Tag Archives: prayer

What do you want? (Matthew 20:32) May 11, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Samuel 10-14

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:32
Jesus (taking the two blind men aside): What is it that you want, brothers?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

In the Christian world, in fact in every religion, we talk a lot about the power of prayer. We hear lots of sermons on how important it is to commune with God. Jesus gave us an example prayer when His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. They recognized prayer was an important element of strength, even for the Son of God. He spent long hours with His Father making sure He stayed on the right path, renewing His strength, gaining wisdom, protecting Himself from His enemies.

Prayer is vital for the Christian. It’s an important discipline we must learn if we expect to remain a Christian. I don’t think we can maintain our relationship with God if we don’t talk to Him regularly. And that means a lot more than just at mealtime and at church on Sunday mornings. We need to really get in touch with God often.

But Jesus words today sparked in me an important lesson about prayer that we must learn early and remind ourselves often in our Christian walk. It’s easy for us start getting ritualistic in our prayer. We hear ministers or priests pray from the pulpit with community prayers that aim to touch an entire congregation and we think we should mimic those because, after all, they are our spiritual leaders, right?

So we go into our prayer time and ask God to bless our home or bless Aunt Suzie or bless Uncle Harry or bless our kids. Well what do we mean by that? We heard the pastor ask for God’s blessing and certainly it’s a good thing to ask for, but what is it and how do you know God has done something when we ask for Him to bless us? I think we’ve gotten into that habit because we’re afraid God won’t answer our prayers so we just ask something so general we can’t see an answer if it doesn’t go our way and then we won’t be disappointed. Maybe that’s why we started using such general rubbish in our prayers.

What do you think Jesus would have done if these two blind men had said, “Lord, we want your to bless us,” when Jesus asked this question? Do you think they would have received their sight? Maybe, but they might have gone away with a pat on the back and a word of encouragement. Blessed by Jesus. They might have found a better spot to beg after Jesus passed by and gained more income from their begging as people took pity on them. Blessed by Jesus.

I have to admit, I’m often guilty of just asking for blessings, not thinking about what it is I really want God to do for me or the person I’m praying for. I just ask God to bless. But when I do that, how do I know God has answered my prayer? Would the blind beggars know if Jesus gave them the increased income if they found a more generous crowd at a better spot? Would they know it was God who touched them if they just felt a little freer and happier after Jesus passed by?

God is so much bigger than that. He wants us to know that He is God. He wants us to realize that He is in the prayer answering business. He doesn’t always give us what we want, but He always answers our prayers. Sometimes with yes, sometimes with no, and sometimes with wait, not yet. But He always listen to our prayers and does something about them. But how does even He know what to do when we are so wishy-washy in our petitions? How can we give Him the credit when our requests are so nebulous that we don’t even know what we have asked?

I still like the old hymn, “Make Me a Blessing”, but what does it really mean? You have to get into the words. Do you remember them? The writer gets into the mission God gives of spreading the word and winning men to the kingdom, helping those in need. It’s all about working at the tasks God gives, helping others, and in so doing, being a blessing.

So what is it God wants us to do and what do we learn from Jesus’ words today?

I think He’s telling us to stop being wishy-washy about our conversations with Him. Think about what you need from God. Dig deep and stop playing around with the surface conversations and the generalized petitions that don’t mean anything to you or to God. Do you have a loved one that is lost? Do you pray specifically about that person by name every day? Do you ask God to put the right person in his path with the right message to introduce him to Jesus? Do you ask God to make her world fall apart until she is so broken by the realization of her sinful condition before a holy God that He is her only hope?

How do you pray? Do you get specific with God so you know He is the One who answered when you called on Him? Or do you just go around asking for blessings and grace and hope and let the world go on spinning around you? God wants to get involved in your life. And He wants you to know about it. Jesus asked, “So brothers, what is it you want?”

Do you have an answer for Him? Think about it. He wants to give it to you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do you follow or pretend? (Matthew 18:18-20) April 27, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 48-50

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:18-20
Jesus: Remember this: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. And this: if two or three of you come together as a community and discern clearly about anything, My Father in heaven will bless that discernment. For when two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We quote the last sentence of this paragraph often. “When two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” We talk about it when there are small numbers gathered for prayer. We use it when small numbers gather to worship. We use it to motivate small numbers that come together for a task that needs larger numbers. We use these words to remind us that when God is with us we always have a majority. Using these words in this way does motivate us and they are true, but…

Look again at these words in context. Jesus just talked about the way we should approach a brother or sister who wronged us. He just talked about how we should first go to that person in private and if that doesn’t work, go to the person with one or two others, and if that fails to remedy the situation, then take the matter to the congregation. If the sinner remains unrepentant, then Jesus says remove the person from the fellowship in hopes the harsh punishment will wake them up and bring them to their knees in repentance at some point. But in the meantime, their actions will not pollute the church, the bride of Christ.

So, just after giving the instructions on how to deal with the wrongs of a fellow member in our congregation, He gives these words. “What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” He refers back to the resolution of issues in the church he’s just been discussing. He hasn’t broken His chain of thought. He’s still in the middle of this fourth sermon and continuing to expound on His instructions to His bride, the church.

He tells us two or three or four heads are better than one in discerning the right course of action to take when issues come up in the church. And He says we should pray and talk with each other when He says, “if two or three of you come together as a community and discern clearly about anything…” It’s important that we get the perspective of others when issues pop up in the church, and they will, before we damage the reputation or character of another member. When we deal with relationship issues with brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, they get messy. Discerning the right path, the right actions, often takes two or three heads.

When those two or three people earnestly seek God’s counsel, His will, and find consensus in the right path to take in a particular issue with their brother or sister who has strayed and needs correction from the body of Christ. When those two or three find agreement in God’s presence. Jesus says, “the Father in heaven will bless that discernment.” What does that mean? Does it mean they will be happy with the decision and no tears will be shed when they mete out some punishment on a friend? No. Does it mean everything will go back to the way it was before the incident? No. Does it mean God will be present as you carry out His will and ensure the results work for the good of His church? Absolutely!

Why is this true? Because Jesus gave us the promise we quote so often. “When two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” What a powerful promise. We can know the actions to take when difficult issues arise in the church. We can take the appropriate actions to keep the name of Christ clean and pure. But today, there is a difference between being the member of Christ’s body, His church, and being the member of an earthly denomination.

My daughter told me recently of a young woman who sincerely announced that she was a Christian, but followed the ways of Buddha because he was such an enlightened teacher. I would invite her to attend my church, the building where I worship and teach, but I would not let her become a member of my church. At least not until she stopped following anything or anyone but Jesus. But that’s the problem in many of our congregations today. We fail to confront the false teaching and wayward living that exists within the four walls of the institutions we call the church and let outsiders think we are Christian when we clearly are not. When we allow individuals like this young woman to come into our institutions and truly believe they are right with God, there is something wrong with our teaching.

There is but one way to heaven and that is through Jesus, the Son of God. There is but one Savior, Jesus. There is but one Redeemer, Jesus. There is but one perfect sacrifice for our sins, Jesus. There is only One capable of forgiving our sins, Jesus. There is only One who will plead for us at the final judgment, Jesus, the Son of the living God. Following after, worshiping, obeying, focusing your devotion on anything or anyone other than Him is idolatry and violates His commands. If you violate His commands, you cannot call yourself a Christian. Well, you can call yourself a Christian, but I can call myself a martian, too, but that doesn’t make me one.

Do you do more than just believe in Jesus? Remember, He said even the demons do that. You must truly follow Him if you desire to carry His name.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Good gifts (Matthew 7:9-11) January 31, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Romans 9-10

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 7:9-11
Jesus: Think of it this way: if your son asked you for bread, would you give him a stone? Of course not—you would give him a loaf of bread. If your son asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? No, to be sure, you would give him a fish—the best fish you could find. So if you, who are sinful, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more so does your Father in heaven, who is perfect, know how to give great gifts to His children!

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

So, can we couple today’s thoughts with what Jesus said yesterday and make a case for cosmic Santa? Yesterday, we highlighted “ask and it will be given to you.” Now Jesus talks about the good gifts God gives. Is this a case for the name it and claim me gospel? Can we stand on this and just ask for a new car or a better job? Can we get that bigger house from God or a new wardrobe?

The answer is no. God is not sitting in heaven waiting to grant our every selfish desire. Let’s go back to the premise of Jesus’ comments on prayer here. We are seeking after God. We are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We are asking for His will to be done on earth as it is being done in heaven. We are requesting the Father’s power to manifest itself through us in our activities in the same way He manifests His will through the angels that do His bidding around the throne room of heaven.

So when we ask for these things. When we ask for our daily bread, will God give us calamity? Will God give us illness? Will God give us tornados and floods and hurricanes? No. Jesus is bashing the idea prevelant among many of the day that God poured out terrible things on people. Many saw God the same way the Romans and Greeks saw their gods. Heavenly beings just playing with the lives of humanity. The God of creation is not like the false gods of the heathens surrounding the faithful Hebrews.

Jesus makes the case that God answers prayer and He answers with good gifts. When God’s children ask for things, God responds with the right gift that will benefit His children. He will give the right answer at the right time that will bring glory to Him and move His children along the path toward eternity with Him. Jesus puts the teaching in terms those around Him will clearly understand, though.

Remember, He is talking about a new covenant with God’s people. He is turning the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees upside-down. Jesus’ teachings rebel against the status quo telling these religious leaders they are not good enough to enter heaven. All their pious prayers, they magnanomous offerings, their boisterous religious pageantry means nothing to God. It’s all so much whitewash for other people to see, but it means nothing to God because He sees their heart.

What God wants is our recognition that He is God. He wants our honor, respect, and obedience. He wants us to say yes to His will. He wants us to accept the gifts He has for us and to use those gifts to carry out His will on earth, not ours. He wants to us forget about our desires are focus on His. God wants us to abandon our selfish ambitions and seek His kingdom and His righteousness. You see, we can never be good enough, but we can accept His goodness as our own through faith. That’s what Abraham did without the written law. That’s what Moses did before the law was given to Him on tablets of stone. That’s what Joel talked about when He said God would write His law on the hearts of men and women.

Jesus told the crowd that day, every good thing comes from God. Don’t blame Him for the bad that comes into your life. The bad things that happen are sometimes a consequence of your own sinful behavior. If you take drugs, they will destroy your body. It’s a natural consequence of your own actions. If you have affairs, it will destroy your family. That’s a natural consequence of your decision. Don’t blame God when you can’t fix your marriage. It’s a natural consequence of the destruction of trust between you and your spouse. Your relationship is gone and building that trust back will forever be an uphill battle for you.

If you’re the victim of a flood or tornado, it’s not God’s fault. Things just happen. Life isn’t fair. Rain falls on the just and the unjust. The physics of weather patterns were set in motions when God created the earth. You decide to live in a flood plain and the river overflows. Can you blame that on God? I don’t think so. Things just happen. Every good gift comes from God. Sometimes He will protect us from our own stupid decisions. Sometimes He doesn’t. He lets us suffer the natural consequences that come from those decisions.

But one thing is certain. When we ask our Father for something in prayer, we can be sure He answers. And when He answers, His answer is good. It might not be what we want, but it will be good. Because the Father gives good gifts to His children. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The Father’s will (Matthew 7:7-8) January 30, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 11-13

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 7:7-8
Jesus: Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you. All who ask receive. Those who seek, find what they seek. And he who knocks, will have the door opened.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus moves back to the topic of prayer. He tells us to just ask, but does He mean we can get anything we want? Does He portray the Father as a cosmic Santa that will give us whatever we want? “Just ask and it will be given to you…” It might sound like it if you lift that verse out of His sermon like a lot of name it and claim preachers try to do. But go back and look at the model prayer He gives us earlier in His sermon and remember that He never contradicts Himself.

Ask and it will be given to you. Ask for what? Remember Jesus’ model prayer? Father in heaven, I ask that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek after it and you will find it. Find what? Find the Father’s will. You see, I think we get the wrong idea about what to ask for in the first place. We get ourselves mixed up into the equation and let that selfish desire poke its head up and try to grab all the attention instead of listening to what Jesus says to us in the rest of His discourse.

Remember what He told us just a few verses before this? “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Don’t worry about all that other stuff. God knows what you need and He’ll see that all that other stuff is taken care of. Just seek Him first. Don’t let your greedy self get in the way of looking for Him. Be like David and “let your soul pant for God like a deer pants for water,” he writes.

We get too anxious to snap up this one verse and let it manipulate our selfish desires instead of putting it back into the sermon where it belongs and understanding that God must be first. Seek first God. Seek first His will. That means don’t even worry about what His will is for your life. Just find His will and then go get on board with it. You’ll find your place in the world, just by going and doing His will, not yours. Did you ever think about doing things on those terms? Jesus did.

Jesus went about not asking what God’s will was for Him, but asking what is the Father’s will and doing it. Period. Maybe it’s time we start asking that question. What is the Father’s will? Stop the question right there. Don’t add any other identifiers to it. Don’t ask what is His will for my church or my life or my organization or my family or my anything. See, when we put “my” in there, we begin to let self get into the equation and open the door for something other than God’s will.

Just ask, “God what is your will?” Then go jump on board. Do whatever you can do to further His will. Now what does Jesus’ command mean. Let’s think about it a little deeper.

Just ask for God’s will and it will be given to you, He’ll show it to you. Seek the Father’s will and you will find it. You won’t have to look hard, but you’ll need to look because Satan and the world’s clamor will try to drown it out. But look for it and you’ll find His will in His word. Continue to knock and the Father will open doors of opportunity for you to walk through so you can be a part of furthering His will on earth when you ask Him earnestly and sincerely.

All who ask Him what His will for humankind really is will know what His will is. He doesn’t hide from you. He wants you to know Him, just ask and He’ll tell you. And everyone who wants to work for Him in furthering His purposes and His plans will find doors of opportunity opened for them. All you have to do is be obedient to His voice and walk through them. But understand they are His plans, not yours. Those doors progress His purposes, not yours. The opportunities provide for His glory, not yours. The will you seek and the doors of opportunity all belong to the Father, not you.

Until you begin to operate with that frame of mind, don’t expect to find the Father acting as a cosmic Santa. He’s not. He cares about you, but He is God. We are not. It’s His will we should long for, seek out, grab hold of, spend as much energy and effort as we can muster following His will.

In that frame of mind, Christ shared His sermon. Totally sold out to the Father, Jesus made His statement. Committed wholely to His heavenly Father, Jesus tells us a truth we can stand on, “Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you. All who ask receive. Those who seek, find what they seek. And he who knocks, will have the door opened.” Find the Father’s will, not yours.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Fasting, wear His joy (Matthew 6:16-18) January 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Isaiah 18-22

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:16-18
Jesus: And when you fast, do not look miserable as the actors and hypocrites do when they are fasting—they walk around town putting on airs about their suffering and weakness, complaining about how hungry they are. So everyone will know they are fasting, they don’t wash or anoint themselves with oil, pink their cheeks, or wear comfortable shoes. Those who show off their piety, they have already received their reward. When you fast, wash your face and beautify yourself with oil, so no one who looks at you will know about your discipline. Only your Father, who is unseen, will see your fast. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus talked about the disciplines of giving and prayer earlier in His sermon. Now He talks about fasting. We don’t hear much about fasting anymore, but Jesus assumed those who followed Him observed the practice, His concern dealt with how they observed the discipline. As today, many will wear their piety on their shoulder. You can see how religious a person seems to be. Please don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way. There is nothing right or wrong with the attire or hair style of any group.

But wearing ankle length skirts and long hair doesn’t make a woman more saintly than another. Wearing beards trimmed in a particular way and distinctive headgear in public doesn’t make a man holier than another. Neither does wearing shorts and flip-flops in the sanctuary make a person less holy than another. Jesus didn’t look at a person’s dress to determine their status before God. We are all sinners. Period. None of us meet God’s standard of holiness. We all fall short and clothes or special words or the style of our hair or jewelry or lack thereof really doesn’t matter to God.

God cares about what’s on the inside. He cares about our heart. Which means He cares about why we fast. No one knows the answer to that question but me and you, individually. Even if I fast in secret, only I know the answer as to why I fast. Do I fast to try to earn God’s favor? It probably won’t work. Do I fast as a payment for something I want from Him? I can’t pay enough for His blessings, so I might as well not fast. Do I fast to identify with Christ? Maybe I’m getting closer.

Fasting is about spending time with God to get to really know Him. Fasting in both Old and New Testament times mean sacrificing the time normally spent preparing and eating a meal and spending it in prayer and meditation. We kind of understand that, but not really. You see we forget what it means to prepare and eat a meal like they did in Old and New Testament times. Let’s take a look at preparing a meal for your family.

Start with a simple meal of roasted goat, potatoes, carrots, and bread. Sounds like a simple enough meal for an agrarian family with a small settlement, doesn’t it? How long does it take to prepare a goat? Ever kill one, slaughter it, then roast enough for a meal? In the military, I used to train veterinary units as they prepared for deployments and one of the tasks they performed was food inspection. On occasion, we would have the unit “prepare” a wild boar we captured within the training area and roast it as part of their training. The task usually started about seven in the morning and often the pig wasn’t done until the next morning.

Granted, the unit took it’s time and didn’t slaught animals very often. They weren’t exactly skilled at the task, so an experienced father and son, or a couple of neighbors could probably slaughter one faster. But the time to roast an animal until it’s done doesn’t change much over an open fire. It just takes time. Minimum time in the Old and New Testament from start to finish? Probably twelve to sixteen hours to prepare the meat. And if they bought the meat from the corner store (or open market in those days), it’s still four hours just to prepare and cook the meat until it’s done, whether in a stew, cut into strips and baked, roasted whole, or whatever. Time is spent either in preparation, in cooking, or a combination of the two.

The vegetables, that’s the short part. Like today, get the water boiling or roast the vegetables under the coals and veggies are done in about an hour. But how about the bread. Start to finish, five hours to mix, knead, rise, and bake. So there is the time spent in fasting just one meal. Five hours in prayer and meditation. Time given to God to get to know Him. Time to focus only on Him and build your relationship with Him.

So when is the last time you exercised the Christian discipline of fasting? When is the last time you spent that “meal preparation” time, four or five hours alone with God. See it’s not about skipping a meal. We can all afford to do that every once in a while just to keep a pound or two off our frame, but can you spend quality time, real time with your Father to really get to know Him? That’s what Jesus is asking us to do. When you spend that kind of time. I guarantee you won’t look sad and weak and forlorn. You will have been in the presence of God and you’ll wear His joy on your face.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Whose prayer? (Matthew 6:9-13) January 20, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 6-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:9-13
Jesus(prayed): Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
let Your name remain holy.
Bring about Your kingdom.
Manifest Your will here on earth,
as it is manifest in heaven.
Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
And forgive us our debts
as we forgive those who owe us something.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
But let Your kingdom be,
and let it be powerful
and glorious forever. Amen.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We’ve heard the Lord’s Prayer a gazillion times in our lifetime. We learned it as kids from the original King James Version or from the NIV and we’re able to recite it without even thinking about it. In fact, we do. It becomes so familiar and so routine we don’t think about what we’re saying when we spit it out at church or in company with others, when we hear it on the television or as someone starts it in some obscure setting. Too often, the Lord’s Prayer is just so many words coming out of our mouth without any thought behind it.

We should never take His example in prayer lightly, though. Let it sink into you and resonate within your heart. He gives us a simple pattern for prayer that we should not forget. Prayer opens with the acknowledgement that the God of creation invites us to commune with Him. Imagine that. It’s really a little hard to comprehend sometimes. If you tried to get an appointment with the governor or the president, you would have to explain your reasons in great detail and still would have to go through background checks, investigations, whole layers of staff to get that appointment. And these are just men. But the God who created everything from nothing invites you to talk to Him without an appointment. Just burst into His throne room whenever you want. Whenever you have something on your mind that you want to talk about, He gives you that freedom.

Second, it’s all about His will, not ours. We can ask for things, but we must remember to bow to God’s will in all things. We can trust Him because He is God. He knows what is best for us, so we can and must bend to His will in all things if we want to enjoy the blessings He has in store for us. The human side of Jesus had to bend to the Father’s will even though it meant pain, suffering, and ultimately the most cruel form of death known at the time, crucifixion. But He knew God’s will must take precedence over anything He might want. The same is true for us. So we acknowledge God’s holiness, and we acknowledge His sovereignty, that His will supersedes ours in anything that we might ask of Him.

I like the way The Voice renders the next part of the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less.” If He gave us too little we wouldn’t trust Him to provide for us. If He gave us too much we would become spoiled and treat Him like a cosmic Santa Claus. But when we recognize that God knows exactly what we need each day and will provide for us in the same way He provided for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for forty years.

Next comes introspection. Look at my heart and see if there is anything that is not right between me and God, but don’t stop there. Is there anything that is not right between me and my fellowman? Note that Jesus’ prayer indicates God forgives in the same measure we forgive others. God wants all our relationships to thrive. We live in community. He created us to need each other and Him. When there are things that keep us apart, sin against Him or sins against our neighbors, we need to both ask and give grace and forgiveness.

To keep us out of those dangerous areas of breaking relationships with God and our neighbors we ask for His protection. Direct our path away from the temptations that would cause us to fall away from Him. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” The words roll off our tongue, but think of what we are asking God to do for us with those ten words. We ask Him to keep our minds and our thoughts pure and noble and clean and holy. We ask Him to keep us in the company of those who will lift us up and encourage us. We ask Him to place us in situations that cause us to lean on Him with such determination that we see only Him and not the world’s glitter and enticements it throws our way. We ask Him to transform our minds to be like His.

Finally, Jesus tells us to come back to where we started. Give praise and honor and glory and power to the One who deserves it all. Give God thanks before you see the results of your prayer. Have such confidence in your heavenly Father that you thank Him in advance for what He will do in your life in the next hours, days, weeks, years, or ever how long it takes for Him to show you the answers to your prayers. Praise Him for the answer He gives, no matter what that answer. Whether the answer you expect or not, know it is the right answer because God gives it and God knows what you need more than you do.

Such a simple prayer, but so powerful. Never prayer those words again without really thinking about them. Let them touch your heart as you say the words. Know your heavenly Father cares about you and will answer you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Find a closet and pray (Matthew 6:5-8) January 19, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Joshua 11-15

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:5-8
Jesus: Likewise, when you pray, do not be as hypocrites who love to pray loudly at synagogue or on street corners—their concern is to be seen by men. They have already earned their reward. When you pray, go into a private room, close the door, and pray unseen to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not go on and on, excessively and strangely like the outsiders; they think their verbosity will let them be heard by their deities. Do not be like them. Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose—for your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Prayer is such an important discipline for the Christian. I’m afraid few of us really practice prayer the way Jesus wants us to, though. If you examine His life in the scriptures, you find He made a habit of praying. He prayed early in the morning and late at night. He prayed before every major event in His life. He prayed before various tasks He performed. Jesus prayed all the time. It was His lifeline to His heavenly Father. Paul admonishes us to pray continually.

As much as we see prayer emphasized in scripture, we do a poor job of emulating Christ and His Apostles in spending quality and quantities of time in prayer. I hear too many say, “I don’t know how to pray.” But that’s just an excuse. Everyone know how to pray. If you know how to talk or think or listen or communicate in any form, you can pray. That’s what prayer is, after all, is communication with God. We listen, we talk, we hear His voice, we read His word, we enter into a meaningful relationship with the God of the universe. It’s really that simple.

God doesn’t need flowery words or special phrases for us to communicate with Him. In fact, I think those are really a turn off for Him. I think God wants to hear our heart. He wants to know our innermost feelings. He knows them anyway, but He wants us to articulate them to Him. Why do you think that is?

When you think about it? We are at our most vulnerable when our raw emotions show. That’s when it’s easiest for God to reach us, to influence our decisions, to share His heart with us. So God wants to hear our emotions, joy, sorrow, anger, doubt, faith, peace, comfort, frustration. He knows what we are experiencing at any given moment, but He wants us to express those things to Him. The older I get, the more I begin to understand what He is trying to do to me during those struggling times of prayer.

I learned long ago as a strategic planner that the most difficult part of planning and finding solutions for an army or a business is first defining the problem. What I’ve found in my prayer life is when God lets me struggle with my toughest issues, I learn to better define the real problem. Sometimes, what I think is the problem, isn’t. Sometimes, I ask God to fix something when what really needs fixed is me or my attitude. It takes me a while to get through the struggle with God to figure out the real issue isn’t my brother or his attitude. It isn’t something my brother has done or a direction he has taken, but rather the issue is my attitude and my desire getting in the way. Sometimes God has to let me hear his voice in a number of ways in my prayer life to help me understand that I am the problem. I need to change. I must make corrections in the direction my path is going.

Sometimes the path is clear and God answers quickly. More often, the path is not so clear and I must learn those tough lessons He has for me. Sometimes the path seems dark and forbidding, but He nudges me along until I finally break through what seems like a dense jungle and burst into the clearing on the other side. Then He lets me see those clean waters of Psalms 23.

Those struggles and prayer sessions are private, though. They are the wrestling matches between me and God as He pulls me further along on this path of righteousness. Some of those things I want to share only with Him in the closet because it’s there that He helps me discover the greatest joy and lifts me to the greatest heights as I give myself to Him and learn of His love when I push through the problem of me. God does answer prayer. Not always like I want Him to, but always. Sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait. But He always answers.

If your prayers are always ones you want others to hear, I can assure you, you’re not going deep enough with God. He doesn’t want to leave you where you are. He wants to dig deep into your soul and make you like Him. That takes major surgery and sometimes He doesn’t use much anesthesia! The end is worth it, though. Trust Him!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Walk on water (Matthew 14:22-36), November 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 14:22-36

Set – Matthew 14-15

Go! – Psalms 134; Matthew 14-16

Matthew 14:22-36
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on to the other side of the sea while He dismissed the crowd. 23 Then, after the crowd had gone, Jesus went up to a mountaintop alone (as He had intended from the start). As evening descended, He stood alone on the mountain, praying.
24 The boat was in the water, some distance from land, buffeted and pushed around by waves and wind. 25 Deep in the night, when He had concluded His prayers, Jesus walked out on the water to His disciples in their boat. 26 The disciples saw a figure moving toward them and were terrified.
Disciple: It’s a ghost!
Another Disciple: A ghost? What will we do?
Jesus: 27 Be still. It is I. You have nothing to fear.
Peter: 28 Lord, if it is really You, then command me to meet You on the water.
Jesus: 29 Indeed, come.
Peter stepped out of the boat onto the water and began walking toward Jesus. 30 But when he remembered how strong the wind was, his courage caught in his throat and he began to sink.
Peter: Master, save me!
31 Immediately Jesus reached for Peter and caught him.
Jesus: O you of little faith. Why did you doubt and dance back and forth between following Me and heeding fear?
32 Then Jesus and Peter climbed in the boat together, and the wind became still. 33 And the disciples worshiped Him.
Disciples: Truly You are the Son of God.
34 All together, Jesus and the disciples crossed to the other side of the sea. They landed at Gennesaret, an area famous for its princely gardens. 35 The people of Gennesaret recognized Jesus, and they spread word of His arrival all over the countryside. People brought the sick and wounded to Him 36 and begged Him for permission to touch the fringes of His robe. Everyone who touched Him was healed.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Two things I want you to notice from what you heard today. First, take note of My prayer schedule and its importance to Me. I talked to the Father for long periods of time and I talked to Him often. I plan to talk with Him several times a day, but sometimes that plan is interrupted. When it is, that doesn’t stop Me from spending time with Him. When the crowds found Me praying on the sea shore and interrupted My quiet time with the Father, I stopped and met their needs.

I spoke to the crowd from the shore until the crowd grew so large I had to get into a boat so all could hear Me. At the end of the day, I sent the crowd away and sent My disciples ahead of Me across the Sea of Galilee to Gennesaret. I went back up on the mountainside to a quiet place to resume My conversation with My Father. Although the day had been long and the disciples departed without Me, time with the Father was more important than rest. I spent the evening hours and stayed deep into the night talking with Him.

The second thing I want you to remember is Peter’s actions. Remember that a disciple when I walked the earth was one who became like his teacher. He studied under his teacher until he dressed like him, talked like him, adopted his habits and mannerisms. In essence, a disciple became the next generation’s copy of his teacher to carry on the legacy of his teacher.

With that thought in mind, think about Peter and all the other disciples crowded in that boat in those early hours of the morning. Only one of those men chose to be enough like Me to climb out of the boat into the darkness and walk on the water. Only one overcame his fear and put enough faith in Me to be like Me in those few moments. Did he later fail and fear the waves and begin to sink? Yes, he did. But Peter was the only one at that point in our journey together to do what I was doing at the moment and forget everything else around him. Peter alone disregarded everything he thought was truth and believed me enough to get out of the boat. When he did, he walked on the water, just like Me.

So, spend time talking with Me. A lot of time. Never sacrifice the time you should spend with Me. It’s important. And when you spend time with Me, you’ll do amazing things. You might even do some things you never imagined you would ever do. You might even end up doing things as remarkable as Peter, like walking on the water to Me. You just never know.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Pray! (Matthew 6:5-18), November 20, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 6:5-18

Set – Matthew 6-7

Go! – Psalms 87; Matthew 5-7

Matthew 6:5-18
5 Likewise, when you pray, do not be as hypocrites who love to pray loudly at synagogue or on street corners—their concern is to be seen by men. They have already earned their reward. 6 When you pray, go into a private room, close the door, and pray unseen to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not go on and on, excessively and strangely like the outsiders; they think their verbosity will let them be heard by their deities. 8 Do not be like them. Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose—for your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him.
9 Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
let Your name remain holy.
10 Bring about Your kingdom.
Manifest Your will here on earth,
as it is manifest in heaven.
11 Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
12 And forgive us our debts
as we forgive those who owe us something.
13 Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
But let Your kingdom be,
and let it be powerful
and glorious forever. Amen.
14 If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. 15 But if you do not forgive your neighbors’ sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 And when you fast, do not look miserable as the actors and hypocrites do when they are fasting—they walk around town putting on airs about their suffering and weakness, complaining about how hungry they are. So everyone will know they are fasting, they don’t wash or anoint themselves with oil, pink their cheeks, or wear comfortable shoes. Those who show off their piety, they have already received their reward. 17 When you fast, wash your face and beautify yourself with oil, 18 so no one who looks at you will know about your discipline. Only your Father, who is unseen, will see your fast. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

People make prayer so hard. All I want is a conversation with you. Through the years some have tried to put prayer into flowery 16th century language, thinking I can hear that better. Some think I can even hear Latin better than their native tongue. Some think they can even learn some celestial language so they can talk to Me. None of that really works. Because I want to hear from your heart. You speak from your heart when you talk to your best friend in your every day language. No airs. No pretense. No hiding. Just talking.

I enjoy your conversations. I enjoy hearing about what is going on in your life and the life of those you love. I like to know what you want to ask Me. I want you to tell Me think. I want you to talk to Me like you talk to a friend. I want to answer you questions. I want to hear your inner most thoughts. I want you to tell Me those things you just can’t tell anyone else. I want to know your fears and help quell them. I want to know your failures and turn them into successes.

I want to hear from you all day long. I am with you ready to listen. I want to walk with you along the path you take and help you make the right turns at every fork in the road. I want you to spend time with Me learning about Me like you learn about your closest friends. How do you do that? In coversation. So pray. Talk to Me. And listen for My voice.

Don’t get hung up on the words or the format. Don’t worry about hurting My feelings or saying the right things. Just talk to Me. Tell Me everything. I know what you’re thinking, anyway, but I want to hear your voice focused on Me. I want you to talk to Me. That’s all prayer is. I taught My disciples a simple prayer on the mountainside that day, and all it contained was a simple conversation between a father and son. That’s all.

That’s the kind of relationship I want with you. I’m your God, your Father in heaven. Think about that relationship and talk to Me. You talk to your earthly father and share things with him, so do the same with Me. Share with Me. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Fight the right fight (Psalm 35), November 15, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Psalms 35

Set – Psalms 35; 2 Corinthians 1

Go! – Psalms 35; 2 Corinthians 1-2

Psalms 35
1 Make a case against those who struggle with me, Eternal One.
Battle against those who battle against me.
2 Be my shield and protection;
stand with me and rescue me!
3 Draw the spear and javelin
to meet my pursuers.
Reassure my soul and say,
“I will deliver you.”
4 Shame and dishonor those ruthless enemies
who wish to end my life.
Turn back those who conspire against me,
defeated and humiliated!
5 Let them be separated from the righteous as chaff is separated from the grain,
blown by the wind,
driven far, far away by the Eternal’s messenger.
6 Make their way unsure and dangerously dark,
a gauntlet of gloom
chased through the darkness by the Eternal’s messenger.
7 For no reason at all, they set a trap for me—a net, a snare—
then, without cause, they disguised a pit to capture my soul—another cowardly snare.
8 May they be surprised by their own destruction.
May they become tangled in their own net
and fall into the pit which they, themselves, dug.
9 When that day comes, my soul will celebrate the Eternal
and be glad in His salvation.
10 Every fiber of my being will shout,
“Eternal One, there is none like You!
You save the poor
from those who try to overpower them
and rescue the weak and the needy from those who steal from them.”
11 False witnesses step forward;
they ask me strange questions for which I have no answers.
12 When I do good to them, they do evil to me,
bringing misery to my soul.
13 When they were sick,
I mourned for them and wore sackcloth;
I chose to humble myself by fasting.
But my prayers came back unanswered.
14 So I mourned more deeply as if I grieved for my brother or friend;
I went around bowed down by sorrow, dressed in black,
as if I were weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered together
and celebrated my fall with joy;
People attacked me when I wasn’t expecting it;
they slandered me with no end.
16 Like godless mockers at a festival,
their words tore at me.
17 Lord, how long will You do nothing but watch?
Save me from their evil assaults, plots, and plunder;
rescue my life from these hungry beasts, these ruthless lions!
18 Then I will praise You and thank You at the great gathering,
in the company of the entire congregation.
19 Do not allow my enemies to boast at my expense,
for they despise me without any cause—
yet they wink at me—malicious, taunting winks.
20 Their words have no ring of peace.
They plan evil rumors and incriminations
against those who live peacefully in the land.
21 They speak lying accusations against me;
they say, “Aha! Aha! We know what you’ve been up to.
We’ve seen it with our own eyes!”
22 You have seen what’s happening, Eternal One; don’t remain silent!
Lord, do not stay far away from me!
23 Wake up; come to my defense!
Fight for me, my Lord and my God!
24 Pass Your judgment, Eternal One, my True God;
do it by the standards of Your righteousness.
Do not allow my enemies to boast over me.
25 Do not allow them to gloat over me,
“Aha, we have won! We got what we wanted!”
Do not allow them to brag,
“We chewed him up and spit him out.”
26 Shame and confuse those who celebrate my suffering;
may those who exalt themselves above me be covered with shame—
wrapped in a cloak of dishonor!
27 As for those who desire my vindication,
may they be joyful and glad.
May they forever say,
“The Eternal is indeed great!
He takes pleasure when good things happen to His servant!”
28 That’s why I will speak of Your righteousness
and sing praises to You all day long.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

How do you fight your battles? David learned a secret to coming through his battles as the victor. He knew how to fight. He didn’t fight against men, but rather brought the battles to Me. When he did, he won. When he failed to do so, he lost. Read the psalm again. David had enemies coming at him, abusing him, discrediting him, slandering him. But instead of fighting them, he brought his cause to Me. He remembered that vengeance belongs to Me.

David brought his request for justice to Me and let Me deal with his enemies. It’s a tactic you should employ with your enemies. Fight the right fight. When you pray for those that seem to be against you, you’ll find that engaging My help is the right choice. I never lose. I’ve already been victorious over sin, evil, and the world. It’s an easy matter for Me to take care of your enemies as well. Only I might not take care of them the way you expect. I might just transform them and make them your friend. I might make them your brother or sister. I might want you to help them, care for them, love them the way I love you. You can do it…with My help.

Just give your problems to Me. Give your eneemies to Me. Fight the right fight in the right place in the right position…on your knees. Remember, I always win. Always. It’s who I am.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.