<![CDATA[THE PRAYERFUL WORD - Devotions]]>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:24:20 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[God's Permits]]>Sun, 04 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/gods-permitsGod's power in our lives increases as our ability to understand His grace increases. He is constant, unchanging, unaffected by circumstances or passing time, unswayed by man's politics or economy. We are the ones who by seeking God, drawing near to Him, obeying the Word of God, yielding to the Spirit's leading, will see an increase of faith, a greater understanding of His working in our lives, an ever growing awareness of His presence through out the day.
Isaiah 48
v.12 Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first and I am the last.
v.13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; When I summon them, they all stand up together.
v.17 I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.
v.18 If you pay attention to my commands, your peace will be like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
v. 21 They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock and water gushed out.


The power of God's grace is only limited by the understanding and will of each individual. What we know of God is affected by what we accept from God. If we pick and choose what we like and discard what we don't, we will be closed off from the life-giving flow of the Spirit, leaning on our own understanding, dead in our trespasses. However, if we open up our hearts to all that the Word has, our hearts will be changed and our minds renewed to believe and receive that which is impossible with man, but "yea and amen" with God.

Isaiah 49
v.13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.

God's miracle-working power is only limited in each individual soul by the lack of spiritual vision of that soul. If we want to see what God has available for us, all we have to do is take the first step. God is already there, waiting to take our hand as we reach out for Him. He will lead us into places that will open up new vistas in our view of what lies before us. He knows we are dust, and He carries us to where we could not go on our own.

Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. (v.5) The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.

Ephesians 4
v.17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
v.22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
v.23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
v.24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

God respects free-will, the right of each person to accept or reject His miracle-working power. The simple, internal switch that each of us carries in our heart that is our will can put to a complete stop the awesome creative strength with which God made and placed each planet around its star, each star in its galaxy, and each galaxy within the universe. The simple little two-way switch that we have in our souls can unleash the life-altering miracles that repair relationships between people, that straighten twisted bodies and fix bent and broken lives and spirits, that brings life back to failing hearts and dead spirits, lifting us into the heavenlies to exist in eternity. By saying "yes" or "no" we can have the encouraging, life-giving flow of God's love bubbling up from within us to pour over into the lives of those we meet and care for, or we will have to end up with nothing to give but our own dead words and self-serving deeds. It is, in truth, our choice.

Isaiah 50
v.9 It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.
v.10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

Only the sincere desire of the soul gives Him the opportunity to bestow it. His desire is already, and has always been, to give this grace to each of us, each day, in all the fullness of His love. Remember, what God wills, happens; what He says, is established. The only question is whether we shut off and isolate ourselves from the flow of God. Others will open to the knock of the Spirit and God will use any yielded will. He gives each of us the opportunity to join -- let's flip that switch to "yes" and jump in. The water is fine and the company is great!

Psalm 69:
v.13 But I pray to You, O Lord, in the time of Your favor; in Your great love, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation.
v.16 Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me.
Loving and patient Father, thank You for staying with us as we dither in our uncertainty, debating whether or not we will act on Your Word. Forgive us our doubts and lack of confidence, in attributing to You the weaknesses we have learned to expect from people who have disappointed us. Grant us a fresh vision of Your absolute reliability that we may stand firm in our faith in Your promises and choose You as our Savior, Lord, and God, walking in Your power to show the love of God so needed and desired by the world.
3I27G00I
]]><![CDATA[The 'Will' of God]]>Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-will-of-god1401597Matthew 8:2 And, behold, a leper came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou art willing, thou art able to cleanse me.

Mark 1:40 One day there came a leper to Jesus entreating Him, and pleading on his knees. "If you are willing," he said, "you are able to cleanse me."

Luke 5:12 And it came to pass, in his being in one of the cities, that lo, a man full of leprosy, and having seen Jesus, having fallen on his face, he besought him, saying, 'Sir, if thou mayest will, thou art able to cleanse me;'
This may have been the first instance where Jesus healed a leper -- it is recorded in three of the Gospels. The man had no doubt about Jesus' power and authority over the disease. He had full confidence that the answer to his dilemma was found in the Son of God.

The only question this person carried with him was whether Jesus would be willing to heal him. As a leper, it was ingrained in him culturally that he was "unclean" and that he would make others unclean by his presence. It was socially acceptable for children to throw sticks and rocks at him or to set dogs after him if he was drawing too near for comfort.

Many times we know that God is all-powerful, but we find ourselves questioning whether He is all-caring. Will He care about the problem I am facing? it is too small to bother God about, so I'll handle it myself. After all, it was my fault it happened, so I'm just reaping what I sowed. I'll tough it out and not say anything about it. I don't want to burden anyone with my petty issues.

We can live on the outskirts of Christian society, isolated in our belief of our "uncleanness," kept from the comfort and healing of the Spirit that He sends through His body to knit us together. Or by gathering the same courage that the first leper mustered to approach someone who demonstrates the love and the power and the accepting grace of God on earth, just as Jesus did, we can find both the willingness and the ability to go before the throne of God and find the answer to our problem from our all-caring and all-powerful Father.

1 John 5
v.14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
v.15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

Gracious Father, caring and capable, we thank You for Your provision for us. Thank You that for those things we just cannot manage on our own, You bring someone who will stand with us and give us Your grace in prayer, in encouragement, in listening, in accepting, in believing. It is not that we are lacking in faith or knowledge or trust in You, Father, but it is that You choose to move through Your people. Just as one hand cannot wash itself, so one person is gifted by Your Spirit to minister to another and thereby tighten the bonds of love between us, as we lay down our pride and accept Your gifts through Your ministering servants.
4O21T12I
]]><![CDATA[The Joy of Delayed Results]]>Sun, 20 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-joy-of-delayed-results85281702 Corinthians 13
v.4 For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God's power we will live with Him to serve you.

Jesus disappointed so many people. He failed to fulfill the promise to which they held Him. He knew that many would feel their dreams and hopes shattering as they were dashed to the ground with His "trial," beating, mocking, and crucifixion. The fact that it occurred according to God's will, for a greater benefit than a mere earthly kingdom, and for all people rather than merely the Jews, frankly did not prevent pain and heartache among a people which had felt hope starting to swell inside after nearly being extinguished under enemy occupation and rule.
Have you, like so many of us, felt you have been given a divine promise, a desire and hunger in your heart to see something occur, and perhaps found yourself in a time when it seemed about to happen, only to suddenly find events taking a turn that seems to have ended the possibility you envisioned and into which you were prepared to throw yourself, heart and soul?

Is it possible that instead of hope being realized, that you may be in that seemingly interminable period that every gardener experiences? That time when you take out the seed that you have carefully protected and hoarded through the winter to preserve the life it contains and committed yourself by exposing it to the elements as you buried it in the ground where it would either perish or grow?

That time that, once you have committed your hopes and dreams, you cannot take back your actions and you realize it is out of your power to affect the outcome? That time of going to the place you buried the seed you held precious and anxiously checking to see what the result will be, only to turn away time after time after time with only barren, empty ground visible, until hope for your vision of fruitful, productive results begins to wither?

Is it possible that just as Mary went to the grave where she had seen her hope buried and instead she found her hope and promise and joy was alive and well in the form of the risen Lord, that you may be near the realization of your dream, the receiving of your promise, the fulfilling of your faith?

Isaiah 12
v.2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation."
v.3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Just as God had determined from before the foundation of the world that the plan of salvation would be started, planted in the appearance of weakness, so also He purposed that His redemption of creation would be completed in the demonstration of power. Nothing that flesh, the world, or the enemy planned or did altered the accomplishing of His will. With this work done, we know that the end will come to pass as we have been told in Scripture. The only choice left is ours. Will we have faith to follow where He leads, obey what He says, accept what He does? Will we endure?

Isaiah 14
v.24 The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand."
v.27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
v.30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety.

In weakness we serve, just as Jesus lived. He had no armies of men to send into battle, no treasures to spend on needs, He had only His will to submit to His Father God; when He did, God confirmed Jesus' obedience with signs following. We cannot demonstrate God's faithfulness if we carry the trappings of the world's success with us; we must be the poorest, the neediest, the weakest, the most foolish in man's reckoning for those watching to understand that it is God who is directing us, protecting us, healing us, strengthening us, speaking to and through us. We will end up being a disappointment, an embarrassment, a failure to those who know us after the flesh; but to those who are being saved, we will show the power of God unto salvation.

Isaiah 16
v.5 In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it-- one from the house of David -- one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

Just as the kingdom of God was not to be the earthly kingdom that many people expected from Jesus, even so the people of God will not be the earthly wonders that many people are looking for. The Body of Christ will move in love, because the world disdains love as the weakest of emotions. But it is in love, not might, that the throne of God will be established, and justice and faithfulness will proceed from it, and the power of God will be shown to the world.

Psalm 57
v.2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.
v.3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends His love and His faithfulness.
v.7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
v.10 For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
v.11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.
God of all strength, thank You for accepting us in our weakness. God of all wisdom, thank You for Your plan of salvation that leads us into redemption. God of all glory, thank You for making us useful for Your work. As we draw closer to You we become more acutely aware of our shortcomings and failures. Our cry from the heart to conquer all unbelief, all lack of trust, all the weakness, sorrow, pain, discord and conflict that hold us back from coming even closer to You is heard and, in Your grace and time, answered as we are able to receive it, growing in faith little by little, day by day, changing from glory to glory through Your spirit.
3I14U57A
]]><![CDATA[The Quiet Flow of the Spirit]]>Sun, 13 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-quiet-flow-of-the-spirit9667152James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Let God be your source in strength and in weakness, in plenty and in need, in health and in sickness, in peace and in turmoil.
When you look to God for strength to face responsibility and are quiet before Him, His healing touch causes the serenity and the peace of His Spirit to flow into your very being.

When in weakness you cry to God, His touch brings healing, the renewal of your courage, and the power to meet every situation and be victorious.

When you faint by the way or are distracted by feelings of inferiority, then rely on the touch of God's spirit to support you on your way. Then rise and go forth with confidence.
Father, I lay myself open to the healing touch of God today. Thank You for the strength You provide whenever I start to falter or to faint. In that strength, I renew my courage through communion and conversation with You, Lord, and rise up again, refreshed and healed, ready for the work You have for me to do today.
4O31F07O
]]><![CDATA[The Wise Still Seek Him]]>Sun, 06 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-wise-still-seek-him7313208Matthew 7
v.24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
v.26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Matthew 25:2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise
In times of difficulty, wisdom can make a difference in the outcome. The word "wise" is variously translated as "prudent," or "sensible." However, the word "foolish" is consistent through the different versions.

In each case the difference between the two groups of people has nothing to do with whether they accept Christ or not; one group is not described as "good" and the other "evil." The difference lies in what they do with their opportunities and their time.

Matthew 7:7 "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Those who heed the caution to "keep on keeping on" will reach the higher ground on the solid rock away from the floods; they will find they have sufficient grace, or "oil" to tide them over when strength or will-power is not sufficient.

James 4:17 Whoever knows the good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

If distractions, or "little" sins, occupy your time and tie up your energy, there will be no opportunity to develop that all-important relationship with Christ, our Head, our Master, our Shepherd. We must spend time to learn His voice, to practice obedience.

Time spent with God is never wasted. The more time you spend looking into His heart, prayerfully reading His Word, sincerely offering praise and worship, the better you know Him.

Matthew 10:40 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

He loves each one of us individually, and considers each single person to be uniquely valuable and precious, a treasure. He knows the numbers of our hair because He has gazed at us longingly, consuming all there is to know about us. He knows what we enjoy and what we dislike. He has prepared things for us that will bring us deep joy and incredible pleasure, tailored specifically to the person. He delights in bringing us delights.

What do we know about Him? Have we spent time longingly desiring to know more about Him, poring through Scriptures to understand how He thinks, learning what He likes, discovering what gives Him pleasure? Gaining an idea of how awesome and terrible in majesty is the One who desires us to call Him "Father," and "Abba/Daddy"?

Psalm 32:6 Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You at a time that You may be found. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him.
Father God, thank You for the Spirit of truth which guides us in the way we should go. Honor the desire of our hearts as we press in against the current to come closer to You and learn more about You. Thank You for making Yourself available if we simply take the time. We purpose to seek You while there is still opportunity; thank You for the wisdom to see the choices that are needed and the strength to make the right choices. We desire to know You as we are known by You, and to see You as we are seen by You.
4O24Q49O
]]><![CDATA[The Lord Who Transforms Us]]>Sun, 30 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-lord-who-transforms-usLet God attend to your needs. As you go about your day, as you give Him those moments of free time by saying, "Thank You," and acknowledging that He is, and that He is there with you, as events transpire, let God attend to your needs at the moment. He loves you, and has already given His Son, Jesus, for you; why should He hold back anything of lesser value from you? If you are worried about something, tell God about it -- He already knows of it and has an answer for it. If you are upset about something, talk to God about it -- He understands and will not be critical; after all, He loved you before you ever knew Him. If you are feeling fearful about something or for someone, take it to God. His love will counteract the fear you feel and give you a peace and an assurance that has no way of being explained by circumstances.
By talking to God, you are not telling Him something He doesn't know. You usually end up hearing yourself say something you didn't realize and you gain a new perspective on the issue. By vocalizing any concern or worry or fear or upset you feel, you begin to find a difference between what runs through your mind, and what comes out of your mouth. Some things solve themselves when you put them into words, other issues can be seen more clearly when they are expressed in the light of His truth. God is always there to hear, to listen, even when others are not available. He does not get His feelings hurt by anything you say, and He never misunderstands what you are telling Him.

The peace that comes from being able to fully express yourself without interruption, without misunderstanding, without criticism is deep and settling. God has what you need -- all you need to do is talk to Him about it. He loves you and will not withhold anything good from you. He has answers when you are puzzled. He has strength when you are worn out. He has rest when you cannot sleep. He has peace when you are in turmoil. He has a solid place to stand when things around are shaky. Just as a father is happy when his child comes to him to fix a problem rather than going to a stranger, so God is pleased when we turn to Him as our source for what we need.

Self-improvement is not what God offers. He is looking to help you achieve soul-improvement. At salvation, the seed of an eternal new life was planted in your heart and you were made a new being on the inside. Still the same body, still the same surroundings, but internally, where the eternal lives, God changed you and put new desires and new hungers inside. That is what stirs you up, brings up questions, causes you to see things in a new way, and at times puts you in conflict with your old ways. God is doing a work from the inside out, and He understands the changes you are going through. Turn to Him, talk to Him and let Him attend to your needs. All things will come to pass in God's timing -- all you have to do is walk with Him a day at a time. Let Him bury the past, and let Him prepare the future. He gives you the strength and wisdom needed for today.

Remember, as you communicate with God, sometimes with words, sometimes about things there are simply not words for, He understands. His Spirit is given to us to comfort us, minister to us, flow through us, and in doing so, He will sweep away the old things that block the joy, the laughter, the appreciation of nature's beauty and the simple pleasures of life. God created the world, and He said, "It is good." It is true that there is sin in the world, there is evil in the world, but they only coat parts of it -- they did not make it. God will restore the world, just as He has redeemed you. Work with Him, and walk with Him today, and let His changes show through you to others. Let us honor God for the gifts He has given us by letting others see the changes that only God could have made in our lives.

Psalm 3:3 But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
Loving Lord, each day You transform us to resemble Jesus a little more, in what we say and what we do. You are building a family resemblance that others can see when they look at us. We trust You, Father, to do us no harm but to help us in what we need to do. Be praised, Lord, by us and by those around us who see Your work, Your handicraft, in our lives. Thank You for attending to us, God, for meeting our needs in ways that are everlasting. Material things cannot support us, Lord, for they will break and fall apart, but Your love is always there and Your Spirit is never out of reach when we turn to You. Thank You for Your love!
4M03F45I
]]><![CDATA[The God of the Impossible]]>Sun, 23 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-god-of-the-impossibleThe belief that "everything is possible with God" (Matthew 19:26) is central to the growth and development of our spiritual walk. Those who decline to embrace this fact or avoid confronting the issue will endlessly skirt the topic and miss the great majority of blessing God is holding available for them.
The single most difficult-to-accept concept is that it is possible for God to change our way of living. In part this difficulty is because we have failed every time we have tried to change on our own, but "what is impossible for people is possible with God" (Luke 18:27). Once you find yourself walking in the truth of God's abilities, (and it is a truth that we are re-tested on at every level) we can more easily have faith for someone who may be struggling to move up to the next level as well.

For those who not only accept the fact but, having once experienced it, find themselves trusting in, clinging to, and depending on God's ability and willingness to do all things necessary to fulfill His promises (Luke 1:37), then that belief becomes so much more than a mere ladder; it is a grand ballroom spiral staircase that enables us to move from the lowest pit of despair and hopelessness to the sublimest heights of peace of mind.

When you see the change in another person by the grace of God, you cannot doubt that all things are possible in the lives of people through the strength that comes from faith in Him who rules us all.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm, let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

Job 14:15 You shall call me, and I will answer You: to the work of Your hands You shall reach out Your right hand with longing.
Great and glorious Lord, You are faithful and trustworthy in Your care for us. You have declared the number of our days, You have surrounded us with ministering spirits, and You have provided every spiritual blessing. We have only to trust Your provision and walk in it with obedience to the Spirit's leading and prompting. Wisdom and power are Yours, Lord, counsel and understanding, also. To You belong strength and victory, You reveal the deep things of darkness and bring deep shadows into the light. You keep close watch on all our paths, and give our feet protection from slipping by being fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. We turn from the sense of ease that weakens a soldier's determination not only to defend what has been gained, but to attack and drive the enemy back. With humility, Lord, we reject the contempt and judgment of others and seek to show only Your love to those we encounter. Unlike people who carry their god in their hands, Father, we cast ourselves whole-heartedly into Your hands which so easily encompass all that we are, all that we have, and all that we have hope of being. You are our source, O God.
3H24Q44A
]]><![CDATA[Ears to Hear]]>Sun, 16 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/ears-to-hearGod has much to say, and we have much to hear. Let us be slow to speak, and quick to listen. When we speak, let it be as the oracles of God, in fear and trembling, knowing it is not our wisdom or understanding, realizing that out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 Don't be impulsive with your mouth nor be in a hurry to talk in God's presence. Since God is in heaven and you're on earth, keep your speech short.

Let us be so attentive to hear God's words rather than man's words, that when we speak, it is from the fullness of God's heart, and our heart is motivated by the spirit of God. The words of God's heart and mind bring life and peace, but the words from our thoughts and feelings cannot lift up or encourage, strengthen or enlighten.

1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God...so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

It is such a blessing to hear someone, who has spent time in prayer and time in the Word of God, speak the truths which they have practiced walking in their own lives. By seeing the type of life they live, whether it is one of serving others or serving themselves, we can know whether the blessing and the strength of God is with them in what they do, and whether we can safely learn from them.

1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Father God, today we yield our mouths and our lips and our tongues to Your service. We desire to lift up others, encourage those around us, bringing strength and joy to the hearts of those we encounter. Thank You that we have Your Spirit with us to turn off the flow of salt water, bitter water and by Your grace let the sweet water of the Spirit of God flow from inside us. We keep our minds stayed on You today, and our lips filled with Your praise.
4M17G16I
]]><![CDATA[Who am I to do this?]]>Sun, 09 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/who-am-i-to-do-thisHave you tried to follow a path that feels right to you? Tried to do something that won't leave your mind and feels like the fulfillment of your heart?
When you see something that needs to be done, and no one is doing anything about it, do you wade in and start making it happen? Sometimes that is what you need to do. In particular, when it is one of your chores - mow the grass, take out the trash, pick up your things, wash the dishes, etc.

But what about the bigger things, the social injustices of the world, the economic plights of the country, even the hunger and health issues of a family you know about in your neighborhood? There are many needs that are not hard to find if we simply look up from the things that so easily distract us. Are they ours to do? Isn't there already someone doing something about them? Don't they have a program for that?

There will always be people willing to advise and direct you, but the ones who talk about the issues that you hold in your thoughts, the sorrows that burden your heart -- those are the ones whose words stay with you. They strike a chord inside you that resonates, and reinforces the passion you carry, the passion that you often never have the words which express what you feel to others intelligibly.

However, when you try to take steps to follow that passion, have you seen fruit come from it? Or has the hot, passionate blossom of expression wilted in the cold, frosty wind of others' indifferent reactions? Have you retreated into the safe isolation of daily routine, watching the changes of life occur about you and assumed that was "progress"?

It might help to know that you are not alone. This is the human condition, and each of us face the same problem. However, it may surprise you to realize what that problem is. If you feel that you simply need to muster the determination to push through the obstacles, heedless of opinions, until you see the results you need, you'll be a bit off target; if you decide that you only have to enlist enough resources, people and money to get the results that are required, you'll find the results are not what you expected.

Moses faced the same problem and dealt with it the same way that you and I do. Read his story in Exodus chapters 2 and 3.

Having a Hebrew boy brought up among Egyptian royalty gave the hard-laboring Israelites a reason to hope. They watched him for forty years, excitement growing each year, hope beginning to blossom as it appeared that the stories told from generation to generation of freedom and deliverance to come might be about to take place, only to have disappointment replace it when the man they had pinned their dreams on turned out to be a murderer and a fugitive, disappearing into the wilderness, leaving their lives of brutal labor filled with the added bitterness of  cruel heart-ache.

This is the burden Moses carried with him, never able to forget the expectations others placed on him, and the pain he had caused to so many with his failure. It is little wonder he sought the solace of isolation and embraced the busy solitude of shepherding to numb his own disappointment in himself.

He was so lost in the depressing routine of his own self-imposed exile, after the news of Pharoah's death, that a bush on fire only sparked a mild curiosity in him. And even when the voice of God spoke to Moses, revealing the Name of God, never before known, but henceforth to be used by all following generations, Moses could only say, "Who am I, that I should go?"

And he was right. His track record gave no reason for anyone to expect this to work out. But God gave the answer that matters. It was the answer that made the next forty years of Moses' life sustainable, and it made him the greatest hero of Hebrew tradition, exceeded only by the promise of the Messiah Who would be raised up later.

That same answer from God will make every difference in our lives, as well. It meets every need and makes every objection null and of no account, regardless of how publicly we fail or how hard we have fallen.

God said to Moses, "I will surely be with you," and He says that today to us. He has promised to be with us to the end of the age, and He has given His Spirit to watch over the word He gives us to speak so that it will perform all He intends.

If you have tested the waters and not found what you need, wait on God. His Word will stand, and He has not forgotten His promise or lost track of where you are. His presence is with you, and all you need to do is keep your eye on Him; stay where He stays, and move when He moves.
Lord God, thank You for Your faithfulness and endurance. You are trustworthy in Your power and faithful in Your word. Forgive us the times when we run ahead of You and trip, and encourage us when we lag behind, burdened with discouragement. Open our eyes to the sight of Your loving guidance and our ears to Your voice of compassionate mercy. We desire to be profitable to Your work and useful in Your kingdom, by the grace of Your beloved Son, Jesus. Amen.
9A26M02A
]]><![CDATA[God, Our Source]]>Sun, 02 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/god-our-sourceGod does not require perfection from us; He supplies it as we draw near to Him. God does not require that we make ourselves righteous; He supplies the robes of righteousness for us to wear.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

God knows we are flesh, for He made us. He understands the battle that rages between our loving desire to obey our Father and the demands and appetites that our carnal natures insist on, for Jesus was God made flesh, and lived among us without sin, though tempted in every way as we are.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

God calls on us love Him with all that is within us. Anything within us that does not bow down in submission, any thought that exalts itself against the Lordship of Christ, we reject and separate ourselves from, no longer claiming any part of that and no longer defending or supporting the source of those imaginations. Just as Lot fled the city before judgment fell, let us flee from the things, the sources, the imaginations, the pretensions, the arguments, the obstacles, the lofty opinions that rebel against God.

Hebrews 4:16 So let us keep on coming boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

God calls on us to draw near to Him. This places us under His protection and shelter where He can watch over us and give us the words to direct our paths and our actions, the encouragement to step out in the leading of His Spirit, the confidence to speak God's message of repentance and hope and acceptance and life to those hungry for His answers.

Psalms 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

God is our loving Father. He delights in having His children surround Him. Their noise and play and boisterous rowdiness does not displease Him. He treasures the unskilled drawings and the rough-made crafts that we present to Him. Do not be reluctant to offer Him the best you have simply because it is not as good as someone else's. Offered with a sincere heart made pure by the washing of the Word and the cleansing of the Blood, our praise, our worship, our lives are accepted as treasures before His throne with which He is deeply pleased.

Psalm 27:6 Now I will triumph over my enemies who surround me! I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy! I will sing praises to the LORD!

God rejoices in our sacrifices of praise. He would rather have a tuneless shout of joy than a harmonic paean from a cold, uncaring heart. He receives gladly a croaked "Thank you" sobbed through tears and congestion than an orator's high flourishes spoken without heart-felt meaning. God does not judge as man judges, for man sees only the actions on the surface whereas God sees the intents of the heart. Love Him and obey Him as best you understand. He will accept you and correct you with love and draw you nearer and entrust you with more.
Gracious Lord and loving Father, thank You that after You invited the rich, the powerful, the mighty of this world to the wedding banquet of Your Son, and they refused, turning the honor into a thing they despised, that Your grace and mercy opened the doors for us to come in and be accepted in the celebration dinner. We gladly receive the robes You provide for us to be accepted, for without Your gift, we would not have the means to be included. We honor You, O Lord, with our imperfect and unworthy, but heartfelt and sincere praise and thanks, for accepting into Your family.
4N03G24O
]]><![CDATA[Nothing Much]]>Sun, 25 Sep 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/nothing-muchNothing is very important. Nothing matters very much. Nothing has great value. Nothing is extremely critical.
Just so you don't worry, I've not suddenly become depressed and apathetic. Rather, I have been seeing the significance of things that I normally pay little to no attention to, and fail too often to have the proper respect for.

Go back and re-read the first paragraph, imagining the first word of each sentence to be something specific, whatever comes to your mind. You get a very different impression than you did the first time you read it.

Most ancient languages including Hebrew and Latin, when first written down, were strung together in an unbroken line: Itreadsomethinglikethis. What an amazing breakthrough by the early Irish monks who could visualize the impact of separating each word from the next by putting a space between them; just empty space. Nothing. Nothing makes it easier to read.

Numbers play a role in every business interaction and many personal one, as well. If you were Sumerian or Babylonian, your numbers would be stick-like marks that could be counted, but adding and subtracting was not quick. If you were Roman, you could admire the appearance of some numbers, but calculations were more a matter of memorization than actually working them out. Only after the concept of the zero was introduced by mathematicians in India, Persia, and Egypt did we gain the tools to actually do calculations on which are built the formulas for cars, planes, rockets, and so much more. All it took was a symbol for a lack of value. Zero. Nothing. Nothing makes it easier to do math. ;-)

In our lives, we sometimes have days that run from start to finish like old Latin texts without a dividing point between any two parts. We can take a clue from early Irish monasteries and find places to fit in a space to do nothing. This gives us time to be until it is time to do again. Nothing can relieve the stress of a long day.

In the spirit, we see that nothing brings God glory. In the beginning, the earth was without form and void. Empty. And God spoke into the emptiness and created goodness. Only God makes something from nothing. Everyone else modifies what already exists, but only God truly creates something from nothing.

What God has created, man cannot destroy. The scientific laws of conservation of matter and energy have resisted man's most focused efforts to destroy matter or energy; the most man can do is change it from one form to another, but the total amount of God's creation stays the same. Nothing changes.

When we try to bring our talents and skills and strengths to God and show Him what we can do for Him, it comes to nothing. He doesn't need what we have gathered from the world; He created it. God needs nothing from us.

Come to God with empty hands. Bring nothing to Him. Take pride in nothing when you stand before God. Let Him speak His Word into the emptiness of your heart and the chaos and void of your life. Let God create goodness in your life where previously there was nothing worth living for. Let the Word of God be what gives shape and substance to who you are, and give direction to what you do.

As we move in the new creation God has spoken into existence in our hearts and lives, let's continue making empty space. Turn out the resentments and hatreds, and let that emptiness be filled with God's love and compassion. Let the bad things of the world and our own human nature slip away or be forced out, and make room for the Holy Spirit to grow the peaceable fruit of righteousness as we spend time in God's Word.

May God give us grace to walk in His Word, and give Him thanks for nothing.
Father, nothing brings us closer to You than praise. We thank You for Who You are, and we love you. Thank You for living in our hearts and for filling our thoughts with You. We count ourselves as nothing before You, Lord, and ask You to create in us what You will. We love You, Lord.
4M27I43O
]]><![CDATA[Because He Hears Us]]>Sun, 18 Sep 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/because-he-hears-us4278775So many people have the same questions about prayer. It makes one start to think there might be a common source for all these doubts and concerns. "If God knows everything, He already knows what I am going to pray." "I can't find the time to." "I can't stay awake when I try." "I'm just talking to the walls." "It just bounces off the ceiling and doesn't go anywhere." "Things are going to happen the way they should anyway." They all boil down to asking, "Why bother to pray?"
Prayer acknowledges God's presence. Even when you talk to yourself, you are implicitly acknowledging that there is "someone" there, even if just yourself. Just so, when you talk to God, you are acknowledging that He exists.  The fact that God exists, the invisible, eternal Creator, makes Him the One deserving of praise and thanks for creating you and providing your needs. As you praise Him and acknowledge Him, you find yourself dwelling in His presence, for He dwells in the praises of His people.

Prayer demonstrates trust in God. When you bring your requests to God with thanksgiving, you are expressing your trust that He is able and He is willing to hear and answer you. You testify to all of the heavenlies and witness to those around that you believe God is the source of all you need.

Prayer exercises personal faith. When we start out in our Christian walk, we can often have faith for a few things, but not always for everything. God understands that and works with us as we grow. After we see God answer a few prayers, we begin to find that we have faith to believe Him for other, bigger things in our lives. Sometimes we get stuck when we start asking God for things that are not in His will for us, or for things which rely on other people's choices. While God is all-powerful, He willing limits Himself to respect our choices. Our prayers for other's choices follow the same limits God puts on Himself -- speak to their heart and arrange circumstances to bring about a decision point, then repeat as necessary. This gives our faith opportunity to grow as we continue exercising it in prayer for those around us.

Prayer keeps our attention focused. So often we get distracted by what goes on around us. The national news is bad, the financial news is worse, the news at work is uncertain, etc. Rather than focusing on the immediate things all around us, as we pray we are able to lift our thoughts to the heavenlies and focus our hearts on God. He is the eternal, unchanging reference point in our ever-changing landscape. He is our destination. We can pray about the events and happenings around us, near and far, but then we can turn back to God, get our bearings, and continue on course toward God our harbor.

Prayer frees God's hands to move in our lives. As long as we are trying to get God's work done in our own strength and wisdom, we will fall short in needed resources. To achieve God's desired spiritual results, our material goods and abilities will never be enough. Until we turn to Him who commands the full riches of heaven's glory, He will allow us to struggle on our own. His love for us impels Him to give us the space and opportunity to learn long-lasting lessons, always guarding that no harm comes to us, but never interfering until we have learned what we needed to grow to the next level. As we give Him permission to do it His way, we find answers that sometimes we didn't even know we were looking for.

Prayer changes us. God is eternal, unchanging, perfect and holy. We are malleable clay, in need of shaping. God desires us to reflect His nature, just as Jesus showed the Father to the world. Kids will often dress like, walk like, talk like their favorite singers or actors, occasionally to their detriment. Anyone that we spend time thinking about, listening to, dwelling on, talking to, we will find ourselves taking on the attributes of. Who is there more worthy of resembling than Christ Jesus? What reason can there be not to put all the time and opportunity we can into following Him around, dressing like Him in humility and righteousness, walking like Him in obedience to the Father, talking like Him with words of life and encouragement and forgiveness and mercy? Prayer keeps us in His presence; pray without ceasing.

This only begins to touch on the endless, bountiful, rich blessings which come from time spent in God's presence with our praise and petitions. Try it, and find your own reasons to add to the list.

Psalm 18:3 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

Read the rest of Psalm 18, particularly verse 6 to the end at verse 15. Then imagine that vivid imagery that King David used occurring on your behalf. It's like a fire truck, ambulance and police all responding to your call for help. Who can doubt God's love and His desire to have you call on Him, talk to Him, learn from Him?
Father God, Your arm is not shortened to the point we are ever out of Your reach. Your strength is never lessened to be unable to rescue us. Your ear is never deaf to our call and Your heart is never turned away. Thank You that You enfold us in Your arms every time we turn to You. Even Your loving correction, Lord, is preferable to the "tender mercies" of the wicked. We love You, Lord, and we do not hesitate to express our heart to You.
4M20G16O
]]><![CDATA[The Loving Shepherd]]>Sun, 11 Sep 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-loving-shepherdMatthew 9
v.35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
v.36 When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
v.37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
v.38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."
We are the sheep of the Lord; He is our shepherd. We are gathered in flocks and placed in pastures which give us the nutrition and the environment we need. The shepherd appoints caretakers to watch over us and guard us. We draw comfort from each other as we each trust the Shepherd of our souls.

We do not all need the same environment. Some are placed in high meadows near rushing water, some are in low fields by slow streams. As some labor with new additions to the flock and care for them as they grow and gain strength, shelter is provided and special accommodations are made in the spirit.

Genesis 29:7 "Look," Jacob said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."

Sheep need regular care and attention. In the morning, they need to graze; in midday, they need shade to rest under. By evening, they need to be brought in and watered and checked for any injuries and counted to be sure none have strayed.

In springtime, the winter coat of wool needs to be sheared so that the oppressive summer heat and increased insects and flies will not cause harm. As winter approaches, the flock needs to be checked and weaker ones may need to be put up in shelter and fed extra rations to get them through the harsh conditions.

Shepherds do not boast about the intelligence and aptitude of their sheep, but they do have caring relationships with their flock. It only takes a time or two of watching a flock of sheep follow each other down a trail and see each one jump over the shadow of a branch that extends across the trail simply because the one in front of them jumped over it before we realize that to be a flock under the care of the Great Shepherd says more about the Shepherd than it does about the sheep.

Genesis 29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep.

The Shepherd lays down His life for the flock. He knows each sheep individually, calls it by name, spends time making sure He has a personal relationship with each one and that each sheep will know and recognize His voice, distinct from all other voices that may be heard in a pasture or a marketplace.

The Shepherd watches out for the flock, looking ahead for new pasture and clean water, moving the sheep from one meadow to another, ensuring there is good grass and no noxious weeds, which some sheep seem determined to seek out and eat. If the flock stays too long in one meadow, illness can develop and parasites can become a problem, so a grazing rotation among fields is needed - the Shepherds sees to that.

When predators are near, the Shepherd remains vigilant and stays alert, watching for any incursions from outside and making sure none of the sheep stray. He gives up any time of rest so that the flock can rest easily.

Matthew 9
v.22 Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," He said, "your faith has healed you." and the woman was healed from that moment.
v.25 After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
v.29 Then He touched their eyes and said "According to your faith will it be done to you";

Turn to the Lord, in faith, knowing that as a shepherd, He has compassion for you and is concerned for all that troubles you. His desire is to have you rest in Him, find peace in your heart and mind as you let Him deal with those things that you cannot change. Let His rod and staff comfort you, knowing He can lift you from where you have fallen and extract you from what you are tangled in. He has balm for the wounds and cuts you receive during the day, and He is strong to drive away attackers. He carries you when you are injured or too weak to move with the flock, and He chooses to spend time with you and be your personal Shepherd and Savior. Accept the food He brings, the shelter He gives, the care He provides. He has your best interest at heart.
Lord Jesus, You are the Great Shepherd and we accept the care You give us. Thank you for searching for us and bringing us in from the storm when we could not find a way. We are often bewildered by all that goes on around us, but we listen for Your voice to give us peace and calm. When we hear You speak to our hearts and feel Your arms around us, we know we are safely in Your care.
4M13G10O
]]><![CDATA[The Caring and Keeping Mentor]]>Sun, 04 Sep 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-caring-and-keeping-mentorPsalm 6:1   O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
We are each of us wild and unruly, individualistic, convinced we know the right way and the proper method to get done whatever is needed. We each need to be domesticated, like a colt or a puppy. We have a strong will, but we do not have the strength to defend ourselves against the enemies prowling for prey. Sheep have been taken care of for so many centuries that they can no longer survive without care. Like sheep, we *will* serve a master; unlike sheep, we can choose which master we serve.

The master we follow will discipline us; one with loving care to bring out the best in us and the other to subvert us and feed upon us. By yielding to God's discipline and loving rebuke, we find the right way to walk, the life-bringing way to behave. His love will not fail to correct us, but His correction will never be without love.

Psalm 6:2 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

Have you found yourself worn down with a worry, a concern, that you have carried too long? Your time and energy have gone into it, but has not fixed it or changed it? God gives us the free will to walk till we drop, or to hand it over to Him from the very beginning. He will never let anything do us true harm, but He will let us learn true lessons at whatever pace we choose. He is always by your side, ready to accept the burden when you truly understand that your strength has limits, your endurance is not infinite, your needs cannot be met out of your own resources; He is gracious and loving in His assistance, never shaming or condescending, always uplifting and encouraging.

Psalm 6:3 My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?

For the things that are to be endured, things that are not going to change, God provides grace, undeserved favor, unearned strength and acceptance. The condition of our heart, the joy of our salvation, the appreciation of the people around us is not dependent on our circumstances, but on understanding the truth of His Word and accepting the riches of His Spirit. Turn to Him daily, hourly, moment by moment; you will never find His supply diminished or your needs unmet. His loving care is always present in sufficient quantity to meet your need with enough remaining to share with others facing their own struggle.

Psalm 6:4 Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

The victory we seek is the mastery over ourselves. Overcoming our own tendencies, our own patterns of thought, our own viewpoints and learned behavior is the goal for which His discipline equips us and trains us. God's kingdom is planted in our hearts and it grows and develops in our souls. He is faithful to guide us as we battle our thoughts and desires, bringing into submission thoughts that try to separate us from His love by turning us from His truth, and conquering those behaviors that do not bring honor to the One who is deserving of all honor for what He so freely gave to us.

Psalm 6:9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.

Simply knowing that you are accepted in the Beloved and have a place in the family of God is without price or value. From being chased and hounded by every passing shadow to being loved and cared for, defended and supported by the One whose love knows no bounds brings peace to the mind and praise from our hearts. Give voice to that praise, and find others who can testify to the same thing so that together you can magnify and exalt the High and Lifted-Up Lord, the King of all Glory, the one who holds you in His hand and speaks love and comfort specific to your needs.

Ezekiel 37:14 You shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.

Be assured that what God has spoken will come to pass. His word and His promise is true -- He cannot lie. Go to Him and receive His promises for good; do not be like those who perish by turning away from Him and receiving the promises of destruction for those who rebel and reject His love. God will be acknowledged -- let's accept His discipline, walk in His ways, show forth to others the love we receive from His hand, and give acceptance to those who believe.
Lord God, thank You that You are a just God as well as a loving God. Thank You that You not only watch over us to do us good and keep us from harm, but You promise to deal with unjust people and situations, in Your own time and in Your own way. We know that You take no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, and that Your desire is to see all come to salvation and receive redemption. Thank You for Your training and growth in our hearts that prepare us and train us to accept those who have hurt us, if they show the fruit of repentance and accept that same outstretched hand of Love that was offered to us. Thank you for the strength and the love to rejoice with the angels over all that come to know Your salvation.
4M06F52O
]]><![CDATA[The Light of Life]]>Sun, 28 Aug 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-light-of-lifeIn the short, often cloudy, days around the end of the year, we often find ourselves longing for daylight, for bright sunshine. It is something we enjoy having, and something we miss when it is in short supply.
While there is beauty in a colorful, lingering sunset, and a brilliant, cloud-splashed dawn brings renewed hope and joy, and even a dark, flower-fragrant, star-filled summer evening can bring relaxation after a long, work-filled day, we gain more benefit from clear direct sunshine than we often understand.

In the most basic forms, the light from the sun is used by green leafy plants to produce the nutrients all animals need, directly or indirectly, for nourishment and continued life. We not only benefit from the eating of the plants and animals, but we also have needs that are met by direct exposure to the light, as well.

From the complex, but enjoyable, process our bodies follow to create the critical immunity-boosting hormone vitamin D when sunlight hits our skin to the subtle but essential regulation of our circadian rhythms which allow us to enjoy restful sleep and maintain emotional balance, sunlight brings us life and maintains our health and well-being.

Some life, however, grows in places without direct sunlight, not using the direct rays of the sun. These lifeforms exist on the products of decay and the breakdown of once-living plants and animals. Direct sunlight is to them, at best, something ignored and, at worst, something destructive.

God's sustaining grace and unconditional love is shed abroad, as is the sunlight, on the world. All who will are free to partake and enjoy the benefits. There are those, however, who shun the light; some from distaste, some from misplaced fear, some from ignorance.

We who have accepted the redeeming gift of salvation purchased by Jesus and offered freely to whosoever will have that love, that life-giving light available to us to share freely and generously to those around us. As ambassadors, as His arms outstretched, we go into the dark places built to shut out the light, and we bear witness of that light, testifying to the newness of life, joy, purpose, direction, hope, strength, love that is lacking in the limiting lifestyles available without the light of the Lord.

John 5:6 Wilt thou be made whole?

Jesus did not ask for a reason why that man was still by the pool of Bethsaida after 38 years. He simply offered unconditional acceptance and grace when He saw the hunger and the faith in the man's heart. May we also bear His grace to others in the simplicity of His love.

Isaiah 40:31 Those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.

The life-giving light of God, as we draw each step closer to the heart and the throne of God, brings greater benefits as it grows stronger in our life. As we are given greater tasks to do, so we must draw deeper on the Spirit to find the resources to achieve them. This need for more of God encourages us to keep less of ourselves.

Revelation 21
v.9 ...Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
v.10 ...and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
v.11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, likae a jasper, clear as crystal.
v.23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp.

Our ultimate goal to become transformed into the image of Christ, a Body that is responsive to its Head as a trained athlete's, a bride without spot, blemish, or wrinkle, found by the Father to be worthy of the Groom.

Proverbs 31
v.10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
v.11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
v.12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
Father of lights, we rejoice that You have brought us out of the darkness of the soul and led us into Your light-giving life. We thank You that Your transforming Spirit has fashioned us into tools You deem fit for use in Your work as the Master Craftsman. Lord, we humbly acknowledge that we are earthen vessels bearing the glory of Christ and we point to You in all we do and say, asking only that You receive the glory and the praise. Be lifted up today, Lord, as we walk in Your life and speak Your word into the lives of those You bring us to.
3L30G31U
]]><![CDATA[The Influence of His Presence]]>Sun, 21 Aug 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/the-influence-of-his-presencePsalm 142
v.3 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who know my way.
v.5 I cry to You, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of living."
v.6 Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.

v.7 Set me free from my prison, that I may praise Your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of Your goodness to me.

We can lose our way in many situations. We can be distracted from our focus on God, our connection in Christ, both by want and by surplus. Our spirits will grow faint when we fail to wholeheartedly seek God at the start of the day, throughout the day, at the close of the day, and in the night when sleep leaves us for a time.

If we feel we are facing a shortage of what we need, our minds can try to take over, working out ways for us to get what we anticipate needing. How often do we find, afterwards, that God allowed that particular resource to run out since He was taking us in a different direction and we didn't need any more of it?

Our souls can become complacent, relaxed, settled in, if we see what appears to be a surplus, a predictable provision, a visibly reliable source available for our needs. However, it is our spirits that God has prepared a rest for; our souls must stay active, working, dealing with daily issues to be healthy and appreciative of all God gives us. When God pours out an abundance into our lives, it is for a work He has trusted us to do. What comes into our lives will have a place to be given out to others, not stored and consumed by our own appetites.

No matter how our focus drifts, we can come back into relation with God by turning our backs to the attitude and way of thinking that distracted us and start once again crying, praying, talking to God. His Spirit guides us as we seek Him and His love meets us as we yield to His authority and direction.

Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

We leave an influence behind us, no matter where we go. Into every situation that we are a part of, we inject a sense of who we belong to and follow. Others are affected by our presence, whether we have evidence of it or not. This is why it is so important to be close to and current with God throughout each day, actively, desperately, in a disciplined way, pressing closer to Him against the current of the world's distractions.

God places us into circumstances not of our own making so that we can bring His solution rather than become part of the problem. In His typical fashion, He leads us to ignore evil rather than actively fight it. Instead, He equips us to encourage and build up rather than tear down. By our example we can show others that happiness is a by-product of living the right way, not the object of a search. The power of our example is always greater than the result of what we say. Let our lives reflect the God who lives in us, making us different from the world, and showing the transforming presence of His love and grace.

Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Father God, You are always with us and Your resources are within our reach -- we only need to ask. You are gracious and generous and lavish in Your gifting and provisioning of our lives, Lord. We bless You and thank You and praise You. It is not by our might, or is it by our power that change occurs, O Lord. Rather it is by Thy Spirit that miracles are wrought and lives are changed and hearts are renewed. We pray that we will be attentive to the small things You direct us in, for that is where the true power of heaven lies, just as it did in a manger long ago. Thank You for the many small ways You work in our lives and the lives of those around us.
3L23G15U
]]><![CDATA[A Shift in Direction]]>Sun, 14 Aug 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/a-shift-in-directionThe goal of life is not happiness, and the purpose of life is not the search for happiness. Happiness is the result of right living and right living involves doing what is right in service to others
Daily we take in what we surround ourselves with, and by nature as well as habit, we share it with those around us.

We all know people who are enjoyable to be around and seem to effortlessly make those near them feel better, encouraged, uplifted.

If we do not find ourselves having a similar effect on those around us, we may need to give a careful look at what we spend our time thinking about, listening to, and watching.

A small shift in direction, a simple desire in our heart to be nearer to God, from Whom comes every good and perfect gift, is always honored by the Spirit of God.

There is no better example than Jesus, the Son of God, who followed a life of service, and was obedient to His Father, even to the death on the cross. Through giving Himself for us, His service brought forgiveness of sins to all who know Him and happiness, peace, and joy to those who follow Him.

Hebrews 12:2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.

Are you looking for a way out from under the shadow that seems to be over your days? Look into what the Bible says and you will find the answer to your greatest problem. Follow that answer and you will find that you have a way to be of service to others who face the same problem. Before you realize it, you will find that happiness is present in your life without having to search for it.
Loving God, You know where each of us are living, and You have the answer for what we struggle with. Thank You that we do not have to work our way to where we can find You, but instead we simply have to want You. You meet us where we are, work with us as we are, and deal with us as You see we can be. When those dull, gray days come, Lord, we keep trusting Your promise to be with us, and we know You will bring Your light into our life with the joy of Your presence and the peace of Your comfort. Thank You for Your love which reaches all the way to our hearts
3L16G17U
]]><![CDATA[Trust in Word and Deed]]>Sun, 07 Aug 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/trust-in-word-and-deedTrust in God. When He speaks to you through the personal, intimate, inner voice of the Spirit, and you hear Him confirm it through the many different sovereign ways He can use, through the Word as His Spirit opens it and makes it life to you, through the body of believers as they are moved by the Spirit, through mundane or secular channels as God's Spirit quickens it to your spirit, trust God and obey Him.
Joel 1:14 Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

If God directs you to release something that blocks you from drawing closer to Him and enjoying a fuller and deeper relationship, trust Him that He is not arbitrary or malicious; trust Him that He wants only good for you and has better things to offer in exchange for what you give up; trust Him that His love and mercy will not strand you part way but will give you the strength and endurance to walk it through to the end.

Joel 2:13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.

If God directs you embrace a challenge that will draw you deeper into communion with Him and build you up in faith and power of the Spirit, trust Him that He will be with you each step; trust Him that His arm of might will undergird you at all times; trust Him that He will not require more of you than He knows you are prepared to face and that His grace, working through you, will be sufficient.

Psalm 128
v.1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.
v.2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours.

If God directs you through a spiritual battle or into a fiery trial for yourself or for others, trust Him that His Word is true and no weapon formed against you will prosper; trust Him that when you walk through the flame, you will not be burned nor will the fire kindle upon you; trust Him that the victory is already won and that he who endures to the end, bearing the praise of God on his lips, will receive the reward He has promised.

Joel 3
v.10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!"
v.11 ...Bring down your warriors, O Lord!
Father God, we trust You today. In both word and deed, Lord, we show to those around us that Your Word is true and You are trustworthy in daily issues, and in life issues. We will be bold in You today, O Lord, that You may receive praise and glory. Thank You for backing Your Word with Your resources for it is to Your honor we seek to walk in obedience to Your will.
3L09G38U
]]><![CDATA[Soul Satisfying]]>Sun, 31 Jul 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/soul-satisfyingPsalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him!

Are we picky eaters, or do we know anyone who is? Do we find ourselves trying to limit what we will accept? Do we have a small comfort zone that controls what we receive? When our children want to limit their diet to only a few specific food groups (chocolate, cookies, chips, cereal), we may, for a time, allow it, and give them a chance to grow out of it on their own.
But if we see they are not getting the necessary nutrition, in love and concern for them, we will then start helping them try new tastes and textures, new flavors and consistencies. It usually requires several times of trying the same new food before it becomes accepted, so we don't give up. We may dress broccoli up several different ways until we find one that works, but we keep presenting it in small doses until it is a part of our children's diet

Open your heart to what the Spirit has to say when you read the Word. God will confirm what He wants to show you. Take your time and savor what God is giving you; test it against scripture and share it with others. God's word will not return void.

John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

What joy it is to come directly to the Father with requests, needs, intercessions that others have given us or the Spirit has spoken to us. As we stand before His throne and see how awesome and full of splendor He is, with hosts of ministering spirits coming and going and doing the Father's will, we can feel dwarfed, insignificant, unworthy, out of place, undeserving.

But the Spirit reminds us that the Son, there at the Father's right hand, offered up His own blood as atonement for our sins which were excluding us from the throne room, and the Father accepted the price as payment in full, complete and eternal, nothing lacking, totally sufficient to meet the need for all time. This gives us the boldness to step forward when He beckons and be recognized from the throne of heaven as we stand with petitions in Jesus name. Jesus acknowledges us from the Father's right hand, and God answers us -- a privilege unparalleled, and an honor unimagined.

Colossians 1
v.15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
v.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

We learn so much better when we have an example to follow. God did not send His Son in a way that attributed majesty to Jesus in front of the world powers, but in a way to allows us to see how to walk out God's will in our own life.

Jesus grew into the ministry God assigned, that which only Jesus could do, and took nothing upon Himself except what God gave Him. Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered, and trusted completely that what the Father provided would be sufficient, even though for Him, it meant no job, no house, no transportation, no wardrobe, no predictability of meals, no certainty of material provision, and a painful, shameful death.

Other examples, other people, are included in Scripture to show us what *not* to do, how to deal with the consequences if we fail to follow the example of God's Son, and what we can expect if we endure to the end and hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master's happiness!"

John 16:12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear."

There will always be unanswered questions in life. questions that trouble the mind and can cause turmoil in the soul. The Bible does not provide all answers in life -- only the ones we need for salvation, which is our greatest need, and a living, growing relationship with God through His Son. The Scriptures are not a history textbook or a science manual. They are a description of God's love for us, a wilderness survival manual, and a pilgrimage guidebook showing us the way to where we are going.

Since we have such a demonstration of how thoroughly God addresses issues we have a pressing need to know, can we have faith that what He does *not* tell us are the things that we do not yet have need of and that we are not yet ready for, lest we be distracted from the battle we are in to survive our journey through a wilderness containing those hostile to us?
Father God, glorious and loving, what great love You have lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Jesus. But we know Your Son, and He knows us, and He is not ashamed to call us brethren, if we obey His commands. We turn from our efforts to find fellowship and satisfaction in the world's systems and turn to You, Lord, to meet our needs and bring us the desires of our hearts. You are faithful, Lord, and we rejoice in Your presence with our brethren. Thank You, Jesus!
3L02G04U
]]><![CDATA[Life In The Lord]]>Sun, 24 Jul 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/life-in-the-lordOur walk with God is one of growth and change, adding and increasing in the things of God, decreasing and dropping the things of the flesh, our old nature, that to which we died through baptism into Christ's death and resurrection.
Romans 6
v.2 ...We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
v.3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
v.4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
v.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
v.6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
v.7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
v.8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
v.9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
v.10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

As we walk in the new life of the Spirit, we find wells and springs of living water bubbling up and available for us to share and pour out into other people's lives in encouragement and support and prayer. We see abundance of life, fruit, healing, all evidenced where the Spirit is welcomed and accepted.

Ezekiel 47
v.9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.
v.11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.
v.12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.

As we seek to make Christ Lord in our lives, words of life are present to speak to others, words spoken with humility and love, whether accepted or not. When accepted, we can see burdens fall off, spirits lift, hope bloom, strength return.

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

Be sure to Include yourself. Let the words of life, the Word of God, minister in your own life. Speak His truth over yourself.

Matthew 22
v.37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
v.38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
v.39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

Let the hope, the comfort, the strength and joy that your spirit, soul, and body needs be provided by the Spirit and spoken in faith by your voice.

2 Corinthians 4:13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,

Psalm 116
v.8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
v.9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
v.10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

Affliction is the other side of the coin. This is not primarily physical circumstances as it is spiritual discipline. To walk closely with God in the world is to endure persecution from His enemies. To press in closer to God is to submit to His training and discipline just as an athlete enters training. To engraft His word into our hearts and minds is to cling to the Spirit at the cost of our personal desires.

Psalm 119
v.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word
v.71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees
v.75 I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

Daniel understood the discipline involved in walking with God and remaining faithful to what He has taught.

Daniel 1
v.8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine
v.12 "Please test your servants for ten days"
v.15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food
v.17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds

Now, eating their veggies didn't put them at the head of their class. But their faithful obedience to God's Word allowed God to use them in other, greater ways later on. Denying ourselves what we want when God directs us another way opens the door to His blessings in ways we cannot imagine.
Lord of our lives, only You can see what we will face and only You have prepared the resources to meet the fiery trials that come our way. Draw us by Your spirit to a closer walk with You that we will be sheltered by Your wings, defended by Your love, and strengthened by Your Word in all that we encounter today.
3K25G21O
]]><![CDATA[Dying to Live]]>Sun, 17 Jul 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/dying-to-liveEzekiel 37:25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob...and David my servant will be their prince forever.

This promise is in the midst of a larger passage which begins with the vision of the valley of dry bones. In chapter 37 God expresses His heart by describing what He will do for His people and how He will show His love for them.
Ezekiel 37
v.14 I will put My Spirit in you and you will live
v.23 I will save them...and I will cleanse them
v.26 I will make a covenant of peace with them
v.27 My dwelling place will be with them

Now, to the Jewish people living when Ezekiel spoke these words of encouragement, the promises meant leaving the land of captivity when time was fulfilled and returning to the geographical location that they had been removed from. And when that happened just as God had promised, the Hebrews, as well as the nations around them learned "that I the Lord make Israel holy" (v.28)

The promises in the Scriptures are for us today, as well. After Ezekiel spoke them to the people around him and the events took place as promised in the natural world, the scriptural record of it gives us confidence when we read it that God can and will complete His promises again in our lives, this time in our hearts and minds, our souls and spirits.

The land that God gave Jacob was called Israel. Jacob himself was renamed Israel by God. After he spent the night wrestling with the angel of God and prevailed, he was given the new name to celebrate the change in his nature. The schemer and supplanter, Jacob, changed to Israel, one who prevails with God.

Genesis 32.28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."

We, too, have struggles within ourselves. We fight to overcome our own nature as we seek to obey God. Our heavenly Father knows what we struggle against and He says "I will put My Spirit in you and you will live." We can change from the self-centered perspective where the universe centers around ourselves to the Christ-centered point of view where we follow the Lord's lead and serve.

Psalms 116
v.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
v.16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant...You have freed me from my chains.

Dying to ourselves, crucifying our old nature, simply saying "No!" to the desires and appetites for things and status, rejecting the habits of how we think and react, always looking to God, daily seeking through His Word, asking continually until we receive the strength and understanding and vision to defeat the persistent challenges our minds and bodies throw against our attempts to walk in obedience to the Spirit of God -- that, also, is the death that the Lord holds as precious. Our choice to follow Him, our walking out, day by day, moment by moment, practicing His presence, drawing strength from the Word, the Spirit, and the Body, honors the Father as we choose the gifts He has paid for us to have.

Now, too often, after we have started well, we find it easy to move into a set of rules that guide us. It is, after all, easier to remember to do certain things than to always turn our eyes back to God and ask Him what His heart is. Legalism lets us run on automatic and focus our attention on things we enjoy around us rather than letting them go, giving our time and attention to God and asking each day, "How do You want me to walk out Your will today?"

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Micah 6.8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Luke 10
v.27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' ”
v.28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

God makes it simple: Stay off the throne. Don't be self-centered. Love God and express His love to those He brings to us. Be a clay vessel carrying His treasure to pour out into others' lives. But just like keeping tabs on a quick, quiet three-year-old who is determined to go where we have said not to go, we have to constantly watch or we'll find our nature trying to climb back up where we don't belong.
Father God, thank You for giving us Your Son, Jesus, who like David, the shepherd, cares for us, gave Himself for us, and constantly intercedes for us. Our confidence and trust is in You, Lord, that You will work out Your plan in our lives. Help us to be wise about the things of God and simple-hearted in our trust of You, for You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before you Lord, in the land of the living. I will call upon You as long as I live.
3K18G26O
]]><![CDATA[Seek Him While He May Yet Be Found]]>Sun, 10 Jul 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/seek-him-while-he-may-yet-be-foundEzekiel 20:42 Then you will know that I am the Lord

This is the focus of God's interaction with every one of us. He purposes to be known as the Sovereign Lord in each of our lives and His majesty and worth will be acknowledged by His entire creation.
God's work in our individual hearts is first to draw us by His love so He can shelter us under His wings when His judgment is executed on the powers of unrighteousness. He is not willing that any should perish, and He has paid the price so that each one would be able to find his way to safety in God's mercy and love, if we so choose.

However, as with our children, some will not be drawn by ties of love and care. Some are too focused on their own interests to hear the call. Some are angry over perceived "unfairness" and refuse to acknowledge the tug on their heart. Some are influenced by those outside and change their allegiance.

God never tires when seeking His sheep. The Spirit is always working, speaking to hearts, using circumstances, never relenting from the search. As we enter into the work of the kingdom of God, aligning ourselves with the heart of God, He empowers us to minister to others as we draw near to Him.

Hebrews 10
v.19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
v.22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith
v.23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess
v.24 let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
v.25 Let us not give up meeting together, ...but let us encourage one another

God calls us in our weaknesses, so that the work which is done is clearly by God's hand and not ours. He ensures that He *will* be known as the Lord in all that is accomplished. Therefore, He reveals His plan to those who realize they do not deserve it or have the means to do it, and He spurns those who attempt to do God's work out of their own strength, skill, and resources.

By God's encouragement, we step out in faith. Through the Body's support and ministry, we are strengthened in God's service. When standing on the Word of God, we find the victory in our own lives and in the lives of others as God watches over His Word to perform it.

Hebrews 10
v.16 I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.
v.17 Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.

As we grow in relationship with God, He equips us for a life in the spirit. He removes our doubt and uncertainty and replaces them with faith and confidence in Him. He removes our sensitiveness and replaces it with a healthy self-respect. He removes our self-centeredness and replaces it with a real interest in others. He removes our criticism and judgment of others and replaces it with a desire to encourage others, build them up and see them succeed in their walk with God.

He removes our resentments and gives us an open willingness to invest ourselves in others without recompense. He removes our sense of inferiority around others and gives us a willingness to step up and accept responsibility beyond our resources, realizing we can trust God to see us through. His book of remembrance will show our growth in His grace, not the weakness of our flesh.

Psalm 108
v.12 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
v.13 With God we will gain the victory and he will trample down our enemies.

As we win the separate battles over our carnal nature through obedience to God, walking into the holiness and perfection that Jesus prepared for us by His sacrifice, we find that we often come under attack from the outside, as God's enemy seeks to intimidate us into departing from the path by which God is leading us.  No self-help book or seminar will help us in this. It requires the truth of God's Word, illuminated by God's Spirit. The finished work of the cross that Jesus accomplished is where we find the victory. God will be acknowledged as Lord by both sides when He completes His work in us.

Hebrews 10
v.35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
v.36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
v.37 For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.
v.38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."
v.39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Almighty Lord and God, Whom we accept as our loving Father and acknowledge as our trustworthy Redeemer, thank You for making a place for us in Your plan. We confess that Your grace keeps us, Your love lifts us, and Your mercy covers us. Without Your joy we have no strength, no hope. Accept our praise, worship, and adoration, we pray, not because we are the ones who give, for truly, all will eventually confess it. Accept it because it is given willingly to the One Who is worthy to receive it.
3K11K03O
]]><![CDATA[Is It Time Yet?]]>Sun, 03 Jul 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/is-it-time-yetDo you have a lack or a shortage in your life somewhere? Do you feel you are missing an essential element or ingredient? Have you sought the Lord for it, spending time in His presence bearing this question to His throne without receiving what you have sought?
Do not let a continuing absence of what you are seeking from God be a hindrance or stumbling stone in your relationship with God. He gives us what we need, always, willingly, gladly, freely, generously, unreservedly. He has already given us His Son, whom He loves above all else; why would He hold back some trifle?

But why, then, have you not received what you are seeking? Many possible reasons exist; we learn of them as we grow in our spiritual relationship. We may not be ready for a particular thing, or *we* may be ready but God is still working to get others ready. The people of Israel did not go into the Promised Land until they all were ready, forty years after Caleb and Joshua were ready. I can picture the two men, as they grew older, continuing to go through the tribes, organizing children's groups to teach them faith in God's promises because they didn't want to wait another forty years!

Part of God's work in our lives as He moves us toward spiritual maturity is training us to seek Him for who He is rather than for what He does. Waiting on Him is not an impatient fretting, nor is it a passive resignation, but rather an attentive, active focusing on Him, learning of Him, absorbing from Him of His nature and passion so that we might serve His purpose rather than serve our time as though it were a punishment or prison sentence.

Invaluable training is obtained as we are tasked by God to do His work with perceived shortcomings. "Lord, I can't do that, I don't have ____." Jesus sent the disciples out with power over the spirits and told them to preach the gospel and heal the sick, but not to take the usual traveling necessities: no money, no change of clothes, no food. They came back rejoicing, having seen the power of God moving in peoples' lives as they spoke the Word in obedience. They were no longer complaining about what they didn't have because their needs were met as they went.

When the disciples grew tired of the crowds following Jesus and wanted some of His time for themselves, they asked Him to send the people away, for their own good, of course, since they were bound to be hungry. Jesus, responding in compassion, told the disciples to feed the people themselves. The disciples were alternately puzzled, frustrated and angry because they were well aware of their inability to do what Jesus told them to. He then gave them directions, and again showed them that their source is not in what they have but in Who they know.

Is there something that you perceive as missing or lacking in your life? Look to God and ask Him for direction, expressing your willingness to obey His leading, and prepare for an adventure in the spiritual realm as God moves in your life, and the lives of others around you.
All-sufficient Father, we speak our trust of You from our hearts and acknowledge your faithfulness and loving provision in our lives. We confess our sometime doubt as we have waited for answers, and we magnify You for Your lovingkindness and forgiveness. We look not to Your hand and what it can give but rather to Your heart and what it expresses. Help us to express Your heart to the ones around us today and help them catch a glimpse of the Lord on His throne.
3K04G02O
]]><![CDATA[He Is God]]>Sun, 26 Jun 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/he-is-godPsalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture
Let us give serious consideration to the fact that the Lord is God. Keep that perspective in the forefront of our every prayer. Whenever our thoughts turn to the Lord, remember that He is God. To the degree that each of us has come to know Him, in the ways that each of us has experienced His touch in our lives, with the understanding and revelation that has been given to each us as we have sought Him, let us know, and proclaim, that the Lord is God. With both our words and our deeds, what we do and where we go, how we live and what we give, let us show that we know that the Lord, He is God.

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Through all generations, forever, of His goodness, His love, His faithfulness, just as of His kingdom, there is no end. He has stated, and He does not lie, that He has our best interests in mind. He has the plan, and His resources are sufficient to see it to the end, and He has the will, the determination to complete what He starts. He will not be distracted from what He sets out to do. The Lord can be trusted; He is God.
Lord God, highest and most worthy, we abase our selves before You, not from fear of retribution but in acceptance of Your incomparable gift: Your awareness. Who are we that You would consider us, yet we cannot number the times that we are in Your thoughts. You not only know us, each one, individually, intimately, You love us, specifically, uniquely. This is too wonderful for us to consider. Forgive us when the consideration of Your magnificence overwhelms us and we do not know how to respond; words fail, deeds fall short; all we can do is lift our hands and our hearts in mute adoration and let our tears state the fullness of our hearts as our love and gratitude overflow. Lord, You are God. You have made us Yours, and we give thanks and praise to Your name!
3J28G04O
]]><![CDATA[No Holding Back]]>Sun, 19 Jun 2022 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/devotions/no-holding-backThe Father encourages us to be shameless before Him.
Not only does He remove the stain of sin from our lives through the blood of Jesus Christ, but He draws us into a loving family relationship where we can know the Father and the Son through the Spirit in a close, intimate way. Although it may be said in some cases among earthly relationships that familiarity breeds contempt, it is not true in the spiritual relationships. There, the light of God brings transparency, and we know as we are known. God does not flinch from anything we have in our hearts, for He already knows it, and has accepted us anyway. After all, when we heard Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts, asking to come in and dwell with us, He was not drawn because of any merit on our part, but in answer to the longing of our hearts to know Him.

Revelation 3
v.20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

The desire of our hearts to know Him, to fellowship with Him, to worship Him is not something to be ashamed of, or to hold back from. Expressing our love for God in the freedom of the spirit draws us closer to the Father, and causes God to dwell in greater measure with us, for He inhabits our praises. Let nothing hinder or restrain the expression of our love for our mighty Creator, our loving Redeemer, our caring Shepherd, our living Savior. Be without shame in unabashed expression of worship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lord, God Almighty.

2 Samuel 6
v.14 Wearing a linen ephod, David danced in the Lord's presence with all his might.

As we do the work of God that He directs us to by the leading of the Spirit and the confirming of the Word, let us do it with all our ability and might and strength. Let there be no reticence or hesitancy but rather joyful exuberance as we labor for our Father. And when we bring a need to the Father, let there be no reluctance or sense of shame in asking, but rather storm the kingdom of heaven, bringing the petition to the throne-room without shame or self-consciousness, for it is as His representative that we were sent and it is the love of the Father that we are demonstrating as we lift others to God and pray for intervention in their lives.


Luke 11
v.9 And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
v.10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
There are no restraints, O Lord, on the bountiful blessings of grace and love and power that You immerse us in, apart from those we place, ourselves. Help us to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the enemy's lies that draw us back in shame from unreserved acceptance of all the resources You give to us to do Your work and all the praise and worship we give You as Your rightful due. Let our focus this day be the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness as we put our hope in You and seek to show Your nature to others by being rich in good deeds and generous, willing to share of ourselves in time, energy, prayer, goods, love, forgiveness, acceptance. Thank You, Jesus, that You are not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters, and that God is not ashamed to be called our God.
3J21F32O
]]>