PERSIST IN PRAYER

“This, then, is how you should pray.” Mt 6:9 NIV If prayer came naturally, God wouldn’t have to remind us so often to do it. A consistent prayer life requires crucifying our selfish nature. But when prayer doesn’t seem rewarding, we’re apt to abandon it. So how can you pray and get results? (1) Before you ask, adore! Any prayer that begins with asking can become self-centered and shallow. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Ps 100:4 NIV). When God’s love, goodness and faithfulness are your starting point, you’re lifted out of yourself, your spirit is prepared to “connect” with God, the content of your prayer becomes more scriptural, and you get results. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus directs our attention first to God’s name, then His kingdom, then His will. After that, we ask for “our daily bread.” Thanksgiving doesn’t condition God to bless you—it conditions you to receive His blessing. (2) When you pray, persist! God’s not an automated teller. You are supposed to stay engaged with Him until He decides to answer you. This involves an attitude of faith, persistence and patience. Jesus gave us a parable about a woman who kept pleading with a hardhearted judge to grant her petition. When she finally wore him down, he gave her what she asked. Jesus had only one purpose for the parable: “To show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Lk 18:1 NIV). The point is not that persistence forces God’s cooperation, it’s that God wants you to pray and not quit. When you persist God will answer, “and quickly!” (v. 8 NIV).

Devotionals on this site were originally written by Word For You Today. For all inquiries, please visit www.wordforyou.com

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!

“The Lord…has given rest to his people.” 1Ki 8:56 NIV Live for today, and put tomorrow into God’s hands. Begin to eliminate the words “what if” from your vocabulary. God will always be one step ahead of you. “The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Dt 31:8 NKJV). The reason God is called the “Alpha and Omega” in Scripture is because He not only initiates the starting point of your spiritual journey, He has arranged every step of it according with His will. He says to you: “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope…when you pray, I will listen…I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes” (Jer 29:11-14 NLT). If you’re fearful of the future, check with the past. “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people…according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised” (1Ki 8:56 NKJV). You will never conquer your worries entirely, for worries, just like weaknesses and character flaws, draw you closer to God and keep you dependent on Him. For forty years in the wilderness the Israelites never missed a meal. God delivered it to the door of each of their tents daily. And He will provide for you too. “Not so in haste, my heart! Have faith in God, and wait; although he lingers long, he never comes too late.”

Devotionals on this site were originally written by Word For You Today. For all inquiries, please visit www.wordforyou.com

LAW AND ORDER (2)

“Love your children by disciplining them.” Pr 13:24 TM Children who are a joy to live with don’t get that way by living in a lawless home. Ever see the movie Bonnie and Clyde? The big story behind Bonnie is the mother who raised her. She thought everything Bonnie did was “cute.” She actually eulogized her: “As the flowers are made brighter by the sunshine and dew; this world is made brighter by folks like you!” But Bonnie wasn’t so cute when she went on a murderous rampage. Giving your child structure makes them feel cared for and secure. So here are two guidelines: (1) Explain the rules clearly. Punishing a child over a rule they don’t understand just makes them resentful. The fewer your rules the better—just make them understandable, doable, and observable. “Preaching” and moralizing only creates resistance. (2) Enforce the rules consistently. What brings a smile today shouldn’t bring a slap tomorrow. Inconsistency weakens your authority and breeds disobedience in them. Here are some things to shun: (a) Avoid comparing. No child should be expected to be just like another. (b) Avoid hurtful labels like “You’re stupid, lazy, bad, a waste of time,” etc. Describe their actions; don’t demolish their self-worth. (c) Avoid idle threats. Enforce the rule, or drop it. (d) Avoid bribes; they just breed manipulation and diminish the importance of rules. (e) Avoid making fun of their weaknesses. (f) Don’t fear saying “No!” Their future success and happiness depend on learning to deal with it. (g) Admit your failures. However, though you “blow it” occasionally, you’re still responsible to require they follow your laws, not your lapses!

Devotionals on this site were originally written by Word For You Today. For all inquiries, please visit www.wordforyou.com

LAW AND ORDER (1)

“Discipline your children; you'll be glad you did—they'll turn out delightful to live with.” Pr 29:17 TM We’re producing a generation of kids who are allowed to rear themselves with the aid of television, violent videos, and the Internet (which can be a minefield!). Often both parents work, leaving one child to supervise another. As a result they become a law unto themselves. “A child left to himself disgraces his [parents]” (Pr 29:15 NIV). Most of us are loving parents, but our children need discipline and rules to live by. Love has a backbone; it’s called law and order. Without it, love is just license. “A refusal to correct is a refusal to love” (Pr 13:24 TM). Remember the cute cartoon where Dad, strap in hand, makes disobedient Dennis “assume the position”? He says, “This is going to hurt me more than you.” Dennis responds, “Don’t feel obligated to hurt yourself on my behalf.” Enforcing law and order isn’t easy. But the alternative is a betrayal of our children and our God-given responsibility! Failure to enforce law and order to gain short-term popularity with our kids always ends up costing us their long-term respect. Expecting younger kids to figure out what’s right and wrong is a burden they shouldn’t have to bear; their neurological and moral equipment isn’t sufficiently developed yet for such responsibility. The Bible says, “Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline” (Pr 22:15 TM). Your children learn to make good decisions from the rewards and consequences of dealing with law and order at home. So don’t fail them!

Devotionals on this site were originally written by Word For You Today. For all inquiries, please visit www.wordforyou.com

THE ANSWER TO YOUR WORRIES

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Pr 18:21 NKJV Your words either work for you or against you. The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” The old saying, “You’ll eat your words,” is more than a meaningless cliché, it’s the truth! Jeremiah the prophet writes, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jer 15:16 NKJV). The Psalmist writes, “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses (worries). He sent His word and healed them” (Ps 107:19-20 NKJV). God’s Word is the medicine that heals worry. So what God has to say about the issue must be what you have to say about it too; otherwise you’re contradicting Him and disconnecting yourself from the source of all blessing. If you’re wise, you will surround yourself with like-minded people who speak God’s Word into your life, and limit your time with those who have no interest in it. If you want to grow the right kind of fruit, you must have the right climate. And the words you speak (and listen to) determine the climate of your life, the direction in which it goes, and the results you get. There is no “secret” to success. The Bible says that when you learn to “meditate day and night” in God’s Word, you “will prosper in all you do” (See Ps 1:1-3). So the answer to your worries is in God’s Word!

Devotionals on this site were originally written by Word For You Today. For all inquiries, please visit www.wordforyou.com

STEP OUT IN FAITH!

"Why should we sit here waiting to die?” 2Ki 7:3 NLT Unless you’re willing to take risks you won’t succeed in life. Yes, there’s a time for playing it safe. But when caution becomes a lifestyle, you get bogged down in mediocrity and failure while life passes you by. When you finish praying, searching the Scriptures and listening to godly counsel—you’ve got to step out in faith. Four lepers sat outside the famine-stricken city of Samaria. They considered their situation. “We’re starving to death. There’s food in the city. Enemy soldiers are in the city. We can play it safe, sit here and die. Or go into the city and see whether they feed us or kill us!” They knew their worst option was playing it safe and doing nothing. So what happened? They were saved by taking a step of faith. Now, your risks may be less dramatic, but unless you take them you’ll never fulfill your God-given assignment in life. The Bible says, “Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them” (Ecc 10:8-9 NIV). By trying to avoid falls, bites, injuries, danger, etc., you miss out on life’s opportunities. Walking by faith means: (1) Accepting worthwhile risks. You’ve got to go out on a limb, for that’s where the fruit is. (2) Preparing wisely for your risks. God rewards excellence. “Using a dull axe requires great strength, so sharpen the blade…That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed” (v. 10 NLT). So go ahead, step out in faith!

Devotionals on this site were originally written by Word For You Today. For all inquiries, please visit www.wordforyou.com

WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN (2)

“Let us not grow weary while doing good.” Gal 6:9 NKJV Fatigue: Remember the old saying, “You can’t burn the candle at both ends”? Today we’ve gone from candle power to atomic power, and few of us pay heed to that old saying anymore. We want bigger homes, fancier cars and more exotic vacations, etc. So we start earlier, work harder, and finish later. Then we stagger home and fall asleep in front of the television, worn out and feeling guilty about spending so little time with our family. We forget that God designed us to need one work-free day a week for rest and spiritual renewal (See Ex 20:8-11). As a result, fatigue saps our creative energy, distorts our outlook, diminishes our joy, erodes our confidence and drains us spiritually. Elijah is a great example of this. Single-handedly he defeated the prophets of Baal (See 1Ki 18). In answer to his prayer, God sent fire from heaven that consumed the altar and turned Israel back to God. It was a spectacular victory, yet on the heels of it he got so down that he actually asked God to take his life. Now that’s a major league downer! So what did God do? Like any good doctor, He diagnosed the man’s problem and prescribed three things: proper diet, adequate rest, and a good assistant: Elisha. Many of us who love what we work at, tend to get out of balance. We have no boundaries so we risk burning out. We “grow weary while doing good.” What’s the answer? “He restores my soul” (Ps 23:3 NKJV). The word “restores” has two parts: “rest” and “store.” Relax physically, and replenish spiritually. That’s what to do when you feel down!

Devotionals on this site were originally written by Word For You Today. For all inquiries, please visit www.wordforyou.com