Daily Prayer_October 8, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:30-34 (HCSB)
³⁰ I went by the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense.
³¹ Thistles had come up everywhere, weeds covered the ground, and the stone wall was ruined.
³² I saw, and took it to heart; I looked, and received instruction:
³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,
³⁴ and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 79:9 (HCSB)
⁹ God of our salvation, help us— for the glory of Your name. Deliver us and atone for our sins, because of Your name.

The Word of God for encouragement:

1 Thessalonians 1:1-4 (HCSB)
¹ Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.
² We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers.
³ We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,
⁴ knowing your election, brothers loved by God.

My observation:

I woke up this morning with this thought on my mind, "What do you value most in life?" I wrote it down because I figured there was a reason why this thought popped into my head.

Now I know why. As I begin reading 1 Thessalonians chapter one I knew why the Lord had planted this thought in my mind.

The church at Thessalonica is one of my favorite first century churches. It encouraged my heart the first time I had the opportunity to serve as a Transitional Pastor at my home church in Alaska. I preached through 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians; it was the book for January Bible Study that year.

The thing I admired about this church was how much they learned and applied after Paul spent such a short time with them; it was less than one month (Acts 17).

What was the reason for these amazing results in such a short period of time? I offer the following for your consideration, and encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (HCSB)
⁵ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit,

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
¹⁰ and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that we will learn to value, appreciate, and give thanks for the things that come from the inside of a person.

Father God, help us to encourage and be thankful when we are able to see in others the results of the gospel and the power of God working in their lives.

Father God, may others see in me the work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 (HCSB)
⁵ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit,
⁶ and you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.
⁷ As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

Daily Prayer_October 7, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:28-29 (HCSB)
²⁸ Don't testify against your neighbor without cause. Don't deceive with your lips.
²⁹ Don't say, "I'll do to him what he did to me; I'll repay the man for what he has done."

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 78:1 (HCSB)
¹ My people, hear my instruction; listen to what I say.

Psalm 78:72 (HCSB)
⁷² He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Colossians 3:12-17 (HCSB)
¹² Therefore, God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
¹³ accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also [forgive].
¹⁴ Above all, [put on] love—the perfect bond of unity.
¹⁵ And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.
¹⁶ Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.
¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or indeed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

My observation:

How can we live as believers and have the most impact for good in this world? God made us for the purpose of being able to live in relationship with him, and with one another. Sin marred the plan, but God, in grace, sent his only begotten son, Jesus, to rescue us from our fallen state.

Paul describes how we should live as grace bought children of God. As children of God, then we should live in a manner that demonstrates the authenticity of our faith.

Love for God, and love for one another should be the mark of every child of God. People should recognize us by the clothes that we wear.

Are you wearing the grace clothes that Paul describes in our focal passage? Love is a verb; love is something that you do. Love begins at home. Read the rest of the chapter to see how to get started on this journey of loving one another (Colossians 3:18 – 4:1).

John 13:35 (HCSB)
³⁵ By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that we will examine our lives to see if we have put on the things that the Apostle Paul admonished the people in the church at Colossae to put on. Father, help us to live like people who have been bought with a great price. Lord, may we glorify you by the way we relate to you, and by the way that we relate to one another in love. In Jesus name, Amen.

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Colossians 2:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,
¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Daily Prayer_October 5, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:26 (HCSB)
²⁶ He who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 78:4 (HCSB)
⁴ We must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the LORD, His might, and the wonderful works He has performed.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Colossians 2:4 (HCSB)
⁴ I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments.

Colossians 2:8-9 (HCSB)
⁸ Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.
⁹ For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,

My observation:

On your journey as a believer you have or will encounter false teachers. They may knock on your door at your house, or you might encounter them at the church house.

In our focal passage in Colossians the Apostle Paul gives a general warning in verse four. We need to always take precautions on our walk through this world. There are thieves who want to rob you of what God has given you.

Why would you want to substitute that which is false for that which is truth? The Apostle Paul gets specific about the nature of the thief in verses eight and nine.

Here is the test of the true gospel. What do they say about Jesus? Do they believe and embrace this clear teaching of scripture? Be careful, and don't be deceived by the false teachers.

Colossians 2:9 (HCSB)
⁹ For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,

He is more than a good teacher; Jesus is God in human flesh.

John 1:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
² He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:14 (HCSB)
¹⁴ The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I lift up and exalt the name of Jesus above every name on earth and in heaven. Father, I believe what the bible says about Jesus. Father, I ask for wisdom and discernment to keep me from falling for the deceit by the enemy of my soul. In Jesus name, Amen.

Philippians 2:9-11 (HCSB)
⁹ For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
¹¹ and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Colossians 2:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,
¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Daily Prayer_October 4, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:23-25 (HCSB)
²³ These [sayings] also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
²⁴ Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"— people will curse him, and tribes will denounce him;
²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a generous blessing will come to them.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 77:2 (HCSB)
² I sought the Lord in my day of trouble. My hands were continually lifted up all night long; I refused to be comforted.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Colossians 1:24-29 (HCSB)
²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for His body, that is, the church.
²⁵ I have become its servant, according to God's administration that was given to me for you, to make God's message fully known,
²⁶ the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints.
²⁷ God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
²⁸ We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
²⁹ I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.

My observation:

To capture the key thought for today's meditation from Paul's letter to the church at Colossae let's look at the preceding verse.

Colossians 1:23 (HCSB)
²³ if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. [This gospel] has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.

I cite this verse to introduce you to the choice word that I observed in today's passage. It is the word hope. When you have hope you have a solid foundation on which to stand. When your hope is in a person, and that person is Christ Jesus, you have a rock on which you can build your life upon. This is what hope can do for you, and for those you share the gospel with.

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Endure

The blessed hope of the child of God is that you are on your way to heaven. You have this hope within you because you have Christ Jesus living in you. If you have Jesus, you don't have to fear today or the future; you have the hope of Christ to stand on. You have hope for today, and all of your tomorrows.

1 Peter 1:3 (HCSB)
³ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, my heart sings with joy when I think about what the Lord Jesus means to me, and what he has done and is doing for me.

Father God, I delight to declare with the Apostle Paul what he said in his letter to the church at Rome concerning the gospel of Christ. I am so grateful for the hope I have because of Jesus living in me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Romans 1:16 (HCSB)
¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

 

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Colossians 2:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,
¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Daily Prayer_October 3, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:21-22 (HCSB)
²¹ My son, fear the LORD, as well as the king, and don't associate with rebels,
²² for destruction from them will come suddenly; who knows what distress these two can bring?

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 76:11-12 (HCSB)
¹¹ Make and keep your vows to the LORD your God; let all who are around Him bring tribute to the awe-inspiring One.
¹² He humbles the spirit of leaders; He is feared by the kings of the earth.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Colossians 1:3-8 (HCSB)
³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
⁴ for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints
⁵ because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this [hope] in the message of truth, the gospel
⁶ that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and recognized God's grace in the truth.
⁷ You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf,
⁸ and he has told us about your love in the Spirit.

My observation:

It is always good to hear a good report about a church or about a person that you love and care about deeply.

The Apostle Paul had received a good report from Epaphras about the people in the church at Colossae. Paul was so thankful to God for the report concerning their faith, hope, and love.

No one who achieves anything in life that is of eternal value obtains it without the aid and assistance of others. Everything belongs to God, and what we have comes from his generous heart, and his powerful and gentle hands.

James 1:17 (HCSB)
¹⁷ Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.

So today, why not start, if you don't already have, an attitude of gratitude. It's the best gift that you could give yourself. What do you have that you could be thankful for? Make a list, and it will surprise you, inspire you, and it will bless you. Don't take anything for granted; appreciate and give thanks for everything.

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 prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful to you for all of the blessings that you have given to me over the course of my entire life. Father, I bow in awe and amazement when I realize that the best is yet to come. Lord, I am so grateful; thank you Lord for being so good to me. In Jesus name, Amen.

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Colossians 2:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,
¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Daily Prayer_October 2, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:17-18 (HCSB)
¹⁷ Don't gloat when your enemy falls, and don't let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
¹⁸ or the LORD will see, be displeased, and turn His wrath away from him.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 75:6-7 (HCSB)
⁶ Exaltation does not come from the east, the west, or the desert,
⁷ for God is the Judge: He brings down one and exalts another.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Philippians 4:6-7 (HCSB)
⁶ Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

My observation:

The choice words from our focal passage today are peace and prayer. All of us face problems in our life at one time or another. They are the rent we pay for being alive.

The goodnews is that problems, no matter how high they may pile up in our lives, are not a barrier to the peace of God breaking through. As the poet says, "There is peace in the midst of my storm tossed life, there is an anchor to build my life upon".

That anchor that the poet speaks of is Jesus. Real peace does not come from the absence of problems. Rather, it comes from the presence of God.

John 14:27 (HCSB)
²⁷ "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.

This is a little chorus I sing to my soul when worry shows up at my door.

"Let Jesus fix it for you,

He knows just what to do.

Whenever you pray,

Let him have his own way,

And Jesus will fix it for you."

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that I don't have to face the troubles of this world alone.

Father God, I am so thankful that Christ Jesus lives in the hearts of every child of God, and for the promise that he will guard our minds and our hearts. God is in control. God is a forever God; my circumstances are just for a season.

Father God, I pray that I will not forfeit the peace that is my inheritance by failing to take my problems to the Lord in prayer. In Jesus name, Amen.

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Philippians 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Daily Prayer_October 1, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:15-16 (HCSB)
¹⁵ Wicked man, don't set an ambush, at the camp of the righteous man; don't destroy his dwelling.
¹⁶ Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 74:2 (HCSB)
² Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe for Your own possession. [Remember] Mount Zion where You dwell.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Philippians 3:12-16 (HCSB)
¹² Not that I have already reached [the goal] or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,
¹⁴ I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵ Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.
¹⁶ In any case, we should live up to whatever [truth] we have attained.

My observation:

This passage has been an encouragement to my weary heart and tired body on many occasions. It serves as a constant reminder to me to keep my eyes on the goal. Notice that Paul kept his eyes fixed on the goal of God for his life.

Notice the priority and the passion in pursuit of his purpose. Paul knew the value of keeping the main thing the main thing. Paul's passion was to move onward and upward. He acknowledged that he had not arrived; and that he had seen too much, and come too far to turn around.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that you would grant each of us the passion for the prize that we see demonstrated in the life of the Apostle Paul. Father, help us to run the race to win the prize, and to never give up. Father, by your grace and power, help us to finish the race; to persevere until we cross the finish line. In Jesus name, Amen.

Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
⁶ I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Philippians 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!