Other-Centered Aug.9

 

            The Sermon on the Mount [Mt.5-6] directions need to overtake any sermon of the consumer-shopping motivation. Too much getting and collecting becomes self-centered. You only need to keep and use what is necessary and especially give toward what enhances God’s Kingdom. Adopt a full-time gift lifestyle. Discontinue collecting, avoid the hoarding tendency that falsifies longer living, work out ways to give things away and not expect any return. Freedom gives more than it takes!

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

Tech Knowledge Aug.8

 

            One big purpose of technology, whether cell phones, computers, drones, medicine, cloning, transportation, electronic gadgets that claim to define life, imply you can make life predictable and therefore feel more self-comfortable. Some benefit comes from that. However, the kind of life Jehovah gives… always allows the mystery of faith. When you label some invented instrument, like a computer, and expect it to solve all problems, faith-quality is at risk to be watered down. When relying on a label to give the only solution, you approach the temptation to take the mystery out of your faith, and yet, mystery creates an energy that keeps you searching, learning, and pursuing personal growth. Allow mystery----'the I don’t know enough about life’. You will never know enough about any one thing before you reach heaven’s gate.

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

 

About Work Aug.7

 

                In the Bible, Solomon, in all his glory, concluded, the best thing a person can become in life demonstrates itself as being happy in your work. But the Holy Spirit offers more. Work is more than a job. Specific work is often a time and place to define what interacts with your personal life, intermixed with your growth experiences. How you respond to your work becomes a proving ground for character growth, the interaction with things and people. The Holy Spirit wants to direct all your works. Stay alert to combine your work experience, whether at home or away from home, with spiritual principles that come from God’s word. Pay attention! You can learn to listen someone into better health.

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

A Reminder Aug.6

 

                At the beginning of each day embrace and repeat the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Sing the word. . . Jesus…Jesus…Jesus, greatest name I know! Feel the difference between how you feel when you sing a word and how you just say the word. Words [especially Jesus] that turn to praise, honor heavenly Father.

                Prayer: Lord, I do praise your name: Jesus!!

 

Hard Occasions Aug.5

                If Jehovah seems to you to allow some kind of grief, then he will also respond with compassion according to His abundant loving-kindness. For this reason, catastrophe does not come without some larger purpose. You cannot see the whole picture. He is working all connections at once. Any sorrow of His sons and daughters stays only for a season to balance some kind of justice or mercy in the universe. To you who seek the Christ-way, know that the Lord, does pay attention to those who wait on His will. Be as silent as you can, listen, and wait with your decisions. He will not reject forever.

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

What Prayer?? Aug.4

 

                Conversation with God is not some leisure-time activity, like some occasional remembrance. Prayer is much more than habit or ritual. It is energy like vitamins are to the body. Prayer can absorb so many parts of you that it wells up from within when you might least expect it. Practice by making conscious effort to pray, something like “Heavenly Father, thank you and help me see everything that can remind me to pray. 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 know your voice and your impressions in my prayer life.

Why Patience? Aug 3

                Why is patience [for Jesus followers] so important?  Image this example. . . When you die, you will given a new name, a new song, and a new crown-position of perspective. What if you get to tell all in heaven your experiences [without sin mishaps] in clear story form? You may get to tell every angel, every individual being your story throughout eternity, every detail about serving and honoring Christ. You will do this from the right perspective then. It would take an eternity of patience to share with every being, especially as you listened to others who shared to you as well. Think of learning patience, here on earth, as some kind of preparation for that time.  Also, your patience can motivate the meek on this earth, and the meek are blessed. Remember, you can trust the truly meek because they do inherit the earth.

                Prayer: Lord, teach me the heavenly patience to really hear you as we interact with others.