Category: Prayer

Overcoming Life’s Trials Through Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Power of Prayer, PrayerLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Monday, June 9, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read James 5:13-18 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
It seems like troubles abound in the lives of our friends, family, and yes, even in our own lives as well. It seems extremely frustrating at times, for just when we thought we have heard of the greatest challenge a person could possibly reach; a friend will approach us with a challenge unlike any other we may have heard before. Of course, if we listen to the media, we will possibly hear THE worst, but media hype seems unreal at times! As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Bible assures us never faces something that surprises Him, we must rest assured that All Things are possible with God. Unfortunately, many times I believe we enjoy sharing the challenging times with friends, for it really produces shockingly interesting conversations as we watch for their mouth to open wide and jaws drop to all-time lows! Thankfully, I believe that believers often possess such confidence in the power of God that we naturally alleviate the frustrations and disappointments of those with no hope, for we know a Man who can, as referenced in the old gospel song. Friends, we know the Creator of this world and of all mankind. We know the Healer of all diseases affecting His created ones, for the Bible tells us of the lame man who walked again, the ruler’s son whom the people had declared dead, yet Jesus raised him up, and the leper whose skin became perfectly pure with just one touch of the Master. But in our focal verses today, James, a servant of Jesus Christ, reminds us through several points and their corresponding answers, to help us face the uncertainties of life. Let me spell them out again, with hopes that these things will stick with us, especially when trouble comes:

  • Are you suffering hardships? You should pray.
  • Are you happy? You should sing praises. 
  • Are you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Verses 16 thru 18 goes on to remind us of a few other tips that will help us decide to step out in faith:

  • Share with believers, what may seem like, the ugly sin, or faults, that you feel guilty of. For this brings healing to your burdened soul!
  • Pray for one another, especially those who are struggling with the challenges of sin and life as a whole. For this produces wonderful results!
  • Think on past answers to prayer, where God showed His power and grace to His children, such as the example James offered about Elijah and his prayer for the rain to stop and start back up again. This helps to instill confidence in following the commands of God, even in challenging times. Start by first reflecting on past answers to your prayers – even the small ones, for this will remind you that if God did it before, we know He is quite capable of doing it again!

For the unbeliever, God wants you to listen and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit as He calls you to repentance. As an unbeliever, you can try to follow all of the above, but it will be superficial, unless you know the One to whom you are praying. Know Jesus today and know that peace of which I have explained above. However, for the fellow believer reading this devotional today, I trust that this devotional will serve as a reminder that there is great power in knowing Jesus Christ, and believing that He loves and cares for you, especially in those areas of life where you may question if you could possibly overcome the tactics of Satan. As for Your Lord, please consider allowing Him to have His will and way in your life and in all of life’s circumstances. He will never lead you astray, but rather in the center of His will for you. As you study His Word you will find the peace of God and be led by the Holy Spirit to all truth and the perfect will of God.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for saving my soul and leaving me here on earth to share that miracle with others in search of hope and a future for eternity. Thank You also for Your servant, James, and for him sharing the wisdom needed for us to best look at challenging circumstances and to help others who may call on us for that kind of wisdom. Lord, I pray that we will be faithful and dedicated to You in all areas of life here on earth, for as we display our confidence in You, I pray that it will serve to lift others up and draw them to the foot of the cross to seek salvation in You alone. For the unbeliever who may happen upon this devotional, I pray that they may be drawn to You and develop a desire to know You personally. Please encourage fellow believers to look to You for all things we face every day and help us to gain strength through Your Word as we meditate on it. You deserve our praise, honor and worship. Be lifted up because we are fixing our eyes on things eternal and the only One who can open the doors of heaven for our journey. You are lord, and we seek Your face, oh Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. One of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals or subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you make every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!

In Prayer, Recognize Who God Is

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Prayer, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Saturday, August 5th, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Luke 18:10-14

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 
I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God…..

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: At times we become so entrenched in our current situation, that we often forget from whence we came or overlook the awesomeness of the one we now owe our allegiance to. Case in point – our spouse. When we first met them, we treated them like royalty, and we looked at every opportunity for ways to express our love to them. Then, through ongoing familiarity, they seem to have become just like everyone else in what we are prepared to do for them. Another case in point is the Lord Jesus. Think about your first 30 days of being a Christian and compare that with your mindset about your Savior now. Examine yourself before pointing fingers at the Pharisee or the sinner in today’s Scripture.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: Although a very familiar story for those who have attended church very long or studied their Bibles for very long. Yet, we can’t help but see some stark, eye-opening, differences between these two characters that may cause us to look upwards and acknowledge to God that you might be that Pharisee, or possibly the Publican identified in this word picture. I have relatives who went home the night they surrendered their hearts to Christ and burned magazines they knew might be offensive to Jesus, or they poured remaining liquor from previously bad habits down the drain. For they were serious about their commitment to the only One who had never sinned, and the only One who is holy, and the only One whose bloodline related directly with the God who created this universe and everyone in it. In recognizing that, they realized that they had quite a gap to close in trying to align themselves with the Master. I wonder if there was a malignment in the life of the Pharisee in recognizing Jesus, and the power of His Almighty Father? Perhaps the Pharisee may have lost sight of whose presence he had entered into. How is it with you? Using the first 30 days mentioned above as an example, I wonder how many of those first days that you neglected to pray or open the Word of God to learn more about what God is demanding of you. Probably not many, right? But compare that to the last 30 days. Are you still in love with Jesus and expressing that love in multiple ways each day? If not, I wonder if you might not be just as liable to pray like the Pharisee in our story today. Please don’t throw stones at me, if this message is really stepping on your toes. I don’t claim to be perfect either, but in sharing this with you, I believe that the Holy Spirit is dealing in my life even more harshly as I pen these words for you to consider. Friends, we must be so careful in remembering who God is, so that we don’t join the ranks of the Pharisee in self-righteousness and pride. You see, when the Pharisee compared himself to others, he was acknowledging his self-righteousness. God’s grace extends to the humble, for the proud will not inherit eternal life (James 4:6). Jesus said that He only said the words given to Him by His Father, so He acknowledged that He was subordinate to His Father’s will. Do you feel the same way about your relationship with the Father? If we are to be Christ-like or imitate Jesus in every walk of life and in our speech, then we will need His strength and His support. Reading His Word on a daily basis will keep our minds freshly tuned to what He said and did, and therefore guide us to how we are to respond in circumstances throughout our day. Always keep Jesus lifted high and seek to follow in His footsteps every day. He alone is worthy of our praise and our obedience!

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: Jesus was able to think outside of the box that we tend to build around what we call ‘religion’. Jesus saw the heart of the sinner, even though we tend to brush them aside as unworthy. Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and He will direct your path – today and every day!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, who am I that I might be privileged to stand before the King of all kings and Lord of all lords with my petitions? Yet I know that You died and rose again so that I might become Your precious son, as I live in anticipation of life eternally with You in glory. Thank You Jesus for accepting my cry for forgiveness and mercy! However, in this Scripture today, I believe that You are warning us that we have no room to boast like the Pharisee, but instead we must approach You like the Publican who knew that his every move, his every recovery from illness, his every ability to face another day, and his only hope of eternity in Heaven with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is dependent upon a right relationship with You dear Jesus. Please Lord, remind me of this should I tend to boast, or feel superior to the sinner that I come into contact with. At the foot of the cross, and kneeling before You in prayer for forgiveness, we are all equal – sinners, whether saved by grace, or sinners seeking Your grace. Please teach us Lord to live as sinners forgiven by the grace of a holy God, and never, ever, assume that it is anything good thing we have done to deserve Your grace and Your forgiveness. May Your grace abound in my life, and may it be a source of inspiration for the sinner seeking to know You as Savior, please oh Lord, I ask this only for Your honor and Your glory, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home near by your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Dress and Attitude of Worshippers

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Attitude, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Prayer, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Monday, 2023-04-24
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Timothy 2:8-11
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 …. Men, pray wherever you are. Reach your holy hands to heaven—without rage or conflict—completely open. 9 Women, the same goes for you: dress properly, modestly, and appropriately. Don’t get carried away in grooming your hair or seek beauty in glittering gold, pearls, or expensive clothes. 10 Instead, as is fitting, let good works decorate your true beauty and show that you are a woman who claims reverence for God. 11 It’s best if a woman learns quietly and orderly in complete submission.

OBSERVATION: While most of us go to the Bible to learn about God, I wonder if God doesn’t often teach us more about ourselves than we would care to know, particularly what we should look like and act like as His child, or His representative. These verses should open our eyes and show us more about how we may tend to abuse our act of worship before the One who deserves all worship, praise and honor from us, His children.

APPLICATION: I don’t believe that our God ever shows disrespect, or dishonors us, as His children – His creation. So, let’s remove any and all ‘chips’ from our shoulders as we meditate on His Word today, knowing that God spoke through His servant Paul, for our good and for His glory, out of a heart of love. It is so easy for us to read Scripture and discern exactly who God must have ordained that Scripture for! 99% of the time, we see the faults in others, but only good in ourselves. I want to break down my thoughts in two areas today, since the verses seem to address men and women, and what is expected of each. While meditating with me, please remember that all churches are not necessarily ‘perfect’ like your church! So, if the lesson seems pointed at others and not you or your church, then perhaps you should relax and just ask God to open your eyes, mind and heart to truly understand the issue. Some translations indicate that Paul is addressing issues at Prayer meetings, while others seem to indicate that these are issues are with worshippers, period:

  • MEN – When you pray, and remember this should be everywhere – pray in our prayer closets, pray in your families, pray at your meals, pray when you are on business trips and vacations, and pray in the solemn assemblies (church), whether in public or in private. You are kneeling before a righteous and holy God – the Creator of heaven, earth and all living beings. So don’t come brashly and arrogantly, but instead honor the One to whom you are praying. Although Paul didn’t highlight this, I feel compelled to bow my head before royalty, and especially before the King of all kings. We should lift up holy hands as an indication that we are releasing self and lifting up ourselves to the only, righteous and holy God. Because God knows our words, actions, thoughts and past history of wickedness, we should approach Him only after having begged for the forgiveness of our sin and recognizing His righteousness. We must never approach God in a rage over something that has happened in our lives, nor while we are in a rage of conflict with one another. Friends, for us to be completely open in our time with God, we must have nothing bearing on our mind, nor any kind of guilt, because He deserves our undivided, sincere, truthful and honest attention.
  • WOMEN – You must also pray in like form to the men, but there are some distinctive instructions given to women by Paul: Dress modestly, for Godly character is to be reflected outwardly in godly apparel. This doesn’t mean women are to wear ugly rags. It means they must not let the world determine their fashion preferences. Worldly standards are often unacceptable—and this is sometimes true when it comes to clothing choices. Do not dress in a way that brings inappropriate attention to yourself by either underdressing or overdressing! Very important – Paul is not forbidding women to wear nice clothes; he’s saying that nice clothes are not what Christian women should be known for. Women who profess to worship God should be known more for their decency, their good sense, and their good works than they are known for their expensive apparel. If you claim to be a Christ follower, proof should show up in your actions. So walk in godliness, dress with godliness, and be worthy of respect.

I acknowledge that these topics are very sensitive in nature but are probably necessary because of men and women pridefully trying to ignore proper training from God, while making every effort to outdo their neighbor, or fellow church member. Friends, we must decide in our heart that God is the ultimate, and most important aspect of our lives. He should be the focus of our lives, the One we live to please, the One whose instruction we live to obey and follow, knowing that praise will be lifted to Him and not to ourselves. Dear friend, you fall into one of the above categories, so it should be clear to you if there are any aspects of your life that God may want to see changed. Honor God today by surrendering your sin and bad indentations to Him while asking for His guidance and strength to overcome the world so that you may totally fix your eyes on Jesus and determined to follow His commands, no matter how sensitive they are! The world will notice Jesus in your life, but they really become confused when they hear you speak of Jesus but live like the world.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Determining to follow Christ in full obedience means totally committing our prayer life to Him, and also dressing in a way that will help others keep their eyes focused on Jesus, and not us.

PRAYER: Lord, it is so interesting to read Your Word and acknowledge how all aspects of our life must be surrendered to You. Unless we do this, there will be parts of our life that may indicate worldly action, fashion, or impurity, while our mouths speak Your Word and the things You expect of us. Forgive us Lord, especially the many times that we claim You as our Lord but live like the world. Please help us to come out from the world and be so in love with You that our words, actions and thoughts will reflect You, the very One that we accepted, and strive to live for. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Principles of Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Prayer, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, 2023-03-03
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 11:2-4; 9-10;
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way: ‘Father, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom.
3 Give us each day the food we need. 4 Forgive our sins, as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And keep us from being tempted.’ ”
9 So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. 10 Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.

OBSERVATION: I find it intriguing when a young child asks for an adult to ‘dumb down’ their response to a question, or to better explain their advice or information. They need help in a certain area, and unless they receive clear and understandable information, they still won’t be able to do what’s needed or expected of them. Imagine a young Christian, they too need clear, concise and understandable direction. Jesus knew that, like His disciples, young Christians need direction on how to pray, and seasoned Christians need a refresher every so often. As applicable to you, so let today’s Scripture apply.

APPLICATION: When we are hungry, often we have been without food for a while, but we know where to go to satisfy that hunger. The disciples felt they were missing out on the benefits of prayer (communication with God), so they went to Jesus and asked how they might accomplish that. You may be approached by a new believer asking the same question, or you might benefit from the tips that Jesus gave to His disciples, to help you in your journey of communicating with God. Here are some key points that I found helpful:

  • Honor the name of Jesus – to address a judge of our court system, he will insist that you recognize his position and approach him as ‘your honor’. Therefore, we must not just barge in on Jesus with your demands, but instead recognize Him for who He is and for all He has done. Give Him honor and glory and praise for who He is.
  • Acknowledge His kingdom rule – He is King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He has charge of everything He created, and although God allows earthly men and women to rule here on earth, it’s only until He returns to take His bride (the born-again church) home to the Father. After experiencing so much turmoil here on earth, no matter what country you’re in, aren’t you ready to have the Prince of Peace assume His sovereign reign here on earth, as He is doing already in heaven? In your prayers. let Jesus know how you feel about that. You will not only reassure Him of your desire to see Him rule and reign eternally, but it will also give you opportunity to acknowledge your state of readiness for His rule, His return and His reign.
  • Forgive us, as we forgive others – Interesting how Jesus uses the same concept as He used about our giving. He said He would give us in the spirit that we give. Both in our giving and in our request for forgiveness, we must always be reminded that God’s Word declares that He will treat us like we treat others. Our actions set the stage for God’s reaction.
  • Temptation – I believe that Satan considers it his full-time job to temp humans – especially believers in Jesus Christ. While we hate our reaction to temptation, it does act as a test if our commitment to our Lord and our dependence on Him is at a level where it should be.

I especially included verses 9&10 so that we might rejoice in the blessings promised to those of us who sincerely communicate with, and honors God for, His promised blessings. Everything God does, and everything He asks of us, is from a heart of love, as He strives to make us the best children possible for Him to work through.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Praise God that He cares for us! In spite of knowing our wicked heart, yet He calls us to Himself, loves us, and desires to see us be usable vessels for His glory!

PRAYER: Praises to our wonderful, all-powerful and awesome God, who knows us, yet He loves us anyway and will always be ready to accept us into His kingdom, if we so desire and acknowledge Him as Lord. Thank You Father for teaching us the basic principles of prayer. We realize that it is open and unfiltered communication with You, but in following Your principles, we have a better idea of what you expect when You hear from us. please forgive us Lord if we have ever been too trivial in our prayers to You. We have been reminded that You deserve our utmost respect and honor as we seek Your face in worship and prayer. Please keep our hearts and minds fixed on You and may Your commands always come to mind when we communicate with You. Please speak to the hearts of those who need You as Lord and Savior, and may Your words be made clear for them to follow You in a spirit of holiness. Please continue to bless us Lord, as only You can. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Make Good Use of Your Time

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Give thanks, Needs, Power of Prayer, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Time, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2023-01-31
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 4:2-6
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God. 3 At the same time pray also for us, so that God will give us a good opportunity to preach his message about the secret of Christ. For that is why I am now in prison. 4 Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear.
5 Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have. 6 Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.

APPLICATION: Paul was a born again, bold, dedicated man of God. His life was transformed from that of a persecutor of Christians, to that of loving Christians so much that he would take time to speak truth into their lives, even from prison. It was for the very reason that Paul was in prison, that he rose up to share with believers, even while still being punished. My heart was touched by Paul’s declaration to Christians, for I could see that individuals and their churches could rise up and be a mighty force for the Kingdom, if only we would take Paul’s instructions to heart. Let’s look deeper into how effective we have become in following the commands of Paul:

  • Be Persistent in Prayer while Giving Thanks. And Stay Alert (vs 2-4) – There’s probably two words in this one command that challenges the church of God today. For it is challenging to find workers who are persistent in their commitment and in their lifestyles. Many, but not all, who claim to be ‘Christian’ will find their way out to church on Sunday mornings, if there’s nothing better going one, or if the weather is not good for beaching or other activities. To pursue the godly needs of our community, we cannot disappoint a Sunday School classes by not having a teacher show up because this was not their priority that day. The second challenging word in the command is ‘Prayer’. There was an elderly gentleman who threatened the pastor, at a church I attended, that he would not return to midweek services if all he was going to do was ‘Pray’ at our ‘Prayer’ meetings! Many times, I wonder if that is the mindset of many church members, because Prayer meetings are the worst attended service, and the one that forces attendees into a withdrawn corner of their world. They can’t pray in public, is the frequent excuse. Do you suppose that one who doesn’t pray in private might be one who is challenged to pray among other believers? But isn’t the value of prayer seen throughout the Bible? Remember what happened on the day of Pentecost? Always give thanks for what God has already done in response to your prayers, and always stay alert to what others are praying for, for those are their needs and their cry for fellow believers to pray with them for those concerns. Just as Paul asked his church to pray for him and his ministry, I am convinced that our own pastors flourish in their calling when the Holy Spirit responds to our prayers for our pastors and their respective ministries. I had a pastor who said that he tried very hard to use the KISS method in his preaching. Keep It Simple Silly! In the secular world we were encouraged to make our correspondence readable by a 6th grade level student. For if we wrote something very professional, spent postage for mailing the letter, only for the recipient to struggle in understanding what we wrote, then we have truly wasted our employer’s money, and failed to get our purpose across in writing the letter. Paul knew that time was short, so he asked that the people pray for him to keep his message clear and simple. I am convinced that our pastors still need that same prayer on their behalf today. Keep it simple Pastor! Dummy that message down so that even the illiterate could understand!
  • Be Wise how you Act towards the Unsaved (vs 5-6) – Some say that you must not visit the local theater, or pub, or…. anywhere else that non-Christians hang out. While I understand why proponents of that statement feel that way, I’m not so sure that principle has not taught believers to avoid non-Christians. I believe that Paul is proposing that we show the love of Jesus to everyone, especially the unsaved. Don’t shrug off questions by the unsaved, but instead try to encourage them through the love and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Be ready to speak to what it is that inspires, blesses, heals, and fills you to overflowing each and every day, and how you are anxiously awaiting the day when Jesus will call you home to glory!

Friends, as we read our Bible each day, the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to what we need, and how we should use what we have. It worked for me today, and I pray that in my sharing, it will help you catch a glimpse of the glory of knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Imagine God using you to represent Him, or be an ambassador for Him, to all that you come into contact with today!

PRAYER: Who are we that a King should live and die for? Yet You loved us so much that the very purpose of Your life became evident when You hung on the cross at Calvary, and rose again, so that we might enjoy our final destiny – our heavenly home with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Thank You Jesus that You saw such value in a sinner such as I, that You saved me and handed me the keys to Heaven! My readers, listeners and I are forever grateful for the hope of eternal life. But while allowed to remain on earth a little longer, please use us for Your glory to encourage the unsaved and point them to the empty grave and their hope for eternity in heaven. Give us boldness to stay as strong as Paul was and give us a deep desire to adhere to Paul’s instructions to the church, plus Your commands and teachings. Oh, that they might see Jesus, is my humble plea for all that we will make contact with today! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

How To Pray for Other Churches

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Encourage, Needs, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2023-01-04
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 1:9-12
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 … ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; asking him to make you wise about spiritual things; 10 and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better. 11 We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens—always full of the joy of the Lord, 12 and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light. 

APPLICATION: Not sure about you, but I am very uncomfortable when pastors and/or teachers and/or church members choose to beat up on another church, in order to promote how good, they are. God allowed Paul to share with us how we are to think of others who are on the same team as us. Think about it, children of God have the same Father, and in using the same Bible, we are all working towards achieving the same goals with the same end in mind. We all want to please our Father in every way that we could, as we each want the rewards promised to us at the end of this life here on earth. Because believers in Jesus Christ live by the same Book of Instruction (the Bible), then I believe that we could settle on the fact that every word included in that precious Book is God-inspired, and serves the specific purpose of directing our path under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So, let’s look into today’s Scripture with these precepts in mind. I want to draw your attention to the following:
=> Notice the group that was addressed – Throughout the books written by Paul, we could see his heart especially for the churches he was instrumental in starting. But in this case, Paul is addressing a church that he never visited. For those of you that attend your church’s Prayer Meetings, how many churches are you praising and giving thanks for, that you never heard about? Imagine telling your church, or your prayer group that you are praising God for the work of a group that is shaking the world and community all around them. Don’t you think that your group will probably look at you and question, ‘but what about us’?
=> Notice the items Paul prayed for: 1). That God would help the church understand what He wants from them. Verses 3-6 are filled with descriptions of the great qualities of the group. I believe that when God sees His children willing and ready to bless their neighborhoods and bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then He will not hold back the gifts for them to use, nor the opportunities for them to bless others. 2). That God would make them wise about Spiritual things. When the people sees that it’s them you are wanting to bless and encourage, and not that you are just in ministry for personal gain, or reasons, then I have no doubt that they would accept you and begin to trust you. 3). That the way you live will always demonstrate the God that you serve. To do this, Paul promised to pray that God will fill them with wisdom to seek Him out and to grow in His love and favor so much that it would overflow into the hearts and lives of those they were ministering to. 4). That they would always be filled with God’s mighty and glorious strength that would enable them to love others and minister to them from a heart filled with joy and peace, not of tiredness and a feeling of being overly exhausted. 5). That he (Paul) and his co-laborers would be thankful and excited about God using the church at Colossae to spread His joy. Paul probably knew that when a people show God their availability, He would give them miraculous abilities to spread the Good News to all in their families, church body, town, region and indeed all the world.
I believe that the bottom line to Paul’s encouraging letter is to remind us that it takes all of our churches to reach all of the people for Jesus Christ. And that we are to consider that church down the road, or on the other side of town, as co-laborers working together in one common goal. It’s not a competition, nor is it a work for just the rich and the elite. This ministry is a ‘God thing’ and only His children – all of His children working together, that will touch the hearts of all people. At work you wouldn’t think twice about have a meeting to encourage one another, cheer on the teams from every department, and encourage them towards the common goal of success of our business. Let’s vow to do the same thing in the family of God, whether they are at our church, or just in the global ‘CHURCH’ serving and ministering on the other side of the world.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I believe that God sees His work as something we do because of our love for Him, not because of who our pastor us, how we interpret the written Word of God, how big our church is, nor how much extra money we need each week to meet our budget. It’s about God, and we all are His workers in the field as one beggar trying to share a morsel of food with another beggar. Let’s get over ourselves and see God magnified, people saved, and the body of Christ on fire for the growth of His kingdom!

PRAYER: Lord, there is such joy when we kneel beside a fellow believer from a totally different community, church or body of Christ! Such a rejoicing when we can stand and worship You as one people when we attend a Christian concert and meet with believers from every faith, city, or nation! I believe these things are evident because it gives us a glimpse into what heaven will be like! Thank You Lord for the life and work of Paul, and for the ministry he left behind through his written words. As Your children read these encouraging words of Paul, may we place them in our hearts, and may our spirit be so uplifted and encouraged, that we will determine in our own hearts to celebrate with co-laborers in the ministry all over the world. Please lead us to a body of believer who need encouraging and who must be reminded of their worth in the work of the global church everywhere man is found. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Ask, And God Will Give It To You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-11-30
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 3:3-5
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed his father David’s instructions, but Solomon also offered sacrifices and burned incense at the shrines. 4 The most important shrine was in Gibeon, and Solomon had offered more than a thousand sacrifices on that altar.
5 One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”

APPLICATION: So often we bow the head to pray, and the words are automatic. We’ve heard the pastor, Sunday School teacher and friends pray, and always wished that we could perfect our prayers like them, so we adopt certain points from their prayers so we might ‘sound legitimate’ in the ears of our peers. But wait a minute, who are we praying to? What are we praying for? Do we have faith in the One to whom we are praying? Do we have a personal relationship with the One to whom we are praying, and have confidence that our deepest thoughts, expressions and requests will be safe in His hands? Do we know that He could accomplish everything that may be bearing on my heart? Friends, I believe that when the God of all creation reaches down in love and shares His interest in us and simply asks us to share openly our needs with the only One who could do anything about them, suddenly our minds will turn away from memorized, written, or repetitious prayers, and the words from our heavy heart, or our joyous heart, or our pleading heart, will bubble forth from a heart longing for God to hear us, and meet our needs. Suddenly we realize that we are in the presence of the One who created us, the One who loved us even when we were so unlovable, the One who raised Lazarus from the dead, made the blind man see again and the crippled man walk for the first time – the only One who has the compassion to put up with our worry, heal our loved ones, encourage the broken heart, get the attention of the lost, and fulfill His promise of welcoming us home to glory when that day comes! Praise the Lord, Without the fear of retribution, we could freely, openly, and in all honesty tell our Father exactly what we need and what we want. He is in control, and He knows before we do, what the best course of action is for our lives! Solomon was blessed with much more than he asked for, even though he was in Gibeon to offer sacrifices to a false god. There is no telling what God has in store for us – His precious children! Oh that we will recognize Him the next time that we bow our heads in prayer, and may we always be prepared to answer Him when He asks the same question of us that He did of Solomon, ‘ask Me for anything you want’.

PRAYER: Lord my prayer today is that others might see Jesus, and that they may hear the whisper of their Creator when He tells them ‘Ask for whatever you want, and I will give it to you’. What have we possibly done to deserve this oh Lord? May You see hearts that are filled with gratitude for all that You have already done for us, and may we have the faith to ask, in faith, for everything You approve of. Oh, that Jesus will always be our greatest desire. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

My Prayer For You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Unselfish, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-11-15
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 1:9-11
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 My prayer for you is that you will overflow more and more with love for others, and at the same time keep on growing in spiritual knowledge and insight, 10 for I want you always to see clearly the difference between right and wrong, and to be inwardly clean, no one being able to criticize you from now until our Lord returns. 11 May you always be doing those good, kind things that show you are a child of God, for this will bring much praise and glory to the Lord.

APPLICATION: This gives a good opportunity for us to not only renew our faith in our Creator, but also to renew a right relationship with Him, so that we can talk to Him about our reasons to celebrate His goodness; our desire for our children; our concern for the needs of our neighbors; and our heart-cry for the lost in our circle of friends who badly need the blood of Jesus washed over them. My friends, let me ask you to try one thing at this time: Stop and share your feelings with Jesus about each of the people that I mentioned. Tell Him what you are concerned about. Humbly pray for a right spirit within them so that they may be drawn closer to the Lord. Enough with the backbiting and the faultfinding, love those very special people enough to pray regularly for them. I’m afraid that we have such a long laundry list for ourselves, that we may not always make it before the throne of God on behalf of our family and friends. Paul was instrumental in starting the church at Philippi, so to leave them was probably like leaving a part of his heart there. Of course he missed them, of course he wanted to see God’s very best for them. It makes me question how vested I am in the folk around me. I’m still on the prayer list from two previous churches, so I am reminded of the needs that exist there, and I pray for the needs as they show up in my inbox. Are you still praying for the church families that you left behind when you moved residences, or when you moved to a different church? Hopefully these people have become a part of your heart and you might even remember the many times that they blessed you. Think on them during your times of fellowship with your Master and Lord. The enemy is out to get the church dear friends, so let us commit to such a good relationship with our Lord, that we will also lift up a name from our past before Him. God knows them, and He knows the very struggles they are facing right now. Let Him know that you care about Him blessing them right now. let’s learn to take our eyes off self and concentrate on the needs of those that are close to us now, or with whom we may have crossed paths in the past. Paul exampled this before us, now let us follow in his example and obey the Word of God in praying one for another. Remember, we are the church, so let the church be the church – especially here on earth where Satan is rampant and trying to distract the lost of any good thing in Jesus, our Lord, and His chosen children.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Oh, to imagine what our world, our churches and our families would look like if we did as Paul instructed – that we would overflow with love for each other and in our spiritual growth and knowledge. Perhaps then the unchurched will believe that God really does exist.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for blessing Paul to encourage his followers to overflow in love and in the knowledge of You. Satan seems to be doing exactly the opposite, and we truly can’t handle any more of his wickedness. You showed us loved in its most extreme way – You were willing to lay down Your life for us – even while we were yet sinners. Please Lord, teach us to follow in Your footsteps, and to be obedient to Your commands. Please strengthen us to make every effort to follow the instructions You gave to Paul for us. Let the world see what true Christian love is, when they hang around us. Help us Lord to understand Your Word sufficiently and be willing to share that knowledge with others who are searching for the real love of Jesus Christ. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Pray ‘In The Spirit’

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Leadership of the Holy Spirit, Needs, Power of Prayer, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-11-12
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 6:18
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God’s people.

APPLICATION: It seems pretty obvious that most of us tend to think, love, speak, and pray from a very selfish perspective. I attended a party one time, where the icebreaker was a challenge to avoid the first-person pronoun in your conversation for the first 15 minutes. Suddenly, the normal challenges of remembering names of people you meet; introducing yourself to strangers; and avoiding cliques of people you know; all became very easy compared to this new challenge! If presented with this challenge, be prepared to quickly acknowledge how dependent you are in sharing ‘all about you’ to others. Try it, write out a small paragraph about your last party, without using the first-person pronouns! I believe this alone will help us to quickly understand the importance of making every effort to ‘Pray in the Spirit’, because instead of the usual ‘gimme, gimme’ prayers, we will suddenly find ourselves praying about things that the Spirit provokes. We all know that no one else in the room of people you are with have greater pain and misery than you have! No one else hurts from disappointments and unfulfilled dreams like you do. But when we seek to ‘pray in the Spirit’, He will direct our minds to the person who has only one leg, so that we don’t whine and complain all evening about the knee-ache we’ve had since we woke up that morning. Friends, I am convinced that when we pray for others more than ourselves, God in His infinite mercy, causes us to lose sight of our minor aches and problems. When Paul demands that we ‘stay alert’, I believe he is suggesting that we ask God for eyes to really see the needs of others. Isn’t it amazing how we enter a room where many needs are represented, but we quickly bring our own needs to the forefront, even though they are insignificant, compared to others? While theologians have a lot to say about their knowledge on this topic, I believe that God is merely saying ‘follow in my ways and in what I found to be important. Enough about self’. Churches often hurt from their members who attend looking for a word of encouragement and strength for the week ahead, yet they leave without ever being talked to, loved on, or shown appreciation for. Perhaps ‘praying in the Spirit’, is just the beginning of a Spirit-filled believer who should also ‘live in the Spirit’, ‘encourage in the Spirit’ and ‘bless as the Spirit would’. Be reminded that at church, it’s not all up to the pastor to meet every need. God placed each of us among fellow believers so that we might imitate ‘iron sharpens iron’. We need each other, especially those who are living, acting and portraying one who ‘lives in the Spirit’. Try being the hands and feet of Jesus to someone else today, dear friends.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as we ‘pray in the Spirit’ and ‘live in the Spirit’ and allow the Spirit to live out His blessings through us, we too can expect to be blessed as other believers do the same!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, it just seems natural for us to act out our selfish desires, wants, like and dislikes. But as Your faithful servants seeking to follow in Your footsteps, please help us to persistently seek to ‘pray in the Spirit’ and live out all the ways of our Master. Others may not read their Bible, but may they see Your children as thorough images of our Master and Lord, and may this cause an ongoing desire to seek the Lord while You may be found. thanks for drawing us to the cross of Calvary and showing us the road to eternal life. As we live in the Spirit, may others also see that wonderful image portrayed in and causing them to have a growing desire to know You as their personal Savior. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Overwhelming Blessings!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Blessing, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-08-22
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Samuel 7:18-21
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 18-21 King David went in, took his place before God, and prayed: “Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming, for you’ve also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master God! What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master God, just as I am. You’ve done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are—out of your very heart! – but you’ve let me in on it.

APPLICATION: Based on the Word of God, I believe that we would easily discern that there was good reason for God to consider David ‘a man after my own heart’! For God not only saw the works of David, but He also knew the heart of a man, He created, that loved Him in return, and who was persistent in following the commands of God honestly and without reservation. It is so unfortunate that many in our day will try to attend church – if there’s nothing better on television, or no favorite stars performing nearby, or inclement weather for beaching or boating. In other ways, some will work on deals and relationships that are totally private to their bank, their pastor, their friends, and especially their family, so of course they think that God would never know about what goes on behind closed and private doors. Pastors and church leaders have lost their ministries when these things come to light, and church members who looked up to them, often leave churches while vowing never to entrust such a person again. Yet we wonder why such ‘honorable’ ministers are not receiving God’s rich blessings? I have noticed in reading up to this place in the Scriptures that David sinned, because of frailties in his human qualities. However, David persistently displayed a humble heart dependent on God for his position as a servant of the king; as the captain of his armies; as a father to his children; as a king to the largest nation of his time; and to everything ordered of God. In the prayer included in today’s Scripture, David acknowledged to God that he was so surprised over His goodness, because he knew that nothing was hid from God – none of his sins were unknown to Almighty God. Friends, when we know the will of God, and still commit our sinful deeds – especially those we think are in private, we can expect God’s wrath while trying to correct us, redirect us and still love us enough to see us return to Him. When we experience otherwise from God, like David did: loving on us; blessing us with good health; showing us what He has planned for our future; and giving us more than we could possibly handle; then we are forced into the humble position David found himself in when he sat before the Lord and prayed this appreciative, celebrative, yet humble prayer. Let’s be reminded today that there is nothing we can do to demand God’s forgiveness or His goodness, even if we attend church every time the doors open, of demand total honesty and transparency in our businesses. In the words of David, God will bless us because of who He is, not because of anything we have done or said in His name. We are no different to our ancestor, David, so God is looking for more men and women who are willing to live out the heart of God like David did. Has God discovered your attributes yet? Do you suppose that He sees His righteousness displayed though everything that you are in the eyes of the public here on earth? How’s your heart? Can it be likened to a heart after God’s very likeness? Not sure about you dear friends, but it seems like I have need to stay on my knees before God so I would quit acting out the heart of ‘man’, and start acting, speaking and loving like a man after God’s own heart, God being my helper. Pour out your heart to God today, my friend!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God blesses us because of who He is, not because of anything we have done to deserve His goodness!

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, in deepest humility I dare pray to You, because I am reminded that You know my heart, You are well aware of my thoughts, and You know my intentions and prejudices. Thank You Lord for including me when considering the sacrifice needed at Calvary. Nothing, absolutely nothing can wash away my sin, but the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Lord, as my readers, listeners and I approach Your throne today, we come like David, knowing that You will bless because of who You are, because there is nothing, we can do that would be worthy of such mercy by the King of all kings. Thank You for Your mercy, Your forgiveness and Your everlasting love that transcends all human love. We worship and adore You Lord Jesus for who You are, and for all that You have done, presently doing, and promised to continue doing for us! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!