Daily Prayer_December 15, 2010

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 15:8-9 (HCSB)
⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. ⁹ The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but He loves the one who pursues righteousness.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 34:16-18 (HCSB)
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to erase all memory of them from the earth. ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. ¹⁸ The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.

My observation:

When you look out over our world, you come to the conclusion that life is hard. Yes, that is true. However, there is a greater truth, God is good, and the best is yet to come. Life is even more difficult if we try to live and manage it our way in defiance of living life the way our Maker has laid out for us in the bible.

God is for us. That is good news, and the enemy of your soul seeks to get you to discount that message. God loves you so much that he was your friend even while you were still his enemy. The Psalmist spoke truth when he said this about who the Lord will hear when they call upon him.

Psalm 34:18 (AMP)
The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.

The Word for encouragement:

Romans 5:6-11 (HCSB)
⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. ⁸ But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! ⁹ Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. ¹⁰ For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, ⌊then how⌋ much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! ¹¹ And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I am overwhelmed by the thought of how much you love sinners, and the extent that you have gone to provide for the salvation of the ungodly. Lord, during this Christmas season, I am especially mindful of the reason for the season. Father God, I believe in and rejoice in the Christ of Christmas.

John 1:12 (HCSB)
But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name.

My song:

Joy to the World (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91brmsKeqcQ&feature=related

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_December 14, 2010

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 14:30 (AMP)
A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 34:15-17 (HCSB)
¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help. ¹⁶ The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to erase all memory of them from the earth. ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles.

My observation:

David had some good news and some blessed assurances for God's people in today's focal passage from the Psalms.

There are three things from this passage that should delight the heart of every child of God. David not only wanted his generation, but the next generation to know these truths. We should do the same. When we receive a blessing from the Lord, we should rejoice and tell somebody how good and gracious our God is.

The first assurance that David was happy to pass on was that God sees your need. We see this in verse fifteen, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous".  The second assurance is also in verse fifteen, the Lord hears your prayer, "and His ears are open to their cry for help". The third assurance is in verse seventeen, and it is that the Lord delivers his people; He "delivers them from all their troubles".

It is true that troubles come into the lives of the righteous and the wicked. However, there is a difference in God's provisions. God's provides a complete protection plan for the righteous. Notice that the word says in verse seventeen, "and delivers them from all their troubles".  David didn't stop there in describing God's complete protection plan; he went further in verse twenty.

Psalm 34:20 (HCSB)
He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I rejoice in knowing that you are a God who sees the needs of your people, your ears hear the prayers of your people, and that by your almighty power you deliver your people from all of their troubles. Father God, these are the kind of promises that I can stand on, and rest in. Lord, I bless you, and praise you for your wonderful promises.

My song:

Standing on the Promises (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/340

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_December 13, 2010

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 13:21 (HCSB)
Disaster pursues sinners, but good rewards the righteous.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 34:11-14 (HCSB)
¹¹ Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. ¹² Who is the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? ¹³ Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. ¹⁴ Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.

My observation:

The featured Proverb for today reminds me of the passage I read yesterday from the Psalms. So I decided to return to it and reflect on it today. In this portion David gives some wisdom instruction based on his personal experience. David was a man who sought the Lord, and found him to be a strong tower which he could run to for help and find shelter during the storms of life.

Psalm 34:4 (HCSB)
I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:10 (HCSB)
Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

There are a lot of wisdom instructions in the Proverbs and in the Psalms, but to do you any good, you must first learn to fear the Lord, and do what he tells you to do. God is a good God, and you can trust him with your whole life.

Proverbs 13:18 (AMP)
Poverty and shame come to him who refuses instruction and correction, but he who heeds reproof is honored.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful for the blessings that you give to those who fear the Lord, and walk in your ways. Father, I pray that I will have ears to hear, a heart that receives, and feet that are quick to walk in the pathway of truth and righteousness. I pray that I will be willing to follow everywhere my Savior leads me.

My song:

Follow On (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/461

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Sunday Morning Reflections

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 12:14 (HCSB)
A man will be satisfied with good by the words of his mouth, and the work of a man's hands will reward him.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 34:11-14 (HCSB)
¹¹ Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. ¹² Who is the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? ¹³ Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. ¹⁴ Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.

The Word for encouragement:

1 Kings 3:5-10 (HCSB)
⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask. What should I give you?" ⁶ And Solomon replied, "You have shown great and faithful love to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. ⁷ "Lord my God, You have now made Your servant king in my father David's place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. ⁸ Your servant is among Your people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. ⁹ So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" ¹⁰ Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this.

1 Kings 3:12-14 (HCSB)
¹² I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again. ¹³ In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life. ¹⁴ If you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life."

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, as we enter this season of giving and receiving, I am so grateful for your generosity. Father, it is a blessing to be the recipient of the grace gifts from my loving Lord. Father God, give me a heart for giving that will use the gauge for my giving the measure that you use for giving to me.

Luke 6:38 (HCSB)
Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."

My song:

You Can't Beat God Giving (Click on link below to listen to this Doris Akers classic):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XP_zMJXc9g

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_December 10, 2010

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 10:9 (HCSB)
The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 34:8-10 (HCSB)
⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! ⁹ You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh, for those who fear Him lack nothing. ¹⁰ Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

My observation:

When you think about the goodness of God, the child of God can't help but do like David, and burst out in singing praise to the Lord.

There are some things in life that you have to experience for yourself. One of those things is the blessings of the Lord. God has a blessing that is custom made just for you. All of God's children are special in the heavenly Father's eyes. As one of my friends is fond of saying, "God don't make any junk".

Psalm 139:14-16 (MSG)
¹⁴ I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! ¹⁵ You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. ¹⁶ Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

It is good to end the week reflecting on our focal passage from Psalm. It is good to pause and just think about the goodness of the Lord in your own life. Has God been good to you?

Psalm 34:8 (MSG)
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful that I have personally experienced your blessings in my life. Father God, I thank you because I have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord. Your praise shall continue to flow from a grateful heart all the days of my life. My story and my song is, "God is So Good".

My song:

God is So Good (Click on link below to listen to Mahalia Jackson sing this song so sweetly):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1yOl5DCntI&feature=related

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_December 9, 2010

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 9:6-9 (MSG)
⁶ Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." ⁷ If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you'll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. ⁸ So don't waste your time on a scoffer; all you'll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that's different—they'll love you for it! ⁹ Save your breath for the wise—they'll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they'll profit from it.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 34:7 (HCSB)
The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.

My observation:

Today's verse from the Psalm gives another reason why David had reason to bless the Lord. In this verse it is the presence of the Lord, and his keeping power. In the Old Testament there were appearances of Jesus as the Angel of the Lord. But, when you come to the New Testament you don't see the Lord appearing as an angel because he became a man and lived among his people for a brief period of time. He is now gone back to his Father's house, but he left his people with his abiding presence.

Matthew 28:20 (HCSB)
teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Hebrews 13:5 (HCSB)
Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.

Because of the abiding presence of the risen Christ in your life you are able to live in faith and without fear of anything or anyone that may come against you in this world.

Hebrews 13:6 (HCSB)
Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I am so blessed that I can wake up every day, and be comforted in knowing the Lord is my savior and my keeper. Father, I thank you that every day is a happy day for me because the Lord in me is greater than anything or anyone that will come against me. I can rejoice every day because I am so blessed.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (HCSB)
¹⁶ Rejoice always! ¹⁷ Pray constantly. ¹⁸ Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

My song:

Oh Happy Day (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfQLfur1eXM

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_December 8, 2010

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 8:1 (NLT)
Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice!

Proverbs 8:4 (NLT)
"I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people.

Proverbs 8:6-7 (NLT)
⁶ Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, ⁷ for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 34:4-6 (HCSB)
⁴ I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. ⁵ Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. ⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard ⌊him⌋ and saved him from all his troubles.

My observation:

When faced with problems and difficulties, there are many places that we can turn for help. It is important what voice we listen to. We know by instinct that we should listen to the wisest voice. David did not do at first what he knew to be the wisest choice.

There are two powerful things that determine who we listen to in our day of trouble. The natural response to trouble is fear. That is okay, but it should not be our only response. It is a built in response to alert us to danger. Our response to the alert is important. This is where, for the believer, our faith in the Lord should kick in.

David learned his lesson. Turning to the enemy was not a wise choice. Why seek the aid of the enemy when you can ask the Lord to help you?  When David made the wise choice he discovered that when you call upon the Lord in faith that he saves you from all your troubles.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so glad that I don't have to succumb to my fears, but that I can seek the aid and assistance of my Savior in my day of trouble. Father God, I am so happy that you sent Jesus to be my Savior, and that with him nothing is impossible.

My song:

When I Call on Jesus (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz8P96myUZk&feature=related

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.