Tag: Serving

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To Be a True Friend

JANUARY 27

MATTHEW 5:9_Blessed are the peacemakers…

I can never be a peacemaker if I am not willing to yield to someone else’s viewpoint. I can never be a peacemaker if I can’t find peace within myself. All this is fully dependent upon knowing who Jesus is and who I am in Him. 

I can only be a peacemaker if I am founded on the rock of Scriptural truth. I must not compromise convictions for the sake of being someone’s friend. I know that sounds backwards after I just said I must be willing to yield – but don’t forget there is a fine line. To be a true friend, I would never agree with something I know to be contrary to the Bible. The best way to love people is to help them find the path to freedom, which is truth. 

Needless to say everyone thinks their side is right, but for Christians there has to be a standard – the  Bible. The Bible teaches the path to become a peacemaker is to love, to yield, and to serve. 

Romans 12:18 (KJV) says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

We just can’t live at peace with everyone in this life. This life is a time for good versus evil. If we follow the Biblical principles of love, yield, and serve, we can learn to be peacemakers, even in this evil world!                                

 PRAYER

God of Peace, I pray You will teach me how to love, yield, and serve. As much as is possible on my part Lord, help me live in peace. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                     

Christ is my peace—He will teach me peacemaking!

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You Cannot Escape Creation

JANUARY 17

MATTHEW 5:6_Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness…

I love this one! Look at what it says. Don’t you want to be righteous in the depths of your heart? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go to bed every night and know you’d been righteous that day? Don’t you long for that? Would you even say you hunger and thirst for it? 

If you could choose between playing your favorite game or helping a desperate friend, which would you choose? I trust you would choose the latter. Why? Because no matter how sophisticated, or prominent, or brilliant you may become, you cannot escape creation. 

You were created to know and be in a relationship with your creator – the God in whose image you are made. He is a part of who you are, and He is righteous. Because He is a part of you, the Holy Spirit places in your heart a desire to serve, care for, and have compassion on the people in your life.

I know what you are thinking – there are way too many people who have no desire for righteousness or to be like their creator. Agreed.

Stay with these devotions. All the bases will be covered.

PRAYER

Almighty God, If I have no hunger or thirst for righteousness, please place it in my heart. “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness (Psalm 143:10 KJV). In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   

Christ is righteousness—He can give it to me!

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Awesome!

OCTOBER 5

MATTHEW 7:8_and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Why do you knock? The door is closed. You’re on the outside. You want to come in. Or at least you want the door opened.

There are many doors you will knock on in life. You knock on the door of love—to give and receive love from the people in your life. You knock on the door of joy—to give and receive joy from the people in your life. You knock on the door of peace—to give and receive peace from the people in your life. You knock on the door of success—you want to receive success and perhaps there may be a way you can give it.

Jesus teaches to knock on the door of service. That’s not something you’re naturally inclined to do. John 13:16 (KJV), “Verily, verily, I [Jesus] say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’

Jesus also says in Mark 10:43-45 (KJV), ” … but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Jesus says to knock on the door of serving others is to become like Him.

Awesome!

PRAYER

God Who Helps, Help me have a servant’s heart and become like You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.              

Christ wants me to serve others—He will teach me!

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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 a 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 Luke 1:37 (KJV) God, “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!

The more you hallow God, the more you pray with courage. This is the God who gives you 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 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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The One True God

MAY 31

MATTHEW 6:8_Be ye not therefore like unto them…

Jesus doesn’t want His disciples to pray like the babbling heathen. For all their crying and cutting themselves, the priests in I Kings 18 could get nothing from Baal. Nothing. And there were 450 priests calling on him!

The contest between God and Baal was that the true god would set fire to the offered sacrifice, with no help from man. Before Elijah even begins to pray, he gives God an opportunity to show His power. As said, Baal had failed. Elijah pours four barrels of water on his wood, and he does it three times. Then Elijah prays. Elijah alone. No crowd shouting and cutting. Elijah prays to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob). 

Carefully notice Elijah’s prayer. He never asks God to send fire. He asks three things. 1-That God make it known He is the God of Israel, not Baal. 2-That God make it known Elijah is the true servant of God, and whatever Elijah does comes from God. 3-That the Israelites return to worship the One True God.

This is real prayer, from a true believer, to the true God. The results were amazing.“39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”                                                                                  

PRAYER

Holy LORD, Let my prayers cause You to be known as the One True God. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves true prayers that honor God—I do too!