Tag: Devil

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He Should Be Revered!

JUNE 5

MATTHEW 6:9_Hallowed be thy name.

Hallowed can be defined as to hold someone or something in reverence. This is recognition of God as: the holy, revered God of Heaven. This is who you pray to. Don’t take this too lightly. It is important to hallow God in your prayer life. 

Recognizing the holiness of God adds faith to prayer. You are not praying to someone who may or may not listen because He is too busy running the world.

This is the God of Luke 1:37 (KJV), “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

This is the God who created all of heaven and earth—He should be revered!

This is the God who parted the waters of the Red Sea—He should be revered!

This is the God who made the sun stand still—He should be revered!

This is the God who gives the ability to slay giants—giants who taunt you with your weakness.

This is the God who frees you from any shackles of bondage the devil has lured you into.

The more you hallow God, the more you pray with courage.

The Father in Heaven is pleased when you talk to Him about the cruelties of the world.

He has already answered: Hebrews 13:5 (KJV), “… for he [God] hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”    

PRAYER

God of Heaven, I do hallow Your name. You only do I serve and give my heart to. You are God Alone, God of the Impossible, God of Creation. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ wants me to hallow the Father—I do!

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Prayer Encourages Seekers

MAY 20

MATTHEW 6:5_thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men…

Oh my goodness! Here we go with the hypocrites again, and they are back in the synagogues and the streets! Jesus doesn’t want the praying there any more than He wanted the alms giving there.

Don’t get confused about this—the devil would love to deceive you into believing you should not pray out loud. If you are a part of a youth group that prays together—stay with it and pray together. 

Praying out loud is a part of the salt and light process. Prayer encourages seekers who may be a part of your group. Helping the seekers find their way is what salt and light are meant to do.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead He prayed out loud. John 11:41-42 (KJV), “And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

There was a large crowd gathered to comfort the sisters of Lazarus. Jesus purposely prayed out loud. Any unbelievers in the group would know first, that Jesus was sent by God, and second, that God always hears prayer.

The result was the greatest miracle Jesus performed in His earthly life!

PRAYER

God of Heaven, Please let my prayers give attention to You, not me! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen. 

Christ’s prayers were salt and light—mine should be too!

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Some Turn Away

MAY 1

MATTHEW 5:45_for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendest rain on the just and on the unjust.

I can’t say this too many times: God understands the kind of struggles we face in our earthly life. He knows our enemy, the devil, is subtle. God knows the devil’s power to deceive and to persuade. We face the devil daily. Without the Holy Spirit we don’t stand a chance. 

Courage and power are available for us. Power comes through the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants this for everyone, but some turn away. 

According to what Jesus teaches, God loves the evil and the unjust. He gives them a new chance every day the sun rises. God sends rain on the crops of the evil, the same as on the crops of the just. He gives the unjust the same chance He gives the just. That’s the kind of heart God has, but it’s not the kind of heart we have—unless we allow The Great Surgeon to operate.

If God rejected those who hurt Him as easily as we reject those who hurt us—no one would be saved.

As our heart begins to transform, we become shining lights to those searching for Jesus. Our saltiness will cause someone to thirst for truth—real truth.

PRAYER

Dear God, Teach me how to love the unjust. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                             

Christ’s heart cares for the unjust—He helps me to care!

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Know the Truth!

APRIL 30

MATTHEW 5:45_That you may be children of your Father which is in heaven…

If you listen to him, the devil will convince you the Christian life is too hard. No one can keep all these commandments. And there’s doom if you don’t!

The only way to keep from falling for the devil’s deceptions is to know the truth!

Christianity is not about keeping a bunch of laws. It is about a new, born again, life with Jesus. Get into God’s family. Be confident that you are a child of your Father in heaven. Ask Jesus into your heart. You’ll automatically receive the bonus of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you. Any commandment/law keeping is the Spirit’s job.

How does that work?

Remember that open heart surgery? The Spirit changes your desires by creating in you a deeper love of Jesus and His teachings. Love is not about making yourself good. It is about the Spirit producing stronger desires for righteousness, and the desires for unrighteousness losing their grip. 

Psalm 23:3 (KJV), “… he [the Lord] restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” 

How do you get to the righteous paths? God leads you.

Why? For His name’s sake! 

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, Praise You for leading me where I need to go! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                              

Christ has the power to change me—He will do it!

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Begin with Prayer

APRIL 28

MATTHEW 5:44_do good to them that hate you…

How can you do good to them that hate you? It may be pretty much the same way you do to those who like you. Begin with prayer. Talk with God. Ask Him to give you an opportunity to do something good to one who has shown contempt toward you.

A good place to begin is to learn their birthdate. If you have their cell number or email just text or mail a simple, “Hey, I heard today is your birthday, I hope you have a happy one.” If you don’t have this information, you may just write a note and leave it on their desk at school.

Keep things simple. Don’t get overly sentimental or mushy with your doing good. They will already feel uncomfortable with your kind response to their obvious contempt. If the devil can convince them to take your good deeds as some kind of plot against them, he will.

Let God do His work. Focus more on listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance, and looking for opportunities which may come your way.

You certainly want to do them good, but this is also going to do you good. Just don’t let pride get in the way.                                                                                                                      

PRAYER

Mighty God, Please give me opportunities to do good to all the people I can. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                             

  Christ does good to all—He wants me to do that too!