What Do You Have To Thank God For Today?

Text:

Psalm 92:1-4 (NLT) 

1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. 

2  It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, 

3  accompanied by the ten-stringed harp and the melody of the lyre. 

4  You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.

Observation:

How did you feel last night? How did you feel this morning?

Do you have something that without a doubt you know that it came from the Lord because you could not do this thing in your strength alone?

I have hidden in my heart, to keep me humble, that everything comes from the Lord.

James 1:17 (NLT) 

17  Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 

The following verse describes how the Psalmist felt in the morning and at night.

Psalm 92:2 (NLT) 

2  It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, 

In the morning you can look up to the heavens, and praise the Lord for His unfailing love. In the evening you can look back and praise God for His faithfulness.

Psalm 106:1 (NLT) 

1  Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, we praise and thank You for all of our blessings. We praise You for Your unfailing love in the morning, and in the evening we praise You for Your faithfulness. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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Why Should We Pray for the Churches?

Text:

Philippians 1:4-6 (NLT) 

4  Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 

5  for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 

6  And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

Observation:

In our focal passage for today, the Apostle Paul writes to the church at Philippi. Prayer is the lifeblood of the church, and Paul is certain that the Lord would complete the good work He began in them.

As we examine the writings of Paul we realize that he did not just pray for the church at Philippi, but that he also prayed for others churches that he knew about.

Paul prayed for the church at Rome.

Romans 1:9 (NLT) 

9  God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. 

Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus.

Ephesians 1:16 (NLT) 

16  I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 

Paul prayed for the church at Colossae.

Colossians 1:3 (NLT) 

3  We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Apostle Paul prayed for all the churches he knew. What does this body of work say to you? There is power when we pray for others who are doing the work of building the Kingdom of God.

Jesus loved the church and prayed for her; He gave up His life for her.

John 17:20 (NLT) 

20  "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, we give You praise and thanks for the love that You have for us.

Father, quicken our hearts to pray for one another. Father, we pray that You bless all that You have called to be pastors and teachers of Your people.

Father, I pray for all of the members of the Body of Christ, and for the good work that You are doing in them, and for the good works that they are doing in serving You through the visible Body of Christ everywhere. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

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Do You Believe That God Is In Control Of The Lives Of His Children?

Text:

Romans 8:28 (NLT) 

28  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

Observation:

To help me grasp the meaning of our focal verse, I looked at it through the lenses of the following passage.

Romans 8:26-30 (NLT) 

26  And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 

27  And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. 

28  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

29  For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 

30  And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 

O, how wonderful and comforting is this passage for everyone who identifies themselves as members of the family God.

The sovereign God, who is our Maker is also our caretaker, and He is the keeper of our souls.

God has a purpose for our life, and He is the only one able to make such a promise and keep it. Nothing that happens to us in our life will be able to keep us from fulfilling our God ordained purpose.

Romans 8:37-39 (NLT) 

37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 

38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. 

39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Prayer:

Father God, hallowed be your name. Father, we bring before You today our deep concern for some of your children who are facing difficult circumstances in their walk with You. Father, we pray that they will receive comfort in knowing that You care and that You are in control. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

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https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

How Great and Generous Is Our God?

Text:

Ephesians 1:7 (NLT) 

7  He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 

Observation:

What a way to end a week! The scripture that I selected for the text this morning found me.

The words that gripped my heart, and thrilled my soul was this, "He is so rich in kindness and grace". Then I meditated on this, "He purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son".

Then, the last words of the verse, "Forgave our sins". How great and generous is that?

Yesterday a friend posted to my Facebook Group, The Word of God & Prayer, an image of one of my favorite hymns. This song has been stuck in my mind since the moment I saw the post.

"What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!"

God's motive for doing this for us was His unending love for us. Yes, for you and for me; for everyone that would believe in Jesus.

John 3:16 (NLT) 

16  "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

God wants you to have life, and not just any kind of life, He wants you to have eternal life.

John 10:9-10 (NLT) 

9  Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 

10  The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 

Prayer:

Our Father, we are so grateful for the amazing gift of freedom that You give to all who come to You through Jesus Christ.

Father, thank You for saving and keeping us, not just for today, but for eternity. Father, we rest in the blessed assurance of the words of Jesus.

John 5:24 (NLT) 

24  "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. 

Father, we give You the highest praise our hearts can conceive, and our mouths can speak. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Listen to all of the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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What Does God Want From You?

Text:

Proverbs 21:3 (NLT) 

3  The LORD is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. 

Observation:

I read the above verse this morning and it is stuck in my mind. So, I have been meditating on it for a little while.

I am reminded of the advice that I have heard from some who have said if you want better results, you should ask better questions. So, I looked to the Bible to help me ask better questions.

Psalm 116:12 (NLT) 

12  What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me? 

I have found that you can find better questions in the Bible and you can also find better answers.

Psalm 51:15-17 (NLT) 

15  Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. 

16  You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 

17  The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. 

My Soul Sings:

Lyrics from the hymn, "Take My Life and Let It Be" by Frances Havergal:

"Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

*Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise."

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus into the world to give His all for us. Father, give us a burning desire in our hearts to give our all to You as our reasonable sacrifice for all that You have done for us.

Romans 12:1 (NLT) 

1  And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 

Father, take our lives and let them be consecrated Lord to Thee. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Listen to all of the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

How Should You Live in the Present?

Text:

1 Peter 4:7 (NLT) 

7  The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 

Observation:

How do we spend the present? In reality, we only have the present; the past is gone, and tomorrow is not promised.

Therefore, it behooves each of us to think seriously and soberly about the present. 

Life may be difficult, but we still have a charge to keep and a purpose to fulfill. The time to do that is today and not tomorrow.

We would do well to be earnest and disciplined in our prayer life. Through prayer, we are able to see God's perspective on our problems. When we read and meditate upon God's Word we get a new perspective on our problems.

In the midst of our problems, we take them to God in prayer. Our prayers bring us into the presence of the Lord. In God's presence, we receive His power and His peace.

As we are more earnest in prayer we go deeper into the Word and we are able to see God's perspective and God's purpose begins to be revealed in the midst of our problems. 

In spite of our struggles and suffering, we begin to experience the unfailing love of God and God's sufficient grace for our current circumstances.

As we look higher and go deeper with God our pain and suffering are transformed into praise and thanksgiving to God. The Word of God and prayer changes everything, and most of all it changes you and me.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for being the God of the present. We are so grateful that when we live in the present, and in Your presence, we get a new perspective on life.

Father, infuse our lives with a burning desire to be earnest and disciplined in our prayer life. O how we need to live in Your presence continually. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Listen to all of the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

How to Be A God Pleaser?

Text:

Proverbs 16:5-7 (NLT) 

5  The LORD detests the proud; they will surely be punished. 

6  Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the LORD, people avoid evil. 

7  When people's lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them. 

Observation:

As I meditate upon this passage, I find so much wisdom in just a few verses.

I am reminded of another passage that reminds us of the importance of guarding our heart.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) 

23  Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 

We need to guard our heart to avoid becoming prideful in the way that the Lord detests the proud.

The verse that admonishes us to live in such a way that our lives will please the Lord grips my heart.

Finally, we see in our focal passage two things that are so important, and they give us the foundation for pleasing God and getting along with people; even our enemies.

Those two virtues are unfailing love and faithfulness. Guard your heart to avoid having a proud heart, and to enable you to have a purposeful heart. In so doing, you will please God, and have favor with people.

Prayer:

Father God, we exalt Your Name. Father, we give you the highest praise from the depths of our heart. Father, we are so thankful for Your unfailing love, and faithfulness. Father, give us sufficient grace to cultivate those virtues in our heart. We pray together, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Listen to all of the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry