Author: worksofherhands

Teresa Wallace lives in Madison, Georgia and is a seventh generation Morgan Countian. She is a lover of the Bible and believes it to be the only source of truth. Teresa taught the Bible to children and youth church groups for over forty consecutive years and has developed several Bible courses. This is her first daily devotion book. The motto for her Bible studies, and her life, is Turning young hearts toward the Bible.
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You Owe

JUNE 13

MATTHEW 6:12_our debts…

A debt is an amount of money you owe. It can also be some type of work you owe someone. Any way you look at it, it comes out the same way – you owe. 

You have acquired or promised something you have not completed, or paid for. Payment must be made. Until the payment is received, it remains in the ledger as a debt. That debt is attached to your name. It will remain attached until it is Paid In Full.

Unfortunately, debts are made, circumstances in life happen, and the debt becomes difficult to pay – sometimes it may appear to be impossible.

The word debt here can be translated as sin. If, as the Pharisees, you link forgiveness with law keeping, you may feel you have it in the bag. Knowledge of the laws covers it all. Acts 3:19 (KJV) sees it another way, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”

There is action here – repent. Repentance is to turn from a continual act of sin and let Jesus help you not to commit it again.

This verse adds to be converted. To be converted is to admit you can’t live or do right on your own. God does the work, the blotting out, and sends refreshing.   

PRAYER

Lord Jesus,  I confess I am a sinner and only You can renew my heart. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ covers my debts—He will send me refreshing!

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Any and All

JUNE 12

MATTHEW 6:12_And forgive us…

If Jesus taught no more than the first three words of this verse, He would have taught a vital part of prayer.         

The Scribes and Pharisees saw life as a set of laws. They had the laws down pat, snug in their hip pockets (if they had hip pockets). They knew the rules, and kept them, why would they need forgiveness? That is, if all that mattered was rule keeping.

Jesus taught life as more about loving God and each other. He taught to give more than receive. This kind of life causes me to see my weaknesses and failures. That leads me to my knees to ask God’s forgiveness. Psalm 51 (KJV), “1 Have mercy upon me [King David], O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”

King David asks forgiveness for his sin. He also acknowledges something very important—his sin was primarily against God.

Any and all sins are against God.    

PRAYER

Forgiving God, I know when I have wronged Your people I have wronged You. Forgive me and change me!  In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ desires to forgive—He wants me to ask Him!

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To Be Filled With Jesus

JUNE 11

MATTHEW 6:11_our daily bread.

Not only does Jesus teach you to pray Give us this day, but He adds, “our daily bread.” This prayer gives strong emphasis that God is present with you daily, and cares about your needs daily. 

The need Jesus concentrates on is food. Jesus knows you need food. He has no problem with you asking for it in prayer. Jesus created food. After that, He created animals and man with the daily need for food. If God had created the other way around, Adam would have been one hungry fellow!

Creation is an example of God’s thought pattern, and organizational skills. He created the supply before the demand. More intelligent design.

In John chapter 6 (KJV), Jesus adds another twist to our need for bread. “33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Have you ever thought of adding to your prayers to be filled with Jesus each day? Start doing that – to be so full of Jesus you don’t hunger for the temporary things of the world.

 PRAYER

Bread of Heaven, This day meet all my needs by filling me full of Jesus! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is the Bread of Life—I want to be filled with Him!

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Each Day Is New

JUNE 10

MATTHEW 6:11_this day…

Psalm 118:24 (KJV), “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Each day is new. Stop and think about that. It is brand new. It is not yesterday. Neither is it tomorrow. It is today! Every day has new needs and every day your Father has an abundant supply. It is His joy to bless you each day. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV), “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.23 They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

Here is another part of God’s daily giving. God’s mercy keeps you from being consumed – daily.  

If you think to be consumed is to be eaten you are not entirely wrong. The things that hold you in bondage eat away at life. You can be consumed by lust, greed, envy, bitterness, unforgiveness, and depression.

These are not come-and-go bondages. They consume you daily – eating away love, joy, and peace. Because God is faithful and full of compassion, His mercy saves from being consumed by bondage. Just like each day is new – so are God’s mercies of compassion and faithfulness.

Freedom can be a process. But compassion is not. Just don’t cave in to doubt. God delivers. It’s a part of who He is. This may be the day for you!!!

I can understand why Jesus teaches, Give us this day!

 PRAYER

Merciful God, Praise You that Your compassion saves me daily. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ’s mercy is new every day—He gives it to me!

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Freely Let Go

JUNE 9

MATTHEW 6:11_Give us…

To give is to freely let go. There is no holding back when you give. If you have something that meets the need of someone else, will you give it? 

There is no charge involved in giving. Giving supplies needs, fills an empty place. Giving comes from one who has the supply. Would you ask for supply from someone you knew did not have it?

God worked many miracles in the process of freeing the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Psalm 81:10 (KJV), “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” God says don’t be afraid to open your mouth and ask for your needs. He calls you to remember His miracles of the past. Psalm 143 (KJV) is one of those Psalms to pray, especially when going through a time of trial. Verse 5 says, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.”

God gives.

God wants to give.

God has a full supply – to give.

If he can, the devil will intimidate you into feeling it is selfish to ask God for your needs.

Go back to Psalm 81:10!

 PRAYER

Giving God, Thank You that You want me to ask You for my needs. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                      

Christ teaches me to ask in prayer—I will!