Devotions
June 3rd
Joel 2:28
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
The celebrating of God’s giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is a demonstration of God’s love and the fulfillment of prophecy. When the Holy Spirit fell down on believers at Pentecost, Peter said it was the work of the Spirit which the prophet Joel had foreseen. It may have been the start of that outpouring, but it wasn’t the end of it. The Holy Spirit continues to work in believers today, and many believe that in the last days before Jesus returns there will be an even greater work of the Spirit in that all people will come to faith in the Lord.
Joel sees the Day of the Lord preparing Judah and Jerusalem for full restoration. In contrast to the desolation of the locusts, the land will drip with wine, water will flow out of the temple (just as Ezekiel saw), their guilt will be pardoned, everyone who calls on the LORD will be saved, and the Lord will dwell there.” The Day of the Lord heralds the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In a moment in time, God pours out his Spirit and inaugurates a new day for his relationship with his people, including us today. But the Church can do much more than we’ve been doing. In our society today, we have a lot of religion and mixture in the Church that has set the bar too low. Let’s go back to the Bible and let that be our standard. Sometimes, we have a tendency to do only what we’ve seen others do.
So, it’s time to raise our expectations and our experiences, both corporately as the Church, and individually in what God has called you as a Spirit filled believer to be in these end times. The spiritual outpouring prophesied in Joel 2:28 was fulfilled in Acts, chapter two, as it came upon the believers, filling them with the Holy Spirit and fire.
This awesome manifestation is not limited to speaking in tongues as important as this is. When God poured out His spirit, it resulted in dreams, visions, and prophesying. Folks, it’s time we start believing and walking in the supernatural flow of God’s power. Are you ready?
Let us pray; Thank you, O God, for allowing me to live in the time of your church. Forgive me when I discount your power released in and through your church by the Holy Spirit. Forgive me for not responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to be conformed to the character and compassion of Jesus. Forgive me for the times I've grieved the Spirit by saying unkind things about others, especially those in whom the Spirit lives. I ask, dear Father, in the name of Jesus, that your Holy Spirit will have the controlling influence on my heart and in shaping my life. Amen.
June 2nd
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
As we live in these days of racial protests amid a Coronavirus Global Pandemic we become more and more aware that we are inadequate to live the Christian life God would like us to live. We feel powerless and come to know that we are unable to do it on our own. We need another source for that needed power. No one has the power in him or herself to live a holy life. We are all in the same boat, but there is someone else with us who has the power we need, the Holy Spirit whom God gave to us at Pentecost.
The power of the Spirit is God’s divine energy and authority released in believers’ lives for the purpose of righteous living and fruitful service. We really need this while the George Floyd protests continue not only in Minnesota but also around the country and while we continue to struggle with the Coronavirus infections and deaths each day. Part of the promise is that when we walk in the Spirit, we’re relying on His strength to accomplish God’s will. As a result, we experience the following benefits:
• We may get tired, but we won’t burn out.
• We’ll trust God instead of trying to manipulate our circumstances.
• We may experience distress, but we won’t become desperate.
• We won’t become overwhelmed with discouragement or obstacles, knowing the Spirit
within us will enable us to do what He’s called us to accomplish.
When we do God’s work by His strength, in His way, and with His wisdom, we’ll be blessed no matter what goes on around us. Walking in the Spirit doesn’t mean life will be easy but we never have to walk through it alone, because our Helper is always with us. God’s power is available to us because of his Holy Spirit in us. This is not ‘our’ power, but it’s the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. God wants each of us to experience this power so that we can realize the fullness of his love and live a kind of life that glorifies him. If this is your motivation – to glorify God with your life by the power of his Spirit – then God will answer your cries for more of his power as you yield to his Spirit inside you.
Let us pray; Heavenly Father, thank you that I have been saved by grace, through faith in Christ and have been baptized into His Body and become one with Him, and a member of His Church. Thank you that your Holy Spirit lives in me and that I have been given all that I need to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. I pray that I may be a good and faithful witness in the place where you have planted me, knowing that I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me and empowers with His own resurrected life. Help me show that the Holy Spirit has filled me with power and joy. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen
June 1st
Luke 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
This past week we have been watching nearly all day the many protests, some peaceful and some destructive and violent. It makes one quite nervous and anxious and scared. It makes us want to say, “I wish Jesus was physically here right now.” Each Sunday we gather to worship a God we are “in relationship” with even though we can’t see him or touch him. So it is with the Holy Spirit. We do not see Him, yet His effects are felt in countless ways.
Before he was crucified Jesus was in the upper room where he told his disciples that they were going to receive the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is called the Advocate, Helper, Counselor, or Comforter. And each title helps to explain who the Spirit is and what the Spirit does. The Spirit is more than just an abstract concept. He is a person, as fully God as the Father and the Son. The Spirit of God comes to dwell within believers, representing a new level of intimacy between God and his people.
The Spirit of God helps people to discern and understand the truth of the good news of salvation. When we have faith in God, we are relying on His Spirit, so we have God’s power to live the Christian life. So, in our times of doubt and fears resulting from the protests, we can take comfort knowing that no matter what it feels like, God is in fact present with us. In fact, through the Spirit, God has come closer to us than ever before.
Let us pray; Dear Holy Spirit, please forgive me for ignoring Your presence in my life. I ask You to guide me, lead me, commune with me and to fill me so that I am completely influenced by Your presence. I invite You to take control of my life beginning today. I pray this in Jesus’ holy name. Amen
May 29th
John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
On Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost, the sending of the Holy Spirit. These days with the Coronavirus spreading wildly, even in our own communities, we need that Spirit more than ever. This virus has caused us to suspend all activities at church including worship. We’ve needed to become creative in our worship practices. We need God’s promised Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us through this pandemic to do the right thing.
Hard as it may be to believe at times, the New Testament informs us that we who live after the ascension of Christ are in a better position than the disciples were when Jesus was walking the earth. This is because we live in the day when the old covenant promise that the Spirit would come in His fullness has been realized. At Pentecost, Christ poured out His Holy Spirit on the church, the Spirit of truth who guides us into all of the Lord’s revealed will.
The ministry of the Spirit is not to reveal new things outside of Scripture but to teach us all that our Savior taught. Learning to hear the Spirit is a lifelong task of reading His Word and developing our ability by this Word to discern truth from error. We can be confident that the Spirit will help us do this as we approach the Scriptures with humility, in the context of Christ’s church, and ask Him to open them up to our minds and hearts.
Let us pray; Lord our God and Father, we thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit, who binds us to you. Give us continually afresh something of this Spirit so that we can go forward with light shining on the paths we must follow on earth. Grant us your Spirit, grant that light may break into our whole life and we can rejoice because we experience so much of what you are doing. For through the power of your Spirit you can help us toward your future and all that is to come, that we may live not only in time but in eternity. Amen.
May 28th
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Weakness is a big deal in our society today. Nobody wants to appear weak, to be the pushover, to admit or reveal their flaws. From physical strength to sharp business shrewdness, there’s something about being strong, confident, and in control that produces success. So we are tempted to ask, how can the Apostle Paul be “content with weaknesses?” How can he gladly brag about his faults? If anything, we are taught to hide our flaws. So, this just doesn’t make sense to us today.
The Bible defines the call to follow Jesus as living by faith as Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9. This means choosing to surrender control. It means acknowledging a need for someone else. It means admitting that we cannot do it alone. Living by faith means trusting in someone other than ourselves.
Some of you might be thinking: This sounds an awful lot like weakness, not courage. After all, the bravest people don’t need anyone, right? Not according to God’s word. The Bible says that living by faith demands a strength far greater than our own. Think about it. Doesn’t it take an incredible amount of faith to admit that you need help, that you can’t do it alone? In the end, it was never supposed to be about our individual strengths but choosing to trust in God’s. It’s about trusting in a God-given strength even when we feel weak.
Let us pray; Heavenly Father, thank you that your grace is sufficient for all my needs. Help me to recognize and rejoice in the knowledge that your power is made perfect in my own weakness. Help me to boast all the more gladly in my inabilities, so that your great ability may be manifest in my life. I pray that I may learn to be content in all things for Christ’s sake - and help me to be increasingly conscious of my own human weakness so that I may be supplied day by day by the strength of your mighty power, so that Christ may be glorified in my life. To His praise and glory I pray. Amen.
May 27th
Acts 10:43
To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Peter says, “You may not appreciate this fully, but everything that Jesus did was predicted by the prophets. Long before he ever came, what he would be like and what he would do was written down. Every prophet bore witness to this one fact: The only way you could ever find forgiveness of sins is by believing in him. That is the great, final, glorious thrust of the gospel. The good news is that men have been given a way to be forgiven of their sins.”
That is the basic need of every human heart. Each of us suffers from the terrible consciousness of guilt. We are guilty and we know it. That is what makes us so restless. That is why we cannot stand to be alone with ourselves, because we are afraid of that sense of guilt which oppresses us. So the prime need of our lives is to be forgiven, to have nothing in the past to worry about, to have nothing that makes us uncertain of the future and, especially, nothing which makes us unwilling to appear before God. Through Jesus Christ sins are forgiven.
Have you recently stopped and thanked God that your sins are forgiven? Not just the ones you committed before you acknowledged you were a Christian; all your sins. All the future ones as well as those of the past are forgiven already in Jesus Christ. God has no ill feelings with you; he loves you, he accepts you. Whatever you do he will continue to love you and accept you.
No one can take that truth and then use it as a license to sin, to go out and do as you like. To do so would indicate that you have never really been regenerated, have never really understood why God bore your sins. But if you have been daily made right with God, you know that this is the greatest and most unending blessing of your life — to wake up every morning and remember that you stand as a beloved child in God’s presence. He loves you and accepts you. You are his, and for that reason he will be with you all day long, in every circumstance of your experience.
Let us pray; Father, thank you for the forgiveness of my sins. Thank you for sending your Son to die for me so this could be possible. And thank you that he rose victorious over death to give me the hope of eternal life. Thank You that there is no partiality with you and that all sinners may be saved by grace through faith in Christ. Thank you for my own salvation and I pray that as we wait for the day of our Lord Jesus Christ’s return in the clouds, that many more men and women, old and young, black and white people from every race and nation may come to faith in Christ Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN.
May 26th
Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Many of the struggles in our lives are not mere accidents! Many of them are not put there by God. Our challenges often come from the hand of our enemy, Satan. He always prowls with the Lord.
As Christians, we are given Christ’s clothes to wear. It is said that the clothes make the men and women children of God, and these clothes – the armor of God – make us who we are and who God wants us to be. Each piece further makes us into a Christ like person. Just remember that when you became a Christian, when you became a soldier in Christ’s army, you were given God’s armor. When you have on this armor, you have on the best protection in the universe. Notice that Paul doesn’t just say to get possession of the armor, but rather, to take up and put on the armor. These are commands not suggestions. Christians are commanded to put on the armor. Obviously, armor sitting on the floor or stuffed the closet never did any soldier any good.
For far too many Christians today, Satan is far superior to us in many ways. In fact, some Christians have their heads in the clouds so much, that they don’t even know there is a battle going on until they’ve been struck down! Christians in general make easy prey for Satan. But this should not be. God has given to each one of us armor – His armor – by which we can protect ourselves from the enemy. But it does no good sitting in the closet. We must pick it up. We must put it on. We must wear it night and day until we feel naked and unprotected without it.
God has given us this wonderful gift to protect us from the enemy in this battle, and we must take it up and put it on. Having the armor does no good unless we wear it. And not just a piece or two, but, as Paul says in verses 11 and 13, the whole armor. If you only put on a few pieces, you leave yourself unprotected and vulnerable in certain areas. So, you must wear the armor, and you must wear all of it. There are times when we need to stand up for our faith. Today in prayer, thank Jesus for His love toward you and look to Him to strengthen your faith.
Let us pray; O Lord, some days I feel strong, focused, alert, and ready to fight the battles I face. Other days I feel exposed, vulnerable, weak, and worn down. Help me to be strong at all times. Remind me that you have dressed me in your full armor. I’m wearing the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation. My feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. I have the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (the Word). You have fully armed me so that I can take my stand against the devil’s schemes, no matter how I’m feeling. Lead me to rely on this armor so that I am always strong as I fight my battles. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
May 25th
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
As we celebrate this Memorial Day, this verse ought to inspire us to think about and give thanks for those who were willing to put their lives on the line for us. Even if that meant death. This verse shows you a true characteristic of true love. That characteristic is being unselfish. While ultimately the first thing that comes to mind is literally dying for those who you love. This is what those who fought for our freedoms did without reservation. This is what we call “sacrifice for the common good.”
But sadly, sacrifice has almost disappeared from people’s understanding in our Western culture today. Some glimpses of it can be found in war stories, as when a soldier puts him or herself in harm’s way to save the lives of others. Or a person joins the military because they want to do their part in preserving freedom for their fellow citizens, even if that meant giving of their lives in death.
Memorial Day means more than a day at the beach. It is a day to give thanks that we live in a land of freedom, peace and prosperity, and it is a day to cherish the memory of those who died defending it. We can’t read this verse without thinking of our many veterans who have laid down their lives for us.
Let us pray; Gracious God, as we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy every day, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our servicemen and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and your presence as they stand in the gap for our protection. We also remember the families of our troops. We ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes, and we pray your peace, provision, and strength will fill their lives. May the members of our armed forces be supplied with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord’s mighty power to accomplish each task. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support this day and always. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
May 22nd
Psalm 29:11
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
God knows all about us and what we will be dealing with way before we do and He is quick to come to our rescue at any time. Each of us have felt alone or abandoned when it seemed our world had been shattered by bad news.
In these times when darkness overshadows our circumstances and we can’t see the hope we so desperately need. God comes into the center of our pain and weakness and faithfully holds us up. He comes in the way that He knows we will respond to and receive. His resources are endless. God can and will use whatever method necessary to reach us. It may be in a phone call or a letter or email from a friend; It may use a stranger on the street who speaks the life-giving words we need in that moment; It may be that His Holy Spirit visits us and reveals His awesome presence of love and acceptance. The times God has revealed Himself to me when I was in a place of despair or fear are immeasurable.
The Bible says that Jesus went around healing and restoring people. He embraced all who sincerely came to Him. We live in a world where we need constant restoration. Our energy is zapped by the drama and chaos built into everyday life. God is never bothered by our need for Him; He desires it. He is a God who rushes to our defense and loves us wholeheartedly and without condition. The strength and peace God gives refreshes and renews us. It lights up the way and helps us to hope again.
Let us pray; Loving Father, you have never failed me in the past and I trust you in the future to be my stronghold and my peace, for you are my Lord and my God, and I love you, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
May 21st
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
If there ever was a time in which we need a verse like this, it is now. With all that is going on in our world today, fear often fills us and we feel like we are walking this path alone. We struggle to make sense of it all. But we don’t have to live that way. God wants you to know that you are not in this alone. His presence refuses to turn His back on you. His presence doesn’t want you carrying these burdens and troubles by yourself. His promise says that He cannot leave you without comfort. You and I are not without the love of the Father present with us. He has said to us, “I will come to you! I will help you!” That’s a promise you can take to the bank.
We need to realize that fear is a tool in the enemy’s hand, but we have the ability to stop it for if we didn’t, the Lord would never have told us to “fear not.” God has given us the remedy for fear. “Be strong and of good courage.” Keep your attitude right, your eyes fixed on Him rather than on the situation or circumstance that would bring you fear. God promises never to leave us nor forsake us. What more assurance could we ask for?
Be bold. Be strong. Be of good courage. Be not afraid. For God is with you today and every day. And, if circumstances should overwhelm you, don't allow fear to grip your heart. Just know that “He’s an on-time God, yes He is!”
Let us pray; All powerful God, I know you are in control. Despite this, I am often fearful and concerned about the future. I pray that you help me throw away my fear. Give me courage. Remind me to look toward you for guidance and strength. I know you will not leave me alone. I want to follow you. Amen.
May 20th
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
During this coronavirus pandemic we are all seeking a direction which will keep us safe. With good intentions, directions are coming to us from all directions. But unfortunately not all are as helpful as intended. As we become more and more concerned about the next step we are to take, we are confused as to which direction we should take because we are given so many.
Here’s some good news for us today. The “Word of God” is our compass in life. It is also our guide, our helper, our deliverer, our peace, our joy, our redemption and our everlasting promise. The Psalmist declares that the “Word of God” is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. The light of God’s Word makes things clear and visible so that we will not trip and fall into the traps and snares of the enemy. When God’s Word becomes a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, he leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. The Word of God is the Christian life support, our sustaining power, our oxygen tank, our feeding tube, our guiding light and our eternal hope of glory.
As Christians, we must daily search the Word of God; study it, believe it, and obey it for indeed it is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Without the light of God’s Word we will continue to stumble in the dark. We will never make it to our destination because we will not be able to see our way out of where we are.
It is the light of God’s Word that illuminates our path and leads us in the right direction.
Let us pray; Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your written Word, which provides me with such strength for today and great hope for tomorrow. As I step out into the darkness of this fallen world, I pray that your Word would truly lighten the way I take and lead me in the path of righteousness. Help me to hide its truths in my heart and may I be ready and willing to follow your will for my life, as I face the difficulties and trials that lies ahead, in the strength of your mighty power. Thank you for your Word of light and truth in this dark world, in Jesus' name I pray. AMEN.
May 19th
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
So often situations arise around us that make us feel helpless and even hopeless. Take the novel coronavirus pandemic for instance. Because we are struggling to bring it under control, we are left feeling powerless and wondering what we can do to get through this trying time. Perhaps this verse will give us insight about who God is and offer encouragement and hope.
This is a very popular scripture that is often quoted out of context. It says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That doesn’t mean you can just do anything you decide to do because you want to do it. Paul was talking specifically about how he was able, through the power of Christ, to be content no matter what his circumstances were.
This does mean that by God’s grace, we can do whatever we need to do in life. I think that’s a mindset we need to have. There’s nothing that’s too much for you if you’re trusting God. You can handle whatever comes your way because God promises that He’ll never put more on us than we can bear and deal with. So keep a positive attitude no matter where you are right now, no matter what’s going on in your life. Cheer up, God is on your side. Stop being upset about things you can’t do anything about.
People of God, wherever you may be at in your walk with the Lord today hopefully this passage will serve as an encouragement to you and that you know without a doubt that in what looks like defeat, you are already victorious through Christ Jesus.
YES! YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU!
Let us pray; Father, teach me to look to Jesus each moment of the day for my strength, and not to rely on my own imperfect human abilities and intelligence, for without You I can do nothing. As I rest in Christ Jesus, He will empower me through the indwelling Holy Spirit to carry out your will for my life. I confess that without you I can do nothing - but with you I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, through the power of the Holy Spirit – to you be praise and glory forever. AMEN.
May 18th
John 14:18
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
This short passage is packed with a lot of hope, promise, and encouragement. This is important for us today because so often when we experience suffering or illness, we feel that we are dealing with these things on our own. Feeling like we are orphaned. But Jesus offers us some good news.
Here Jesus tells us the secret of our identity as believers. The most fundamental fact of our life as Christians is there: Jesus says that He is not going to leave His disciples desolate or as orphans. These men are frightened. They know that He is going away in a short time. They are fearful -- not only for Him but for themselves. But now He reassures them and all of us today: I’m not going to leave you orphans; I’m not going to abandon you. I will come to you.
Through the sacrament of baptism we are claimed as members of God’s family. We are forever dependent on God’s love, God’s nurture, and God’s care for our lives. In Jesus’ promise to us who are his children, we are swept into the gentle arms of God’s love and care. In other words we are not left abandoned. We will not be left alone.
In the community of faith we are called to open our eyes to the realities of those around us so that, rather than discomforting someone on their way in or ostracizing someone to the point that they don’t even come, we remember that God will not leave us orphaned, not even in church.
Let us pray; O Holy Spirit, Jesus told us that He would not leave us orphans, but would send You to us. How often I have wept or complained because it seemed like you were not with me in my sorrows and sufferings! Help me to recognize Your presence in all situations. Help me to turn to you and find you, for you never leave me nor abandon me. You care even more about me and my problems than I do. You are working a plan for my benefit, to make good come from everything that happens to me. Help me to discover your presence in every moment of my life. I pray this in Jesus holy name. Amen
May 15th
Isaiah 41:13
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
As we continue in this pandemic we are tempted to make decisions based on fear. Not knowing what the future holds will encourage our minds to make decisions that could be harmful for us. All because of fear.
Fear is something we all face at times in our lives. And so you might wonder, is it possible to live a life that is free from fear? Today’s Bible verse seems to indicate that it is. God tells us not to fear. God wouldn’t tell us not to do something if it was impossible to do.
Many times, fear is based in the unknown. We might not know what will happen so we act differently, hold back or stop in our tracks. This is the enemy’s ploy. He knows that if he can get us to be afraid we won’t do the things God is calling us to do. We will be afraid to tell others about Jesus, we won’t pray for the person going through a struggle or go on the missions trip God is calling us to go on. Fear will stop you from doing the things God has called you to do.
Here’s the good news in this passage: The Lord has not forgotten you. He sees your struggles. He knows the situation that you are in and He has not changed. His words to you today are: “fear not, I will help you. I will literally hold you and walk through with you. whatever you are dealing with.” You can stick this promise directly in the face of adversity and stand on it. Your God would never leave you. People may leave your side, but your God will not abandon you.
When God is with us, we have nothing to fear and He promises His presence always, even to the end of the age!
Let us pray; Loving God, you guide me and protect me. Help me to realize that I’m not the one in control. When I’m fearful, help me look to you. Help me reach out to you. I trust you and know that you’re faithful. Help me, give me strength, give me wisdom. Mold me into someone who puts complete trust in you. Amen.
