Devotionals

In our Tuesday discussion following The Chosen (season 4; episode 6), we explored how human beings can have preconceived notions about God and his perspective of life that are not clarified in his Word. For example, we might choose to believe that God will prevent traumatic things from happening in the lives of believers while on earth if we simply love and trust him; however, traumatic things happen all the time to those who are pure in heart. We might choose to believe while on earth God will spare us heartache and disappointment based on the power of our faith; however, God is near to the brokenhearted. We must align our theology of God with the Truth of his Word.

I believe we serve a very powerful God who loves us, but our belief’s may not always align with God’s purpose and plan for salvation. We need to ask for understanding when we face difficulties. According to Scripture, God did not spare the suffering of his own Son, but gave him up for all of us (Ro 8:32). As well, Jesus prepared his disciples for the challenges ahead of them, “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith…so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:1, 33-34). Jesus was seeking to convince his disciples about the truth of a life beyond this world and the need to press on in hope while on earth.

In our passage today, Jesus shares a case history about two people and their experiences in this earthly life with wealth, poverty, and their eternal destination. In the passage, we meet an unnamed rich man, as well as a poor man named Lazarus [no connection to the Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead]. The rich man parades his wealth, feasts on delicious foods, and enjoys the finest things in life while he knowingly allows his neighbor, Lazarus, to remain hungry and suffer. He thinks only of himself and his pleasures. Lazarus begs for simple crumbs, is met with indifference, but presses on in faith. Then, both men face death.

The roles then reverse and Lazarus is the recipient of the blessings of Abraham and the rich man finds himself in a place of torment and punishment. Lazarus was not saved because he was poor; nor was the rich man sent to Hades because of his wealth. Both men had a vastly different earthly life, but Lazarus was a descendent of Abraham—a person of faith.

After Jesus died for the sins of the world, eternal life opened to humanity. At death, human beings either find themselves in the presence of God or in the place of torment. The spirits and souls of both the rich man and Lazarus were transported. In this passage, Jesus reminds us of eternal realities and we should not see this as a parable; but rather the truth according to the Living Word.

Luke 16:19-31 NLT Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet.[a] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and he went to the place of the dead.[b] There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson about the heart. You have assigned to us different experiences and we must find our faith in you and trust you no matter how difficult things may be at times. As well, we need to find ourselves filled with compassion and learning to share your blessings with others. Help us ponder this lesson today and put your love into practical acts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Life has changed for many of us; so we must change in how we perceive the things before us each day by embracing the true wisdom of God. By God’s decree, worldly wisdom has been rendered worthless. Unredeemed humanity has lost true common sense and has become even more blinded by evil. However, this is the time for the children of Light to shine in the darkness. Be courageous…God is with us!

There is nothing eternal about the scope of worldly wisdom. I need much, much more than a temporary fix these days. Actually, every day we should be searching for godly wisdom. We don’t need to search far; for our benefit God has connected us to Christ and made him to be wisdom itself (1 Cor 1:30). I am so grateful to have my connection to Christ! What would we do in this chaotic mess without Jesus—our living HOPE?

Today, our Scripture reading comes from the Book of Job [Wisdom Literature]—Job is a righteous man of integrity and prosperity. One day Job is doing really well and life is good; the next day he faces one disaster after another that tests his faith. Job begins to deeply suffer in spirit, soul, and body. Why? Unbeknown by Job, Satan wants to prove to God that Job will stop being a righteous worshiper [obediently honor the authority] of the Most High if God temporarily ceases to protect and bless him (Job 1:11). The biggest test we will ever face will be the temptation to curse God and cease our worship of him when we do not understand the challenges we face. We must remain faithful and reveal Christ!

In our passage today, Job’s witness reminds us we cannot seek divine wisdom through human effort. We must learn to look at life the way God sees it; in wholeness. Addressing suffering through panic is fruitless. We cannot see or hear divine wisdom without choosing to remain in peace. We cannot discern truth over lies unless we remain in God’s integrity. We must forsake evil and the work of Satan. God can be trusted to restore us even when he allows our faith to be tested.

Pain is ever present and no one is exempt from suffering—even the righteous. However, our relationship with God is enough to keep us grounded in hope, filled with peace, and overshadowed with his never-failing divine love. Life is really all about perspective. How we view things matters. Let’s ask for Wisdom [Christ] and his perspective [Way, Truth, and Life] of God’s Kingdom as we move forward each day. Rejoice, because Jesus in on the throne!
Job 28:12-28 NLT
12
“But do people know where to find wisdom?
    Where can they find understanding?
13 
No one knows where to find it,
    for it is not found among the living.
14 
‘It is not here,’ says the ocean.
    ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.
15 
It cannot be bought with gold.
    It cannot be purchased with silver.
16 
It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir,
    greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 
Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal.
    It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold.
18 
Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it.
    The price of wisdom is far above rubies.
19 
Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it.
    It’s worth more than the purest gold.
20 
“But do people know where to find wisdom?
    Where can they find understanding?
21 
It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity.
    Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.
22 
Destruction and Death say,
    ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’
23 
“God alone understands the way to wisdom;
    he knows where it can be found,
24 
for he looks throughout the whole earth
    and sees everything under the heavens.
25 
He decided how hard the winds should blow
    and how much rain should fall.
26 
He made the laws for the rain
    and laid out a path for the lightning.
27 
Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it.
    He set it in place and examined it thoroughly.
28 
And this is what he says to all humanity:
‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom;
    to forsake evil is real understanding.’”

Prayer: Father, your children cry out for divine wisdom, because we need your perspective to move forward through the present challenges of life. Thank you for knowing all things and for giving us Jesus who leads us in the way we should go. We are listening and seeking in all we do, because we know this world is void of genuine wisdom. We worship you and bow down to your authority today, as well as every day that will follow. We confess our past sins against your wisdom. We thank you for your forgiveness and miraculous restoring grace. Make us strong and courageous in Christ our King. Holy Spirit, please keep us following and focused on the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friends, we just wrapped up our 10 Days of Prayer on Saturday and that time should have encouraged our hearts to “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Bible mentions prayer over 650 times and so let’s recall what has transpired over the last couple of weeks surrounding the 10 Days of Prayer. I agree with Pastor Mary that this is a time we all must enlarge our theology, faith, confession, and understanding of God, as Jesus leads the way, and prayer should be at the center of it all.

Thursday, September 26, 2024 –
It was a week prior to the start of the 10 Days of Prayer, and it was also the day that Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. It was the perfect prayer motivator for all believers to “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2

The 10 Days of Prayer –
It was 10 days – 100 cities – 50 countries – who all came together to form 1 global upper room. We will talk about the “upper room” later. So, our 10 Days of Prayer began on Wed, Oct 2nd which also began the Jewish high holiday period. Rosh Hashanah (or the Day of Trumpets) began on the evening of Oct 2nd and it is the first of the ten-day period which God’s people enter into a time of self-examination and repentance, known as the Ten Days of Awe (or Ten Days of Repentance), in other words they pray throughout the 10 days. This period concludes on the evening of Oct 12th with Yom Kippur (or the Day of Atonement), a time when God’s people abandon everything to purse God and His heart. There is typically fasting and extended prayer. “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” – Matthew 26:41

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 –
One week into the Jewish high holiday period, one week into our 10 Days of Prayer, and almost two weeks after Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida. Matthew tells us that God cares about our heart, He does not care about fancy words or public displays of good deeds, or the consumerism of this world, God longs for us to cry out to His Holy Name and to build His Kingdom here on earth, NOW, in preparation for the time when Jesus will return, which seems to be soon, and so that each of us is ready to spend eternity with Jesus. – Pray The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-14

The “Upper Room” and the “Global Upper Room” –
If you recall, in Acts 1, after Jesus ascends to heaven, the disciples are together for 10 days in the “upper room”, and through prayer, worship, fasting, and repentance, they were all in one accord, and as the Father promised – 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out onto them and the Church was born.

What began in that upper room, over 2,000 years ago, with 120 believers is now a global upper room with 2.4 billion Christian believers (which includes you and me). As the global Church we embody every nation, from every tribe, and included is every language. Our time of prayer did not end on Saturday night, no we have every reason to pray, worship, fast, and repent, EVERY DAY, and especially on the heels of these hurricanes.

I don’t know about you, but the prophetic messaging through the Apostle John that Jesus gives to His entire Church in the book of Revelation stirs within my heart and makes me realize that I must be spiritually ready for Jesus’s return. To quote Pastor Mary, “This life we now live is about the Revelation of Jesus!” It is as simple as that, and today’s passage should make you and I want to be a part of the Great Crowd.

Revelation 7:9-17 (NLT)

Praise from the Great Crowd

9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar,
“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
and from the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.”
Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.

15 “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne
and serve him day and night in his Temple.
And he who sits on the throne
will give them shelter.

16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.

17 For the Lamb on the throne
will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for making it very clear throughout Your Word, that we are to commune with You all of the time in prayer. Help us, Holy Spirit, to be better prayer warriors, who trust You with every aspect of our lives and with the lives of our loved ones. Help us to grow close with You and to deepen our understanding of Who You are through Your Word every single day. We want to be ready when You return, Jesus. We continue to pray for all who have been impacted by hurricanes Helene and/or Milton. Please continue to restore power and hearts, rebuild homes and broken spirits, repair damages and relationships with You and with loved ones. Thank You for bringing people together to help one another. Strengthen the linesmen, the workers, and all who are a part of restoring our communities. May hearts grow closer to You, Jesus, through these difficult times. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

I was diagnosed with autism when I was six years old.  Since then, there have been people who have told me that it was impossible for me to achieve my goals and ambitions.  Here I am years later and I am still proving those people wrong.  Every moment I get up, it is a victory because it is another day to prove people wrong.  I count it as a huge win for sure.  “With man, this is impossible.  But with God, all things are possible.  These are not just words, this is a statement that Jesus spoke.  Man thinks that there are impossible things and tasks that we cannot achieve.  The reality is that when we have God by our side, then He has given us the ability to achieve it.  In Philippians 4:13, the apostle Paul writes that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.  That doesn’t mean that we can everything.  This means that God has gifted us with different abilities.  Because He has gifted us with those abilities, we ought to be growing in those.  God is along for the ride, meaning that He is always going to be with us on our journeys no matter what.  

In today’s passage, we see Peter mentioning how God has gifted us.  Indeed He has, however, we need to serve within our giftedness.  One reason why people would not serve in church is because they would often be placed in a position where it is not their strengths.  In other words, they are voluntold to be in that position.  Church should be something that we get to do, rather than something that we have to do.  When all the different parts come together, it creates something that is meaningful.  We need to understand that when we serve, it is not about us.  It is about edifying, or the lifting up, the name of Jesus.  We need to remember that whenever we are serving.  

Scripture

1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT- “10. God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts.  Use them well to serve one another.  11. Do you have the gift of speaking?  Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.  Do you have the gift of helping others?  Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.  Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.  All glory and power to Him forever and ever!  Amen.”  

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all You do.  Thank You for showing us and revealing things that need to be revealed to us.  Help us to praise You though all seasons of life.  While we recognize that this world is going to bring all kinds of confusion and chaos.  While this is something that we cannot control, help us to turn to You and be tuned into Your channel.  Only You know what it best for us.  Because You have our best interests at heart, give us the strength and courage to keep pursuing You.  In Jesus name, amen.  

One thing about me is that I like crime shows and different things of that nature.  For instance, one of my favorite crime shows is the Law and Order series.  There is this balance of law enforcement and what happens in that realm, and the lawyers and and what happens in that realm.  One of the key players in the courtroom is the judge.  The judge is listening to both sides of the case.  They listen to the evidence brought on by the defense and the prosecution.  Then, they make their ruling based on the evidence.  Either the person is guilty or they are innocent, they must make a fair ruling.  One thing about God is that He always makes a fair ruling.  One of the many names of God is Jehovah-Tsedek, which is Hebrew for “Lord Our Righteousness.”  He is always fair.  

In today’s scripture, the prophet Isaiah speaks about how we ought to learn to do good.  He also mentions that we ought to be helping those around us.  There are people who are struggling, not just in terms of physically, but also in terms of spiritually.  There are people who are struggling with their relationship with God because they are caught in this mess between following God or following their own will.  There is this decision that we all have to make: either life or death.  I want to challenge all of us to choose life.  

Isaiah 1:17 NLT- “Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defend the cause of orphans.  Fight for the rights of widows.”  

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being fair.  No matter what set of circumstances that we face, You give us things that we know we can handle.  Help us to turn towards You at all times.  Forgive us for when we have sinned towards You.  Remind us that we ought to be following You no matter what.  When we start to fall away, help us to get back towards You.  In Jesus name, amen.  

If there is one thing that we cannot take for granted, it is family.  I love my family to pieces.  Even though they may drive me a little bit crazy, but I love them anyway.  Family is there for us when we are feeling down and depressed.  Whether they are our blood relatives or our spiritual relatives, family is there for us.  In Philippians 3:20, it speaks about how we are citizens of heaven.  In other words, we are part of God’s family.  When we are in a relationship with God, we are part of His family.  We cannot take that for granted.  Family is family.  We are supposed to be there for each other, however, there are some people who may not see it that way.  Some may see a family as doing different things and expecting something in return.  That is not a family.  Not by a long shot.  A family is when we come together and support each other.  When we are in His family, that is who we are: a family.  Despite our differences, God looks at our differences as unique and special.  

In today’s passage, we see the apostle Paul addressing the church in Rome saying that we have not received the spirit of slavery, but rather a spirit of adoption.  There are times where fear can boil inside us and can take over.  Because God adopted us and brought us into His family, this means that He has not given a spirit of fear.  In 2 Timothy 1:7, it talks about how God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.  Because God has not given us that spirit of fear, there is no reason why we should be fearful.  I believe that we are fearful because we give Satan the clearance and the authorization to come in our thoughts and our minds.  Here’s the thing: we cannot give him neither of those things.  We cannot and should not give him the authorization as well as the clearance.  He is denied by the help of the Holy Spirit.  We need to be stronger than he is.  We are strong because He made us strong.  

Scripture

Romans 8:15 NLT- “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.  Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children.  Now we call Him, ‘ABBA, Father.’”  

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for adopting us into Your family.  Continue to remind us how unique and special we are in Your eyes.  Help us to look past our differences and embrace our brothers and sisters in Your family.  Help us to not take family for granted.  Help Your family come together as one.  You have called us to come together as one, and let us be one.  Help us to feel more accepted by You.  In Jesus name, amen.  

Today is a bit of a challenging because Hurricane Milton makes its landfall.  People are either bunkering down or they are getting out of dodge.  Either way, it is going to be a long day.  After going through Hurricane Helene, there are people not only in Florida but also in Georgia as well as North Carolina that are still working to restore their homes, businesses, and their communities.  Despite all the turbulence that these storms have caused or will cause, God is still going to provide what we need.  One of the names of God is Jehovah-Jireh, which is Hebrew for “Our Provider.”  

In today’s passage, the apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth by saying that God will meet our needs.  A lot of us have a lot of wants, but God provides us with our needs.  There is a huge difference between a need and a want.  There are times where we do not think about those needs provided by God because we are busy doing other things.  We need to understand that God knows what is best for us.  He has our best interest at heart.  He knows the plans (Jeremiah 29:11).  We can make many plans as we want, but His plans are far more higher than our own plans (Proverbs 19:21).  Not only that, but He will direct our steps (Proverbs 16:9).  In other words, He’s got you.  He’s got us.  

Scripture 

2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT- “And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty to share with others.”  

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to pay attention to what You’re revealing to us.  Continue to provide for us our needs rather than our wants.  You know what is best for us.  Help us to be true recipients of Your mercy, grace, forgiveness, and Your everlasting love.  Help us to put our full faith and full trust in You and You alone.  In Jesus name, amen.  

I don’t know about some people, but I tend to get stressed out.  Perhaps one reason is because I am anticipating what is coming up or being unsure about any future plans.  Regardless, stress is not a good thing whatsoever.  No one likes to be stressed, but I know someone who can bring your stress down: God.  One of the many names of God is Jehovah-Shalom which is Hebrew for “God, Our Peace.”  What we need to do is to be in that place of peace.  How can we find peace when there are a million things I got to do?  In Psalm 46:10, David writes that we need to be still and know that He is God.  In other words, we need to be in that place of stillness so that we can acknowledge God and let Him do what only He can do.  

In today’s passage, the apostle Paul is speaking to the church in Galatia about the idea that there are no labels.  What do I mean by labels?  I mean that when we are in the family of God, we do not need to be labeled as a certain denomination or ethnicity or religion or anything else of that nature.  Paul wrote to the church in Philippi saying that we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20).  Because we are citizens of heaven, we are no longer labeled as part of a denomination but rather we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  In our passage today, Paul concludes by saying that we are all one in Christ Jesus.  In other words, we are one body when we are in Christ.  We need to understand that we may have our external differences, but we are part of the family of God.  

Scripture 

Galatians 3:28 NLT- “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female.  For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that I am in Your family.  Thank You for accepting us for who we are.  You say that we are valuable in Your eyes.  Help us to see that each and every day.  Continue to remind us about how important we are to You.  No matter what circumstances we are facing, help us to draw closer to You each and every day.  In Jesus name, amen.  

There are times in our lives where we feel like we are alone.  I have felt that before.  Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of friends who I could hang out with.  For the longest time, I felt like I was going to be alone and I thought that I was going to be like that for the rest of my life.  Maybe it was because I was autistic or some other reason.  Regardless, I could not get that feeling out of my head.  I have come to the realization that I was never alone even when I felt like it.  I learned that God is always with me.  It wasn’t until I was in high school and met some incredible teachers who showed me that I was never alone no matter what.  Ever since then, I have felt a sense of confidence knowing that God is always with me.  

In today’s passage, the prophet Isaiah says that God loves Zion.  And because He loves Zion, He will never abandon it nor turns its back on it.  The word “Zion” means “holy place” or “kingdom of heaven.”  One of the names of God is Jehovah-Shammah which is Hebrew for “The Lord is There.”  What we need to understand is that God is always going to be there for us.  Scripture says that we will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8).  Even when we feel like we are alone, the reality is that He is always there for us and is with us.  Psalm 23:4 says that when we go through the darkest valley, He is with us.  Throughout the Bible, we see on multiple occasions that He says that He is with us.  In other words, we have the confirmation.  Because we have the confirmation, we can have the assurance that no matter where we go or what season we go through, He is always going to be there for us.  

Isaiah 62:1 NLT- “Because I love Zion, I will not keep still.  Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent.  I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.”  

Dear Heavenly Father, continue to remind us that You are always with us.  When we go through seasons of hardship and seasons of difficulties, remind us that we are never alone.  Pour out Your love and Your grace onto us and help us to receive it with open hearts.  In Jesus name, amen.  

One of the many names of God is Jehovah Rapha, which is Hebrew for “the Lord Who Heals.”  One of the things that we need across our land right now is healing.  Healing from what?  Healing from all the division and turmoils that rings across the country and around the world.  People are divided over the simplest of things such as favorite sports teams, fast food joints, kinds of movies, and people are even divided over where they stand politically.  While I believe that it is getting out of hand, we need to understand that God is the only one who can heal and bring restoration to our land as it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14.  

In today’s passage, we see that there is a choice to make.  God has given us a choice between life and death as well as blessings and curses.  In the next verse, we see where Moses says that we can make that choice by loving the Lord.  Not only loving the Lord but also obeying Him and committing ourselves to Him.  While we make choices in terms of what we eat, who we see, and what activities we do throughout the day, there is no bigger choice than whether we follow Jesus or not.  I want to challenge you with making that choice to say that I will follow Jesus.  Only He can bring healing to our spiritual lives.  All we need to do is make that choice and obey what He has for us.

Scripture

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT- “Today I have given you a choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.  Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!  You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him.  This is the key to your life.  And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.”  

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we ask for Your forgiveness.  Forgive us when we have made the choice to not obey You.  Help us to always stay committed to You and You alone.  Help us to not get twisted by what the world is doing.  Help us to stay focused on You.  Only You can keep us in alignment with You.  Help us to obey You when You have called us by name.  In Jesus name, amen.