Jesus prays for my success

FOCUS

Luke 22:31-34
31 And the Lord said,[c] “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

THINK

Jesus prays for us. He prays specifically that our faith does not fail us. He knows we will be tempted and will be lead astray. Yet Jesus tells us that He has a plan for us. He instructs us to strengthen the brethren or the followers of Christ. Jesus knows what we will face. He prays for us to return to the faith and to do what we are purposed to do.

ACT

I need to have faith that Jesus will be with me every step of the way. I need to depend upon the Holy Spirit to guide me. Yet it us up to me to make the choices that affect my life. Jesus is pulling for me to be righteous, holy, faithful, good, self controled, have perseverance, godly, show kindness and love. Jesus wants me to do what I am put on earth to do.

PRAY

Lord, thank you for Jesus praying for me. Thank you that you want me to succeed. Thank you for the Holy Spirit guiding me. Thank you that you created me for a purpose and want me to accomplish that purpose. Lord, I pray that you direct me to that purpose. Give me the words to say and the actions to do. Protect me. I ask for your wisdom, discernment, knowledge, love, and power. Help my unbelief.

Confess Jesus to Man

Tim Tebow kneeling before a crowd of people.

FOCUS

Luke 12:8-9
I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

THINK

The person who professes to be a Christian and lives his life according to the commandments of God will be acknowledged before the angels of God. Imagine approaching the throne of God and He begins to tell the angels all about you. In the scripture you see the word confess which also means acknowledge. Acknowledge means to admit to be real or true and to show or express recognition or realization of. Just think God is going to admit what is real or true in your life and express that realization to His angels. How magnificent is that! Your praises will be sung to the angels.
On the other hand the person who denies knowing God before men will not be acknowledged before God's angels. It will be like God never knew you. Is that what you want to be denied before God. Not even to be acknowledged or recognized. How sad! The angels will never know you. That can all be taken care if you choose to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, develop a relationship with Him and acknowledge to people what God has done for you. Your reward will be in heaven. You can have a little bit of heaven here on earth. God can be your father.

ACT

I must tell others about God and what he has done for me. I must open up and reveal that I make mistakes, have problems, and need to rely on God more. I am weak, but God is strong. Are you?

PRAY

Lord, help me to be genuine, loving, kind and considerate. Help me to make the right choices and let your light shine through you. Use me. My heart is willing, but I cannot do anything without you. You are my all in all. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to others about YOU. Give me the words to speak and the actions to do. Amen.

Biblical Literacy

FOCUS

Psalm 73:5-7
5 He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
6 That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;

THINK

God has commanded man to teach his childen about God and his commandments. The children are then instructed to teach their children about all that God has done. This keeps going down the line of mankind. In May of 2010 Christianity Today reported that "Americans revere the Bible but, by and large, they don't read it." They also told us that "fewer than half could identify Genesis as the Bible's first book. Jay Leno and Stephen Colbert have made sport of Americans' inability to name the Ten Commandments—even among members of Congress who have pushed to have them posted publicly." First we have to admit that there is a problem. We can't recognize biblical references within the Bible itself. We need to see the whole picture of how the Bible relates from the Old Testament to the New Testament. We can't boil the Bible down to facts and figures, but we need to figure out how each book of the Bible meshes with the others. This calls for higher thinking skills and synthesis. In a church service we need to forget about time and allow the Holy Spirit lead the service. If it takes 90 minutes to get a point across, then the time needs to be taken. This is spiritual food we are talking about. We have been known to sit down at a physical meal and spend 90 minutes enjoying it. Why not take 90 minutes to enjoy spiritual food?

ACT

We need to first of all, find a church that preaches the whole Word of God. We need to take it all in. We need to read the Bible for ourselves before we even get to church. We need to do our homework and offer up prayers to God. We need to mediate on the Word. We need to memorize the Word of God. In short we need to put effort into our relationship with God. What will you do to change?

PRAY

Father, help us to be able to relate the teachings of God's Word to our children. Help us to be literate in the Bible. Help us to use the information to the glory and honor of You, O God. Amen.

 

Be Care Little Tongue

FOCUS

Proverbs 12:18
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.

THINK

The tongue can do one of two things. It can destroy others. James 3:8 says "But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." We can do so much damage when that tongue is not held before words are thought through. On the other hand words can encourage. Another version of today's verse goes like this: "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (ESV). We need to say words that bring healing rather than words that destroy.

ACT

I must determine what my words are going to do to another person. I can speak with words of destruction or I can speak with words of encouragement. I alone have the power over my words. I must make the choice.

PRAY

Lord, I pray for the words that will encourage others today. I pray that you give me the words to say that will heal. Lord, I need you. I can't do this myself. Holy Spirit, I ask you to dwell with me today. Give me the words to say and the actions to do. By the blood of Jesus Christ, I claim this. Amen.

 

Ask, Seek, Knock

FOCUS

Luke 11:9-10
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

THINK

Keep on keeping on seems to be a phrase that can be associated with these verses. This is not just a one time experience. We need to continue to ask, seek, and knock. We need to keep growing. If we don't grow we become stagnant. God will answer. He said he would give to you what you ask. He said he would help you find if you only seek. He said he would open the door if only you knock. In order to receive, we must put our faith into action and do something such as ask, seek, and knock. Then we have to let God do His part. Let Him answer. The answer may not be what we are looking for, but it is an answer nevertheless.

ACT

Continually, ask, seek, and knock. That is what I can do. It is up to God to do the rest. Let God be God and do what God does best. He is all knowing, just, unchageable, holy, merciful, lonsuffering, impartial, and perfect.

PRAY

Lord, I ask, seek, and knock to know you better. Thank you that I can leave the rest to YOU. I need to abide in YOU and not of my own devises, for You are a God who answers prayer. Thank you. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" Don't put people down, unless it's on your prayer list "

Good or Evil

FOCUS

Proverbs 11:27
He who earnestly seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

THINK

In the course of the day, we bounce from one situation to another. We don't take the time to think of the concequences. We just react rather than think things through. In this passage of scripture, we are encouraged to not just to look but to seek. Seek means to to go in search of, to try to find or discover by searching or questioning, to try to obtain, or to attempt. Are we truely searching and attempting to find the good in situations or are we content to simply react and be in the moment? If we seek, then we will find favor. What is favor? Favor is a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, and love. Here we are told that trouble will come to the person who seeks evil. Is that what we want? Do we want evil to be a part of our lives? Evil is the force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin, the wicked or immoral part of someone or something: The evil in his nature has destroyed the good, harm; mischief; misfortune: to wish one evil, anything causing injury or harm. Evil can change your life into something you might not want to face.

ACT

I need to actively seek the good in situations and therefore find favor. If I actively seek evil, trouble will come to me. This is a no brainer. Seek good.

PRAY

Father, open my eyes that I may see the good in people and in situations. I desire favor rather than trouble to be in my life. Thank you for your protections. Amen.

Quote

" God is not moved or impressed with our worship until our hearts are moved and impressed by Him

The Great Physician

FOCUS

Luke 5:29-32
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees[a] complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Romans 3:10
10 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;

THINK

In this scripture, Jesus has gone to the house of Levi the tax collector to have a meal. Jesus is critizied by the scribes and the Parisees for having anything to do with tax collectors because tax collectors were known for being corrupt and taking bribes. Jesus tells them that a person who is well has no need of a doctor, but one who is sick needs a doctor. He further tells them that he has not come to call the righteous to repentance, but he has come to call the sinner to repentance.
If we look at verse 10 of Romans 3, we find that no one is righteous, so we all need to come to Jesus for repentance. It is marvelous to see how Jesus came to earth for you and for me. We are all unrighteous and need the blood of Jesus to atone for our sins.

ACT

We are all sinners and need the saving power of Jesus. Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins. So we need to make that decision to go and see the physcian to be healed of our sins and to be made well spiritually.

PRAY

Lord, I pray that sinners will be convicted to seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Stir them up so that the only peace they receive is the knowledge of Jesus as the One and only One who died on the cross for the sins of each and everyone of us. Amen.

 

Quotes

" Religion is hanging around the cross. Christianity is hanging on the cross. "