Tag: prayers

Wisdom – Our Thoughts, Heart and Prayers

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

DATE POSTED: Saturday, October 14, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, 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 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 15:26; 28-29;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: The thoughts of evil people are disgusting to the Lord, but pleasant words are pure to him.
The heart of a righteous person carefully considers how to answer, but the mouths of wicked people pour out a flood of evil things.
The Lord is far from wicked people, but he hears the prayers of righteous people.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: I believe that way too often we overlook the fact that Solomon’s words of wisdom in Proverbs was ordained by God, just as John 3:16 and other Scriptures in the Holy Bible. So, when God got my attention to our key verses today, I felt like He wanted to remind me of a few things in my character that could bless Him and evoke blessings from Him, as well as see things that might deter His blessings on me. In sharing these thoughts with you, I believe that many of you – my readers and/or listeners. are probably not a whole lot different to me and will also be challenged by the Word of God. Each verse seems to concentrate on distinctive parts of our being:
-> Our THOUGHTS – Before you question whether God knows our thoughts, let me give you just a few independent verses where scripture writers cleared this up for us: In Psalm 139:1-2, David tells us: “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” Isaiah 55:8 states, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” In Psalm 139:23–24, we can read a humble cry for God’s presence in our lives, ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!’. Now, in our above verse, Solomon assures us that God is very unhappy with the evil thoughts of the wicked, but from the righteous, He is blessed by our outward expression of a pure heart and the pleasant words that exude from our mouths.
-> Our HEARTS – From the heart of a righteous man – one who is right with God and lives for His glory, God is honored to see how we carefully analyze a situation, and a person’s emotion, before we answer. To the contrary, God is not at all happy with the evil person who is careless about what they say or are deliberate in calculating hurt towards someone by what they say. If I’m ever tempted to not show love, I tend to use these scenarios as a barometer to help me see if I’m going off track and allowing Satan unwanted access to my heart. Let’s be sure that we stay consistent in pleasing God, regardless of how much we detest a person, what they stand for, and what they probably want to achieve through the words they speak to us and the evil looks that accompany their words. To have the heart of Jesus, we will always display words and actions that portray His love for His children.
-> Our PRAYERS – Although distant to the unrighteous, praise God for the reminder that He listens carefully to the prayers of the righteous. What an awesome reminder and encouragement to always stand closely tuned to God through our deep and sincere prayers to Him! In good relationships, we tend to communicate more. Oh that we will always pour out our heart to our loving Lord and Savior.
What awesome reminders that our God knows our heart, is pleased with our thoughts and listens for our prayers as He stands ready to answer in full accord with His perfect will for us!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, You created us and You know us better than we know ourselves. Thank You for using the wisdom that you gave to Your servant, Solomon, for Your children to be reminded today about how patient, loving and kind You are. You know our thoughts, our heart and still You are willing to listen to our meager acts of worship and our many excuses for failing to spend adequate time with You and obey Your commands. Thank You for being our kind and faithful Father. Please continue to impress upon us the need to obey Your commands and follow Your will for our lives, for You have much better things in store for us after our battles here on earth with the evil one. Please allow us to become so much like You that the unsaved will be reassured of a Savior because they see the evidence in us. Lord, may we never be a stumbling block to anyone that we interact with, for instead be genuine witnesses and representatives of Yours. 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 nearby 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!

Oh, for the faith of our forefathers

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Faith, Faith, God Cares For Us, God our Provider, God’s Word, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Power of Prayer, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 23 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there.7 For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.” Gen 24:6-8 (NLT)

14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.” Gen 24:14 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

This is a pretty amazing chapter to read on the faith of our forefathers, wow! Abraham heard from God on who his son Isaac should marry, and who he shouldn’t marry, and where exactly Isaac should settle down at. So he sent his servant to look for a wife for Isaac so that Isaac wouldn’t be tempted to stay in the destination that Abraham was convinced his wife would come from. Abraham was convinced of his actions and followed through with them in faith believing God. It seems like his servant left for the journey a little hesitant, but yet willing to follow the orders of his master. Surely there must have been a degree of assurance based on the many times he had seen Abraham’s faith in action before. It was interesting to see the servant also bow before God with his own requests for this awesome task assigned to him by his master. It was also amazing to see how God answered the prayers of Abraham and his servant and then to see how pleased Isaac was with his new wife that was picked for him. This has once again reminded me of how awesome my God is, and how He will come through for us as we pray in faith, and as we follow His will obediently.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord please help me to never question You and Your will for my life. My problems are extremely minor in comparison to the awesome tasks that I read about in this chapter today. Please help me to draw so close to You that I will know Your will for my life and that I will seek with all that I have to follow Your commands, Your Word and ultimately, Your direction for my life and for those that I influence and have responsibility. You are all powerful, and not only have You made everything around me, but You have everything under Your control. Thank You Father for that assurance, and for loving and caring for me enough to want to see the very best for me. My desire is to follow Your will for my life. I pray that my faith will be strengthened each and every day that I walk alongside of You!

Is there anything too hard for the lord?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Encourage, Faith, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, Helper, Hope, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Power of Prayer, Righteousness, Surrender, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 18

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Gen 18:13-14 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In the everyday rush of life and circumstances we often face challenges that seem insurmountable to us. When our selfish wishes don’t come true, or if our prayers are not answered like we envision in our own minds, we tend to feel like God is not in control and/or that He does not hear our prayers. In this chapter we read where Abraham and Sarah has grown very old, yet God has seen fit to still bless them with another child. Sarah felt like the plan of God was so far out that she laughed, because the plan sounded so far out to her. I believe that today as we face life’s challenges we may not even go to God with our concerns because we feel like our problems are way too big. I believe that God is saying to me, and/or to us, O Ye of Little Faith! Is anything too hard for the Lord? Friends, we serve the creator and developer of this universe, the One who spoke all this into existence. Is there anything too hard for Him? I would dare say that He can do all things! He can handle every problem or challenge that seem so impossible to us. Today let’s let go, and let God be God!

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father I know that You must look at Your children and often say “O ye of little faith, have I not proven myself to you on numerous occasions? Why won’t you let me help you?”. Please help me to learn to place my trust in You and allow You to be God in all circumstances of my life. You are well aware of all that is troubling me today. I have no need to worry, because I need to just place everything into Your care and allow You to take control. Thank You for reminding me of Your power this morning. Thank You for reminding me that nothing is too hard for You! As I place myself into Your powerful hands again today, I pray that You will relieve me of every concern that tend to burden me. I need You each and every day through each and every situation. Please take control of every decision and every aspect of this life, and allow me to look through Your eyes when I am tempted to worry. Thank You for loving me so much!