept over it, how much more should I weep over the agony of these troubled hearts, over lives that seek to live without My sustaining Power.

"They will not come into Me that they might have Life."

Live to bring others to Me, the only Source of Happiness and Heart-Peace.

"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." John 4:35

 

 

Dec 29 - Work & Prayer

Daily Devotion

Work & Prayer

Work and prayer represent the two forces that will ensure your success. Your work and My work.
For prayer, believing prayer, is based on the certainty that I am working for you and with you and in you.

Go forward gladly and unafraid. I am with you. With men your task may be impossible, but with God all things are possible.

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13

Dec 28 - Signs & Feelings

Daily Devotion

Signs & Feelings

Our Lord, Thou art here. Let us feel Thy nearness.

I am here. Do not need feeling too much. To ask for feeling too much is to ask for a sign, and then the answer is the same as that I gave when on earth. "There shall no sign be given but the sign of the prophet Jonah. . . . For as Jonah was three days and three nights . . . so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Veiled from sight to the unbeliever. To the believer the veiling is only temporary, to be followed by a glorious Resurrection. . . .

What does it matter what you feel? What matters is what I am, was, and ever shall be to you -- A Risen Lord. . . . the feeling that I am with you may depend upon any passing mood of yours -- upon a change of circumstances, upon a mere trifle.

I am uninfluenced by circumstances. . . . My Promise given is kept. I am here, one with you in tender loving friendship.

"Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth." Psalm 119:151

 

 

Dec 27 - Glorious Work

Daily Devotion

Glorious Work

I have stripped you of much, that it should be truly a life of well-being. Build up stone by stone upon a firm foundation, and that Rock is your Master -- that Rock is Christ.

A life of discipline and a joyous fulfillment is to be yours . . . . Never lose sight of the glorious work to which you have been called.

Let no riches, no ease entice you from the path of miracle-working with Me upon which your feet are set. Love and Laugh. Trust and pray. Ride on now in a loving humility to victory.

"Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death." Proverbs 11:4

 

 

Dec 26 - Health and Wealth

Daily Devotion

Health and Wealth
Be not afraid, health and wealth are coming to you both. My wealth which is sufficiency for your needs, and for My work you long to do.

Money, as some call wealth, to hoard, to display, you know is not for My Disciples.

Journey through this world simply seeking the means to do My Will and work. Never keep anything you are not using. Remember all I give you will be Mine, only given to you to use. Could you think of Me hoarding My Treasures? You must never do it. Rely on Me.

To store for the future is to fear and to doubt me. Check every doubt of Me at once. Live in the Joy of My constant Presence. Yield every moment to Me. Perform every task, however humble, as at My gentle bidding, and for Me, for love of Me. So live, so love, so work.

You are the Apostles of the Little Services.

"Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set your heart upon them." Psalm 62:10

 

 

Dec 25 - Babe of Bethlehem

Daily Devotion

 Babe of Bethlehem

Kneel before the Babe of Bethlehem. Accept the truth that the Kingdom of Heaven is for the lowly, the simple.

Bring to Me, the Christ-child, your gifts, truly the gifts of earth's wisest.

The Gold -- your money.

Frankincense -- the adoration of a consecrated life.

Myrrh -- your sharing in My sorrows and those of the world.

"And they presented unto Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh."

"Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off." Psalm 138:6

 

 

Dec 24 - He Is Coming

Daily Devotion

He Is Coming
Our Lord, Thou art here. Let us feel thy nearness.
 Yes! but remember the first Hail must be that of the Magi in the Bethlehem stable. Not as King and Lord in Heavenly triumph must you first hail Me. But as amongst the lowliest, bereft of earth's pomp like the Magi.

So to the humble the worship of humility -- the Bethlehem Babe -- must be the first Hail.

Then the worship of repentance. As earth's sinner, you stand by Me in the Jordan, baptized of John, worshiping Me the Friend and Servant of sinners.

Dwell much on My Life. Step out beside Me. Share it with Me. Humility, Service, Worship, Sacrifice, Sanctification -- Steps in the Christian Life.

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14

 

 

Dec 23 - The World's Song

Daily Devotion 

The World's Song
Bless us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and show us the way in which Thou wouldst have us walk.

Walk with Me in the way of Peace. Shed Peace, not discord, wherever you go. But it must be My Peace.

Never a Peace that is a truce with the power of evil. Never harmony if that means your life-music being adapted to the mood and music of the world.

My disciples so often make the mistake of thinking all must be harmonious. No! Not when it means singing the song of the world.

I, the Prince of Peace, said that I came "not to bring Peace but a sword."

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also we are called...and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15

 

 

Dec 22 - Practice Protection

Daily Devotion 

Practice Protection

Fear no evil because I have conquered evil. It has power to hurt only those who do not place themselves under My Protection. This is not a question of feeling, it is an assured fact.

All you have to do is say with assurance that whatever it is cannot harm you, as I have conquered it. Children, in not only the big, but the little things of life, be sure of My conquering Power. Know that all is well. Be sure of it. Practice this. Learn it until it is unfailing and instinctive with you.

But practice it in the quite small things, and then you will find you will do it easily, naturally, lovingly, trustingly, in the big things of life.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

Dec 21 - Smile Indulgently

Daily Devotion

Smile Indulgently

Children, take every moment as of My Planning and ordering. Remember your Master is the Lord of the day's little happenings. In all the small things yield to My gentle pressure on your arm. Stay or go, as that pressure, Love's pressure, indicates.

The Lord of the moments, Creator of the snowdrop and the mighty oak. More tender with the snowdrop than the oak.

And when things do not fall out according to your plan, then smile at Me indulgently, a smile of Love, and say, as you would to a human loved one, "Have Your way then" -- knowing that My loving response will be to make that way as easy for your feet as it can be.

"And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." Luke 19:17

 

 

Dec 20 - Depression

Daily Devotion

Depression

Fight fear as you would fight a plague. Fight it in My Name. . . . Fear, even the smallest fear, is the hacking at the cords of Love that bind you to Me.

However small the impression, in time those cords will wear thin, and then one disappointment, or shock, and they snap. But for the little fears the cords of Love would have held. 

Fight fear.

Depression is a state of fear. Fight that too. Fight. Fight. Depression is the impression left by fear. Fight and conquer, and oh! for Love of Me, for the sake of My tender, never-failing Love of you, fight and love and win.

"Here my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy." Psalm 64:1

 

 

Dec 19 - Perfect Love

Daily Devotion

Perfect Love

Our Lord, give us that Perfect Love of Thee that casts out all fear.

Never let yourselves fear anybody or anything. No fear of My failing you. No fear that your faith will fail you. No fear of poverty or loneliness. No fear of not knowing the way. No fear of others. No fear of their misunderstanding.

But, My children, this absolute casting out of fear is the result of a Perfect Love, a perfect Love of Me and My Father. Speak to Me about everything. Listen to Me at all times. Feel My tender nearness, substituting at once some thought of Me for the fear.

The powers of evil watch you as a besieging force would watch a guarded city -- the object being always to find some weak spot, attack that, and so gain an entrance. So evil lurks around you, and seeks to surprise you in some fear.

The fear may have been but a small one, but it affords evil a weak spot of attack and entrance, and then in some rushing despondency, doubt of Me, and so many other sins. Pray, My beloved children, for that Perfect Love of Me that indeed casts out all fear.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith." 1 Peter 5:8-9

 

 

Dec 18 - See Wonders

Daily Devotion

See Wonders

Think your thought-way into the very heart of My Kingdom. See there the abundance of delights in my storehouse, and lay eager hands on them.

See wonders, ask wonders, bear wonders away with you. Remember this beautiful earth on which you are was once only a thought of Divine Mind. Think how from your thought one corner of it could grow and become the Garden of the Lord, the Bethany-Home for your Master, a place to which I have a right to bring My friends, My needy ones, for talk and rest with Me.

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  A good man...bringeth forth good things: and an evil man...bringeth forth evil things." Matthew 12:34-35

 

 

Dec 17 - Conditions of Blessings

Daily Devotion

Conditions of Blessings

Jesus, we love Thee. We see that all things are planned by Thee. We rejoice in that vision.

Rejoice in the fact that you are Mine. The privileges of the members of My Kingdom are many. When I said of My Father, "He maketh His Sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust," you will notice it was the temporal and material blessings I spoke.

I did not mean that the believer and unbeliever could be treated alike. That is not possible; I can send rain and sunshine and money and worldly blessings equally to both, but of the blessing of the Kingdom that would be impossible.

There are conditions that control the bestowal of these. My followers do not always understand this, it is necessary they should do so if they are remembering My injunction which followed -- "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect."

To attempt to bestow on all alike your Love and Understanding and interchange of thought would be impossible. But temporal blessings you too bestow, as does My Father. All must be done in Love and in the spirit of true forgiveness.

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." John 15:16

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

Jesus, it is when we are emptied of our comforts, our surroundings, and those things which we daily take for granted that we begin to think about the eternal issues of our lives.  I pray for those who are grieving the loss of family members, friends, neighbors, their property and their occupations in the midst of this destructive hurricane.  Though it has left great destruction to the people and structures in its path, I look forward to hearing many stories of Your miracle working power in the lives of those affected and those giving aid.  How I pray for protection for the volunteers and workers who are attempting to rescue those in harm's way.  May the hearts of those who face great losses in this devastating storm experience much greater gains by finding Christ as their personal Savior.  May they come to recognize and follow the voice of our Great Shepherd, as Jesus told His listeners, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hands."  Thank You, Jesus, that in the midst of loss and devastation, those who trust in You have a salvation that is steadfast and imperishable.

Thank you Lord, AMEN

 

 

 

 

Dec 16 - What Joy Is

Daily Devotion

What Joy Is

Lord, give us Thy Joy, that Joy that no man, no poverty, no circumstances, no conditions can take from us.
You shall have My Joy. But Life just now for you both is a march -- a toilsome march. . . .The Joy will come, but for the moment do not think of that, think simply of the march. Joy is the reward. . . .

Between My Promise of the Gift of Joy to My disciples and their realization of that Joy came sense of failure, disappointment, denial, desertion, hopelessness, then hope, waiting, and courage in the face of danger.

Joy is the reward of patiently seeing Me in the dull dark days, of trusting when you cannot see. . . .Joy is as it were your heart's response to My smile of recognition of your faithfulness. . . .

Stop thinking your lives are all wrong if you do not feel it. . . . Remember you may not yet be joyous, but you are brave, and courage and unselfish thought for others are as sure signs of true discipleship as Joy.

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace  in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:13

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

Jesus, it is in my hour of need that I see Your powerful provision in my life.  When I'm in need of comfort, You are my Comforter.  When I'm in need of courage You go before me.  When I'm in need of friendship You are my friend that sticks closer than a brother.  When I'm in need of stability You are the Anchor for my soul.  When I'm in need of finances You own the cattle on a thousand hills.  When I'm in need of peace You are the peacemaker.  When I'm in need of food You are the Bread of Life.  When I'm thirsty You are the living water that leads to eternal life.  You are my Shepherd and I shall never be in want of anything.  Thank You for meeting every need I have.  Amen.

Dec 15 - My Shadow

Daily Devotion

 My Shadow

Learn that each day must be lived in My Power, and in the consciousness of My Presence, even if the thrill of Joy seems to be absent. Remember that if sometimes there seems a shadow on your lives is not the withdrawal of My Presence. It is My shadow as I stand between you and your foes.
Even with your nearest and dearest there are the quiet days. You do not doubt their Love because you do not hear their laughter, and feel a thrill the Joy at their nearness.

The quiet grey days are the days for duty. Work in the calm certainty that I am with you

"That they should seek to the Lord....For in him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts 17:27, 28

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

Jesus, You are well-acquainted with my weaknesses and the condition of my heart.  You know that I am often more concerned about my own comfort and my daily schedule than the needs of those around me.   I know I can't save the entire world, but I can listen to Your still small voice as You place individuals upon my heart.  Show me ways that I can make a difference.  May the character of my life reflect the heart of Christ as I reach out to others in love and in obedience to Your calling upon my life.  

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

 

 

Dec 14 - Storms

Daily Devotion

Storms

Our loving Lord, we thank Thee for Thy marvelous keeping power.
There is no miracle so wonderful as the miracle of a soul being kept by My Power. Forces of evil batter and storm, but are powerless. Tempests rage unavailingly.

It is like a cool garden with sweet flowers and bees and butterflies and trees and playing fountains set in the midst of a mighty roaring city. Try to see your lives as that.

Not only as calm and unmoved, but as breathing fragrance, expressing beauty. Expect storms. Know this -- you cannot be united in your great friendship and bond to do My work, and in your great Love for Me, and not excite the envy, hatred, and malice of all whom you meet who are not on My side.

Where does the enemy attack? The fortress, the stronghold, not the desert waste.

"Except the Lord to build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." Psalm 127:1

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

Jesus, help me to have the heart and motivation of the Samaritan when he saw the needy man along the way.  Taking the time to stop and help wasn't on his schedule and his medical expenses weren't in the Samaritan's budget.  He didn't consider these factors to be an obstacle that would keep him from extending Your mercy to one in need.  Jesus, help me to be Your hand extended reaching out to the needy, the sick, and the oppressed.  And, Lord, when it is not within my ability or power to directly reach that person in need, prompt me to bring him before the throne in earnest prayer.  Help me to be a vessel that You use to heal the broken-hearted as You bind up their wounds.  And I will do it in Jesus' name and for Your honor.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Dec 13 - Perpetual Guidance

Daily Devotion

Perpetual Guidance

Fullness of Joy. The Joy of Perpetual Guidance. The Joy of knowing that every detail of your lives is planned by Me, but planned with a wealth of tenderness and Love.

Wait for Guidance in every step. Wait to be shown My way. The thought of this loving leading should give you great Joy. All the responsibility of Life taken off your shoulders. All its business worry taken off your shoulders. It is indeed a Joy for you to feel so free and yet so planned for.

Oh! the wonder of this a God-guided life. To think anything impossible in such circumstances is to say it cannot be done by Me. To say that is surely a denial of Me.

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son." 1 John 1:3

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

Jesus, we thank You that salvation comes from You alone.  Thank you that You are enough.  We would come up far short if we relied on our good works, our charming personality, our status in life or our worldly accumulation to purchase our salvation.  You are the sinless Lamb of God, the only acceptable sacrifice to God, who provides salvation to every man, woman, boy and girl from every region on the face of this earth who call upon Your name.  Keep reminding us that we cannot earn our salvation because You give it freely.  We choose to receive Your gift of salvation through faith in You, Jesus Christ our Lord.  And we are intensely grateful for Your merciful compassion toward us.  

In the name of Jesus we give thanks.  

Amen.

 

 

Dec 12 - Care Free

Daily Devotion

Care Free
Perfect love casteth out fear.

Love and fear cannot dwell together. By their very natures they cannot exist side by side. Evil is powerful, and fear is one of evil's most potent forces.

Therefore a weak vacillating love can be soon routed by fear, whereas a perfect Love, a trusting Love, is immediately the Conqueror, and fear, vanquished, flees in confusion.

But I am Love because God is Love, and I and the Father are one. So the only way to obtain this perfect Love, that dispels fear, is to have Me more and more in your lives. You can only banish fear by My Presence and My Name.

Fear of the future -- Jesus will be with us.

Fear of poverty -- Jesus will provide. (And so to all the temptations of fear.)

You must not allow fear to enter. Talk to Me. Think of Me. Talk of Me. Love Me. And that sense of My Power will so possess you that no fear can possess your mind. Be strong in this My Love.

"And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve." Isaiah 14:3

 

 

Dec 11 - A Sunrise Gift

Daily Devotion

A Sunrise Gift

To those whose lives have been full of struggle and care, who have felt as you both have, the tragedy of living, the pity of an agonized heart for My poor world -- to those of My followers I give that Peace and Joy that brings to age its second Spring, the youth they sacrificed for Me, and for My world. . . .

Take each day now as a joyous sunrise gift from Me. Your simple daily tasks done in My strength and Love will bring the consciousness of all your highest hopes. Expect great things. Expect great things.

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; and we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24  

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

Jesus, we know that none of us are 100% humble, for we are clothed in these mortal, fallible bodies.  But we do know that You are completely humble and we look to You as our example.  As we clothe ourselves in Your righteousness we can overcome the pride that is ever before us.  We recognize that no good thing can come from us, but all that is good comes from You.  Remind us daily that gratitude is the antidote for feelings of pride.  When we acknowledge that everything we have and all that we are is due to Your merciful blessings we are humbled and grateful to You, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. 

Thank you, Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 10 - The Quiet Time

Daily Devotion

The Quiet Time

There may be many times when I reveal nothing, command nothing, give no guidance. But your path is clear, and your task, to grow daily more and more into the knowledge of Me. That this quiet time with Me will enable you to do.

I may ask you to sit silent before Me, and I may speak no word that you could write. All the same that waiting with Me will bring comfort and Peace. Only friends who understand and love each other can wait silent in each other's presence.

And it may be that I shall prove our friendship by asking you to wait in silence while I rest with you, assured of your Love and understanding. So wait, so love, so joy.

"My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." Song of Solomon 2:10  

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

 
O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come!  How powerful and enduring Your Word is.  It is living, relevant and active in the lives of believers all over the globe.  It is more than print on a page, for the Word of God penetrates the heart; guiding, instructing, convicting, delighting, comforting and performing the supernatural work of God in our lives.  Increase our love and passion for reading Your Word faithfully so that we may grow in understanding and appreciation for all You have to show us.  

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

 

Dec 9 - Your Search Rewarded

Daily Devotion

Your Search Rewarded

Lord, all men seek for the Thee.

All men seek for Me, but all men do not know what they want. They are seeking because they are dissatisfied without realizing that I am the object of their quest.

Count it your greatest joy to be the means, by your lives, sufferings, words, and love, to prove to the questing ones you know that their search would end when they saw Me.

Profit by My Example. I left My work -- seemingly the greatest work -- that of saving souls, to seek communion with My Father. Did I know perhaps that with many it was idle curiosity? Did I know that there must be no rush into the Kingdom, that the still small voice, not the shoutings of a mob, would alone persuade men I was the Son of God?

Why be surrounded by multitudes if the multitudes were not really desiring to learn from, and to follow, Me? Follow the Christ into the quiet places of prayer.

"Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he." John 18:7, 8

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

 Jesus, I am so deeply touched by this dedicated couple who minister to coma patients who are unable to communicate or make physical contact with those around them.  What a tremendous blessing to know that You've given this couple the ministry of reaching seemingly unreachable individuals.  When we look at the outward appearance we see only an unresponsive and often shriveled up shell.  But, God, we are reassured by Scripture that You look beyond the outward person to see the inward heart.  We pray for family members of coma patients reading our devotional today – that You would fill them with renewed hope.  We are confident that Your spiritual touch surpasses any procedure or treatment that doctors or nurses can administer.  Even in the midst of doing physical battle with our bodies our spirits can soar to places where the body cannot while abiding here on earth – in the very presence of Jesus.  Would you minister Your healing to the broken-hearted as You bind up their spiritual and physical wounds.  

In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

Dec 8 - My Kingdom

Daily Devotion

My Kingdom

And greater works than these shall ye do, because I go unto My Father.

While I was on earth, to the great number of those with whom I came in contact, Mine was a lost cause. Even My disciples only believed, half-doubting, half-wondering. When they all forsook Me and fled it was not so much fear of My enemies as the certainty that My Mission, however beautiful they thought it, had failed.

In spite of all I had taught them, in spite of the revelation of the Last Supper, they had secretly felt sure that when the final moment came, and the hatred of the Pharisees was declared against Me I should sound some call to action, and that I should lead My many followers, and found My earthly kingdom. Even the disciples who had eyes to see My Spiritual Kingdom had thought material forces had proved too strong for Me.

But with My Resurrection came hope. Faith revived. They would remind each other of all I had said. They would have the assurance of My Divinity, Messiahship, the lack of which had hindered My work on earth, and they would have all My Power in the unseen - the Holy Spirit - to help them.

Remember, I came to found a Kingdom - the Kingdom.  Those who lived in the Kingdom were to do the work -- greater works than I was able to do. Not a greater Power shown, not a greater Life lived, but, as men recognized My Godhead, opportunities for works in My Name would increase. My work on earth was to gather around Me the nucleus of My Kingdom, and to teach the Truths of My Kingdom to them.  In those Truths they were to live and work.

"But now it is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the Resurrection of the dead." 1 Corinthians 15:20-21

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

 Jesus, would You be at the center of my thoughts, my attitudes and my conversations today. Would You keep me spiritually sensitive to opportunities for Christian witness. As You reign in my life You are my Master and I choose to be obedient to You, my Lord. Grant me the strength to trust You in the dark trials I may face today as I release my worries and fears to You. Help me to remember that I walk by faith and not by sight. I desire to follow You, my King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Dec 7 - Food of Life

Daily Devotion

Food of Life

I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

Those were My words to My Disciples in the early days of My Ministry. Later I was to lead them on to a fuller understanding of that Majestic Union of a soul with God in which strength, life, and food pass from One to the other.

Meat is to sustain the body. To do the Will of God is the very strength and support of Life. Feed on that Food.

Soul-starvation comes from the failing to do, and to delight in doing, My Will. How busy the world is in talking of bodies that are undernourished! What of the souls that are undernourished?

Make it indeed your meat to do My Will. Strength and Power will indeed come to you from that.

"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work." John 4:34

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

Lord Jesus, often the daily grind is not appealing as I awaken each morning to the tasks before me.  Sometimes the routine seems endless and at times pointless.  I find myself lacking fulfillment in this aspect of my life and yet it requires the majority of my time and focus.  Jesus, please help me to find the hidden strength that only comes from seeking You to deal with the negative attitudes that tempt me daily.  Help me also to look beyond the immediate to the deeper meaning of each day's task.  Above all, help me to keep my eyes on spiritual truths as I meditate upon Your Word and apply its meaning to my life each new day. It is in this faithful practice of placing You at the center of my focus that I can rise above the difficulties that come my way.  May You restore to me, this day, the joy of Your salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

 In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

 

Dec 6 - Expect Temptation

Daily Devotion

Expect Temptation

Lord, give us Power to conquer temptation as Thou didst in the wilderness.

The very first step towards conquering temptation is to see it as temptation. To dissociate yourself from it.

Not to think of it as something resulting from your tiredness, or illness, or poverty, or nerve-strain, when you feel you might well excuse yourself for yielding, but first to realize very fully that when you have heard My voice ("the Heavens opened," as it were) and are going to fulfill your mission to work for me and to draw souls to me, you must expect a mighty onslaught from the evil one, who will endeavor with all his might to frustrate you, and to prevent your good work. Expect that.

Then when these little temptations, or big ones come, you will recognize them as planned by evil to thwart Me. Then for very love of Me you will conquer.

"And lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever." Matthew 6:13

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today 

O God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, your mercy endures to all generations.  Your truths are timeless and Your provisions are abundant to those who call upon your name.  Help us to declare Your faithfulness to our generation and the generations that follow.  Thank you that my great-grandfather, Isaac, proclaimed the faithfulness of God to His children.   And I now have the blessing and responsibility to proclaim your faithfulness to my child.   Generation by generation we proclaim the salvation that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  

Amen.

 

 

Dec 5 - Law of Supply

Daily Devotion

Law of Supply


The first law of giving is of the spirit world. Give to all you meet, or whose lives touch yours, of your prayers, your time, yourselves, your love, your thought. You must practice this giving first.

Then give of this world's goods and money, as you have them given to you. To give money and material things, without having first made the habit daily, hourly, ever increasingly, of giving on the highest plane, is wrong.

Give, give, give all your best to all who need it.

Be great givers--great givers. Give as I said My Father in Heaven gives. He who makes His sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Remember, as I have told you before, give according to need, never according to desert. In giving, with the thought of supplying a real need you must closely resemble that Father in Heaven, the Great Giver.

As you receive, you must supply the needs of those I bring to you. Not questioning, not limiting. Their nearness to you, their relationship, must never count. Only their need is to guide you. Pray to become great givers.

"Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." Matthew 5:43

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

 

Jesus, as we earnestly seek and follow You our minds are being renewed daily.  Our ambitions, goals, and affections are being transformed into Your likeness.  The ways of the world have less grip on us as we transfix our thoughts upon the Author and Finisher of our faith.  It is in dying to the world that we become alive unto Christ and it is through Your mercy that we offer our lives today as living sacrifices.  

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 4 - Man of Sorrows

Daily Devotion

Man of Sorrows

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3

That these words strike a note of Beauty in the hearts of those attuned to hear the Beautiful, shows truly that the heart recognizes the need for the Man of Sorrows. That it sees nothing contemptible in One despised by the world. That it recognizes the vast difference between the values of Heaven, and those of the world. Fame and acclamations are accorded to earth's great, contempt and rejection to the Son of God.

One of the things My disciples must ever seek to do is to set aside the valuation of the world, and judge only according to the values of Heaven. These are not for you.  Do not seek the praise and the notice of men. You follow a despised Christ. See the mob is hooting, throwing stones, jeering, and yet in that quiet little throng there is a happiness and Joy the reviling crowds could never know.

Follow that little throng with stones and gibes, and it appears to be of men, mean, ludicrous, contemptible.  Be one of the throng, and you feel the Majesty of God in the presence of Him, Who was despised and rejected of men. Wreaths around His Brow, and shouts of applause, would belittle that Majesty.

In your dark hours, when human help fails, keep very close to the Man of Sorrows. Feel My Hand of Love press yours in silent but complete understanding. I, too, was acquainted with grief. No heart can ache without My heart aching too. "He was despised, and we esteemed Him not."

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world ....  For all that is in the world,  ... is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John 2:15-16

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

"Lord, so often when we're in prayer or praying with others in the Body of Christ we give verbal expression with the affirmation of "Amen" or we simply nod our heads in agreement.  Our outward body language is in agreement but deep within, our hearts look another direction.  When You are dealing with us about destructive habits, sinful attitudes, or unhealthy relationships in our lives help us to not just give a nod of agreement but give us the resolve to change from the inside out.  As Your presence abides in our hearts Your will becomes our own, Your desires become our desires, and Your character becomes our character, for we are made in the image of God."

 

 

Dec 3 - A Journey With Me

Daily Devotion

A Journey With Me

Fret not your souls with puzzles that you cannot solve. The solution may never be shown you until you have left this flesh-life.

Remember what I have so often told you, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." Only step by step, and stage by stage, can you proceed, in your journey upward.

The one thing to be sure of is that it is a journey with Me. There does come a Joy known to those who suffer with Me. But that is not the result of the suffering, but the result of the close intimacy with Me, to which suffering drove you.

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." 

 Proverbs 4:18

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

"Father, how grateful we are for those who've gone before us showing us the way.  They not only instructed us in the ways of the Lord but they lived exemplary lives so that we could see faith in action.  We're grateful for their positive examples in our spiritual journey.  We even pause to think of those who have taken a wrong direction only to turn away from all they held dear at one time.  Would You remind us of the serious consequences of their sinful choices when we're tempted to do the same.  We lift those people before You asking the Holy Spirit to convict and guide them back to the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Keep us faithful to the very end so that as time unfolds we can declare with the apostle Paul, 'Now I am old and praise be to God I am by His grace a prisoner of Christ Jesus, my Redeemer!'  

In Jesus' Name, Amen."

 

 

Dec 2 - The Ideal Man

Daily Devotion 

The Ideal Man

Draw nigh, shoes off thy feet, in silent awe and adoration. Draw nigh, as Moses drew nigh to the burning bush.

I give you the loving intimacy of a friend, but I am God too, and the wonder of our intercourse, the miracle of your intimacy with Me, will mean the more to you, if sometimes you see the Majestic Figure of the Son of God.

Draw nigh in the utter confidence that is the sublimest prayer. Draw nigh. No far-off pleading, even to a God clothed with majesty of fire. Draw nigh. Draw nigh, not as a suppliant, but as a listener. I am this Suppliant, as I make known to you My wishes. For this Majestic God is Brother too, longing so intensely that you should serve your brother-man, and longing, even more intensely, that you should be true to that Vision He has of you.

You speak of your fellow man as disappointing you, as falling short of the ideal you had of him. But what of Me? For every man there is the ideal man I see in him. The man he could be, the man I would have him be.

Judge of My Heart when he fails to fulfill that promise. The disappointments of man may be great and many, but they are nothing as compared with My disappointments. Remember this, and strive to be the friend I see in my vision of you.

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." James 4:8

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

"Lord, you know the longings of my heart. When I seek thrills and quick fixes to satisfy these needs I am eventually disappointed.   Your supply of Living Water never runs dry and satisfies the inner desires of my heart because You are the only One who can meet my spiritual needs.  Lord, as I come today dry and thirsty I look to You, for You satisfy the thirsty and fill the hungry with good things." 

Thanks for hearing my prayer.

                                                           AMEN 

 

 

Dec 1 - Responsibility

Daily Devotion

Responsibility


I am beside you. A very human Jesus, who understands all your weaknesses, and sees too your struggles and conquests.

Remember, I was the Companion of the Weak. Ready to supply their hunger. Teaching My followers their responsibility towards all, not only those near and dear to them, but to the multitude.

"Lord, send them away that they may go into the villages and buy themselves victuals," said My disciples, with no sympathy for the fainting, exhausted men, women, and children.

But I taught that Divine Sympathy includes responsibility. "Give ye them to eat," was My reply.  I taught that pity, without a remedy for the evil, or the need, is worthless.

"Give ye them to eat." Wherever your sympathy goes, you must go too, if possible. Remember that in thinking of your own needs. Claim from Me the same attitude now.

The servant is not above his Master, certainly not in Spiritual attainments, and what I taught My disciples, I do.

So fainting and needy, by the lakeside of life, know that I will supply your need, not grudgingly, but in full measure.

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

 

 

Prayer 4 Today

Prayer 4 Today

"Lord Jesus, when we consider how many struggles, hardships and temptations we face in our lifetime the weight of these difficulties could overwhelm us. Today I am aware some readers are grieving the death of a loved one. God of all Comfort, may you comfort them and give them peace based upon your promises. Remind them that it is in Your resurrection that we stand victorious in the end when we face our last enemy on this side.  Because You are our risen Lord!"

AMEN