Matthew 6:5-6, "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and … Continue reading A Brief Devotion, Christian Grace, pt2
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2 Peter 1:3, " His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." God loves Christian growth and has provided the means of Scripture, prayer, and the local church as a means for Christian maturity. The Lord has given us these means to grow in our gladness in Him. … Continue reading A Brief Devotion, Christian Grace, pt1
Ephesians 1:18, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people." Paul prays for a specific hope! Do you pray for Hope? Hope means to trust in, wait for, … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Praying, pt4
Ephesians 3:14-21, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom [a]every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Praying, pt3
Colossians 1:3-12, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Praying, pt2
2 Corinthians 1:3-7, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Praying, pt1
Psalm 27:13-14, "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Suffering is never neutral. Meaning, we bring to our suffering our thoughts about God, sin, and trials. In other words, … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Suffering, pt4
2 Corinthians 12:8-10, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Suffering, pt3
Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." Suffering can make you feel isolated and alone. Suffering can also make you feel as if God has forsaken you. Suffering can make … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Suffering, pt2
Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Often times suffering does not make sense. When trials come our way, whether it is job loss, sudden illness, the death of a loved one, or whatever else we may be facing, we don't … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Suffering, pt1
This is an excerpt from "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald S Whitney with thoughts from Van Zyl De Villiers: The most important feature of any Spiritual Discipline is its purpose. Just as there is little value in practicing the scales on a guitar or piano apart from the purpose of playing music, … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Spiritual Disciplines
Hebrews 10:24, "...let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works..." Christian encouragement helps stirs us on, especially when we have this worrying sense that we've lost some excitement about being a Christian. For example, consider the following encounter: 'A Christian friend is very excited. they have seen God do … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Awe & Wonder, pt1
God’s Sovereignty and Our Responsibility: Colossians 3:15-17 The sovereignty of God and man’s responsibility are not antithetical to one another. We are responsible for all our actions and will be held accountable for our sins. A great example of this truth is seen in the Garden of Eden. As God is sovereign, He instructs man … Continue reading A Brief Devotion: Trusting God, pt6
God Rules over the nation(s) God is sovereign over all rulers, governments, and nations. He is the Author of all history, shaping events and decisions to fulfill His purposes. At times it may not seem like it, but God works through the decisions and actions of our rulers, even the ones who have no intention … Continue reading A Brief Devotion, Trusting God, pt5
Trusting God Despite Confusion Jerry Bridges once said, "We must learn to trust when we don’t understand!" But for many of us, learning to trust God has been, or is, a slow and difficult process. It is often easy to trust God in the light, but in the dark, not so much. Sure, we know … Continue reading A Brief Devotion, Trusting God, pt4