Actions speak louder than words. History over the past 2000+ years has been challenged to shun any of the works or words of Christ. Amazingly, it has not been done.
Yes, historical figures Moses – taking the Isrealites out of Egypt after they were forbidden from leaving. The red sea? The Isrealites walked on the ground that the red sea occupied. This has never been disproven.
We could go on with firsts. Lions den? Being swallowed alive? Being shorn when the secret to Samsons strength was in his ‘locks’; yet a simple prayer of faith brought it all to an end to the glory of God!
While here in body, Jesus asked His disciples Whom they ‘thought’ and/or believed He is/was.
There was much speculation about the form the Messiah would take when God sent him. Would he be a great warrior, sent to free Israel from Rome? In fact, he was much more than that. The jews did not expect that God would send the embodiment of Himself down to earth (who, after all, could imagine such as thing was possible?). Still, the Son of God did come to earth, and he sacrificed that life that would be with the Father. Praise be to our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ!
We pray:
Oh Lord God, I thank You that You sent Your Son to Earth. I pray for the wisdom to understand the ways that He taught, and for the strength to live them. Thank You Lord Jesus for Your sacrifice and for Your resurrection. May the Earth sing Your praises forever, and may each soul in this world know that You reign. Amen!
Beloved I pray with you; May God remove all your fears as you cry to Him today. May He arise on your behalf and rebuke the storms, the winds and the sea. May you begin to experience great calm and good success in Jesus’ name, Amen.
As you step out today and each of the remaining 66 day of year 2021, you shall march in to your destiny of astonishing, unexpected blessings. Your vision shall not be cut short, may God fill your heart with joy filled and peaceful expectation of the manifestation of God’s plan for you.
In prayer, we claim that you will be fulfilled in life, you will not plant for another to haverst, The Lord will take control of your situation, you will eat and be satisfied in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Yes! The Heavens unseen and the host of Heaven existed. And then, there was the “big bang” defines starts. But, the “big bang” was brought about by… The Creator of ALL seen and unseen. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model explaining the existence of the observable universe from the earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale evolution.
No one has everseen God! The unseen Spoke the seen into being.
The Bible tells us that no one has ever seen God (John 1:18) except the Lord Jesus Christ. In Exodus 33:20, God declares, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” These Scriptures seem to contradict other Scriptures which describe various people “seeing” God. For example, Exodus 33:11 describes Moses speaking to God “face to face.” How could Moses speak with God “face to face” if no one can see God’s face and live? In this instance, the phrase “face to face” is a figure of speech indicating they were in very close communion. God and Moses were speaking to each other as if they were two human beings having a close conversation.
In Genesis 32:30, Jacob saw God appearing as a man; he did not truly see God. Samson’s parents were terrified when they realized they had seen God (Judges 13:22), but they had only seen Him appearing as an angel. Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14) so when people saw Him, they were seeing God. So, yes, God can be “seen” and many people have “seen” God. At the same time, no one has ever seen God revealed in all His glory. In our fallen human condition, if God were to fully reveal Himself to us, we would be consumed and destroyed. Therefore, God veils Himself and appears in forms in which we can “see” Him. However, this is different than seeing God with all His glory and holiness displayed. People have seen visions of God, images of God, and appearances of God, but no one has ever seen God in all His fullness (Exodus 33:20).
The two Scripture passages that describe Satan before he fell are Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15. Satan was the “anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14). He was adorned with every precious jewel imaginable (Ezekiel 28:13). He was “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12b). Likely he was the highest of all angels. He was persuasive enough to convince one-third of the angels to join him in his rebellion (Revelation 12:4). Even after his fall from heaven, not even Michael the archangel dared to stand up to him without the Lord’s help (Jude 9). Satan fell because of pride. He did not like being “second best.” He wanted to be God: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain’” (Isaiah 14:13).
And we pray:
Prayer for the Filling of the Spirit Dear God, let your Spirit speak words of wisdom and guidance over my life today. You promised a Comforter who will be with me every step of the way to guide me and supply what I need. Be with me, Father. Help me speak the right words, make the right choices, and choose the right opportunities. Making decisions can be confusing. Holy Spirit, don’t allow me to make mistakes. Help me determine which direction will open the right doors and cause productive relationships to flourish. Amen.
Follow Your Ways Prayer Gracious Heavenly Father, your word says that you will always guide me. You do not leave me wandering through life, but you are with me during every moment of every day. You will satisfy my needs when I feel frustrated and you will strengthen me when life makes me weary. Help me to follow your ways as you lead me into a life of fruitfulness and joy. May I be like the well-watered garden which thrives because the roots are firmly planted in your love. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Prayer for Direction on Connections and Relationships Father God, I pray for guidance in my relationships. Please lead me to the right connections and friendships. Direct my path to cross with people who will help me grow in character and become better at my job and other skills and talents. Dear God, connect me with people who can lead and influence me in the right ways. My God, you know all things, so please create situations for me to get in touch with someone who can introduce me to a business or office that I can work at. Bless me with fruitful connections and friendships today, Amen.
Prayer for Spiritual Discernment God, teach me and give me spiritual discernment. May your Holy Spirit and your word direct me on the right path. Guard me from false teachings and incorrect understanding of your nature and your will. Guard me from the lies of the adversary. As I journey through this dry land, feed me and refresh me with your word and your wisdom. I am weak, but you are my strong tower. I trust your mighty power to guide me and keep me. Amen.
Direct My Steps Prayer God of all Truth, I spend so much time thinking, planning, and worrying about my life. Your word says that, although people plan their course in their hearts, it is you who establishes our steps. Help me to make you the center of my planning. I can do nothing without you giving me the strength to do it. I can plan nothing without you giving me the mind to plan it. The desires of my heart can only be satisfied in you. Direct my steps, Lord, to follow you. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Hold My Hand Prayer Faithful God, I confess that many times I lack common sense, or I fail to exercise it. I often lack knowledge of what to do, or I know but don’t do it. In these times, Lord, please hold my right hand. Keep me from stumbling or straying into danger. Be to me a faithful Father, guiding me with your counsel. Whom have I in heaven but you? And on earth, I desire only you. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Amen.
Teach Me Prayer God, you made me and you love me. My circumstances do not define me, my identity is as your child. Whatever I do today, your loving eye is on me and you have promised to counsel me. Help me to bring everything in my life before you. When I am uncertain, help me look to you. Instruct me and teach me, Lord, in the way that I should go and the paths that I should take. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Providence Prayer God, Creator of all things, you made me and you know me better than anyone else. You know me better than I know myself. Your eyes watched over my development in my mother’s womb and all my days are written in your book before I was even born. Help me to trust in your providence, Lord. You are my provider and protector. You are my wisdom and my light. Guide my thoughts, words, and actions as I live my life. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Hear Me Prayer O Lord, in you I have taken refuge. Listen to me and come quickly to assist me. Be my rock of refuge, the stronghold of my deliverance. O my rock and my fortress, lead me and guide me for the sake of your name. Free me from the snares laid out for me by the adversary, for you are my redeemer and my God of truth. I commit my paths, my decisions, and my well-being to you. Amen.
Millions of thoughts fly through our minds, day in and day out. A number of these thoughts excite us. Some of these thoughts unnerve us. But when our thoughts dwell on God and Who He is, we are filled with comfort and our hearts overflow with joy. God is the good that we should focus on. When we focus on Him, all other harrowing thoughts fade away and our hearts are filled with peace.
And we pray:
Dear God, there are times when I feel anxious as a result of my thoughts. Sometimes, I feel discouraged. But when I focus on You, Lord, all fear and doubt fades away. I only find rest when I fix my eyes on You. Lord, may You help me remain focused on You, no matter what thoughts come my way. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
It is amazing; our stories have been told. We exist to play the part we were created for.
Today, three of the world’s major religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — trace their roots to Abraham.
Adam and Eve
Okay, Adam and Eve are two people. But Adam and Eve really are inseparable. Even the Bible refers to them as “one flesh” in recognition of their coming from the same flesh (Adam’s) and being joined together again in marital/sexual union.
Adam and Eve are important because, according to the Bible, they’re the first two people in the world, and from them comes everyone who has ever lived.
The human drama begins when God forms Adam from the ground and breathes life into him. God then performs the first surgery, creating Eve from Adam’s side (a more literal translation than “rib”). Adam and Eve live together in Paradise (or what the Bible calls the Garden of Eden) until they disobey God by eating fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This act of defiance, called “The Fall” by many theologians, is a real bummer because from it comes painful childbirth, weeds in your garden, and, ultimately, death. Moreover, Adam and Eve’s disobedience introduce fear and alienation into humankind’s formerly perfect relationships with God and one another. As evidence of this alienation, Adam and Eve’s son, Cain, murders his brother, Abel.
Noah
Noah is most famous for building an ark — a giant three-decked wooden box in which he, his family, and a whole bunch of animals ride out a massive flood that God sends to destroy humankind for its disobedience. God chooses Noah and his family to survive the deluge because Noah is “the most righteous in his generation.” Noah is important not only because his ark decorates most nurseries in North America but also because, according to the Bible, if Noah hadn’t been righteous, none of us would be here right now.
Abraham
The Bible is filled with stories about people disobeying God. One notable exception is Abraham, a man who, though not perfect, obeys God’s command to leave his homeland in Mesopotamia and venture to an unknown Promised Land (ancient Canaan; later Israel). God promises Abraham that his descendants will become a great nation, through which all the people of the earth will be blessed.
The tales of Abraham and his wife, Sarah, are a roller coaster of dramatic events that repeatedly jeopardize God’s promise. Ironically, the biggest threat to God’s promise is when God Himself commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham sets out to do just as God orders, but right before Abraham delivers the fatal blow to his own child, God stops the sacrifice. As a reward for Abraham’s faith, God fulfills His promise to make Abraham’s descendants a great nation, as Isaac’s son, Jacob, eventually has 12 sons, whose descendants become the nation of Israel.
Moses
The Hebrew Bible describes Moses as the greatest prophet who ever lived, and for good reason. Moses is born during hard times for ancient Israel. They’re enslaved in Egypt, and their growing population so alarms the Egyptians that the Egyptian king orders all newborn Israelite males drowned in the Nile River.
Moses’s mother saves her son’s life by placing him in the Nile in a reed basket, where he is soon discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who ironically raises Moses in the royal palace. After he’s grown, Moses must flee Egypt for killing an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite slave.
Eventually, God appears to Moses in a burning bush and tells him that he must return to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from their slavery. With God’s help, Moses succeeds in his mission, bringing the Israelites to Mount Sinai, where God first appeared to Moses. At Mount Sinai, God gives Moses the Law, including the Ten Commandments. Moses eventually leads the Israelites to the edge of their Promised Land (ancient Canaan; later Israel), where he dies at the ripe old age of 120.
David
David is Israel’s second and greatest king. As a boy, David courageously defeats a mighty enemy warrior named Goliath with only a sling and a stone. As a man, David conquers all Israel’s enemies and begins a dynasty that would rule Jerusalem for nearly 500 years. But not all the news surrounding David is good. David perpetrates one of the Bible’s most heinous crimes: He commits adultery with a woman named Bathsheba, who’s the wife of one of David’s most loyal soldiers, Uriah. Then, to cover up the crime, David has Uriah killed. In David’s favor, when the prophet Samuel confronts David with his sin, David repents. Moreover, in God’s favor, God forgives David for his sin, but not without punishing David for his crime.
Beyond David’s royal exploits (and indiscretions), he’s credited with writing many of ancient Israel’s worship songs, which you can read in the Book of Psalms.
Elijah
Elijah is one of Israel’s greatest prophets, as well as God’s heavyweight champ in an epic bout against a deity named Baal (the Canaanite storm god). In order to prove to the Israelites that God is the only true God, Elijah gathers the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, where for the main event each deity is given a pile of wood with a bull on it. The god who can produce fire and consume the sacrifice wins. Baal goes first, and for half the day his prophets dance, shout, sing, and even cut themselves in order to convince their god to answer Elijah’s challenge. When their efforts fail, Elijah prays to God, who immediately sends fire down from the sky and consumes the sacrifice. The Israelites rededicate themselves to God, and they kill the prophets who deceived them into worshiping Baal.
Later, near the Jordan River, a fiery horse-drawn chariot descends from the sky and takes Elijah to heaven, but not before he appoints a successor named Elisha. Elijah’s atypical departure influenced later biblical prophets, who predicted that Elijah would return as a precursor to the coming of the Messiah. Because of these prophecies, Jews invite Elijah every Passover to usher in the age of the Messiah, and the New Testament writers associate John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus’s ministry, with Elijah.
Isaiah
Isaiah is one of the most influential prophets in the Hebrew Bible. During his career, Isaiah advises several kings of Judah, helping them to avoid being destroyed by the mighty Assyrian Empire (around 700 B.C.E.).
Beyond Isaiah’s political influence, he is a masterful poet, with many of his prophecies inspiring hope for eventual peace and righteousness on earth. Several of these prophecies were later understood by Christians to be predictions of Jesus, including the birth of Immanuel; the coming of the Prince of Peace, as quoted in Handel’s Messiah; and the suffering of God’s “Servant” for the sins of His people.
God will act as your refuge, your secret place, and will protect you if you just let Him. Let God into your heart and He shall open up all of His doors to you, allowing you to live in His almighty shadow.
And we pray:
Almighty and wonderful God, I am running to You with open arms. I was fearful of many things, but through You I have begun to lose my fear. Lord, I must Love You, and ask that You aid me in my desire to do so. Strengthen my will when I falter, and forgive me when I do. I ask all of this in Your name, Amen.
