Tag: PRAYER

Deep Concern For Prayer Matters

On By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, Honest, Honest Relationship, Honesty, PrayerLeave a comment

Sunday, 2016-11-06

Scripture

Bible Reference: 1 Samuel 1:10; 16-18

Bible Text:  10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD.

16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” 17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I would like for us to reflect on our personal prayers, both private and public. Now I would like for us to re-read the referenced scripture again, in fact why not click on the Bible Reference link and read the whole context (just 9 verses) and carefully note the heart of Hannah as she prayed. Friends, I am not asking you to judge (other than yourself), but I want you to really grasp the sincerity of the prayer by Hannah, and consider a few things:

  • Deep, Earnest Prayer – When last have you truly been concerned enough about a specific item or person, that you went before God in deep anguish and weeping bitterly?  To help you understand this terminology I also read other translations that describe Hannah as going before God ‘miserable’ and ‘terribly upset’. Friends, this is not something we can conjure up and go before God with a fake cry, for these feelings are expressions of our heart. And I believe because of the sincerity and deep concern that the praying believer might have, the Bible speaks to this in several ways: In Psalm 30:5, the Bible says: “Weeping will be followed by joy“; In Isaiah 53:3–9, the Bible declares that ‘Jesus understands sorrow‘; In Matthew 5:4 the Bible declares “God promises comfort to those who experience sorrow; and in Revelation 21:3–4 – “Sorrow will not exist in God’s Kingdom“. This gives me the distinct impression that our Father is concerned about the things that we are deeply troubled by!
  • Others may mistake our deep concern – Our pride may prevent us from openly expressing to our God, as we may easily become concerned about what others may think. Notice in these verses that Eli thought that Hannah had come to the temple drunk, for she was praying in such earnest and anguish, that he had probably never seen before from most who came to pray. God already knows your heart friend, so to go before God with a heavy heart and pretend to be happy, is like faking what you really feel or want to express to God. Let us learn to be open and honest with God;
  • Joy results from a heart that has unloaded all concern before God! Prior to going to the temple Hannah was unable to eat because she was so upset. After her encounter at the temple, Hannah left quite different, for she was no longer sad, and she was able to eat again. I believe this is an example of what we can expect when we pray to the Father in deep, honest concern.

Friends, I have been desperate in prayer before, and I’m sure that you have been at one time or another in your life. This scripture reminded me of the need to really take to heart those things that God impresses upon us, and then open up our hearts before Him in prayer. To go before God in a casual, superficially happy mood for something that is really bearing on our heart, makes me wonder if God doesn’t look at His kids and say “Really?? You are so concerned that you are actually showing a smile on your face??”. Friends, I realize that God knows our heart, but I also believe that He wants us to be transparent before Him – wide open honest with Him, even to the extent that our emotions may be impacted and publicly expressed, if need be. Hannah impacted Eli’s life when he realized how sincere she really was about her prayer. Will others really know the sincerity of your heart and be impacted by it?

Prayer

Father God, thank You for looking deep into our hearts and knowing our most innermost thoughts. You created us so that our emotions would reflect our heart, yet we often try so hard to suppress our emotions because of what those around us might think. Please help us to be straight up honest with You, regardless of who might be around us to witness our deepest emotions. You have promised us in Your Word that ‘joy comes in the morning’, and I believe your intent was to help us realize that there would be times that our hearts are deeply saddened because of our own needs, or those of family or friends that we may connect with You on, and pray for. Please help my readers and I to face You with opened hearts today, so that You may fill us with Your immense love and care. We are Yours, heavenly Father, and we sincerely need You in every aspect of our lives, especially when our hearts are saddened. AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

A Model Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn God’s Word, Praise-worthy, Prayer, RespectLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-11-05

Scripture

Bible Reference: Exodus 13:11-13

Bible Text:  11 But Moses begged God not to do it. “Lord,” he pleaded, “why is your anger so hot against your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and mighty miracles? 12 Do you want the Egyptians to say, ‘God tricked them into coming to the mountains so that he could slay them, destroying them from off the face of the earth’? Turn back from your fierce wrath. Turn away from this terrible evil you are planning against your people! 13 Remember your promise to your servants—to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. For you swore by your own self, ‘I will multiply your posterity as the stars of heaven, and I will give them all of this land I have promised to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Conversation with God is considered ‘Prayer’. So as we look at this prayer by Moses, I want to make sure that we see three specific methods used by Moses in this awesome prayer he had with an angry God. This may help give us direction in our prayer life:

  1. God’s previous work for Israel (v. 11) – friends, when we bring a petition before God, it often hurts, or it may have us very upset that things are not going our way. Let’s be encouraged to reflect on situations where friends have testified of the awesome hand of God, where He had already answered similar prayers for them. This helps us to reflect on the possibilities of our powerful God, and it helps us pray in more earnest for our need(s), knowing that God did this already, and it therefore gives us confidence that He could do it again. The situation at hand where the Israelites had resorted to false gods, was no comparison to the sins they committed in Egypt, yet God showed His awesome power and delivered them from their oppressors, and then provided for them daily while in the desert;
  2. God’s glory and reputation (v. 12) – Moses reminded God of how His righteous anger would appease the Egyptians by making them think that God’s plan all along was to get them in the desert where He could destroy them, not the likely story He told them about getting them into a ‘Promised Land’ filled with milk and honey. While this could almost sound disrespectful, I believe that God really wants us to share our heart with Him. In recent studies, I was reminded that God knows and judges our very thoughts, so it’s no use feeling all of this inside and saying only what you think God wants to hear. Share your heart with God friend! Be open and honest with Him. Deep in God’s heart you know that He is filled with such love that we could never comprehend the extremes He would go to in order to prove His love for us. Recognize that, and include that in your conversation with God. He longs to hear your heart!
  3. God’s word (v. 13) – Allow God to help you bring scripture back to mind so that you can share that in your prayer. This does not mean that you must know every Bible verse and its reference, but in most cases you can come pretty close to quoting a scripture that you may have heard or studied in the past. Give your best rendition of what you remember. You’re talking to God, and He knows Your heart and what you are trying to relay to Him!

Friends, this is not intended to build rigidity in your prayer life, for just as I said at the beginning, prayer is conversation between you and God. However, I want you to be aware that in verse 14 of Exodus 13, we are told that God changed His mind about destroying the Israelites because of their idolatry! I am merely sharing a model prayer that Moses found useful and in which God responded in an awesome way. If it worked once, I see no reason why it can’t work again. Furthermore, I believe this gives us more ‘meat’ in our prayers, rather than rushing to your closet and demanding of God what He must do for you today. In prayer, you are actually meeting and speaking with the creator of this universe and of you and I. Let’s learn to speak with Him a little differently than we might speak with mom or dad when we issue our demands on them!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, teach us to pray like You did when You bowed before Your Father. We want to be just like You, Lord. Your servant Moses demonstrated a unique prayer to the Father, and as we have studied that today, we are reminded again that You are our Father and You long to hear us express our hearts and our innermost feelings. May this model prayer of Moses, remind us of even more intimate and expressive ways that we may connect with You in prayer, oh Lord, my Rock and my Salvation. To You be all honor, praise and continuous glory, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

A Renewed Christian Can Help Others

On By Ed AlgreenIn Help, Our Help comes from God, RenewalLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-11-04

Scripture

Bible Reference: Jude 1:17-23

Bible Text:  17 Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said would happen. 18 They told you, “In the last times there will be people who laugh at God and do only what they want to do—things that are against God.” 19 These are the people who divide you. They are not spiritual, because they don’t have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up even stronger. Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life. 22 Help those who have doubts. 23 Rescue those who are living in danger of hell’s fire. There are others you should treat with mercy, but be very careful that their filthy lives don’t rub off on you.

Bible Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

My Take

For the purpose of illustrating what I believe Jude is teaching us in these verses, I want you to think for a moment about a young lady (‘Jane’ as a fictitious name) who spends most of her money buying fast food and eating at restaurants. Your daughter wants to get into the art of cooking, as she believes that she could save herself lots of money from eating out all the time vs cooking for herself, so she chats with you about the possibility of her spending more time with Jane, who will teach her some cooking skills! What type of advice would you give your daughter? Jude gives the Christian great advice in verses 22 and 23, that I’m sure anyone would want to achieve, but notice that this advice comes after the advice given in the preceding verses where Jude teaches us how to prepare ourselves for evangelizing. Here’s some of the points I gathered from those verses:

  • In the power of your personal faith in Jesus Christ, seek to build yourselves up even stronger, by:
    • Praying with the help of the Holy Spirit – in other words get your heart totally in sync with God – to the extent that you seek the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to your very own sins, or things that would hinder you from being a good witness for our Lord Jesus Christ. I strongly believe that this is intended to be an ongoing habit for us as Christians – a fresh (at least daily) encounter with the Holy Spirit to continually renew a right spirit within us;
    • Keep yourselves safe in God’s love – When we depart from His Word and His will, we erect barriers between ourselves and God and therefore block the free flow of His love to us. We keep ourselves in His love by abiding in Him. That’s continually keeping in His Word so you could hear His communication back to us and understand what He would have us do to bring Him glory;
    • Wait in great anticipation for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ – Live in anticipation and great expectancy for the King of all kings to return and take us home to glory with He and His Father for all eternity!

Friends, I believe that Jude is encouraging Christians (us) to be sure that we are straight spiritually, before we botch things up by trying to share with others a belief passed on to us by our parents or that we heard others speaking of. Let’s be ready to share from our own heart, and our own spiritual experiences, so that the world might know and believe in the One that we adore. The eternal condition of our family and friends deserve our very best effort, so let’s give it with everything that lives within us, not from everything we heard others speak of! ‘For He alone is worthy‘ my friend!

Prayer

Father God, who are we that a King should live and die for? Yet You consider us sons and daughters, because of our surrender to Your Son, the One You sacrificed, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You Lord Jesus for the enormous love shown to us through Your sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Please be a constant reminder to us that it is only because of our first step in seeking forgiveness of our sin through accepting You as our very own Savior and Lord, that we have anything at all to share with others. It’s all because of You Jesus, for nothing have we done to deserve God’s own Son, yet You accepted our plea for forgiveness and adopted us as Your very own. It is therefore You alone that deserve honor and glory and praise every day of our lives. It is only You that we can brag on to our friends that need You as Savior and Lord. Please help us to never lose sight of the author of our salvation, so that we might share You and You alone when we witness as Your children to an unsaved world. For You alone are worthy dear Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

How To Pray For One Another

On By Ed AlgreenIn Others first, Our Great BIG God, Our Help comes from God, PrayerLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-10-29

Scripture

Bible Reference: Colossians 1:9-14

Bible Text:  9 …. 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. 13 For he has rescued us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who bought our freedom with his blood and forgave us all our sins.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Wouldn’t it be glorious to see Christians pray for more than just the sick, or not just when a serious need is known throughout the community. Paul has taught us here to pray for the spiritual welfare of one another. Here are a few things that I believe we can gleam from this passage of scripture today. Imagine praying this for our Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, that God would help them:

  • Seek and understand God’s will for their lives;
  • Have God’s wisdom about spiritual things;
  • Live to please and honor God;
  • Do those things for others that God might lead them to do;
  • Learn to know God better and better;
  • To be so filled with God’s might and strength, that they would keep going, no matter what;
  • Always be full of the joy of the Lord;
  • Always be thankful to God for making them fit to live in the Kingdom of Light, because of His grace alone;
  • Remember where they came from (the kingdom of darkness) into the Kingdom of God’s Son;

Notice a few things about those prayer items:

  • None are geared towards yourself;
  • All of them seek to draw your Christian Brother or Sister closer to the Lord, and not get richer here on earth by winning a lottery, or the likes of that;
  • That each items tends to better align the person you are praying for, with his Master and Lord, Jesus Christ;
  • That the Brother or sister you pray for will be so filled with Jesus, that their life would be a living testimony to their lost family and friends. In other words, by their testimony, others will be drawn to the Lord.

I can only imagine that we would then have more Christians, and more church attendees who know more about their Lord, than they do about their sports idol, or about the misfortunes of their friends. I also believe that we will see folk who are blessed beyond measure, because even though they did not spend most of their time praying for themselves, they are blessed beyond measure for lifting up the spiritual needs of a friend. I truly believe that God will bless us for praying this way, as He would to those for whom we are praying.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for putting us first! For You sacrificed life itself for the eternal benefit of those who believe on You. Please help us to get outside of our own little box and concentrate more on the needs of others – particularly the spiritual needs of others. Lord, if Your people, who are known by Your name, would humble themselves and pray, you promised that You would heal our land. There is such a need right now in this world, in our country, in our towns, our churches and our homes. You have shown us through Paul’s example how we should pray for others – even those who know You as Lord already. Please help us to be faithful in our prayers for others. May Your children know more about You and Your wonderful works, than any other subject or pastime we may get involved in. May it be evident to others that You are ruler in our lives, for I ask these things wanting to see You alone receive the glory, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Tough Love

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Loyalty, Prayer, Salvation, Saved, SaviorLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-10-20

Scripture

Bible Reference: Jeremiah 48:35–36

Bible Text:  35 “I will put an end to Moab,” says the LORD, “for the people offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines and burn incense to their false gods. 36 My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

As parents we are often pressed to express tough love with our children, as they are so clever in trying to manipulate us into spoiling them and providing everything possible for them. Because we have invested so much of our lives into our kids, and because of the deep love that we have for them, it is extremely challenging for us to say ‘no’ or handle them with ‘tough love’. Imagine then how challenging it is for the God of this universe to destroy parts of His creation that He made with such pride. Imagine the love expressed when He provided the ultimate sacrifice (His Son, Jesus) for us to overcome/throw off the filth of sin, and become eligible for His kingdom. In our scripture today we see an example of God’s tough love with the people of Moab. God loved them with such heart-felt love, that His very heart moaned in agony for their well-being. However the people were so immersed in sin that they chose to worship the gods that they could see – the ones that other leaders placed before them to worship and supposedly provide for them. As we read this account, we may be challenged to see the issue here, because we may quickly conclude that the Moabites deserved destruction because of their stubbornness, disobedience, worldly affection and for having taken their eyes off God. However, let me be quick to warn you friend, that in our world today, we are probably as bad, or worse than the Moabites. Please, no throwing of rotten eggs! Let me explain: a well-known verse of scripture that many have heard, and many may even be able to recite, tells us: (John 3:16) – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Please carefully note what that verse says, and hopefully you can rejoice in the promise that lies ahead for you, because you have surrendered your will and your life, to believe in the one true God, through His Son, Jesus. In comparison to the scripture on the Moabites, I want you to read John 3:16 again, and particularly notice what it does not say. Notice that the Word says that if you believe, or for those who believe, they will have eternal life. BUT, what do you suppose that verse is saying about those who don’t believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Friends, recent statistics revealed that only 9% of Americans believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you suppose that the Moabite statistics were worse than that? May I remind you friend, that there are only two options for us, just as it was for the Moabites. We know from John 3:16 that the eternal destination for those who Believe on Jesus, is heaven (Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!!). However, scripture also tells us that all others are living for Satan and will join him in Hell for an eternity of damnation and destruction. I believe that God is very sad to know that so many of His kids have decided to live like the devil and settle for such damnation. Unfortunately, that’s 91% of Americans, and probably a similar percentage for other countries. For Christians who have sincerely yearned for the ‘heart of Christ’, I believe that our hearts are likewise saddened by this reality today. So much so, that I am hoping that you will join me in prayer for the unsaved today. 91 out of every 100 people that we come into contact with today could potentially be in danger of eternal destruction. Friends, let us pray……..

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Redeemer, Savior of this world, God’s very Son: thank You for the sacrifice You made so that we might have eternal life. I can only imagine how Your heart is saddened by the number of Your children who have chosen to reject that sacrificial gift of love that You have made available to them. Like the Moabites, many have chosen to ignore, refuse and reject the gift You have offered, and to worship the gods of entertainment, sports, pornography, self-fulfillment and lust that saturates their minds through constant advertising and frequent pop-ups on computer screens. It is so unfortunate that often it takes a disaster of some sort to really get the attention of many folk, but Lord in a proactive approach today, may I ask that You please burden the hearts of Christians to frequently bow their knees before You in prayer for their unsaved family and friends. Because the necessary decisions can only happen through changed hearts, we acknowledge that our part can only be in loving these ones, and lifting them up to You on a regular basis, so that You may impact the heart. We are concerned dear Lord. Please ease our concern as we pray. For I ask these things in the name of the only One who can change hearts, Jesus, the Christ, AMEN

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Be A Representative of The Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Obedience, Representation of the Master, Representative of ChristLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-09-27

Scripture

Bible Reference: Colossians 3:15–17

Bible Text: 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I believe that if there is ever a time that we need to live as children of God; as representatives of the Lord Jesus; as children of the Light – that stamps out the darkness of sin; as examples of the Lord Jesus Christ; it is now. In my old testament reading (Jeremiah 7:21-29) God shared His displeasure with the Israelites that He brought out of Egypt, for in spite of all that He did for them, yet they never truly followed Him with all their heart, mind and soul. Because of this, they continually fought to follow their former way of living. Does this compare to the church at large today? No, I’m not referring to the way members act inside the four walls of our church at weekend meetings, but rather when they are on the battle lines of everyday life. Is it evident to those who cross our paths that we are children of the Most High King? Verse 17 encourages us to speak and act like a representative of the Lord Jesus, continually giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Will it be obvious to others who we are representing today? There’s a beautiful old hymn that has the words “In Christ alone, I take my stand, all other ground is (like) sinking sand”, In other words, no matter what other direction you follow, or whatever other source you may seek for strength or power today, nothing can compare to the awesome power of our Mighty God. Friends, we’ve tried long and hard, through various trials and hardships, to see our families overcome the challenges and circumstance of this old world; we’ve seen churches split and some even closed, because of Satan’s interference and distractions; and we have seen countries go to war over selfish gains and worldly desires, I believe it is time for us to humbly seek the face of God and ask Him to help us return to the Book – His Holy Word, His instructions for life that helps us to be His representatives here on earth. I believe that as we do that, nothing else will really matter or be of any worthwhile significance. Can we give that a try today friends? Let’s endeavor to put God first in everything and then celebrate at the end of the day how everything else approved and designed by Him fell into its proper place. It’s all about Him friend! We’re just the earthly instrument that He may choose to use so that others might recognize and subsequently accept and obey Him.

Prayer

Lord God, You created us, provided enormous beauty here on this earth for us to enjoy and even sacrificed Your very own Son for us so that our sin could be forgiven – leaving us at peace with, and pleasing to You. A perfect scenario, yet we have allowed Satan to intrude and tempt us with so much that we are hardly recognized as Your child at times. Please speak to Your children once again today, and help us to recommit ourselves to You. Please help us to seek Your face and Your power to keep our lives pure before You and before our fellow man. Use us as Your instruments oh Lord, to reach the hardened hearts of the lost. May You be glorified today because of our actions, from a clean heart and godly thoughts and words. I ask these things in and through the wonderful name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Attitude of Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn Power of Prayer, PrayerLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-07-09

Scripture

Bible Reference: Habakkuk‬ ‭3:2

Bible Text: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

Bible Translation: New International Version (NIV)

My Take

A Very short verse today, but a lot is being revealed to us about the attitude of Habakkuk as he entered into prayer before the God of this universe. Because this is still very applicable to us today, I wanted to draw a few things from the verse to our attention:

  • I have heard about your fame – For any of us attending church, or reading the Bible or fellowshipping with each other, we have probably heard about the miraculous hand of God, and how He has answered prayer already. Knowing that our request is not the first He is being presented with, gives us a reference or reassurance to fall back on. Try verbalizing that friends. Let self know that the same God who has answered many prayers already, is the same One beckoning for all who are weak and heavy laden to come unto Him. He wants you to bring your petitions before Him;
  • I stand in awe of Your deeds – Our bottom jaws should drop when we consider the unique power of our God. Imagine,  He: healed the sick; restored sight to the blind; raised the dead; overcame death on the cross and rose again, so that we may have eternal life! That’s our God, friends! Do you know Him?
  • Repeat Your miracles again today and let me be a witness to them – The confidence of knowing that our God is so powerful, so awesome, and loves us so much that He would repeat His miracles even in our midst, is nothing short of overwhelming. Our faith grows beyond measure as we see God’s miracles performed right before our eyes!!
  • In wrath remember mercy – After all of the above, aren’t we reassured that we can ask God for such impossible things as giving us peace in the midst of our storms, and for showering His mercy on us even in the middle of total wrath and mega problems! That’s our God who calls us to Himself!

So friends, whom then shall we fear? What issue or problem, what governmental issue, what worry or doubt shall we burden ourselves with, instead of surrendering them at the feet of Jesus?

Prayer

What a reminder of the God that we serve! Praise the Lord! We consider all of the worries and concerns that seem to bother us Lord, but after reading this verse today we can only conclude “Whom or what shall we fear?”. Our God is an awesome God and it is You that we place our faith and our trust. Please help us to always be in awe of Your presence and Your power and Your love for Your children. May we always commit ourselves fully to Your care, Your direction and Your wisdom, knowing that because of Your love for us, we are in the best hands. We are such a blessed people! AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Correlating Prayer with Answers

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, PrayerLeave a comment
Thursday, 2016-06-23

Scripture

Bible Reference: Acts 12:5; 14-15

Bible Text:   5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” 15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

In verse 5 of this chapter of Acts we are told that the believers were diligent in prayer for their Brother (Peter), who was in prison. Now, after hearing about the death of James, one can only imagine how urgent, deep, and sincere this time of prayer must have been by these fellow believers. We’ve been there and done that, right? There have been very serious times of prayer for very urgent matters that we may have been willing to set aside meal times, or other obligations, so that we could get together in deep, sincere prayer. Most of us may never have prayed for the safety and/or life protection for a friend because of other friends being murdered for the sake of the gospel, but no doubt we have had urgency of prayer because of circumstances that we knew were way beyond our control. So now let’s move beyond some supernatural events that took place inside of the prison where Paul was incarcerated, and look at an interruption that came to the group praying. There was an annoying knock on the door. Can you imagine that someone would have the audacity to actually go and knock on the door of a group praying? Can you imagine the aggravation of the group praying, when the servant girl returned to tell them that Peter (the one they were praying for) was at the door? If she was losing her mind, why would she lose it with this bunch of ‘serious’ prayer warriors?!! So I wonder what this group was really hoping for from God? That He would feel sorry for them in their anguish? That He would comfort them by saying that He would look into their request? I wonder what’s on our mind when we pray? Is it just words that might help our hearts feel better that we have asked, and we could rest knowing that our obligation is over? Do we ever pray with one eye opened so that we could watch for the answer to our prayer request? It really could be that fast, right? Might I dare remind you that if we ask the God of creation, the God of this universe, the Healer of all things, for anything that matches His perfect will, then we must be prepared for instant answers – if He so chooses? Can we learn to pray with that sort of urgency and expectancy?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You taught us to pray. You gave us an avenue where we can share our concerns with You and place our petitions before You. Thank You for reminding us through Your Word that we are not just leaving a note at the foot of the cross, but actually having an open dialogue with the Creator – the Master and Lord of this universe, and that You are not like us, where You need time to think about it, or check with Your mentors, but that You may very easily begin the process before the words ever even leave our lips. Please help us to be a people of faith – true faith, where we are always thankful, but never surprised with Your response to our prayers. Lord, we stand amazed in Your presence because of who You are, not because of what You have done, or might do for us. Thank You for hearing our prayers – our concerns and our desires. May we always be prepared to praise You as we see Your hand at work in marvelous and wonderful ways. AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Intimacy with God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Daily communion with God, Guidance, Intimacy with God, Love, Obedience, Prayer2 Comments

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 143:8–10
Today’s Bible Text: Each morning let me learn more about your love because I trust you. I come to you in prayer, asking for your guidance. Please rescue me from my enemies, LORD! I come to you for safety.  You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path.
The Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take Away: The Psalms is filled with David’s intimacy with God. Sometimes David was upset at God because things happened that David felt like he could have done them a whole lot better than God, or at least different than He did. David was at times very close to God because it was evident in his writings, but then there were times that David felt like he had distanced himself from God. There are some Psalms that begin with David being very upset at God, and by the end he realizes that his God really is on top of things and has everything under His control. Throughout the book David found many ways to express his love to, and his respect of God, yet in these verses today he is still calling out for God to help him love and trust Him more. David is still asking God for guidance, protection and wisdom on how to best deal with his enemies. David is still surrendering himself to the safety and security of our awesome, strong, caring and loving God, for he reflects on, and feels assured of God’s love and security. Although he has a very intimate, lasting and proven relationship with God, yet David still pleads for direction, leadership and guidance so that he might travel down the right path where he may remain victorious, but true and committed to his God. So what about you friend, are you like me where, too often we tend to do our own thing and only seek God’s help when we run into trouble? Is there a time of daily intimacy with God? Do you carve out time to spend meditating on the Word of God so that you might be reminded of the heart of God and learn about His instructions and direction for you that day? Friends, intimacy with, and trust in God, is not something you can purchase at the local Christian Bookstore, or acquire at church over the weekend if you pay your tithes. This comes ONLY from an intimate two-way relationship with God. Pouring your wants, needs and desires out to God is one thing, but unless you are willing to stop, listen to Him, and obey His commands, then at best you have succeeded in pouring your heart out to Him without caring enough about what He has to say back to you. Intimacy is a two-way thing. May I encourage you today to seek two-way intimacy with God, each and every day? He created us, longs to be allowed to lead us while here on earth, and I believe that He can’t wait to have us in Heaven when we graduate from this earth! Let’s live with the end in mind, knowing that we can enjoy His presence here on earth also!

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for loving us enough to care about our every move, thought or word. For those who have accepted You as Lord, we are living life down here as just a taste of all that You have in store for us as we come to join You in glory! May we live in daily communion with You and may we always be obedient to Your call on our life, and the direction You point us in here on earth. May we love You more, listen to You more and then be totally obedient to all that You direct us in, so that Your glory might be fulfilled in and through us. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

Your God-Tools For 2016

On By Ed AlgreenIn Give it up, God tools, Let go and let God, SurrenderLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider even us, to nourish us for His glory! Read on and be blessed!………

The Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)
The Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
The Bible Text: The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

My Take Away: I was blessed to be a part of a group last night that watched the movie ‘War Room’. In that movie we were taught a similar principle as is taught in this passage of scripture today, that the Christian has at least one major God-tool at our disposal, and that we should take every opportunity to use it for the glory of God. As Paul indicated to the Corinthian church, there are tools of Satan in place all around us that we are powerless to face and challenged with on our own – that’s why they are so successful in this world with non-Christians. Often we can fight those things that are seen, and or obvious to us, but when we see our God-given marriages, children, extended families, neighbors, friends and churches failing, we quickly deduce that we are so helpless to do anything about those things. Friends, I was reminded that it’s not our marriages, children, extended families, neighbors, friends and churches that we are fighting, but instead it’s the Evil One that is trying very hard to kill, steal and/or destroy God’s chosen people – you and I. There is only one way to fight Satan, and that’s on our knees, crying out to God and pleading our case before our awesome, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-encompassing creator and Lord over everything – Jesus Christ. I believe that it is so important to remind ourselves daily who’s in charge, and that our God has the power to handle everything that we are willing to surrender to His control. I believe it is only then that our minds will be fresh. May we never forget to call on God when we sense an act of Satan that hinders our walk, our talk and our glorifying of the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, these tools of Satan is nothing that the untrained should ever approach, these are God-sized, and can only be handled by Him. Let’s not waste time trying, or permitting the risk of us being sucked into, or wooed by Satan. Let’s surrender to God the things that we know should be handled by Him. No experimenting or trying to do it yourself. God’s got this, and we just need to humble ourselves and surrender our lives totally into His care. I believe that He loves us enough that He truly desires to be our Father!

Prayer: Father we are really quick to grab the right tools and physically take care of issues around our home, but then we fall apart when we have emotional or sin issues that impact our Christian walk, or our relationships. Thankfully You have provided tools for us to communicate with the Creator of this universe, and of mankind; the Great Physician; our Healer; the only Son of God; the Redeemer of mankind and the only One who can save us from our sin-riddled life, and bring us before the throne of grace, that we are so undeserving of. You loved us enough to die for us, Lord may we love You enough to totally surrender and dedicate our lives to You. May You find open, accessible lives that You can use for Your glory in all that You permit us to be a part of here on earth. This is my heart-cry today Father. May Your will be done in my life and in the lives of those who will meditate on this devotional today, is my prayer that I ask in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016