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The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. Proverbs 23:24 NIV
No greater responsibility than parenting. Lord, help us to be good parents and if we aren’t parents, help us be good kids.
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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
We fear things that we have no control over. We are anxious about things that we don’t know the result of. We worry because it is our way of controlling our fear and anxiety. We worry because we feel it gives us a sense of control but in reality, it merely shows how little control we have. If we truly desire to demonstrate our faith, while at the same time exhibiting some sort of control, we must control our emotions and go to God in prayer and let God be in control. Lord, let worry be an alarm in my head that alerts me to go to You in prayer with the faith that the answer to prayer isn’t what matters, but peace is. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15 NIV
God doesn’t give us everything we ask for. He isn’t a Genie in a magic lamp that gives us our three wishes. God does provide whatever we ask for as long as we ask for things that are in line with His perfect plan. Just as a parent doesn’t give a child candy for every meal, our God loves us so much that He doesn’t give us something merely because we think we need or want it. Lord, thank you for protecting me from myself and giving me only what I really need. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 NIV
“People Pleasers”. Someone who requires the acceptance and praise of others. A person who feels the need to be liked by others and will do what it takes to make sure they are seen in a good light. An individual who’s self-worth is linked to how they are perceived by others. People Pleasers spend their whole life trying to please others. Most Christians can be characterized as “God Pleasers”, feeling the need to please God with their words and actions. Actions and words are meaningless to God. God wants your heart, not simply your words and actions. Lord, my heart is Yours and allow my actions to follow. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15 NIV
Truth. We often withhold the truth in an attempt to protect someone’s feelings. Truth. We often tell the truth to someone knowing full well that it will hurt them but justify our actions by saying, “we did it out of love”. Truth in love. The truth must be shared but also must have a foundation in true love. Lord, help me to have the confidence to share the truth and help me to have the maturity to share that truth only in love that is intended to help the other person and not to benefit myself. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30 NIV
The glass isn’t half empty or half full. The glass is overflowing. There is not one bit of uncertainty. There are no exceptions. There is only one condition. Accept Christ and you will never perish … ever. Lord, thank You for the gift that keeps on giving. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter2:24 NIV
Our actions have consequences. Those consequences usually impact ourselves or others and often times both. We sometimes see the consequences of our actions on ourselves. Completely appreciating the consequences that our actions have on others is sometimes very difficult. Christ died on the cross to save us from our own actions. Our actions no longer have consequences for us but our actions will always impact Him. Lord, help me to see how my actions impact those around me and also how those actions often times impact You. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 NIV
It is easier to do things for someone you know and like or even for someone you don’t know but they are likeable. It is nearly impossible to do something for someone you know who you don’t like or for someone who you don’t know at all and seems unlikeable … unless you see people as God sees us. Lord, help me to have the filter that sees people the way You see me and give me the strength to help and love people the way You help and love me. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 NIV
Our sins have been forgiven by God through Christ. This is the ultimate “get out of jail free” card. Lord, thank you for forgiving my sins so that I may be with you forever. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NIV
When we make that initial decision to follow Christ, there should be a change in the way we behave. Christ comes in and there should be less room (or no room) for our old self. And each day after that first, we should continue to be intentional and “die” a little more each day from our previous life and transform more to the life that Christ died for so He can fully indwell in us, without us taking up space. Lord, I made the decision once to follow You and now I recommit each day to die a little bit more and be different than the way I once was. |
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April 2023
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