Devotionals

March 28, 2019

Psalm 32:1-5 Contemporary English Version

Today is the twentieth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God.  This is a time to deeply reflect upon our spiritual lives and how we tend to wander as God’s children.  To enjoy God is to be real and focused in our quest for him through heartfelt prayer.  Prayer flows from the meditations of the heart.  In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus sets out an example of a prayer for us that touches on the very issues or things for which God knows we need his help (Mat 6:9-13).  Within that prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray about forgiveness.  “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Mat 6:12).  Many times we struggle with forgiving those who have sinned against us, but we fail to realize how essential that very act of forgiveness is to our relationship with God.  Remember, God’s ways are not our ways.  Forgiveness is God’s way of restoring us, taking away the unhealthy remnants of sin, and filling us with Kingdom joy. Do you know the joy of forgiveness in the holy hand of the Restorer?

Love keeps no record of having been wronged (1 Cor 13:5).  Forgiveness means we choose to forfeit our right to hold onto feelings that are not from God; it is a decision that forbids an attitude of resentment or bitterness to take root in our lives.  We cannot serve two masters by trying to say we love God and at the same time refuse to forgive others.  When we refuse to forgive others, we are not serving God we are serving Self.  God is the Great Forgiver who is also the Restorer.  We need God to restore our souls when we sin against him; to obey the conviction of the Spirit and humble ourselves in order for the Lord to restore our fellowship and communion in his love. He wants to take us to a vibrant place of Joy.  We also need God to restore our souls when others sin against us; to allow the Spirit to draw us into extending forgiveness to others in order for him to take the burden off our hearts that is constricting our Joy.  When we forgive others, we are allowing God to deal with that sinner.  David knew about forgiveness; asking God to forgive his sins, as well as forgiving those who sinned against him.  Either way, the topic is sin and forgiveness is the answer.  Let the passage this morning rest in your hearts.

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart.  P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield.  May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 27, 2019

Luke 13:18-21 New Living Translation

Today is the nineteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God.  When you pray for a Kingdom heart, you are praying for growth. Let’s reflect on Jesus’ message about the Kingdom. Jesus walked around the region of Galilee preaching and inviting people to listen to him and follow him into Kingdom living.  I am sure as he moved from town to town preaching about the Kingdom of God, some people were thinking, “Jesus, don’t look now, but it doesn’t appear you have much of a Kingdom.  You only have a few undisciplined men following you!” There was no way to view the Kingdom to which Jesus referred. One day the Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come and he answered, “The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. 21 No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21).  Do you realize when you pray for a Kingdom heart, you are praying for the lordship of King Jesus to be revealed in the very substance of your life?

Jesus is the Author of small beginnings and he works in hearts that are willing to grow; it requires the faith of a mustard seed.  We may not like small beginnings, but God loves them because there is plenty of room to grow and expand. We must never forget God is Sovereign and his ways are not our ways. Therefore, he declared the Kingdom would begin with a small group of “spiritually poor” people living under the lordship of their King (Mat 5:3).  From that small beginning, the Kingdom that grows through divine life would one day be a place of shelter for all the other kingdoms of the earth (Dan 4:10-12).  The Apostle John wrote about a vision he had of this growth, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15). So, my spiritual family, keep praying for a Kingdom heart.

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart.  P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield.  May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 26, 2019

Isaiah 55:6-9 New Living Translation

Today is the eighteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God.  I am very proud of those of you who have been reading the devotions and allowing the Word of God to settle into your souls. Reflection that leads to repentance and restoration begins in our thoughts as we meditate on the Word.  Remember, humanity thought it was foolish to acknowledge God, so “he abandoned us to our foolish thinking” (Rom 1:28). The Lord transforms us from being foolish children of the world into children of faith in a loving God by saving us and changing the way we think (Rom 12:2).  Christ is Truth and our Source for Wisdom. Therefore, the believer’s minds can become a great battlefield between truth and deception. The enemy is a liar and he will not give up working against your devotion to God or your quest for Truth.  Knowing or identifying Truth is essential to winning the spiritual battle. Don’t ask the world about who God is and what pleases him; the world has been abandoned to foolish thinking. Go to the Word and see what it reveals about God’s character and expectations for his children; pray for Wisdom as you read.  Scripture is the story of God’s self-revelation to the world; it is the Wisdom people need to move beyond foolish thinking into faith living and enjoy his holy presence.  Have you found yourself wondering if your thoughts about God and his ways are based on Wisdom?

As humans, we should never be so foolish as to think we have a handle on God’s thoughts and presume to understand his ways.  However, we can know his heart for us as his children; he affirms us with his love. Trying to fit an infinite God into our human thoughts is ludicrous.  Trying to live our lives according to our flesh or according the culture is equally ludicrous.  Apply the Word to your life and look for the fruit of the Kingdom to manifest in you.  God’s children are known by their good fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control).  When the believer bears Kingdom fruit it is a revelation of God’s presence in us…and God smiles!

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart.  P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield.  May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 23, 2019

Luke 6:43-45 New Living Translation (NLT)

Today is the sixteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God.  Recently, I had an experience that captured my attention and made me pause for reflection; I believe God allowed it for my benefit and growth, as well as the growth of others whom I would teach.  I was a target of a stranger’s escalating impatience while driving; I was in this person’s way and there was nothing I could do to avoid or change things.  I am grateful for the experience, because it gave me an opportunity to look deep in my heart for the presence of Truth; to assess my spiritual growth in Christ in the Light of this encounter.  As part of my reflection time, I turned inward to ask, “When things aren’t going the way I think they should, do I still represent the Truth (Lord of Love) in how I treat others?”  The world demands its own way; sinful flesh demands its own way and seeks to justify evil behavior. But, Love does not demand its own way and abides in Truth (1 Cor. 13:5).  Therefore, there should be a visual and spiritual contrast between the world’s way of treating others and Christ’s way.  How do you treat the people around you? What kind of fruit is your mouth producing?

As children of God, we must never forget how we speak to or treat someone else is an outside snapshot of who is sitting on the throne of our hearts. We can attend worship, sing songs, raise our hands, perform good deeds, and act godly at church, but whose character do we reflect every day?  When we produce actions that are void of the Truth of God’s character, we are not producing the life of God.  This is Truth whether we are behind the steering wheel of a car, speaking to family, friend, or stranger, or living contrary to God’s commands. If the Lord is not on the throne of our hearts, we will not produce the fruit of the Kingdom.  

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Luke we see a series of contrasts.   First, there is a blind man trying to guide another blind man.  Second, there is a person who draws attention to the speck in his neighbor’s eye never realizing he has a log sticking out of his own.  Third, we see two trees—one good and one bad.  All of these examples from the Lord point to a spiritual condition that requires repentance; hypocrisy.

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart.  P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield.  May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 22, 2019

Revelation 3:1-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

Today is the fifteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God. We must make time for reflection.  When we sit quietly, meditate on the Word, and pray, the Spirit helps us enjoy fellowship and favor.  When we choose to live differently than the Word commands, we need to repent. Repentance is a gift and blessing from the Lord, because it gives us the opportunity to change our direction and move once again in power toward oneness with God. Repentance, restoration, and the work of faith are key to Kingdom Living.  Are you quick to repent, ask for the Lord to restore you, and use your faith to overcome further sin and worldliness?

In our passage today, the Apostle John writes a vision he receives from the Lord about the church in Sardis; a sleeping church out of fellowship with Christ. These believers had a form of godliness, but they failed to trust and follow the Spirit into repentance and restoration.  The people started out right, but over time they stopped growing in righteousness and began living lives contaminated by the world.  Christ calls his followers to remain stedfast through trials and temptations.  “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith in Jesus Christ” (1 John 5:4-5). White garments are a reward for those who apply the Word and reject the world. Christ is our Overcomer. Are you awake, using your faith, and yielding to your Overcomer?

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart.  P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield.  May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 21, 2019

Psalm 63:1-8 New Living Translation (NLT)

Today is the fourteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God.  During my reflection time today, I am very aware the fallen world and its rebellion against the authority of God actually seeks to drain me and leave me “feeling” frustrated and fearful; while God’s Spirit encourages, sustains, and fills me with faith and hope by “knowing” I have a bright future.  With one fleeting thought I can “feel” all kinds of emotions that do not rest on God’s love or sovereignty. Do you sometimes feel weakened by your own thoughts and feelings due to the issues that flow from a sinful world? In Christ, I am peaceful, sustained, and satisfied; the Lord is my happy place!  There is such a contrast for me between the world and God’s Kingdom when it comes to “knowing” I am secure, safe, and satisfied. The Refiner is helping me gain spiritual fitness, so he can sustain me, but I need to pay attention.  Do you reach for the Sustainer to make you feel secure and safe, as well as look for his presence to satisfy your soul when the spirit of the world vies for your attention?

Life in the world can “feel” threatening.  Fear is certainly trying all the time to find a home in our thoughts so it can be worked out through our lives.  All fear does is drain us by repetition; it keeps coming around and around in our thoughts for us to consider or entertain.  Fear wants to be planted so it can grow.  We do not need to give into fear’s process.  The Word teaches, “Humble yourself before God, resist the enemy (fear), and he will flee” (James 4:7).  If we are willing to praise and humble ourselves before God, as our Sustainer, he will open our spiritual eyes to see the reality of his glory and power over all things.  Our thoughts can suddenly be refocused on Truth, so like David parched and feeling insecure in the wilderness, we can begin to praise our God who is the true Sustainer of Life and the Lover of our Souls who will never fail us.  If we were never left spiritually thirsty by the world, would we ever drink from the life of God? Your thirst is your Friend!

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart.  P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield.  May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 20, 2019

Luke 13:22-27 The Living Translation

Today is the thirteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God. As his children, we are constantly going through the refining process as God seeks to free us from impurities in our character and make us spiritually fit in our faith. The Kingdom was not created for the spiritually undisciplined; it was created for those of great faith and mighty in the Spirit. “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (Mat 5:8). Do you realize how you respond to God’s refining process for your life determines how spiritually fit you become to handle Kingdom living in a sinful world?

The Lord is the righteous Refiner of our faith. We must be willing to endure the Lord’s discipline and our souls must be willing to pay the price, because refining is not painless. The refining process can strengthen our faith through trials or through self-denial. It is the work of Christ to open the Kingdom door to life. The door is the shape of Jesus; he is the door and we are to be molded in his image (John 10:9). There are not many paths to God or his Kingdom. There is One narrow door; he is the Christ—the Refiner—who brings us to the heart of God.

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart. P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield. May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 19, 2019

1 Corinthians 10:1-11 Good News Translation (GNT)

Today is the twelfth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God.  God offers his children of faith every spiritual advantage, but we cannot lust after the things of the world; it is spiritual rebellion.  Faith in God’s Word must govern our choices; therefore, we hunger for God’s holiness.  The Word living in us brings a holy alliance with the Lord.  Do you realize every passage we read in Scripture is relevant for our lives because it reveals something about our Holy God, as well as the lessons we can learn from either the faithfulness or faith-failures of his people?

We can learn quite a bit today from the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness. They have given us much to ponder.  According to Scripture, in the wilderness the people lusted after false gods and immorality (remember the golden calf).  They tested the Lord and then complained when he disciplined them.  In the book of Numbers, Moses records the complaints of the people, “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!  Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle. Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt” (14:2-4).  The people made a choice to rebel, their faith was positioned as they verbalized their will, and God’s power rested on it.  Therefore, many died according to their own rebellious words.  They put faith to their words in the corrupt system of Egypt (symbolic of the world) and their hope in another leader whom they could control. They preferred bondage over freedom and death over following God.  So, God honored their request.  Do you understand faith, your will, and the power of your words? 

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart.  P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield.  May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 18, 2019

Romans 4:1-5 The Message (MSG)

Today is the eleventh day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God. Faith is essential in order to please God. He is the Creator of Life and he has decided his children must demonstrate faith in his love and care. If we are going to walk by faith and not by sight, it means we must adjust how we perceive God in our lives. He does not love us and call us to faith, because we are worthy and deserve good things. We are sinful creatures loved by a holy God. He calls us to faith, because he chooses to spill his love over us and faith is the vehicle to get righteous provision to us. Do you realize God invites you to connect to Christ in faith in order to bless you with a meaningful and abundant life he has chosen for you as your Righteous Creator?

The way we enter into God’s plan is to place our lives before him, graciously receive his righteous salvation, choose obedience to the Word, and fearlessly live in the power of the Spirit who promises to direct our paths. Therefore, we must push past every fear the enemy sends our way. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love, power, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).  Quite frankly, the enemy puts up a spiritual fight when we are determined to obediently walk by faith in the love and ways of God. Satan knows we are very near the Father’s heart.  

When it comes to real spiritual life, the turning point for each child of God is to learn how to use his or her faith to manifest God’s righteous provision. Believers all have a measure a faith; we must protect our faith and invite God to increase it. We need to start speaking faith-filled words over every aspect of our lives. Faith must be practiced in the natural to manifest the provision of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Have you ever thought about how God may use different struggles or conflicts found in your life to grow your faith and trust in him, because he is seeking to get Kingdom supply to you? 

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart. P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield. May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

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March 16, 2019

Matthew 23:37-39 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Today is the tenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God. He wants us near his heart in order to take care of us.  A Kingdom heart develops as we welcome and dwell with the Word in bringing deliverance to our souls (mind, will, and emotions).  Therefore, do you live each day feeding on the Truth of God’s Word, confronting anything in your flesh that tries to keep you in bondage to sin, and asking the Lord to deliver you into the Truth of who you really are as his child?  

When we first come to Christ, we confess we need a Savior; a Deliverer from sin and death.  Christ brings us freedom and eternal life; our bodies become the Temple of God.  Now, we are free to live out our salvation each day being led by the Spirit whose job it is to keep us living the Word or Truth.  Let’s do some reflection.  Do you recognize as a human being living in a world tainted by sin you have an inclination in your flesh to live wayward to the Word of God, because Satan uses people and systems to oppose God? We need to live in close fellowship with God, because he is the Truth that delivers us, on an ongoing basis, from the intent of evil.

In our passage today, Jesus prophesies the future while sharing about the heart of the Father.  At this time, the Temple in Jerusalem is considered the earthly dwelling place of God. The religious leaders and systems are to be examples of the Truth; reminding God’s people about how the Deliverer came to take them from slavery in a system corrupted by evil and delivering them into a realm of freedom to live the Truth. It is the stubbornness of the people and systems that will cause them to face God’s judgment. The Temple will lie in ruins and the people will be exiled back into slavery.  But, where is the Deliverer?  Waiting for the Truth to be welcomed.

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