Proverbs 16:3 - New Years Thought's

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and He will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:3

For months we anticipate Christmas and before we know it is over. We then have six days and we celebrate the New Year. 2014 may have been a good or bad year for you. The good news is that 2015 can be a new start and a new beginning for you. Your slate starts out wiped clean. Seek some time with the Lord today. See if He wants you to make any changes this coming year. He is your God and He knows best. He may want to bless you spiritually, so that you can grow in Him. He may encourage you to spend some time with Him each and every day. He may encourage you to read His Word daily. He may encourage you to get plugged into a bible study. He also may have you share your faith with others more. He may show you that your heart is wrong and that you need to forgive someone that has wronged you or someone you love. He doesn’t want you to start the New Year off with a grudge or holding ill-willed feelings towards anyone. He wants you to have a pure heart, one that He can flow through. He may also want you to develop some godly friendships this year. He may want to give you a circle of friends that will enrich your lives. Be open to what He wants to do in you. Be sensitive to His Spirit. He also may want you to try to get healthier this coming year. He may tell you what you should be eating and what you can do to get some more exercise. Our body is the Holy Spirit’s temple. His Spirit abides in us. He wants us to be healthy so we can fulfill His plans for our lives. On our own we won’t be able to make these positive changes in our lives. With the Lord’s help we can. All we have to do is surrender and to ask Him to give us the breakthroughs that we need. He is willing and He is able.

Father, we thank You for being our Lord and Savior. 2014 is almost over. 2015 is about to begin. May You bless us this coming year. Reveal to us any changes You want us to make and help us to stick with them. We want to offer up to You our lives. We surrender to You and Your will. May our lives make a difference in those around us and may 2015 truly be a “Happy New Year!” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Luke 13:5 - Repent or Perish

Today’s Thought is taken from All to Jesus by Robert J. Morgan.

“No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish.”

Luke 13:5

Years ago while working with the Billy Graham Crusades, I remember hearing Mr. Graham tell of a European performer who could juggle anything—pins, balls, flaming torches. He astounded both royalty and commoners, and was the star of the circus and the life of the party. Growing older, this man decided to move to America, and he hit upon a novel scheme of converting his wealth into portable form. He sold his home, cashed in his accounts, and purchased a beautiful jewel. It represented all he had. Materially speaking, his entire life was contained in that jewel. One day aboard deck, he offered to amuse his fellow passengers. Taking the stone, he tossed it into the air and caught it. He tossed it again, this time a little higher. His audience gasped as it glittered and gleamed in the sunlight. With absolute confidence in his abilities, the juggler threw it higher into the air. It flew upward as straight as an arrow, glittering in the sunshine. Suddenly the ship lurched, and the jewel plunged into the water and sank to the bottom of the ocean. He had gambled with the totality of his life and lost. It is possible to gain the whole world but lose our own souls; that’s why Jesus preached repentance. If we do not turn from our sins to Him, we gamble with our eternal destiny.

While we of every sin repent,

Let our remaining years be spent

In holiness and sweet content

--Ancient Greek Hymn

Galatians 6:10 - Be mindful to be a blessing

“Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith.”

Galatians 6:10

God loved us so much that He saved us. He didn’t save us so that we could be selfish and do whatever we want whenever we want all the day long. He saved us so that we can worship Him and serve Him and others with His love. He wants us to be mindful to be a blessing. Jesus got up every morning and spent time with His father, worshipping Him. After being with Him, He was led to serve and minister to others in various ways. It is so important that we spend time with God each and every day. The morning time is the best time but that isn’t possible for everyone. Just be sure to give God some attention during the day so He can lead you in what He wants You to do. Jesus told His disciples that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the servant of all. How can we serve if we aren’t in tune with Him so we can be led. Listen to people and you will hear what their needs are. God will often use you to meet those needs. That’s often why God allows us to hear them say their needs in the first place.

     

Father, thank You for saving us. Thank You for calling us to serve You and others with Your love. We want to be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith.  Help us to be like Jesus. We want to worship You and then be led to serve and minister to others in various ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Matthew 2:11 - God provides if you are in the center of His will

“they presented to Him gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

Matthew 2:11

One lesson we can glean from the Christmas story is that if we are in the center of God’s will … He will provide for us. Mary and Joseph were in the center of God’s will when the wise men from the East came to worship the King. They presented Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh. Mary and Joseph didn’t have to go around seeking financial blessings and provisions. It came to them. The same will happen for us if we stay in line with the will of God for our lives. Remain faithful to Him. The Word tells us what God expects of His children. Do what He wills. He has called each of us to do something for Him. Know what He has called and gifted you to do and then do it … with joy. There’s no need to worry or fret about your future if you are living for Him. God will take care of you.

Father, keep us in the center of Your will. May we not live apart from You. We thank You that we don’t need to worry or fret about our future because we are living for You. You will take care of us and our needs. You will provide for us just as You did for Mary, Joseph and Jesus those many years ago. You are great. We love and appreciate You and all that You do and are. In Jesus’ name we pray. Ame

John 12:46 - Christmas Eve thoughts

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.”

John 12:46 (NIV)

In the Middle Ages people did not know how to read. Since the people did not know how to read they often held plays to teach biblical truths. The play they put on during the Christmas season was always about Adam and Eve. You may be wondering what Adam and Eve had to do with Christmas. The play started with apples hung on an evergreen tree. Germany had no apple trees so they used an evergreen tree with apples tied to it. Adam and Eve had decided to disobey the voice and will of the Lord and ate fruit from the tree of life. They chose to rebel and their relationship with God changed significantly. They immediately went into hiding. God went looking for them. He removed them from the garden of Eden. Since this day sin has been with mankind. That is why we experience death in the world. Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” But how can our sin be paid for? Who could make us clean again? God had a plan. For there was only one way he could save us and reconcile us to himself and this is through His only begotten Son. At Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ birth. It pays Adam and Eve’s debt. It pays our debts as well. Jesus came, lived a holy, faultless life. He died on the cross. This paid for our sin once and for all. Why was there an apple on the evergreen tree during the Middle Ages? It was to remind us of our sinful choices. Why do we put lights on our Christmas trees? It is to signify the light of the world. John 12:46 says “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.” We have three colors that are used mainly at Christmas. They are red, green, and white. These colors signify different things. The color red signifies the forbidden fruit as well as Christ’s blood that he shed on the cross. The color green signifies the tree of life. And the color white signifies Jesus, the light of the world. The play that they put on in the Middle Ages was spiritually good for the people. They could understand and comprehend the true meaning of Christmas. Just hearing about their play can help us believers today understand the connection between the Old and New Testaments. Tonight is Christmas Eve. I encourage you to go to a Christmas Eve service somewhere. God will bless you for it and it will remind you of the true meaning of Christmas and what Christmas is all about.

Father, thank You for reminding us of Adam and Eve and how sin entered the world. Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son. That whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. You are such a good and wonderful God. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Acts 20:35 - It is more blessed to give than to receive

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

Many of Jesus’ words were recorded in the four gospels. Today’s verse shows us that not all of them were written down. Some of them were passed around by word of mouth. Luke mentions in Acts 20:35 that Jesus informed them that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I can totally relate with that. This Christmas I had so much fun picking out gifts for my family. My excitement level was so high that I lost some sleep at night because I was thinking while I lay upon my bed just how happy I was to give so and so this and that. I knew they would be so excited when they saw what I had gotten for them. I also knew it would make them feel special, loved. God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says “You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give relunctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.” Giving cheerfully brings joy to the giver. This joy overflows. We don’t have to give a lot. A small gift with much meaning can mean so much to the receiver. Be a good receiver. Think about all the love that went into the gift. Be sure to give thanks to the Lord with what He has blessed you with through them. And last, but not least, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Also remember that He is the best gift of all.

Father, it truly is all about You. You are the reason for the season. You shared Your Son to take away the sins of the world. Thank You, Lord, for Your gift. Jesus truly is the best gift of all. In the spirit of giving we thank You that we are able to share with others Your love for them as well. Use our love for others and our gifts for them to bless them and make them feel loved. May our generosity and thoughtfulness let them know that they are special to us and that we love and appreciate them. May they even feel Your love for them too. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

1 John 2:16 - Be careful little eyes, what you see

“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of this world.”

1 John 2:16

The world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Lord. They are from this evil world. Wordliness is from this evil world as well. It begins in the heart. We are born again. We should live this way. Our lifestyle should reflect Whose we are. We are the temple of His Holy Spirit. He has put His divine nature within us. We are to keep the internal part of us clean and pure. One of these ways we can do this is by feasting our eyes only on good things. The song we learned in our childhood still rings through. “Oh be careful little eyes what we see. Oh be careful little eyes what we see. For the Father up above is looking down below. Oh be careful little eyes what we see.” The song goes on and warns us to be careful where we go, what our hands do, what we say, and what we hear. God’s Word even tells us to be careful what we think about. Philippians 4:8 says “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” To think on these good things you have to be surrounded with good things. This is why it is important to read the Word, daily devotionals, and wholesome books. This is why it is important to only watch clean shows on television. This is why it is important to listen to Christian music so that you are built up and edified. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. This is also why we should surround ourselves with good, godly people. What comes in us is what will come out in our lives. Make sure what you are putting in You is good.

Father, we thank You for making us a part of Your world. We are in the world, but may we not be of it. May we feast our eyes only on good things. May we go to only good places. May we be careful what we do with our hands, what we say, and what we hear. May we also be careful with what we think. May we fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right. May we think about things that are pure, lovely, and admirable. May we think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. May You bless us with good, godly people to be around. May we read Your Words, daily devotionals, and wholesome books. May we watch clean television. May our music choices be good and acceptable to You. We know that what comes in us is what is going to come out. We reap what we so. May we make sure that what we are putting in us is good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Chronicles 28:20 - May God help us with all we need to do

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.”

1 Chronicles 28:20

David was speaking these words to his son, Solomon. He was encouraging Solomon to be strong and courageous, and to do the work God has called him to do (which was to build a great temple for God). David didn’t want his son to be afraid or discouraged. He reminded him that God was with him. Over the holiday season we have so much work to do. We decorate our houses, spend a lot of time shopping, wrap presents, bake cookies, clean our houses, and we still have to make and take the time to keep our relationship with the Lord fresh. It seems to be that we have more work than we normally have to do. The words of David to his son can be said to us to “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord … is with you.” Ask God to help you make a list. Listen to praise and worship songs, hymns, or Christmas songs as you work. You will find that the Lord will give you a joy as you work and added energy. Accept His peace, and don’t be anxious. You will accomplish all that He intends you to do.

Oh, Father, we come to You this day. The Christmas season is a joyous season even with all the added work. To celebrate Jesus and His birth makes this one of the happiest times of the year. Thank You for the greatest gift of all. Be with us father. Help us to make our list each day and to do have joy as we do all the things we have to do. May we be strong and courageous, and do the work. May we not be afraid or discouraged in any way for You are with us. May peace reign in our hearts and may we not be anxious. May we accomplish all that You intend for us to do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Matthew 2:1-2 - Wise Men Still Seek Him

“Now after Jesus was born … wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’”

Matthew 2:1-2

The wise men saw the signs in the sky and knew that the infant King had been born. They wanted to join in the heavenly worship of Him so they gathered their gifts and set off to follow the star in the sky so they could find Him. Unlike the shepherds, they probably didn’t see Jesus until He was about two. They must have traveled for quite some time. They saw a young child rather than an infant. And saw Him in a “house” instead of a “stable.” The wise men were an important part of the celebration that surrounded our Savior’s birth. They represent the Lord’s great ability to reveal His Son to those that were not necessarily Abraham’s descendants but still wanted to choose for themselves to worship the Son of God. Through your own seeking, you became part of the heavenly symphony that worships and adores Jesus. God revealed His Son to you and you personally accepted Him into your heart and life. You have joined the great multitude in never ending worship.

Father, we thank You that from the very beginning You were revealing Your Son to others and drawing them to You. We still have people in this day and age that need to know You too. Draw them to You, Father. Reveal Yourself to them and make You Son known to them. We want others to come to know You like we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.   

John 14:2 -- God is preparing a custom-made place for you in heaven

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

John 14:2

God assures His children of their future. We have eternal life. Jesus told us in His gospel that He is preparing a place for us. When it is our time He will come and get us. He has a book and our names are written in it. It is the Lamb’s Book of Life. Not everyone’s name will be written in it. Revelations 21:27 says “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” There will be no evil, darkness or sin in our eternal home. His glory will be everywhere. In some restaurants you have to have a reservation to get in. We have a reservation in heaven that can never be changed. And the place Jesus is making ready for us is custom-made just for you. In fact, we aren’t to think of our life on earth as our home. We are to think of heaven as our home. We are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). We are separate from this world. We are His and His precious Holy Spirit lives within us. What makes us tick is different than what makes those that are in and of this world tick. We live to please Him. We follow His ways. We have the heart and mind of God. We also have God’s guarantee: no mansion on earth can compare to the eternal home that is waiting in heaven for you.

Father, we thank You for the eternal home that is waiting in heaven for us. We thank You that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We thank You that there will be no evil, darkness or sin in our eternal home. We thank You that Your glory will be everywhere. Heaven is our home and we are so grateful. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Psalm 9:10 - Run to Jesus

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

Psalm 9:10

The Lord never forsakes His children who place their trust in Him and seek Him. Our friends and family are not always available, but God is 24/7. He never even goes to sleep. Psalm 121:4 says “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber or sleep.” This really reassures us of His availability and His love. He is the best person we can talk to about things as He is the only person that can turn any situation that we have or are in and turn it around for the good. He is worthy of our trust. We can depend and count on Him. He won’t fail us or let us down. I encourage you to turn to Him the next time you go reaching for the phone to lean on a friend or loved one. Hang up the phone and go and pray to Him instead. Get in the habit of doing this often. You will find that He is faithful, that He cares, that He understands, and that He’s the absolute best. Your trust in Him will grow. And you will learn to love Him more.

Father, we thank You that You never forsake those that are Yours that place their trust in You and seek You with all their hearts. May we get into the habit of turning to You when we need a friend. We thank You that You are available 24/7. We also thank You that You care. May we grow closer to You and learn to trust You more. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Psalm 20:4 - God makes our hearts desires and His plan for our lives one and the same

“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.”

Psalm 20:4

God wants to grant you your heart’s desires. He is a good, loving Father and He takes pleasure in blessing you. Just as you take pleasure in blessing your wife, husband, children, grandchildren, and those you love. God also wants you to fulfill the purpose He has for your life. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. Your life has meaning. There’s things He wants to do and accomplish in this world through you to touch this world for Jesus Christ. One of the nice things that I have come to know about growing in the Lord is that your personal, heartfelt desires and His purpose for your life become one and the same as you have become one with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This is so exciting. This isn’t true about everyone, but to those that have crucified the flesh and its desires it is.

Father, Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” We thank You for all the many times you have given us the desires of our hearts. Thank You for being such a good, loving Father. You are the best! Fulfill your plan and purpose in our lives. Accomplish things in this world through us for the glory of Your Son. We want to touch this world for Jesus Christ. May our personal, heartfelt desires and Your purpose for our lives be one and the same. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Psalm 4:3 - He Has Set Apart for Himself Him Who Is Godly

“But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.”

Psalm 4:3

God has set the godly apart for Himself. The godly conform to His laws and wishes. They are devout, pious. They are devoted to the Lord and worship and revere Him with all their being. Their lives flourish. Psalm 92:12 says that “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.” They live a quiet and peaceable life. 1 Timothy 2:2 says “that all may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” They try to do what is right all the time as they want to please Him. They want to live a godly life. They have faith. They are patient. They are gentle and winsome.1 Timothy 6:11 says that God wants us to flee evil and “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] gentleness.” And because of these things the Lord hears their prayers. The godless are just the opposite. They are sinful, wicked and evil. They do what their flesh desires to do all the time. They don’t acknowledge Jesus’ lordship in their lives and resist the Lord (and His Holy Spirit) when He tries to do a work in them that would make them godly. 2 Timothy 3:5 says that they have “a form of godliness” but deny its power in their lives. It even goes on to say “from such people turn away!” Remember, you are very special! You are set apart for Him. Live a godly life, one that has no regrets. You will be happier that way for God blesses the righteous, but His curse is upon the wicked. Proverbs 3:33 says “The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just.” Be happy. Be blessed.

 Our Heavenly Father, whom we love and adore. May we lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. May we purse righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. May we allow You to do a work in us making us more godly, like Christ. Bless our individual lives as well as our homes. Thank You for setting us apart for You. Thank You also for hearing our prayers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Galatians 2:20 - God wants to live in and through us

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and by the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

We are Christ’s representatives. Christ wants to live in and through us. He wants us to invite and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. God doesn’t want us to be casual Christians. He doesn’t want us to live lukewarm lives. Many Christians today are just this way. They attend church, pray once in a while, read the bible every now and then, and think they are right with God. These things are good, but God wants so much more. He wants us to have a daily relationship with Him. He wants us to think of Him all the time. He wants to walk with us and talk with us while we are on our merry ways. He wants to be our very best friend and constant guide and companion. He wants to live, abide and dwell in us. He even wants to live His life through us. He wants to use our spiritual eyes, spiritual ears, hands and feet to make a difference in the lives of those around us. He has given each of us gifts and abilities and we are to use those gifts for Him. God doesn’t force us to allow Him to flow through us. He works only by invitation. He won’t overstep the boundaries of our free will. Make a decision today to allow Him to flow through you. You can do this by faith. If you do this, you will find the abundant life He has promised for you.

Father, we are so blessed. The God that created the world loves us. You sent Jesus to earth as a babe to forgive us of all our sins and to reconcile mankind with Himself. This is absolutely amazing. And to think that You have sent Your Holy Spirit to abide within us is almost too much for us to comprehend. But You have done just that. You want to live in us and You want to live through us. You don’t force Yourself on us. You work only by invitation. Today, by faith,  we invite You to do just that. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.     

Galatians 5:22 - The fruit of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of the God’s Holy Spirit in a person’s life. The closer you get to Christians who truly walk in the Spirit, the better they look and the more you want to be around them. You can see that they walk in love and they love others immensely. They are joyful. They are longsuffering and patient. They are kind. They are good. They are faithful. They are gentle. They exercise self-control. These are the people that you see Jesus in. And because of their walk with Christ others can see and know that He is real. They radiate integrity and you know that you can trust them. They aren’t perfect, but then they don’t claim to be. They are the “real deal” and readily admit their shortcomings and ask for forgiveness when they have done wrong. Oh, how His people need to be filled with the fruits of His Spirit. May God cause His fruits to increase in our lives, all to the glory of Him.

Father, You are the producer of the fruits of the Spirit, we are merely the bearers. May You produce Your fruits in our lives. We are dependent on You. Do a good work in us. May we be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit so others can see You and Your fruits in our lives. We want to be people of integrity. We want to be the “real deal.” We want others to trust us. We want to bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 55:22 - Do your best to get out of the pit

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 55:22

Anxiety is not good. It destroys our peace, clouds our perception, consumes our thinking, causes mental agony, and takes away our joy. It is during these times that we need to cast our burdens on the Lord. His Word tells us that if we do this He shall sustain us and we won’t be moved. Have you ever cast your burdens on the Lord only to pick them up again? Sometimes casting our burdens on the Lord is a struggle and very hard to do. It is hard for us to let go. It is hard for us to get those thoughts and problems out of our minds. But we must fight and war in the spirit. We are in a spiritual battle. We need to pick up our spiritual weapons and use them. We can pray in the Spirit at the Spirit’s leading, we can praise and worship Him, we can seek His face, and we can cling to His Word and use it. The enemy would like nothing more than to keep us in a pit. Don’t wallow in that pit. Get up out of it. I know that I had to do this just today. There was a situation that popped up. A couple of us prayed about about the decision and asked for wisdom in what to do. The Lord was good and gave us wisdom. But just knowing that someone was “stewing inside” and not happy kept me down and all I wanted to do was to lay in bed and ponder the situation over and over again. It was like I was in a pit and couldn’t do anything. Finally, I decided once and for all to give it all to the Lord and to trust Him for the outcome and for taking care of someone’s heart and attitude. I grabbed my devotionals and read them, praised the Lord in song, prayed in the Spirit at the Spirit’s leading, etc. I found out that He is faithful and He did sustain me. I also found out that He wouldn’t allow me to be moved. I don’t know if you are anxious today. But if you are anxious and if you are in a pit do your best to get up out of it. Use your weapons. They are mighty!

 Father, we know that anxiety is not good. It destroys our peace in You, clouds our perception and spiritual eyes, consumes our thinking, causes mental agony, and takes away our joy. Lord, You do not desire this for us. May we cast our burdens on You once and for all. You are trustworthy and we can trust You with everything. We can trust You with the outcomes. You know what is best for everyone. Do a work, Lord. May we not be moved. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 42:1-2a - Jesus wants to quench our thirst

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

Psalm 42:1-2a

God’s greatest desire for us is for us to be closely related to Him. He made us to thirst for Him as a deer thirst for water. He wants to quench our thirst. John 7:37-38 says “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Notice we drink from Jesus. It says “come to Me and drink.” From the water that we drink (from Jesus Himself) comes rivers of living water. It says “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” We will automatically spill out to others as He has spilled out to us. It doesn’t depend on our gifts, talents, skills, college education, abilities, personalities, or looks. It’s all Him and it comes from His blessed Holy Spirit. Colossians 2:7 says “Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done.” Go to the Lord. Listen to Him. Watch for Him. You will find life and obtain favor from the Lord. Proverbs 8:34-35 says “Blessed is the man who listens to Me. Watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors. For whoever finds Me finds life. And obtains favor from the Lord.”  Don’t think about what you can do for Christ, but never underestimate what He can do through you. J

Father, as the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants our souls for You. May we come to You daily and drink. May rivers of living water flow from us. May our roots grow down into You and draw up nourishment from You, so we will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth we were taught. May our lives overflow with thanksgiving for all You have done. May come to You regularly. May we listen to You. May we watch for You. May we find life and obtain favor from You, Lord. May we not worry about what we can do for You, but may You do great things through us. We want our lives to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 119:133 - Sin is Not your Master

“Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.”

Psalm 119:133

I was blessed with quite a lot of time in God’s presence today. I did my devotionals, prayed, and read God’s Word. I even told the Lord, “Not my agenda today, but Yours.” I was in His presence for a long time before I felt led to do anything. And when I did I rejoiced when I came across these words “Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm 119:333). I was looking for Him to direct my steps and my hearts desire was that no iniquity have any dominion over me today as well. As I shared earlier I had lost 70 pounds and then recently I have gained 50 of those pounds back. It’s my own fault. I ate to my hearts delight. Gluttony is a sin and I know I need deliverance over that. Thank God I was able to exercise self-control yesterday. And I thank God for He is helping me to exercise self-control today. I know that I could not stay on track on my own. He is being kind and is giving me scriptures to help me battle my flesh. Today he gave me Psalm 119:133. He also gave me Luke 11:4 “…And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” You may not be having a problem in the area of your eating. Your sin may be different. Maybe you battle with idolatry, anger, greed, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, gossiping, jealousy, envy, etc. Confess these things as sin to Him and ask Him for His deliverance from those sins. He is mighty and He is able. These scriptures can apply to your situation as well. Hide His Word in your heart. It is alive and His Word inside of you will do a work in your heart and life. We can’t change ourselves, but He has the power to change us and deliver us from all our sin. Christ died not only to forgive us of our sins, but to break sins control from our lives. We are not to be slaves to sin, we are to be slaves to righteousness. Praise God for that!

Father, direct our steps by Your Word. Let no iniquity have dominion over us. May we not be slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. May we hide Your Word inside of us and may it be alive in us so we do not sin against You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 39:1 - Speak words of kindness or don't speak at all!

“I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle …”

Psalm 39:1

We should always watch our tongues and what we say. People are listening. We want them to be drawn closer to the Lord after being with us. We don’t want them to be turned away from Him by what comes out of our mouth. Thinking of things this way shows us that words are powerful. The Word says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Pause and think before you say anything. Ask yourself if what you are about to say is beneficial or not. Jesus spoke words of love and kindness. His words were full of life. We should strive for our words to be of love and kindness too. We want our words to be full of life. We want to bless those we love and those that are around us. God has given the gift of the Holy Spirit to those that are His. The Holy Spirit can really help us with our words. If we are about to say something that the Lord doesn’t want us to say, the Spirit will often give us a check in our spirit that we shouldn’t share it. Follow those checks. He knows best and has put them there for a reason.

Father, guard our ways, lest we sin with our tongues. Restrain our mouths with a muzzle. You have given us your Holy Spirit as a gift. May the Holy Spirit give us a check in our spirit if we are about to say something we shouldn’t. May we heed those checks as we know that You are so much wiser than we are. We want our words to be words of love, kindness, blessings, and life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Galatians 5:24 - Our flesh and its passions and desires should be crucified

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Galatians 5:24

We are to be crucified with Christ. Our flesh with its passions and desires should be crucified. We should have the victory over sin. When I read this verse today it made me think of my eating habits. A couple of years ago I started eating healthy and exercising and lost over 70 pounds. I was able to remain healthy for quite some time. Unfortunately, since April of this year, I have gained 50 of those pounds back. I stopped exercising and developed a sweet tooth. I cave in to overeating. And often eat to my hearts delight. I know that I need to make healthy choices when I eat. I also need to exercise to help my immune system. I am thankful to the Lord for giving me this scripture today. I needed it. “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). It goes on to say “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). I can’t do this on my own, but with the Holy Spirit’s help and power I can. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Father, we thank You for the Holy Spirit’s help in our lives. We all have different passions and desires in our flesh. No two people are alike. But You desire for all of us to be crucified with Christ. You want us to have victory over sin. You want us to live and walk in the Spirit. May we be able to say “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” And may You get the glory for each and everything You deliver us from. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

John 10:4 - Hearing God's Voice

“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

John 10:4

Isn’t it kind of neat that when someone calls on the phone although you can’t see them you recognize their voice and you know who you are talking to? If a stranger calls you ask yourself, “who is this?” and you wait until they tell you who is calling. God is like this too. He wants to go before you in your endeavors. He wants you to follow him. He wants to lead you by His still small voice. He’s given you the Holy Spirit so you can discern and know when He is leading and what His perfect plan and will is. If the voice of the enemy talks to you, you can know that it isn’t Him that is speaking. You know and sense God’s voice in your knower and you can’t be fooled as you have regularly heard His voice in the past. Jesus is our Shepherd. He wants to make Himself known in your life. If you have trouble hearing His voice, quiet yourself before Him so the distractions of this world don’t interfere. Shut your brain off for a while. Focus intently on the voice of your Shepherd. He will lead and guide you.

Father, we thank You for voice recognition. We than You that when people call us on the phone we can discern who it is. Help us to be able to discern and know Your voice as well. May we never be fooled by the voice of a stranger. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 - Thanksgiving

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory. The victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours, Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,  and You are exalted as head over all. …Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name.”

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

The anointing of the Holy Ghost is upon these scriptures. Jesus rules over all and makes all work together for our good, so we can cast all our cares upon Him and be thankful and grateful in all things. Thanksgiving is the most therapeutic of our attitudes. It is good for the soul and it is one of our most pleasant emotions. It’s the opposite of complaining and grumbling. And we know that God dislikes it when we complain and grumble. It grieves Him. 

William Law wrote in his classic book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life:

Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything as an instance of God’s goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. …If anyone would tell you the shortest surest way to all happiness and all perfection, he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you. For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing. Could you, therefore work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it heals with a work speaking, and turns all that it touches into happiness.

Father, may we begin to walk in thankfulness and have a thankful spirit. May we praise and give thanks to You for the things that happen in our lives. Turn our calamities into blessings. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory. Yours, O Lord, is the victory and the majesty.  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory. Yours, O Lord, is the victory and the majesty over everything that happens to us. All that is in heaven and in earth is Your. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,  and You are exalted as head over all. We thank You and praise Your glorious name. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Acts 9:36 - A Good Deed Brightens a Dark World

“At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.”

Acts 9:36

I like the fact that Tabitha was referred to as a disciple. She did a lot of small acts of kindness and good, charitable deeds. These were visible to all who were around her. She wasn’t well known because of her preaching, teaching or evangelizing, but her good deeds spoke volumes and touched hearts and lives. The little things we do are so much grander than the things we do that are considered great. My husband opening the door for me, giving me a cup of freshly brewed coffee or giving me a kiss when he leaves home shows me so much more love than him sending me flowers on our anniversary. His kindness throughout the year shows me his heart. And his heart shows me his love. Sometimes the thought of doing big things overwhelms us and weighs us down. But the little things we do bring much joy to our hearts. You can never go wrong walking in love and doing good, charitable deeds for those He impresses on our hearts to do so to. Colossians 3:17 says “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” 1 Peter 4:10 says “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I encourage you to continually plant seeds of kindness. It will speak volumes! 

An old song that I love to sing is “Bringing in the Sheaves.” It goes like this:

1. Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve, waiting for the harvest and the time of reaping: we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. (Chorus) Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

 

2. Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze; by and by the harvest and the labor ended: we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. (Chorus) Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

3. Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master, though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves; when our weeping’s over He will bid us welcome: we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. (Chorus) Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Father, may we sow seeds of kindness all day long. May we be full of good works and charitable deeds. Help us to impact and touch lives by doing little things that show them Your love. May we reap a harvest that brings glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Acts 2:33 - Don't give up! Continue to be a good witness to the Lord Jesus Christ!

“we are all witnesses.”

Acts 2:33

Do you witness for Jesus Christ? According to the Word, we are all His witnesses. Make the most of every opportunity that You have to witness to others. Sometimes you may be tempted to get discouraged. Don’t. Self-pity is of the devil. He wants you to get discouraged and to quit being a light. Just continue to share Jesus and His love even if you may wonder if anyone’s listening or being impacted by what you say or do. We may insert our personal testimonies into our everyday conversations with others, we may share our faith on Facebook, we may give out scriptures to others that can help them in their walks with Christ and to deal with things that they are coping with and going through, we may give people bibles, we may give people Christian literature, we may share the gospel, and we may invite friends and family member’s to church, bible studies, church events, and dinner. We may not know if what we are doing is making a difference. Know today that it is. No good thing you do for the Lord is ever in vain. Only in heaven will we know how God has used our words and testimonies. We are all His witness. Be a good one!

Father, thank You for making us all Your witnesses. Help us to be good ones. Use us to bring others to You and a life with You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Romans 12:12 - God transforms us into a new person

“… let God transform you into a new person …”

Romans 12:2

Every once in a while something happens and you realize that God has changed you. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “… those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” This happened to me last week when I was attempting to make baked corn. I had put the creamed corn and kernel corn in a bowl and went to get the Jiffy cornbread mix. I bumped the bowl and it went falling to the ground. Both the kernel and creamed corn went flying out of the bowl. Corn was on the kitchen cabinets, the rug in front of the cabinets, and the floor. The basement door was open and the corn was on the steps that led down to the landing. There was even creamed corn on the wall behind the back door (that leads down to the basement as well). My first thought was one of shock. And then I had complete peace. I immediately remembered that we should give thanks in everything for Ephesians 5:20 says “give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So I gave thanks. I looked into the bowl and there was still some corn in there. I was thankful that at least that corn didn’t end up somewhere where I would have to clean. I can remember thinking that if this had happened years ago I would have complained and grumbled. I didn’t know that God had changed me. But this showed me that He did. To that I am thankful. I can’t take any credit for the change. God made me a new person. I am not the same anymore. The old life is gone. A new life has begun.

Father, thank You for transforming us into new persons. Thank You that we are not the same anymore. Thank You that the old life that we used to live is gone. Thank You that a new life has begun in us. Continue to change us where progress can be made. Make us more and more like Your Son. Change us from the inside out by the power of Your love. We may not realize at the time that You have done a work inside of us. But when certain things happen, then we will realize and we will be eternally grateful and thankful. We love You, Lord, with all our hearts. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 John 5:21 - May Nothing Take God's Place in Your Heart

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

1 John 5:21

God does not want us to have idols in our lives. An idol is anything that takes God’s place in your hearts. I like what the New Living translation says. It says “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” We feel empty inside but we don’t know why. It may be that we have an idol in our lives, which depletes us spiritually. Sometimes it is hard for us to admit or see that we have an idol in our lives. We may not see it, but others can. God may reveal it to you through the mouth of other people. There was a time when the girls were small that Dave wasn’t happy with the way I was keeping house. I told him that I wasn’t able to find the time to give it the attention I needed. He ended up telling me that I had time to watch Regis and Kathie Lee everyday and talk on the phone with my friends. This hurt my feelings and I went crying to the Lord. The Lord ended up speaking to my heart and telling me that David was right. I had idols in my life. The television and the phone were the two idols I had in my life at the time. It was an arrow that penetrated deep into my heart. If David wouldn’t have said anything, I might not have realized it. I confessed my idolatry to David and to the Lord. Then I made the necessary adjustments in my life. The phone and television are no longer idols in my life. Examine your heart. What takes away time from God and His Word in your life? What takes God’s place in your heart? What do you spend a lot of time doing but makes you feel depleted and empty in your life afterwards? Ask the Holy Spirit if it’s an idol. If it is, confess it as sin and make the necessary adjustments in your life. You will be spiritually blessed because of it.

Father, may we keep ourselves from idols. May nothing take Your place in our hearts. If we have any idols in our lives, reveal it to us now. We want to confess it as sin and we want to make the necessary adjustments in our lives. We want You to be first place in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Matthew 16:19b - Binding and Loosing

“... whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:19b

God has given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 16:19a says “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” This means that He has given us authority. Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:19 that we should bind and loose. He repeats this in Matthew 18:18-20 “Assuredly, I say to you whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Since Jesus told us this twice, it means that he was trying to get an important message across to us. Binding and loosing is a command. It lets us move into the devil’s territory and take authority over him. If you have never bound and loosed things begin to in the mighty name of Jesus. You have the authority in Christ Jesus if you are a believer. God wants us to bind the evil and loose the opposite. Dispel the powers of darkness. Loose the Holy Ghost to work in your life as well as the lives of those we know and love. Some examples are: fear vs. faith, confusion vs. clarity of mind, pride vs. humility, bitterness vs. forgiveness, rebellion vs. obedience, hatefulness vs. love. There are so many things we can take authority over. Let’s begin to do what He has commanded us to do.

Father, You have given us authority over evil and the evil one. Greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world. You have given us the keys to the kingdom. May we begin to use them by binding and loosing as You have instructed us. We thank You for this authority that comes in the name of Jesus. May we believe with all our heart that You have given us this authority so that we can go forth and use it in the mighty name of Jesus.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 - Don't repay evil for evil

See to it that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15

God doesn’t want His children to “render evil for evil” … to anyone. I believe that God desires this even in our homes. James 1:19 says “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:26 says “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” Romans 12:17-21 says “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, bur rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The other day the Lord impressed on my heart that when a spouse or someone else gets angry with you, if you respond by raising your voice and getting mad back choosing to defend yourself and spout off that that is a form of taking vengeance upon yourself and repaying evil for evil. Ouch! We need to confess this as sin. And keep our peace in the future. I had never thought of it that way.

Father, we come to You this day and we thank You for the Holy Spirit’s teaching in our lives. You want us to be holy, even in our homes. You want our lives to bring glory to Your name. Be with us Lord. Help us to be slow to speak, slow to wrath, patient and kind, even in our own homes and with people we love most. May we not be overcome by evil, but may we overcome evil with good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Jeremiah 3:22 - God wants to restore the backsliders

“Return you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.”

Jeremiah 3:22

God desires for those that have backslid to come back to Him. He wants to heal them. I have at least a handful of Christian friends that continually pray for their backslidden children/grandchildren to come back to the Lord. Jeremiah 3:12 says “‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever.’” Some of them have been bound by the enemy. God wants to free them and restore them. Jeremiah 31:16-17 says “Thus says the Lord: ‘Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded; says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border.’” Be encouraged today. Stand on God’s Word. Pray that He do a work in their hearts and mind. He is able.

Father, You tell us to keep our heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Please reach out to those that we know and love that have backslidden. May they come to the point where they keep their heart with all diligence. These have been taught of You. They heard about You when they were sitting in their house, when they walked by the way, when they lied down, and when those awakened each morning. Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Be merciful and draw them back to You. Restore them to a right relationship with You. Deliver them and set them free. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.   

Matthew 10:26b - God can help us find missing items

“For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.”

Matthew 10:26b

I came across this scripture last week and I got to cling to the verse and stand on it as I couldn’t find a missing item. I had felt led to go up to Cookies on Demand in Montpelier and send the girls some of their favorite cookies. They are in college and I have their address written in my address book. We always keep the address book in a certain spot in David’s grandmother’s secretary. When I went to go to town I went to the secretary to retrieve the address book. It wasn’t there. I looked and looked in the secretary. It wasn’t there. I began to look elsewhere. I couldn’t find it anywhere. I looked again in the secretary. I still couldn’t find it. Finally I decided to pray. I said “Father, Your Word says that there is nothing covered that will not be revealed. There is nothing hidden that will not be known. Please help me find the address book. May the Holy Spirit impress upon my heart in where it is.” It wasn’t long and the Holy Spirit impressed on my heart to go to the hall tree and look in a plastic bag. There it was! I know God was watching over His Word and bringing this to light. I find it neat that he cares about even the mundane things. He is so good!

Father, we thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We thank You that the Holy Spirit impresses things on our heart. We thank You that You hold all of life’s answers in Your Word. Even lost items can be made known to us. You are a good and awesome God. We love You! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Deuteronomy 8:6 - God wants us to love Him with our ALL

“Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”

Deuteronomy 8:6

Nowhere in God’s Word are we instructed to be partially devoted to the Lord. The Old Testament tells us in Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your strength.” Jesus reminds of these words in Mark 12:30 “And you shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength.” Our praise and worship should be with our WHOLE heart as well. Psalm 9:1 says “I will praise You, O Lord, with my WHOLE heart.” It should not be lip service, it should be done with the heart. The book of Revelations is a reminder to us about how we should be living before Him. He takes note if He is not first place in our lives. There were seven churches and only one was he pleased with. This should be a warning to us. Most of the churches had done many things that were right. He told them that He had seen this. But they had done some things that He was against. These things were: 1) they had left their first love, 2) they let people eat things that were sacrificed to idols, 3) they allowed sexual immorality, 4) they allowed wrong doctrine which caused the people to stumble, 5) they allowed someone that called themselves a prophet—the woman Jezebel—to teach, 6) they allowed Jezebel to seduce His servants, 7) one church was completely dead—they had a reputation for being alive, but they weren’t, and 8) another church was neither cold nor hot. God wished they were one or the other. Since they weren’t He was going to vomit them out of His mouth. They said they were rich and had need of nothing, but they didn’t realize that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. He wanted them to remember from where they had fallen, repent, and do the works that they had done in the beginning. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to examine our lives today. Do we love God with ALL our hearts, ALL our souls, ALL our minds, and ALL our strength? Let’s make sure we are not partially devoted to the Lord. Let’s give Him our ALL.

Father, may we fear You and walk in Your ways. May we love You with ALL our hearts, ALL our souls, ALL our minds, and ALL our strength. Examine our hearts today. Show us where we are wrong. Remind us to how much we have fallen. May we repent and do the works that we had done in the beginning. We don’t want to be partially devoted to You. We want for You to consider us “hot.” We want to give it our ALL. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.