Sunday Morning Reflections_August 7, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 7:1-3 (MSG)
¹ Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. ² Do what I say and you'll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it! ³ Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 3:3-6 (ESV)
³ But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. ⁴ I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah ⁵ I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. ⁶ I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Jeremiah 2:11-13 (ESV)
¹¹ Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. ¹² Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, ¹³ for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

My prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, you promised that you would give wisdom to anyone that lacked it, so I pray for wisdom for the leaders at all levels of society. Father, visit us with your divine presence, which is our greatest need for this time in our history.

Father God, I pray for a heaven sent, Holy Spirit led revival to sweep across America, and turn your people back to God.

Father God, I am praying that revival will start at my house, spread to every church house, and then to every house in America.

Psalm 85:6 (ESV)
Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

 

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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

Matthew 24:35 (HCSB)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

  

 





 

Daily Prayer_August 5, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 5:1-2 (MSG)
¹ Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom; listen very closely to the way I see it. ² Then you'll acquire a taste for good sense; what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 119:34 (HCSB)
Help me understand Your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 22:34-40 (HCSB)
³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. ³⁵ And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: ³⁶ "Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?" ³⁷ He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the greatest and most important command. ³⁹ The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands."

My observation:

Today the key verse is Psalm 119.34. The choice word for today's meditation is the word" obey". In fact, obedience is the theme of all of the passages selected for today.

The Proverb is a call to obey the voice of wisdom. The Psalmist prays for understanding of the word of God, and he makes the promise that he will obey the word with his whole heart. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus responds to the question of the learned lawyer by telling him what we commonly refer to as "The Great Commandment".

The poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do".

The bible says in James 1:22 (HCSB)
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

My prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, I praise and thank you for the trustworthiness of your Word. Father, your impeccable character and your infallible Word makes you worthy of our complete obedience to everything that you command us to do in your Word.

Father God, I ask that by the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, that you would enable your people to apply and obey the word of God.

My song:

Love the Lord (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI4niaWGmJc&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

Matthew 24:35 (HCSB)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

s.

 





 

Daily Prayer_August 4, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 4:3-5 (AMP)
³ When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba], ⁴ He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live. ⁵ Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 130:7-8 (HCSB)
⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with Him is redemption in abundance. ⁸ And He will redeem Israel from all its sins.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Isaiah 43:1 (HCSB)
Now this is what the Lord says— the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel— "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

My observation:

Today we will conclude our two week meditation on Psalm 130. The key passage is Psalm 130:7b-8. The choice word for today's focus is the word redemption.

What a blessing and what joy it brings to our hearts when we recall the day we were bought back from the slave market of sin by the precious and royal blood of Jesus. The enemy of our souls had enslaved us, but Jesus set us free.

I am so thankful to my heavenly Father for sending his only begotten son to do for me what I could not do for myself. It was the faithful love of the Lord that set me free. The poet who wrote the hymn, "Love Lifted Me" explains my condition, and what Jesus did for me.

"I was sinking' deep in sin

Far from the peaceful shore

Very deeply stained within

Sinking to rise no more.

But the master of the sea

Heard my despairing cry

And from the waters lifted me

Now safe am I."

 

My prayer:

Father God, Abba, Father, I praise and thank you for the hope that we have because of the faithful love of the Lord, and for the redemption that we have through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Father, I am not ashamed to say that it was the Lord that lifted me, it was Jesus who set me free.

John 8:36 (ESV)
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Psalm 107:2 (ESV)
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble

My song:

Love Lifted Me (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbYvlOk3Pok&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

Matthew 24:35 (HCSB)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

s.

 





 

Daily Prayer_August 3, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 3:3 (HCSB)
Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 130:7-8 (HCSB)
⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with Him is redemption in abundance. ⁸ And He will redeem Israel from all its sins.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Psalm 36:7 (AMP)
How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

Romans 5:8 (AMP)
But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

My observation:

The key verse for today's meditation is Psalm 130.7a. Today the choice word is the word love. There is nothing in the entire world more precious than the love of God for fallen mankind. The love of God is so overpowering that it is capable of melting the heart of the vilest sinner. It is capable of drawing the slightest to the greatest to the foot of the cross.

Where would I be without the love of God? Let me tell you the predicament I would be in. I would be lost in my sins, and destined for an eternity without hope in this world or the world to come. My life would be full of sin, and no room for the Savior. I would be a dead man walking around, without hope, and without God in my life.

Ephesians 2:4-5 (HCSB)
⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, ⁵ made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I extol you for your tender mercies and your unfailing love. Father, I will be forever grateful that your love found me, and profoundly changed my life and my destination. Father, I thank you for giving me a new life, and a new home in heaven.

My song:

The Love of God is Greater Far – George Beverly Shea (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6_S20SccIY

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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

Matthew 24:35 (HCSB)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

s.

 





 

Daily Prayer_August 2, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 2:2 (MSG)
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 130:7 (HCSB)
Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with Him is redemption in abundance.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Psalm 147:11 (ESV)
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Romans 15:13 (ESV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

My observation:

The key verse for today is Psalm 130:7a and the choice word for today is hope. The thing that inspires and encourages me about today's focus is how the Lord looks with favor upon those who trust in him.

Get your mind wrapped around this amazing revelation from God's word. The Lord delights in those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Where are you putting and in whom are you putting your hope? As for me and my house, we have chosen to put our hope in the Lord's unfailing and steadfast love.

My prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, Abba, Father, I am so delighted to embrace the one that you delight in, your son Jesus, and to put my hope in Jesus alone, forsaking all of the attractions of the world. Father God, I believe in Jesus, and I have decided to follow him all the way my Savior leads me. Father, I have put my hope and trust in the Lord, and I thank you Lord for your unfailing love.

My song:

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJnb3l9UuYU&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

Matthew 24:35 (HCSB)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

s.

 





 

Daily Prayer_August 1, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 1:1-6 (MSG)
¹ These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David's son, Israel's king— ² Written down so we'll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it's going; ³ A manual for living, for learning what's right and just and fair; ⁴ To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. ⁵ There's something here also for seasoned men and women, ⁶ still a thing or two for the experienced to learn— Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 130:6 (ESV)
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

My observation:

Today's choice word is the word "wait". The key verse is Psalm 130.6. This is such a hard thing for us to do, but it is such an important thing to do. We spare ourselves so much needless pain and failure when we learn to wait on the Lord.

For sure waiting involves the passage of time, but it involves so much more. Waiting is not a time of inaction on our part. The psalmist was not a man with idle hands. Notice some of the things the psalmist did while he was waiting on the Lord. David was praying to God, he was listening for a word from God, he was reading the word of God, he was trusting in the Lord with his whole heart, and he was hoping in the Lord.

It may seem that your long days of trouble, and your sleepless nights of pain will never end. When David was facing troubles in his life he cried out to the Lord from the depths of his heart. His faith in the Lord, and his waiting paid off. Just like the watchmen waiting for the morning, it may seem like the end of the shift will never come. However, the sun rises. Morning will come for those who trust in the Lord and wait patiently for him because God is faithful, and worthy of trusting in him with our whole heart.

My prayer:

Father God, Abba, Father, I am so thankful that I can look back over my life, and say that I am a witness that it pays to wait on the Lord. Father, the things that I thought were impossible, the mountains that I thought were too high, the valleys that I thought were too deep, and the problems I thought were insolvable; none of these things were too difficult for you.

Father, I thank you that after every dark night in my life I have awaken to see the sun rise. Father, I thank you that I also have seen the Son rise, and the blessing of the dawning of a new day with the presence, peace, provisions and power of God available to me by my faithful God.

My song:

Rise Again (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkIJfLfzZ0w

--

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

Matthew 24:35 (HCSB)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

s.

 





 

Sunday Morning Reflections_July 31, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 31:10 (AMP)
A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.

Proverbs 31:26 (AMP)
She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 119:88-89 (NASB)
⁸⁸ Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. ⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

The Word of God for encouragement:

2 Timothy 3:16 (MSG)
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way.

My prayer:

Father God, Abba, Father, it is a delight to begin this Lord's Day morning giving praise and thanks for your lovingkindness, and for your tender mercies. Father, out of the depths of my heart I express to you the highest praise that I can see with my mind's eye, and that my mouth can speak.

Father God, I ask you to revive my heart, and the hearts of your believing people so that together we may keep the testimony of Your mouth. Father, help us to learn to cast off the things that are temporal, and cling to the things that are eternal.

Father God, I love your word because out of your mouth you have said, "Forever, Your word is settled in heaven". Father, keep me in your word, and keep your word in me.

--

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

Matthew 24:35 (HCSB)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

s.