Your Partnership with God

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing"  -- Psalm 100:1-2 / KJV

If you want to be successful, genuinely successful in the things that really matter, you need a partner.  That partner I am referring to, is God.  And the good news is this:  When you humbly and sincerely ask God become your partner, He will grant your request and transform your life.

Is your life a testimony to the personal relationship that you enjoy with your Heavenly Father?  Or have you compartmentalized your faith in a few hours on Sunday morning? If you genuinely wish to make God your fulltime partner, you must allow Him to reign over every aspect of your life and every day of your week.  When you do, you will be amazed at the things that the two of you, working together, can accomplish.

________________

"God wants us to serve Him with a willing spirit, one that would choose no other way"  -- Beth Moore

_______________

Lord, today we come to You seeking  guidance. We will trust You to show us the path that we should take and we will try, as best we can, to follow in the footsteps of Your Son.

The Power of Prayer

"When a believing person prays, great things happen"  -- James 5:16 / NCV

"The power of prayer", these words are so familiar, yet sometimes we forget what they mean. Prayer is a powerful tool for communicating with our Creator; it is an opportunity to commune with  the Giver of all things good.  Prayer helps us find strength for today and hope for the future.  Prayer is not a thing to be taken lightly or to be used infrequently.

The quality of your spiritual life will be in direct proportion to the quality of your prayer life.  Prayer changes things, and it changes you.  Today, instead of turning things over in your mind, turn them over to God in prayer. Instead of worrying about your next decision, ask God to lead the way.  Pray constantly about things great and small. God is listening, and He wants to hear from you now.

________________

"Our prayers are the link between God's inexhaustible resources and people's needs. When  we intercede, we stand in the gap between the need and the satisfaction of that need"  -- Charles Stanley

_______________

Lord, let us raise our hopes and our dreams, our worries and our fears to You.  Let us be a worthy example to family and friends, showing them the importance and the power of prayer. Let us take everything to You in prayer, and when we do, let us trust in Your answers.

A Dose of Laughter

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones" 

-- Proverbs 17:22 / NASB

Laughter is medicine for the soul, but sometimes, amid the stresses of the day, we forget to take our medicine. Instead of viewing our world with a mixture of optimism and humor, we allow worries and distractions to rob us of the joy that God intends for our lives.  Today, as you go about your daily activities, approach life with a smile and a chuckle.  After all, God created laughter for a reason, and our Father indeed knows best.  So laugh!

_______________

"When you have good, healthy relationships with your family and friends you are more prompted to laugh and not to take yourself so seriously"  -- Dennis Swanberg

_______________

Lord, laughter is your gift.  Today and every day that follows, put a smile on our face, and let us share that smile with all who cross our paths and let us laugh.

Celebrating Others

"Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing" 

-- 1 Thessalonians 5:11 / HCSB

Do you delight in the victories of others?  You should.  Each day provides countless opportunities to encourage others and to praise their good works.   When you do so, you not only spread  words of joy and happiness, you also obey the commandments of God's Holy Word.

As Christians, we are called upon to spread the Good News of Christ, and we are  also called to spread a message of encouragement and hope to this world.  Today, let us be cheerful Christians with smiles on our faces and encouraging words on our lips.  By blessing others, we also bless ourselves, and, at  the same time, we give honor to the One who gave His life for us.

_______________

"You can't light another's path without casting light on your own"  -- John Maxwell

_______________

Lord, let us celebrate the accomplishments of others.  Make us a source of genuine, lasting encouragement to our family and friends. And let our words and deeds be worthy of Your Son, the One who gives us strength and salvation, this day and for all eternity.

Caring For Your Family

"Now if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" 

- 1 Timothy 5:8 / HCSB

The words of 1 Timothy are unambiguous:  if God has blessed us with families, then He expects us to care for them.  Sometimes, this profound responsibility seems daunting.  And sometimes, even for the most dedicated Christians, family life holds moments of frustration and disappointments.  But, for those who are lucky enough to live in the presence of a close knit, caring clan, the rewards far outweigh the demands.

No family is perfect, and neither is yours.  Despite the inevitable challenges of providing for your family, and despite the occasional hurt feelings of family life, your clan is God's gift to you. Give thanks to the Giver for the gift of family . . . and act accordingly.

_______________

"The secret of a happy home life is that the members of the family learn to give and receive love" -- Billy Graham

_______________

Lord, we are part of Your family and we praise You for your gifts and for Your love.  You have also blessed us with our earthly family and we pray for them, that they might be protected and blessed by You.  We know that some of us may not have an earthly family like others may have.  But if we are involved in a church, they are our family as  well.  Let us show love and acceptance for our family so that through us, they might come to know and to love You.

Our Thoughts Shape Us

"Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life"  -- Proverbs 4:23 / NCV

Our thoughts have the power to shape our lives - for better or worse.  Thoughts have the power to lift our spirits, to improve our circumstances, to enhance our self-esteem, and to strengthen our relationship with the Creator. But, our thoughts also have the power to cause us great harm if we focus too intently upon the negative aspects of our lives or ourselves.

When we allow negative thinking to hijack our emotions, we do harm to our friends, to our families, and to ourselves.  So we must guard our hearts against the negativity and cynicism that seems to have become the hallmark of this troubled generation.  This evening, think about things, and make your thoughts an offering to God.  Seek, by the things you think and the actions you take, to honor Him and serve Him.  He deserves no less.  And neither, for that matter, do you.

_______________

Lord, keep our thoughts focused on Your love, Your power, Your promises, and Your Son.  When we are worried, we will turn to You for comfort; when we are weak, we will turn to You for strength; when we are troubled, we will turn to You for patience and perspective.  Help us guard our thoughts, so that we may honor You this week and everyday that comes our way.

The Source of All Comfort

"When doubt filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer"  -- Psalm 94:19 / NLT

In times of adversity, we are wise to remember the words of Jesus, who, when He walked on the water, reassured His disciples, saying, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid" (Matthew 14:27).  Then, with Christ on His throne - and with trusted friends and family members at our sides - we can face our fears with courage and with faith.

Are you facing a difficult challenge? If so, remember that no problem is too big for God - not even mine or yours.

________________

"Only be walking with God can we hope to find the path that leads to life"  -- John Eldredge

_______________

Lord, let our plans and hopes be pleasing to You.  Let us live according to Your commandments. Direct our path far from the temptations and distractions of this world. And, let us discover Your will and follow it, this day and always.

God's Guidance

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths"  -- Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 makes this promise to us:  If you acknowledge God's sovereignty over every aspect of your life, He will guide your path.  And, as you prayerfully consider the path that God intends for you to take, here are things you should do:  You should study His Word and be ever watchful for His signs.  You should associate with fellow believers who will encourage your spiritual growth.  You should listen carefully to that inner voice that speaks to you in the quiet moments of your daily devotionals. And you should be patient.  Your Heavenly Father may not always reveal Himself as quickly as you would like, but rest assured that God intends to use you in wonderful, unexpected ways.  Your challenge is to watch, to listen, to learn ... and to follow.

_______________

"No journey is complete that does not lead through some dark valleys.  We can properly comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have been given by God"

-- Vance Havner

_______________

Lord, when we are troubled, You comfort us.  When we are discouraged, You lift us up.  Whatever our circumstances, Lord, we will trust Your plan for our lives. And, when our family and friends are troubled, we will remind them of Your love, Your wisdom, and Your grace.

The Greatest Among Us

"Therefore, get your minds ready for action, being self-disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ"

-- 1 Peter 1:13 / HCSB

Jesus teaches that the most esteemed men and women are not the leaders of society or the captains of industry  To the contrary, Jesus teaches that the greatest among us are those who choose to minister and to serve.

Today, you may feel the temptation to build yourself up to the eyes of your neighbors.  Resist that temptation.  Instead, serve your neighbors quietly and without fanfare.  Then, when you have done your best to serve your community and serve God, you can rest comfortably knowing that in the eyes of God you have achieved greatness.  And God's eyes, after all, are the only ones that really count.

_______________

"God will open up places of service for you as He sees u are ready. Meanwhile, study the Bible and give yourself a chance to grow" -- Warren Wiersbe

______________

Lord, let us help others in every way that we can.  Jesus served others; we can too.  We will serve other people with our good deeds and with our prayers.  And we will give thanks for all those who help us.

Your Traveling Companion

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord"  -- 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 / NKJV

As you continue to seek God's purpose for your life, you will undoubtedly experience your fair share of disappointments, detours, false starts and failures.  When you do, don't become discouraged:  God is not finished with you yet.

The old saying is as true today as it was when it was first spoken:  "Life is a marathon, not a sprint." That's why wise travelers select a travelling companion who never tires and never falters. That partner, of course, is your Heavenly Father.  So pray as if everything depended upon God, ad work as if everything depended upon you. And trust God to do the rest.

________________

"Often God shuts a door in our face so that he can open  the door through where he wants us to go"  -- Catherine Marshall

_______________

Lord, when we want to give up, help us remember how important it is to keep trying and when we are worried or upset, help us remember to talk to You.