Enemies Aug.30

 

In the higher reality, Jehovah has no enemies. Where evil is holds his enemy. Many persons may treat God as an enemy, but He loves all so that some will become His friends. You are to pray for and love your enemies, so they too might become his friends. If they stubbornly do not respond, turn them over to God but keep praying positively for them whenever they pop up in your mind. Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Prayer: Lord, it is so hard to love those unlovable who appear to be our enemies. But I want to do as you say.

The Unexpected Aug.29

 

God may NOT always be where you think. He is often unexpected. There ARE many things you can trust to be as you think, but he is also a surprise. For instance, all around you the resurrection principle stays active. Something dies, and something lives. This explains why God may astonish you as he did the disciples after his Son returned from the dead. The unexpected happens because the Kingdom principles are not the same as those of this world. This is part of the reason you are to exercise your faith every chance you get. You live in the kingdom of service and surprise.

Prayer: Thank you Lord; I am grateful for your generous surprises and opportunities.

The Unlikable Aug.28

 

There will be people in this world you do not like and do not want to spend time. You still need to love them by loving the potential heavenly Father can give to each one. Show them heavenly love for what they can become. This does not mean you will like them because the ability to like is based on similar interests, talents, or journeys together. If you really want to like someone, you must spend the right kind of time with them.

Prayer: Lord I confess I do not like everyone, but I want to learn all I can about love that helps me like others.

Missed Faith Aug.25

 

You will have occasions when your faith wavers, meaning you start to rely on worldly ideas or possessions to get you through challenges. During those times, you may be able to draw upon your resources, such as money, family, or friendship to solve some difficulty. This may not be wrong, but even when other resources seem exhausted, relax your mind and remember to ask Jesus to remind you who you are. Depend on him to see you through any of your incidents of doubt. By joining your faith, He can move anything that seems like a mountain. Hold onto faith and not fear.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your Son and for giving us faith to accept your word.

Facts Aug.24

 

 

If parts of your faith disagree with someone else’s facts of reality, are their facts necessarily true or untrue? Is your faith true or untrue? Know God’s scripture. Culture may promote what they believe is fact based on experiment or science, but have only part truth, like the idea money will solve everything. The scripture teaches otherwise. Sometimes you’ll need to balance your head belief with your heart belief because God’s word teaches from heavenly principles. The reasoning of the heavenly dimension may confuse what gets interpreted as an earthly reality, but the Holy Spirit will show you truth from facts from heaven and from any place you seek.

Prayer: Lord, help us avoid so much trivia of the world and focus on the things of Kingdom truths.

Attraction Aug.23

 

A saying exists: “Whatever gets your attention, gets you.” Often, what gets your imagination gets your future action. So, where your creativity, empathy, passion, and compassion go, your actions will follow. Follow the path of Jesus and serve others to balance a sound mind and heart.

Prayer: Lord, remind us today to keep our eyes trained on the specific needs of others.

Passion Aug.21

 

 

            Some will not admit this, but many believe that unbridled passion in worship experience creates deeper spirituality and stimulates your personal intelligence, and that the energy of such drama can move you into a correct path. While strong passion is appealing, if it only leads to emotional outlet, the intelligent, thinking part of you may be fooled. On the other hand, strong emotion laced with reason can be a healer of heart and mind. Although your heavenly Father’s love may seem unreasonable at times, remember, His love originates from a realm you do not fully understand yet. Faith with obedience in his Son stay the best combination to find a harmony of emotion and reason.

 

Prayer: Lord guide me to find the right kind of passion laced with your divine reasoning.

 

The Best Aug.18

 

 

            Receive the best by trusting your personal designer. Knowledge by experience He is putting the pieces together, stone by stone, brick by brick for the kingdom. Whatever is genuine, whatever shows loyalty, whatever promotes right doing, whatever encourages cleanliness of heart and soul, whatever shows beauty, whatever brings honesty; whatever presents itself as praiseworthy through Jesus’ name: think always on these things.

 

Prayer: Lord, help us with our thinking today, that our thoughts lead to complementing the kingdom.

 

Wait Aug.17

 

 

            It takes time for a piece of rough mineral to become a precious, cut stone. Any small element, like a seed or child, may start as an insignificant mass and still yield a beautiful result. Wait long enough and you also will reach your potential. But for now, keep patiently struggling with your growth. Practice waiting with the Holy Spirit.

 

            Prayer: Lord, stay and work close with me, to smooth out the rough edges to become all you intend.

 

A Void Aug.16

 

            When your heart hungers for something more, when you yearn for some release, when you wish so much could be different—you are hungry for love. You may experience many loves, but God’s kind of love excels as the only remedy to fill every void. Ask for his love and you find hope. 

 

Prayer: Lord, sometimes I’m uncertain, but I want to know your kind of love above just temporary emotion.

Service Aug.15

 

 

            Scripture does not promise every act of service would be pleasant. A planted seed does not necessarily experience pleasure. The fruit brings the pleasure. You are to behave like the seed planted. You are to grow and show the life. You are not to simply hold onto the fruit. You must not hoard the results but share completely all that remains yours to give.

 

            Prayer: Lord Jesus. Remind us to be generous with everything we have, including time and talent.

What protection? Aug.14

 

 

In scripture Eph. 6: 10-18, lists 6 defenses for the struggling Christian. We have tended to treat these like programs, things to do only. But they are first to be things we ARE, then we do.

Each express who Jehovah is, and they are gifts from Him.

 

 

Prayer: Lord, help us receive and give the very gifts you share.

Beingness Aug.13

 

   

            Being made in heavenly Father’s image, your human personality vibrates as the highest order of physical being on earth. Jesus is human with you, but he is much more than personality. He put in motion an eternal kingdom way and he is that Way.

 

Prayer: Lord, help me to recognize you are the true path for any life situation.

Mystery Aug.12

 

 

            Mystery does not mean God grudgingly or reluctantly withholds knowledge or understanding from you. Mystery simply means sometimes more knowledge exists than you can understand at present. Don’t try to take the bite out of scriptures you may not understand. Instead, embrace the mystery by faith. Just realize you may not know now, leave it to the Holy spirit and move on. You can learn more later.

 

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you created mystery as a way to increase our trust. Help us have faith to let it change our trust, to continue to challenge our lives for growing faith.

Falsehood of Sin Aug.11

 

    

            If sinful thoughts and actions were the right paths for you, they would feed you. But when you follow their deceit, they bleed you.

 

 

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that no matter how attractive sin may appear, it deals falsely every time.

Your Pace Aug.10

 

           

            Because you know Christ, you live not so much in worldly time, but already in the Father’s eternity. Select peace and a restful attitude in all the activities of any given day. Just say, “Unto Lord Jesus, every day.” His way leads to eternal peace. Choose the resting pace of peace.

 

Prayer: Lord, help me to take a deep breath and remember you in all my activities, especially communicating with others.

 

Other-Centered Aug.9

 

           

            The truths of Sermon on the Mount [Mathew 5] need to overtake the sermon of the shopping motivation. Too much consumerism becomes self-centered. You only need to keep and use what is necessary and especially what enhances the Kingdom. Work out ways to give things away.

 

Prayer: Lord, remind me to behave today in any way that will keep me other-centered rather than self-motivated.

 

Technology Aug.8

 

 

            One big purpose of technology, whether cell phones, computers, drones, medicine, cloning, electronic gadgets that claim to define life, is to imply you can make life predictable and therefore feel comfortable. Some benefit comes from that.

            However, God gives the mystery of faith. When you label some instrument like a computer and expect it to solve all problems, you are tempted to water down faith. You tend to eliminate mystery from your faith when relying on a label for your only solution. But mystery creates an energy that keeps you searching, learning, and pursuing personal growth. Allow mystery----the I don’t know of life. You will never know enough about any one thing until you reach heaven’s gate.

 

Prayer: Lord, help me keep the mystery of your creation along with any specific knowledge gained for your kingdom.

Work Aug.7

 

               

                Solomon, in all his glory, concluded the best thing a person can become for life expresses itself as being happy in your work. But the Holy Spirit offers more. Work is more than a job; specific work often defines what your life has to offer for your growth experiences. How you respond to your work becomes a proving ground for character growth. The Spirit wants to direct all your works. Stay alert to relate work experience with spiritual principles that come from God’s word.

 

Prayer: Lord, help me be good news in all my work and spread affirmation rather than bad news.

Grief Aug.5

 

               

                If life seems to give grief and you wonder where is God?  Know He will respond with compassion according to what is necessary. He has abundant loving-kindness.  For this reason, catastrophe does not come without some larger purpose. You cannot see the whole picture. Any sorrow of God’s sons and daughters stays only for a season to balance some kind of justice and mercy in the universe. To you who seek heavenly Father, know that the Lord, does pay attention to those who wait on his will. Be as silent as you can, listen, and wait to combine his and your decisions. He will not reject your concern.

 

Prayer: Lord, I know I do not fully understand all you plan but I want to fully lean on your Spirit for guidance.

 

About Prayer Aug.4

 

               

                Prayer is NOT an occasional, leisure-time activity. It is much more than habit or ritual. Life’s energy flows with praying. Prayer can be so much a part of you that it wells up from within when you least expect it. Make a conscious effort to pray, “Father, remind me to pray and help me know Christ in all His purposes and to love those more than I love my own desires.”

                Repeat the prayer three times a day and soon, prayer will become deeply buried and imprinted on your soul. It will rise again when needed.

 

Prayer: Father, help me to know your voice and your impressions in my prayer life.

The Material Aug.3

 

     

                In all practical ways, you cannot live beyond the material nor can you in good conscience just live for the material. You must learn to live through the material for something beyond, such as using material prosperity combined with God’s spiritual prosperity. Behind every material result vibrates a spiritual idea. A loaning of a tool or baking a cake and giving it to an unworthy neighbor can be an act of spiritual caring. Whatever is set up on earth can be assured in heaven. Think long upon this.

 

Prayer: Thank you Lord for reminding us that the right spiritual life should motivate our true direction in every action.

 

True Listening Apr.2

 

      

Listening to another does not mean consent to all said.

  Focus all your senses, then….

       Listen without correcting.

       Listen without envy.

       Listen without predicting.

       Listen to another’s pain.

       Absorb another’s concern.

Prayer: Lord, help me shut off self-talk for longer periods and listen to others and you as well.

Love Misused Aug. 1

 

When God says, “I love you” it is a life-changing, lifesaving, life-healing sentence. Love is not just passion, but compassion for the unworthy individual. Love is not just an avenue of pleasure but a bumpy road for a travel of peace.

Prayer: Lord help us NOT abuse the word love so much.