One of the devil's plans for young people is to get them to compare themselves with others, judge themselves as deficient, and then seek to be someone they were not created to be. Our prayers can block this plan of the enemy and give our children a clear vision of themselves and their future. (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)
Exposing the devil's plans helps others avoid being entangled in them. What Ms. Omartian mentioned in this devotion, is definitely true. While most of the comparison may be in the physical (looks, material things, how many friends they have or don't have); our children may be deceived into comparing themselves with others spiritually as well.
When I read the devotion, I immediately remembered the scripture that says God gives us all a "measure of faith". I remember being around some of my sisters in faith and watching them operate in the Spirit; praying, speaking in tongues, laying hands on people, teaching, and preaching...and thinking that my faith was weak because I wasn't flowing like them. I also had not gone through what they had gone through! When we compare ourselves to others, we will always sin because we will judge ourselves and envy the person who is the object of our comparison. Eventually, we may even try to be the other person or something God never intended us to be...all because we didn't recognize the standard or measure to which God was holding us accountable.
Don't copy the behavior or customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. (Romans 12:2-8, NLT)
Lord, as we pray for our children, help us to provide them with a vision of themselves according to how You see them. Help us to remind them that before they were formed; You knew them! Help us to remind them that You have plans to prosper them, to give them hope and a future. Help us to remind them that You have called them fearfully and wonderfully made. Help them to see what you see and know that the only person they need to compare themselves to is Christ. In Jesus name, Amen!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
May 28
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
The four names for God in this psalm describe different aspects of his protection. (1) "Most High" shows him to be greater than any threat we face; (2) "Almighty" emphasizes his power to confront and destroy every enemy; (3) "the Lord" assures us that his presence is always with us; and (4) "my God" expresses the truth that God has chosen to associate intimately with those who trust in him. (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)
The name I like the most in this psalm is "ALMIGHTY"! Being the oldest of my mother's children (I have older siblings by my dad), I always wanted a older brother or sister whom I could run to if I needed someone to confront an enemy. Things haven't changed with regard to me wanting that enemy confronted, however; now I know that the enemy is already defeated! We have the whole armor of God to put on and STAND FIRM. All of our weapons are defensive except the word of God which, although it's called a "sword"; we only have to speak it for the offense. The Almighty is the one that destroys every enemy...so glad He's got my back!
Thank you Father for giving us a place of refuge and for being our fortress...our place of "exceptional security". We don't have to worry about anything or anyone when we're in the secret place. We pray that our children seek out the shelter of the Most High God in the midst of their trials. We cannot always be with them, so we pray that they know You as Lord and Your presence is with them WHEN he/she commits themselves to your will and protection. We trust You. In Jesus name, Amen!
The four names for God in this psalm describe different aspects of his protection. (1) "Most High" shows him to be greater than any threat we face; (2) "Almighty" emphasizes his power to confront and destroy every enemy; (3) "the Lord" assures us that his presence is always with us; and (4) "my God" expresses the truth that God has chosen to associate intimately with those who trust in him. (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)
The name I like the most in this psalm is "ALMIGHTY"! Being the oldest of my mother's children (I have older siblings by my dad), I always wanted a older brother or sister whom I could run to if I needed someone to confront an enemy. Things haven't changed with regard to me wanting that enemy confronted, however; now I know that the enemy is already defeated! We have the whole armor of God to put on and STAND FIRM. All of our weapons are defensive except the word of God which, although it's called a "sword"; we only have to speak it for the offense. The Almighty is the one that destroys every enemy...so glad He's got my back!
Thank you Father for giving us a place of refuge and for being our fortress...our place of "exceptional security". We don't have to worry about anything or anyone when we're in the secret place. We pray that our children seek out the shelter of the Most High God in the midst of their trials. We cannot always be with them, so we pray that they know You as Lord and Your presence is with them WHEN he/she commits themselves to your will and protection. We trust You. In Jesus name, Amen!
Monday, May 27, 2013
May 25 - Blessed in the city; Blessed in the field!
Lord, as my child learns to pray, may he/she also learn to listen for Your voice. May there always be a Holy Spirit fire in his/her heart and an unwavering desire for the things of God. (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)
Just because we hear something, doesn't mean that we're listening! Have you ever had someone talking to you and your mind is elsewhere? So much so, that even though the person is standing right in front of you, you have to ask him/her to repeat what they just said...because you weren't listening.
Too often, when we pray; we go to God with our list of requests, give Him our time frame, thank Him (because we KNOW He's going to do what we asked) and then we go on our merry way. But how often do we listen to hear His voice? The first line of Ms. Omartian's prayer says so much about what's important in the process of praying.
Deuteronomy 28:1-3 says, "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. "The blessing of God is conditional. God's people must make a choice: either blessing through obedience or cursing through disobedience (Deuteronomy 30:15-18; Jeremiah 7:5,7)". (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)
Heavenly Father, give us an ear to always hear AND LISTEN to your voice. In Jesus name, Amen!
Just because we hear something, doesn't mean that we're listening! Have you ever had someone talking to you and your mind is elsewhere? So much so, that even though the person is standing right in front of you, you have to ask him/her to repeat what they just said...because you weren't listening.
Too often, when we pray; we go to God with our list of requests, give Him our time frame, thank Him (because we KNOW He's going to do what we asked) and then we go on our merry way. But how often do we listen to hear His voice? The first line of Ms. Omartian's prayer says so much about what's important in the process of praying.
Deuteronomy 28:1-3 says, "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. "The blessing of God is conditional. God's people must make a choice: either blessing through obedience or cursing through disobedience (Deuteronomy 30:15-18; Jeremiah 7:5,7)". (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)
Heavenly Father, give us an ear to always hear AND LISTEN to your voice. In Jesus name, Amen!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
May 26 - Teach me Your way!
Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:11-12 (NIV)
In the midst of his trouble, the psalmist humbly asks God to teach him His ways and His truth, that he might fear God from the heart. When we are experiencing trials and difficulties, we must cry out to God for wisdom to walk in his ways and for a heart that truly fears and delights in His truth. (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)
The study notes that are quoted above advise us that during trials and difficulties; "we must cry out to God" and I couldn't agree more. One of the biggest tricks of the enemy is ISOLATION! As believers, we have been duped into thinking that our faith is evidenced by how much and how long we can endure suffering. Often we suffer in silence, giving satan an even greater advantage. Now I know that there are some things we must go through alone in order for us to gain our next measure of faith; however, there is a reason we have the extended family called the body of Christ, which we're members. Leviticus 26:7-8 says "You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you." You need at least four other people that you trust and can confide in when you're going through...together you can scatter your enemies!
Lord, help us and our children to rely solely on your faithfulness when we're in the midst of trials. Remind us that even though our pity party seems warm and fuzzy, that's not where You want us to remain. Help us to receive Your wisdom and truth to combat the lies and deceit of satan. Help us as parents to create an "open door policy" for our children to come to us when they're in need and more importantly, show them that they can walk through that open door without concern of judgment. Just as You've given us access, we must do the same for them. #ACCESS_GRANTED #NO_ISOLATION
In Jesus name, Amen!
In the midst of his trouble, the psalmist humbly asks God to teach him His ways and His truth, that he might fear God from the heart. When we are experiencing trials and difficulties, we must cry out to God for wisdom to walk in his ways and for a heart that truly fears and delights in His truth. (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)
The study notes that are quoted above advise us that during trials and difficulties; "we must cry out to God" and I couldn't agree more. One of the biggest tricks of the enemy is ISOLATION! As believers, we have been duped into thinking that our faith is evidenced by how much and how long we can endure suffering. Often we suffer in silence, giving satan an even greater advantage. Now I know that there are some things we must go through alone in order for us to gain our next measure of faith; however, there is a reason we have the extended family called the body of Christ, which we're members. Leviticus 26:7-8 says "You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you." You need at least four other people that you trust and can confide in when you're going through...together you can scatter your enemies!
Lord, help us and our children to rely solely on your faithfulness when we're in the midst of trials. Remind us that even though our pity party seems warm and fuzzy, that's not where You want us to remain. Help us to receive Your wisdom and truth to combat the lies and deceit of satan. Help us as parents to create an "open door policy" for our children to come to us when they're in need and more importantly, show them that they can walk through that open door without concern of judgment. Just as You've given us access, we must do the same for them. #ACCESS_GRANTED #NO_ISOLATION
In Jesus name, Amen!
Friday, May 24, 2013
May 24
Lord, as my child learns to read Your Word, write Your law in his/her mind and on his/her heart so that he/she always walks with a confident assurance of the righteousness of Your commands. (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)
The other day I was explaining to my son the importance of doing what's right. I shared with him one way to do what's right is to always tell the truth because the truth will always be the truth. On the other hand, when we lie; we have to remember the lie so we don't contradict ourselves and expose the lie...it's just best (and easier) to tell the truth!
Having the word of God within us gives us the confident assurance Ms. Omartian mentions in the prayer above. Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." We are not to be arrogant about the "confident assurance", but instead very sure about the promises and guidance God gives us in His word. The assurance comes from the fact that God is faithful; He is not a man that He would lie; He is all-knowing and sovereign. He is the greatest power and He has the final say!
Thank you Lord for the confident assurance in the righteousness of Your commands. We don't have to worry or fear when we're in Your will. When You write Your law in the hearts and minds of our children; we pray that Your law will take root there and grow each day to be the authority for our children which orders their steps. In Jesus name, Amen!
The other day I was explaining to my son the importance of doing what's right. I shared with him one way to do what's right is to always tell the truth because the truth will always be the truth. On the other hand, when we lie; we have to remember the lie so we don't contradict ourselves and expose the lie...it's just best (and easier) to tell the truth!
Having the word of God within us gives us the confident assurance Ms. Omartian mentions in the prayer above. Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." We are not to be arrogant about the "confident assurance", but instead very sure about the promises and guidance God gives us in His word. The assurance comes from the fact that God is faithful; He is not a man that He would lie; He is all-knowing and sovereign. He is the greatest power and He has the final say!
Thank you Lord for the confident assurance in the righteousness of Your commands. We don't have to worry or fear when we're in Your will. When You write Your law in the hearts and minds of our children; we pray that Your law will take root there and grow each day to be the authority for our children which orders their steps. In Jesus name, Amen!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
May 22 - What's your testimony?
Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Psalm 119:2
As I was leaving the post office today, a woman said to me; "I like your license plate"(I thought she was going to compliment my locs!). She went on to say, "it says TESTIMONY right?" I have personalized license plates that read 'TSTIMNY' and when I confirmed that she had read them right; she said something to me that change the outcome of my day and possibly my life...she said, "what's your testimony?"
I jokingly said to her, "oh, you don't have enough time for me to tell it all" and she responded, "well maybe hearing just a little bit will bless me today". Really God?!? As I shared a condensed version of all that God has done for me, another woman came over and asked us what church we attended because she overheard us talking about the "blood of the lamb".
When I left the post office, I thought about all the things that God has done in my life, with my life and through my life. I thought about the things I used to do, places I used to go and people I used to hang out with that I don't even see anymore (and y'all know Columbus is not that big). I thought about the things that could've happened and didn't, as well as the things that did happen and instead of the worst, God allowed me to use the situation for His glory and even to bless someone else. I thought about my health and strength; my healed heart from an absent father; my marriage to a wonderful husband, in spite of having daddy issues; my children, who are not perfect but they're mine and they're here; my family (as crazy as they are) that will rally around me at the slightest hint of hurt in my voice...excuse me for a minute while I give Him glory....THANK YA, THANK YA, THANK YA!!!! I had to stop thinking about it because I was on my way to an appointment and didn't want to pull over on interstate 70 west. The point is, at any given time, we should all be able to give a testimony to the goodness of the Lord. We should be a witness for the kingdom. What's your testimony?
Thank you Father for all the blessings You've bestowed upon me! For deliverance, healing, provision, promises kept, hearing my prayers, keeping my children, watching over and protecting us from dangers seen and unseen, for strength made perfect in my weakness, for helping me up when I fall, for the full armour of God and the fruit of Your Spirit. There is so much more You require of me and I will no longer fall short. To whom much is given, much is required...I will seek You with my whole heart. #WITNESS In Jesus name, Amen!
As I was leaving the post office today, a woman said to me; "I like your license plate"(I thought she was going to compliment my locs!). She went on to say, "it says TESTIMONY right?" I have personalized license plates that read 'TSTIMNY' and when I confirmed that she had read them right; she said something to me that change the outcome of my day and possibly my life...she said, "what's your testimony?"
I jokingly said to her, "oh, you don't have enough time for me to tell it all" and she responded, "well maybe hearing just a little bit will bless me today". Really God?!? As I shared a condensed version of all that God has done for me, another woman came over and asked us what church we attended because she overheard us talking about the "blood of the lamb".
When I left the post office, I thought about all the things that God has done in my life, with my life and through my life. I thought about the things I used to do, places I used to go and people I used to hang out with that I don't even see anymore (and y'all know Columbus is not that big). I thought about the things that could've happened and didn't, as well as the things that did happen and instead of the worst, God allowed me to use the situation for His glory and even to bless someone else. I thought about my health and strength; my healed heart from an absent father; my marriage to a wonderful husband, in spite of having daddy issues; my children, who are not perfect but they're mine and they're here; my family (as crazy as they are) that will rally around me at the slightest hint of hurt in my voice...excuse me for a minute while I give Him glory....THANK YA, THANK YA, THANK YA!!!! I had to stop thinking about it because I was on my way to an appointment and didn't want to pull over on interstate 70 west. The point is, at any given time, we should all be able to give a testimony to the goodness of the Lord. We should be a witness for the kingdom. What's your testimony?
Thank you Father for all the blessings You've bestowed upon me! For deliverance, healing, provision, promises kept, hearing my prayers, keeping my children, watching over and protecting us from dangers seen and unseen, for strength made perfect in my weakness, for helping me up when I fall, for the full armour of God and the fruit of Your Spirit. There is so much more You require of me and I will no longer fall short. To whom much is given, much is required...I will seek You with my whole heart. #WITNESS In Jesus name, Amen!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
May 21 - YES!
I pray that my child will have a teachable and submissive spirit that says "yes" to the things of God and "no" to the things of the flesh. Strengthen him/her to stand strong in his/her convictions. (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)
There's nothing like a "know-it-all" child! I sometimes have to remind my ten year old son that I have the benefit of a few years over him and I know a few more things than he does. If you're not teachable; it's safe to say that you're not growing because the more you know, the more you grow. We have to be diligent in praying that our children are teachable in order for them to continue growing and to ensure they are equipped for life.
When we pray that our children submit to the things of God, we should also pray for their strength and ours. Anyone that knows anything about submission, knows that the greatest struggle is mostly in the mind. Submitting to the things of God may seem to our children like they're giving up or losing something, BUT in reality submission to God, grants admission to peace, protection and power through His will. Saying "yes" to the things of God are not always easy because it challenges our comfort. God rarely asks us to do something that is within our capacity...mainly because we'd most likely take credit for it. When our children are teachable and submissive to the Spirit; God can stretch and grow them...something that's necessary for them to be effective in their walk.
We pray that our children say YES!
http://youtu.be/vK47InW6EhY
There's nothing like a "know-it-all" child! I sometimes have to remind my ten year old son that I have the benefit of a few years over him and I know a few more things than he does. If you're not teachable; it's safe to say that you're not growing because the more you know, the more you grow. We have to be diligent in praying that our children are teachable in order for them to continue growing and to ensure they are equipped for life.
When we pray that our children submit to the things of God, we should also pray for their strength and ours. Anyone that knows anything about submission, knows that the greatest struggle is mostly in the mind. Submitting to the things of God may seem to our children like they're giving up or losing something, BUT in reality submission to God, grants admission to peace, protection and power through His will. Saying "yes" to the things of God are not always easy because it challenges our comfort. God rarely asks us to do something that is within our capacity...mainly because we'd most likely take credit for it. When our children are teachable and submissive to the Spirit; God can stretch and grow them...something that's necessary for them to be effective in their walk.
We pray that our children say YES!
http://youtu.be/vK47InW6EhY
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