The link shared below is something I found both encouraging and helpful. I wanted to share it with the hope that it will also encourage you to spend some quality time with God. I will preface it with this … prayer can also be spontaneous which Scripture supports in Colossians 4:2, where it tells us to pray continually or devote yourselves to prayer as some translations say, painting a picture, not of praying once a day, but praying throughout the day.
However, as Pastor John teaches in this devotional, Plan for Prayer, prayer is also meant to be a time planned or set aside to spend purposefully with God – for the specific purpose of praying. I will also add – we should set aside time to spend in His Word – the two can be combined but neither should be neglected or we cheat ourselves out of one of the greatest privileges of our salvation – a personal relationship 💗 with the True and Living God💜 . This includes entering into His presence boldly and with confidence both to talk to and to hear from God (Ephesians 3:12 and Hebrews 4:16 [14-16]), knowing that we have been brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:13 [11-18]), and believing He wants us to understand His Word and know His will for us (Luke 24:45, Romans 12:2, and 2 Timothy 2:15) – May this add strength and encouragement to your day and blessings to your weekend 😊
This is a segment of “Solid Joys” from Desiring God, a site I follow by John Piper
Philippians 4:4-8 has long been a favorite of mine and admittedly because I used to deal with crippling anxiety. This was the first resource God gave me to overcome it. Actually He gave it to me quite a few years before I even began to deal with anxiety. Today’s focus verse (4:4) reminded me that I have through the years become so enamored with the peace of God that I lost sight of the first part of Paul’s instruction – “Rejoice in the Lord Always”. This is a necessary and great reminder that if our joy and delight are not found firmly grounded in the Lord we will be wishy washy with our emotions – anxiety, anger, bitterness, disappointments, fears and more will overwhelm us and we will miss out on the blessing of what God’s doing and the peace He wants to give us in Christ. The peace of God that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and minds, as we live in Christ, will elude us – when our joys and delights are rooted in the circumstances of life rather than in the Lord. So my friends – let’s rejoice in the Lord always and let’s remind each other as Paul did –
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice. –
Philippians 4:4
So what exactly does this mean? Well, first of all rejoice is a verb, an action word. It isn’t something we simply ‘feel’ but something we do – either by experiencing or by showing our joy and delight in something or someone. In others words we will either actively experience joy and delight or we will actively express joy and delight. We must understand this to fully grasp and apply the instructions Paul gave to the believers at Philippi. Those instructions were to
Rejoice “in the Lord”
Rejoice “always”
Paul emphasizes the importance of the instruction by “saying it again” – REJOICE.
In life we will find many things to rejoice in – such as sporting victories, a new job, a good time with friends, good grades, and so much more. These things will come and go having us on a mountaintop one day and a plateau or even a valley the next … But Paul’s message – to those “in Christ Jesus” is to – “rejoice always in the Lord”. Keep in mind Paul wrote these words while he was a prisoner – which is not exactly a situation to rejoice in. Yet, his example and his words teach us that when we find our joy and hope in God they will not fluctuate according to circumstances. Life may not always seem good but God is always good. If He given us a job He is good, and if He withholds the job He is still good.
Father you are Good – always good, help my joy and delight be in who You are and not simply the circumstances of my life – so that I will rejoice in You always.
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.
Colossians 2:8
What do you think? (share your comment below)
In what ways does the world lie to us?
How can we protect ourselves against those lies?
The world can look very attractive when we allow ourselves to forget that the world is in the power of the evil one.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. 3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south. Psalm 107:1-3
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
Isaiah 41:3 NLT
Reflection Question: What comfort do you find in knowing that God knows you and calls you by name?
We have been delivered (or redeemed), not by a distant God who puts all of humanity together, but a God who knows each of us by name.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
Romans 5:1-2 NLT
REFLECTION QUESTION: According to today’s passage, what is the basis or foundation of our righteousness?
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, ask Him to forgive our sins, and commit our lives to Him, we are made righteous. –
READ: JOHN 13:35 AND 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18-20; SOAP: JOHN 13:35
John 13:35 New Living Translation
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 New Living Translation
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Don’t forget to check out today’s blog and devotional
One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan,[a] the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”
23 Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. 24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. 25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” 30 He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”
The True Family of Jesus
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers[b] are outside asking for you.”
33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
35Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
SOAP Passage
In Christ, we have inherited the unbreakable bond of family with all who believe in Him.
Today’s reading shares an answer to one of the questions that appears frequently throughout the Gospel of Mark: “Who is Jesus?” As Jesus went home after appointing the twelve disciples, experts of the law gathered around and tried to answer that question by claiming Jesus was simply a man possessed by demons. In His own hometown, surrounded by people who should have known Him, Jesus was doubted and challenged, while the demons He had cast out knew Him and called Him the Son of God.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. 6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.
Colossians 1:15-20 Christ Is Supreme
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,[a] 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.[b] So he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Don’t miss today’s teaching by Melissa, as she focuses on observation insight. Click the Blog button below.
Do you ever find yourself distracted by the actions of others – your mind caught up in their behavior and pelted with anger? Or maybe you awaken to thoughts of your past that are hurtful and bring sorrow, or shameful and evoke guilt which in turn evokes lies and/or captivity that leads you away from God instead of toward Him. Whatever your trigger point is to thoughts that disrupt your peace and unity with God – He makes it clear through His Word that our minds are to be fixed on Him. He promises in the Old Testament as well as the New that when our minds are set or fixed on Him we will know His perfect peace.
You will keep in perfect peace all trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.
Isaiah 26:3
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Paul’s instructions to the believers didn’t stop with prayers that would bring peace. Instead, he encouraged them to fix their thoughts on other things – things that would replace the “anxious” thoughts so that God’s peace would continue to guard their hearts and minds as they lived in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9
It strengthens us to take thoughts that are not beneficial or pleasing to Him captive, making them obedient to Jesus Christ – who holds the power over sin and death.
Fixing our thoughts on Him is a Spiritual discipline that takes effort and practice. It is part of the Spiritual training mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:8 that promises benefits not only in this life but in the life to come. Fixing our thoughts on Him not only fills us with His peace but as 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches, it protects us from arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. It strengthens us to take thoughts that are not beneficial or pleasing to Him captive, making them obedient to Jesus Christ – who holds the power over sin and death.
Father, my mind is sometimes a battleground and I plead for You, in Your mighty, omnipotent, omniscient power, to guard it. Block all thoughts that invoke unrighteous anger and bitterness toward others, and protect me even from the righteous anger that arises so that it does not take my thoughts captive and distract me from Your voice, Your guidance, and Your presence. Keep me from judgmental thoughts and the critical words they provoke. Guard me from fearful thoughts or thoughts of the past that provoke shame and regret, and all other erroneous thoughts that do not bring You glory and ultimately hinder a right relationship with You, diminishing the light of Your presence in me, which is meant to be evident in my life – both in the deeds that I do and the words that I speak.
Instead, as Paul wrote to the Colossians, help me to make allowance for other’s faults and to forgive anyone who offends me, help me to remember You have forgiven me and set me forever free from the past. I pray that You would empty my mind of what doesn’t belong and instead – fill it with and fix it on things that are true and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Whatever is excellent or worthy of praise, Father, help me to think on these things. 💜🙏 In Jesus’ Name – amen! ❣️
Let the Words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You oh Lord, my Rock and Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
Make allowance for each others faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:1-7
Eve knew the truth of what God had said and until that day she had obeyed and enjoyed the ‘rich and satisfying life’, God had given them. But she ALLOWED the doubt/lie that the serpent planted to taint and change her perception – of what we can only imagine was fruit she had seen many times before. Her changed perception changed her action. She chose desire over obedience and her altered action affected Adam (and every other human since), and they knew not only good, as before, but now also evil – and sadly the shame that came with it – shame that made them hide from God. Shame that altered their lives forever. And, shame that can still taunt us when we choose to live in sin.
Father, help us to be self-controlled and alert, aware that the enemy is looking for someone to devour. Help us to not get distracted by the things that are pleasing to the eye or more desirable than obeying you. When he comes to us with doubts and lies help us stand firm and resist him – for Your Word says that “if we resist the devil he will flee from us”.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Christ came to GIVE us a rich and satisfying life, a life of freedom from the effects of sin– this is a stark contrast to the enemy’s purpose to TAKE our life and freedom away from us! We must learn to stand firm in the TRUTHS that we know.
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Galatians 5:1
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Me From the Inside Out 