Category Archives: Devotional

Introspection and Revival

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Michael| 2 Comments

I have been posting about ministry standards lately. I found this on Adrian Warnock’s blog–a quote from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the importance of self-examination in Christian living and revival, a timely message for sure:

“It is one thing to believe the truth, it is a very different thing to apply it. We did listen, and apply the truth, initially, otherwise we would not be Christians at all. But it is possible for us … to go on, content with just listening to, or reading the truth, and never applying it to ourselves, or examining ourselves in the light of it. Is this not one of the most alarming possibilities in the Christian life?

… read the life of any man who has ever been used of God … in connection with revival, and you will always find that he was a man who had examined himself, and had become alarmed about himself. It has always been the thing that has led him to God and to prayer — his astonishment at himself.

But if we do not examine ourselves we will never truly pray, and our lives will be lived entirely on the surface. Now, how little we hear about self-examination! Oh, we believe in having a quiet time, a short reading of Scripture, a hurried prayer, and we have done everything. But where is self-examination? How much talk is there about mortification of the flesh? (Colossians 3:5, Romans 8:13)

… allow the truth to search you … apply it to yourself … preach to yourself … talk to yourself … meditate about these things … bring yourself under conviction …[do] not let yourself escape. But …do not stop at that … allow the Scriptures to lead you to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the cleansing of His blood. In other words, any Christian who is depressed and morbid and introspective is really failing to apply the doctrine of justification by faith only. If you stop in your sins, if you stop in the dust and the ashes and in the sackcloth, I say, you are not scriptural.

You must go on from that and look to Him, and apply again the truth to yourself. You must be certain that you end in a condition of thanksgiving and praise, with a realisation that your sins are covered and blotted out, and that you are renewed, and that you are able to go forward.”

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival (Westchester, Illinois, Crossway Books, 1987), pp. 80-83.

Posted in Christian Living, Devotional, Ministry, Prayer, Revival

Prayer: Greater Intimacy with God

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Michael| Leave a comment

(Wigglesworth via Wikipedia)

Received from Charisma Online-

Another great message by Smith Wigglesworth to start off the week by:

Do you hear the ringing of the prayer bells? The Father is waiting in the prayer tower of your soul, waiting and longing to have a talk with you. He wants you to know Him as intimately as the Old Testament prophets knew Him. You can confidently enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus. (See Hebrews 10:19.) He is the way to the Father.
Moses, an Old Testament prophet, knew God, and he knew the ways of God. He was not afraid to reveal his disappointments, frustrations, anger, and fears to the God in whose presence he dwelled. David, who wrote many of the psalms, expressed his innermost thoughts to Jehovah God even while declaring his trust in Him. In Lamentations 3:17, the prophet Jeremiah expressed his true feelings of despair. This opened the door for him to receive hope and confidence.

You can talk openly with God—your wonderful Counselor, your Prince of Peace—about anything. Tell Him your innermost thoughts. Describe your fondest dreams. Expose your true feelings, desires, wants, and needs. Express your love and gratitude to Him with thanksgiving. It may be possible to hide your true feelings from others or even from yourself, but it is impossible to hide your feelings from God.

Often feelings are a barometer, alerting us to a need for change in our thought life and attitudes. Unfortunately, we sometimes misuse the Scriptures as a cover-up for a feeling we perceive as wrong instead of acknowledging the feeling and expecting answers from the Lord to determine the cause and the remedy. God is concerned about everything that concerns you (Ps. 138:8). Ask Him for what you believe you need. Allow Him the time to speak to you and to show you your real need.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
But as for me, I will come into your Temple protected by your mercy and your love; I will worship you with deepest awe.—Psalm 5:7, tlb

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Lord, You are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in You, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to You. Thank You for arming me with strength and making my way perfect. In the name of Jesus, I can face challenges with wisdom, understanding, intelligence, and supernatural ability because Your Word dwells in me richly. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. *Top

Posted in Devotional, Intimacy w/ God, Prayer

The Word, Not Feelings

Posted on December 29, 2008 by Michael| Leave a comment

(-Picture via Wikipedia)

Received from Charisma Online-

Another great message by Smith Wigglesworth to start off the week by:

Oh that GOD shall give us an earnest, intent position where flesh and blood have to yield! We will go forward. We will not be moved by our feelings.

The man is prayed for tonight and gets a blessing, but tomorrow, because he does not feel exactly as he thinks he ought to feel, begins murmuring. So, he exchanges the Word of God for his feelings.

Let Christ have His perfect work. You must cease to be. That is a difficult thing for you and me. But it is not trouble at all when you are in the hands of the Potter. You are only wrong when you are kicking. You are all right when you are still and He is forming you afresh. So let Him form you afresh today and make of you a vessel that will stand the stress.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

When ye received the word of God . . . ye received it . . . as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

—1 THESSALONIANS 2:13

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Word of God, take priority over my feelings that I must trust only Thy truth. Amen.

Posted in Devotional

Prayer Changes You!

Posted on December 22, 2008 by Michael| 1 Comment

(-Wigglesworth via Wikipedia)

I received this devotional from Charisma OnLine-

Another message of Smith Wigglesworth to start the week out right:

I know this is clearly as anything, that no man can change God. You cannot change Him.

But as a man labors in prayer, and groans, and travails because his tremendous sin is weighing him down, he becomes broken in the presence of God. When properly melted in the perfect harmony with the divine plan of God, then God can work in that clay where before He could not work.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
The publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.—LUKE 18:13

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, change me as I pray. Amen. *Top

Posted in Devotional, Prayer

The Piercing Sword

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Michael| 2 Comments

(-Smith Wigglesworth via Wikipedia)

A Devotional received from Charisma OnLine-

Another message from Smith Wigglesworth to start the week out right:

The word of Life, the Christ which is the Word, separates in you soul from spirit—what a wonderful work! The Spirit divides you from soul affection, from human weakness, from all depravity, from the human soul in the blood of man. The blood of Jesus can cleanse your blood till the very soul of you is purified and your very nature is destroyed by the nature of the living Christ.

The greatest work God ever did on the face of the earth was done in the operation of His power.

Jesus was raised from the dead by the operation of God’s mighty power. The operation in our hearts of that same resurrection power will dethrone self and will build God’s temple.

Callousness will have to change. Hardness will have to disappear. All evil thoughts must be gone. Raised up will be lowliness of mind. This is a wonderful plan for us. His Word transforming, resurrecting, giving thoughts of holiness, inspiring intense zeal, and giving us a desire for all of God till we live and move in the atmosphere of holiness.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. —Hebrews 4:12

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Word of God, pierce my heart and touch my whole being with Thy resurrection power. Amen.

Posted in Devotional

Jesus- Anywhere and Everywhere

Posted on December 8, 2008 by Michael| 2 Comments

(Smith Wigglesworth via Wikipedia)

Another great devotional from Charisma Online to start out the week right:

A Message by Smith Wigglesworth:

When traveling by ship from England to Australia, these people came round me and said, “We want to know if you will join us in an entertainment.” Then they said to me, “Well, we have a very large program and would like to put you down to sing a song.”

“Oh,” I said, “my song will be given just before I sing. So you cannot put it down until I am to sing.”

I sang: If I could only tell it as I know it, My Redeemer who has done so much for me; If I could only tell you how much He loves you,I am sure that you would make Him yours today. Could I tell it? Could I tell it? I never could tell it.
The people were weeping all over. We had some fine young men give themselves to Jesus.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.—EPHESIANS 6:18

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Father God, grant me the boldness to transform any place I am into an occasion for prayer. Amen. *Top

Posted in Devotional, Testimony

Responding to the Perfect Will of God

Posted on December 1, 2008 by Michael| Leave a comment

Mike Bickle via Wikipedia

Another great devotional from Charisma OnLine to start out week with.

Today’s message is from Mike Bickle:

Some people think the will of God is always hard, but that’s not true. The will of God is good, satisfying and perfect (Rom. 12:2). We find tremendous pleasure, fulfillment and joy in the will of God.

On the other hand, there are times when we must say no to the desires of our flesh, times when our own carnal passions conflict with the will of God. At such times, we must deny ourselves.

That is what Jesus meant when He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23, NAS). He said we cannot be His disciples if we don’t do this.

If we want to be colaborers with Jesus, fulfilling His purposes in the earth, we must step out of the comfort zone and move into the life of faith where our only source is the invisible God and the integrity of His Word.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Lord, today I choose to deny my own fleshly desires so that I can follow Your perfect will. Make me a faithful disciple of Jesus.

Response: Responding to the ‘perfect will of God’ for us is at the very heart, and beginning of our participation in a revival culture. Increasingly I am seeing the importance for each one to experience individual revival as we respond to the Holy Spirit and God’s perfect will for us each day. It can only happen as we increase our intimacy with our Lord. *Top

Posted in -Revival Culture, Devotional, Intimacy w/ God, Revival

A Day to be Thankful!

Posted on November 27, 2008 by Michael| Leave a comment

Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. -1Thessalonians 5:18

As we gather together with friends and family for Thanksgiving in America, let us remember the blessings that God has bestowed upon this nation and the ultimate gift to be thankful for–His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that graces our lives.

In the midst of economic trouble we do need to remember that our worst times are better than the best of fortune for 95% of the folks living on this planet. Even in times of personal difficulty we can always be confident in the love and the strength of the Lord–we can always depend on him.

It is a great time to remember how the Lord has truly blessed each one of us and our family.

Thank you Father for your Love for us, thank you Lord Jesus for your strength, and Holy Spirit for your peace. In Jesus Name Amen. *Top

Posted in American Church, Devotional, Praise the Lord, Prayer

Faith and Love

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Michael| 4 Comments

Picture via Wikipedia

From Charisma OnLine- This week’s message on faith by Smith Wigglesworth:

Suppose I had all faith so I could remove mountains; and I had a big farm, but there was some of my farm land that was not very profitable. It was stony, had many rocks upon it and some little mountains on it that were absolutely untillable and no good.

But because I have faith without charity, I say, "I will use my faith, and I will move this land. I do not care where it goes so long as my land is clean."

So I use my faith to clear my land. The next day my poor neighbor next door comes and says, "I am in great trouble. All your wasteland and stony, rocky land has been tipped onto mine, and my good land is spoiled."

And I, who have faith without charity, say to him, "You get faith and move it back!"

That profits nothing.

Then when you pray, God will wonderfully answer you. Nothing will hinder your being used for God. Gifts are not only useable, but God is glorified in Jesus when you pray the prayer of faith. Jesus said, "When ye pray believing, the Father shall be glorified in the Son."

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. —1 CORINTHIANS 13:2

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, fill me with Thy love so that I might be used of Thee to glorify Thy name whenever I exercise faith. Amen. *Top

Posted in Christian Living, Devotional, Faith

Living Faith

Posted on November 17, 2008 by Michael| 2 Comments

Picture via Wikipedia

From Charisma Online- Another message from Smith Wigglesworth to start out the week with:

Now the heart cries out for a living faith with a deep vision of God. The world cannot produce it. Living faith is a place where we seek the Word so that when we pray we know God hears. Living faith comes into the presence of God, asking Him and believing Him for the answer, while having no fear.

I used to have a tremendous temper, going white with passion. My whole nature was not what God wanted. God knew that I could never be of service unless I was sanctified. For example, I was difficult to please at the table.

My wife was a good cook, but there was always something wrong. After God sanctified me, she testified in a meeting that from the time God touched me, I was pleased with everything she cooked.

It is our human spirit that has to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

This world is full of stimulation. It is by faith, into a place of grace that all may see us new. Behold! Behold! Behold! What is it? The Holy Ghost is arousing our attention. He has something special to say. Behold, if you will believe, you can be sons of God in likeness, character, spirit, and actions.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, I desire to be changed in Thy Presence. Make of me a new creation in Thee. Amen.