Have You Paid Attention to Yourself Lately?
For I My that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
— 1 Timothy 4:16
Are you constantly serving others without giving yourself needed times of rest and refreshing? Or do you remember that you have spiritual needs too?
When Paul wrote First Timothy 4:16, Timothy was a young pastor working ferociously to see his ministry succeed. Timothy was serving as the pastor of the giant church of Ephesus — the world’s largest church at that time. In the process, he was learning to deal with all the problems that go along with serving as the senior pastor of such a large church.
Timothy was discovering that taking care of a large church was an all-consuming task. He was giving every ounce of himself to serve the needs of that church and to make sure it was well taken care of. In fact, he was so busy taking care of everything and everyone else that he was forgetting to take care of himself!
Have you ever been guilty of running around and taking care of everyone else except yourself? Have you ever gotten so busy helping others that you forfeited your own vital time with God? Be honest! Have you ever done this so regularly that you began to feel drained, and you knew it was because you weren’t taking care of your own spiritual needs?
That’s why Paul admonished Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself.…” This phrase “take heed” comes from the Greek word epecho, which is a compound of the words ep and echo. The word ep means on, and the word echo means to have or to hold. When these two words are compounded into one word, it means to grab hold of something very tightly. In other words, the word epecho describes an extremely firm grip.
It’s so easy to get distracted by other things that scream for your attention. However, if your relationship with God suffers because you are trying to help everyone else, it will just be a matter of time until you run dry, lose your energy and passion, and have nothing more to offer. This is exactly what was happening to Timothy! If he was to continue serving as an effective minister to other people, he had to set aside some private time to develop his own relationship with God.
Paul’s words to Timothy could be translated:
“Get ahold of yourself….”
“Make your own spiritual life a priority….”
“Don’t get so busy that you forget you have spiritual needs too….”
It’s good to serve the Lord and to be willing to work. You should be faithful at whatever He has called you to do. But you should never get so busy that you forget your own spiritual needs and thus end up running dry of spiritual power. Take Paul’s words to heart. Never forget to “take heed unto thyself”!
If you are going to serve God and do His will for years to come, it is essential that you make your own spiritual life your first priority. After all, you can give only what you have inside you. If you run dry because you never spend time with the Lord, it won’t be long until you have nothing left to give to anyone!
So if you wish to continue being effective for God’s Kingdom, it is mandatory that you don’t forget about your own spiritual need to grow and to be refreshed by the Word. As Paul’s words could be understood, “Don’t get so busy that you forget you have spiritual needs too!”
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me remember not to neglect my own spiritual life. My time with You is vital if I am to remain spiritually fresh and empowered to serve others. When life gets so busy that I think there is no time to spend with You, help me refocus and reschedule my life so that my relationship with You remains my greatest priority. And after I’ve been refreshed by Your Word and Your Presence, help me then to minister the fullness of Your Spirit and Your love to those around me.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly proclaim by faith that my spiritual life is my number-one priority. I pay attention to my walk with God, and I do everything I can do to make sure my spiritual life is alive, growing, and constantly reaching out for more of the Lord. I am sensitive to God’s Spirit. I am attuned to His Word. As a result of putting my own spiritual life first, I am filled with enough power and love to adequately serve the needs of those who are around me.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. How much time do you personally spend alone with God every day?
2. Have you gotten so busy serving the Lord that you have neglected your own walk with Him? If so, write down any problems you may be facing in different areas of your life because of this neglect.
3. What steps do you need to take to reverse this situation and refocus on your relationship with Jesus?
It’s Time To Get Creative In ‘Doing the Word’
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
— James 1:22
Let’s talk about what James meant when he said, “But be ye doers of the word….” The word “doers” is taken from the Greek word poietes, the same Greek word used for a poet. This word carries with it the idea of creativity, such as a poet whose personality includes a creative flair. James is telling us that if we can’t easily think of a way to do what has been preached to us, we must get creative! We must find ways to do the Word.
Ephesians 2:10 is another place where a form of this word poietes is used. Paul writes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.…” The word “workmanship” is the Greek word poiema, which comes from the same root word as poietes.
This tells us that when we were saved, God put forth all His best efforts and creative powers to marvelously fashion and create us in Jesus Christ. Because the word poiema is used in Ephesians 2:10, it unmistakably means that God wielded His fullest, greatest, and most creative powers when we were born again. We weren’t just mildly saved; rather, God took us into His hands and marvelously made us new in Jesus Christ as He released His most powerful creative forces and made us a workmanship that would be worthy to bear His name.
Whether the word poietes is used to depict a poet, as mentioned above, or (in another form) to describe God’s creative power, as in Ephesians 2:10, it always depicts someone putting forth his fullest creative abilities to achieve something. Now James uses this word poietes in James 1:22 to tell us that we must put forth our fullest efforts and most creative abilities in doing what we have heard preached! We cannot passively hope that the Word becomes a part of our lives; we have to get creative and find ways to make the Word a practical part of our lives.
Thus, you could translate these words in James 1:22 to mean:
“If you can’t easily think of ways to do what you’ve heard preached, it’s time for you to get creative! Put all your heart and soul into finding a way to act on what you’ve heard….”
You could also translate it to read:
“It’s time for you to get creative in the ways you do the Word of God….”
It could be that you’re thinking, But I don’t know how to do what has been preached to me!
Don’t worry — the Lord isn’t short on creativity! If you will listen, the Holy Spirit will say, “Here’s an opportunity to apply what you’ve been hearing. Do it!” If you have a heart to truly act on the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will show you ways to do it.
Seek the Lord and allow Him to show you how:
- To pray for the sick.
- To share Jesus with your lost friends.
- To bake a cake and take it to the lady next door.
- To help your neighbor repair his car.
Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by the number of meetings you’ve attended, how many speakers you’ve heard, how many books you’ve read, or how many tapes you’ve listened to in the past year. You have to take that Word you’ve heard and find a way to make it work in your life. God is looking for people who actually do what they’ve heard preached!
So if you can’t seem to think of practical ways to apply the Word to your life, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Here’s one thing you can be sure of: The Holy Spirit is never short on ideas about how you can become a “doer” of the Word!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to help me think of new ways to do the Word of God. You have all the fresh ideas I’ll ever need, so I am looking to You to show me how to put the Word into practice in my life. You are full of creative power and fresh ideas, so please open my eyes and show me how I can serve, how I can bless someone else, or any other way I can become obedient to do the Word that has been revealed so powerfully to my life.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I declare that I never run short of ideas on how to walk out the Word that has been preached to me. I do what I’ve heard; I obey what I’ve read; and I get better and better every day at finding ways to put into operation the Word that God has so graciously brought into my life.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to show you creative ideas for applying the Word to your life?
2. Can you think of specific people you could be serving and sharing the love of Jesus with? For instance, could you share Jesus with your lost friends, bake a cake for the lady next door, or help your neighbor repair his car?
3. What other ways can you become a “doer” of the Word that has been preached to you?
Preparing the Troops For Battle!
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another….
— Hebrews 10:25
The word “exhorting” is a powerful little word! It’s the Greek word parakaleo, a compound of the words para and kaleo. Para means alongside and kaleo means to call, to beckon, or to speak to someone. When these two words are compounded together, it depicts someone who is right alongside of a person, urging him, beseeching him, begging him to make some kind of correct decision.
In the ancient Greek world, this word was often used by military leaders before they sent their troops into battle. Rather than hide from the painful reality of war, the leaders would summon their troops together and speak straightforwardly with them about the potential dangers of the battlefield. The leaders would also tell their troops about the glories of winning a major victory.
Rather than ignore the clear-cut dangers of battle, these officers came right alongside their troops and urged, exhorted, beseeched, begged, and pleaded with them to stand tall; throw their shoulders back; look the enemy straight on, eyeball to eyeball; and face their battles bravely.
Walking by faith and doing the will of God sometimes places us in the midst of spiritual battles. Sometimes these battles aren’t won quickly.
If you know someone who is discouraged because his fight isn’t won yet, speak to that person truthfully and in a straightforward manner the way a commanding officer would speak to his troops. Remind the person of others who have stood the test of time and won their battles. And be sure to remind him of the sweetness of victory when the battle is over. He needs to hear a passionate, heartfelt word of exhortation from you!
The word “exhort” in Hebrews 10:25 could mean:
“When you’re feeling down and out — like a failure who is falling behind everyone else — that isn’t the time for you to stay away from other believers, as some are in the habit of doing. That is the very time that you need to come together for the sake of encouragement so you can face your battles more bravely.…”
Do you know people who need some encouragement today? Instead of letting the day slip by before you know it, why not take the time right now to call those individuals and encourage them? If you can’t call them, how about writing them a note that will help them focus on victory?
Think back to all those moments in your own life when someone came alongside of you to encourage you. Didn’t it make a big difference in your life? Now it’s your turn to return this blessing to someone else.
So determine today to be a real comrade in the Lord to another Christian soldier. Make it your aim to speak words of encouragement to those around you today. If you see someone who is discouraged, or if you know someone who has been struggling in his or her faith, go out of your way to encourage the troops!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, today I want to be used by You to encourage someone! I ask You to lead me to those You want me to encourage. Show me what to say, how much to say, and when to say it. Teach me to recognize the needs in other people and not to focus only on my own needs.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am going to be a major blessing in someone’s life today. The Holy Spirit is going to open my eyes and show me exactly whom I am supposed to encourage. With the help of the Spirit, I will speak the right words at the right time, and I will say only as much as I need to say. When this day concludes, someone will thank God for the way I stepped into his or her life to be a source of encouragement!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Have you been so focused on your own challenges that you’ve failed to recognize the needs of others who are around you?
2. Can you think of some people in your life who need encouragement and extra strength today?
3. Can you make a list of practical ways you can reach out to encourage these individuals and let them know you are thinking of them today?
Where Should You Go When You Get Discouraged?
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is….
— Hebrews 10:25
People tend to skip church and stay away from other believers when they get discouraged. Maybe you know someone who has done this. Maybe you’ve even done it yourself at a time in your life when you felt discouraged or depressed.
There are a myriad of reasons why people stay away from church when they are discouraged. Perhaps they’re embarrassed that their faith isn’t working as fast as they think it should. Perhaps they’re ashamed that they’re still struggling with problems they think should have been conquered long ago. They don’t want anyone to know they’re still wrestling with the same old problems, so they disappear from sight.
Don’t let embarrassment or discouragement keep you away from other believers. You need their strength! You need their testimony! You need their encouragement! You need to hear them say, “You can do it! You can make it!”
That’s why Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is….” The word “forsaking” is taken from the Greek word egkataleipontes. It’s a compound of three different Greek words: eg, kata, and leipo. The first word, eg (actually from the Greek word ek), means out. Kata, the second part of the word, means down. The third word, leipo, means behind. These three words compounded together simply mean out, down, and behind.
These words describe someone who is extremely discouraged, defeated, and depressed. Maybe he feels depressed because it looks like everyone is succeeding but him. Or maybe this is someone who is simply weary from fighting a very long battle. Regardless of the reason why, this word describes a person who feels left out, down, depressed, and far behind everyone else.
The moment people begin to feel like they are failing or falling short of everyone else is often the moment when Satan tells them,“Oh, just stay home from church today. You don’t need to go down there with all those rejoicing people. You know that you don’t feel like being with them today, so why not just stay home by yourself? You don’t need them. You can just read the Bible at home!”
Satan knows that if he can get you to fall out of fellowship with other believers — at the very moment when you need fellowship and encouragement the most — then he can probably keep you down and defeated. Yes, it’s true that you can read the Bible at home by yourself, and you need to do this. But fellowship with other believers is essential for everyone, and that includes you! You receive encouragement from other believers that you can’t get anywhere else.
That is why church is the last place the devil wants you to go when you’re feeling low! He knows if you go to church, you will be touched by the Presence of the Lord; you will get encouraged by other believers; and in the end, you’ll crawl out of that hole the enemy has put you in and rise up to a place of heavenly victory!
The devil works overtime to try to tempt you to skip church, stay home, and do something else instead. But, friend, why isolate yourself when you are in the greatest need of encouragement?
Hebrews 10:25 could be translated:
“When you’re feeling down and depressed — like a failure who is falling behind everyone else — that isn’t the time to stay away from other believers, as some are in the habit of doing….”
Instead of letting the devil and your flesh get the best of you in moments of weakness, here’s my suggestion: In addition to praying and reading the Word at home when you’re feeling down and out, go find another believer or a group of believers who can build you up in faith and encourage you in the Lord. After fellowshipping with people of faith, you’ll feel recharged to go back and face those challenges with a winning attitude!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to help me push my flesh and my feelings aside when I am tempted to be down and depressed. Your Word promises that I’ll be encouraged if I fellowship with the saints, so I ask You to help me shove my lying emotions out of the way, get out of my house, and stop focusing on my defeat. Give me the strength of will to go attach myself to a band of believers who will encourage me to stand up, stand tall, and fight like someone who has the armor and the power of God working in my life!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I declare that Satan does not have the power to keep me down and depressed! When life comes against me and the devil tries to tell me that I have no hope of ever getting out of my problems, I run to people of faith so I can get encouraged! I don’t fall out of fellowship, and I don’t stay away from church. I am faithful in my church attendance, and I receive encouragement every time I get in God’s Presence and rub shoulders with the people of God!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. When you get discouraged, where do you go for help, strength, and encouragement?
2. Has the devil successfully tempted you to stay away from other believers?
3. How can you get more involved with a faith community that can give you needed encouragement to help you win the battles you’ve been waging?|
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A Unique Receptacle Specially Made for the Power of God!
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
— Ephesians 6:10
Could you use some extra strength today? I want to draw your attention to the word “strong” in Ephesians 6:10. It is the Greek word endunamao, a compound of the words en and dunamis. The word en means in. The word dunamis means explosive strength, ability, and power. It’s where we get the word dynamite.
Thus, this word endunamao presents the picture of an explosive power that is being deposited into some type of container, vessel, or other form of receptacle. The very nature of this word endunamao means that there necessarily must be some type of receiver for this power to be deposited into.
This is where we come into the picture! We are specially designed by God to be the receptacles of divine power. When Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord, he is essentially saying, “Receive a supernatural, strengthening, internal deposit of power into your inner man.” God is the Giver, and we are the receptacles into which this power is to be deposited.
Paul knew you and I would desperately need supernatural power in order to successfully combat the attacks the enemy would bring against us. That’s why he urges us to open our spirits, souls, and bodies to God so we can receive this supernatural strength.
Ephesians 6:10 could be translated to mean:
“…Be infused with supernatural strength and ability.…”
“…Be empowered with this special touch of God’s strength.…”
“…Receive this inner strengthening.…”
God wants you and me to have this supernatural strength and ability! We are the special receptacles or containers He created to possess this phenomenal power. Think of how wonderful it is that God specially fashioned you and me to be the containers for the power of God!
So if you’re feeling a need for extra strength today, open your heart right now and allow God to give you a fresh infilling of His explosive, Holy Spirit power!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, it is clear that You want me to be filled with Your power and strength today, so I open my heart right now and ask You to fill me with Your Spirit. Thank You for creating me to be the receptacle for this wonderful power — and by faith, I receive a fresh infilling of Your Spirit right now!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I declare by faith that I am filled with the Spirit of God. I am specially made by God to be the container of the Holy Spirit. He lives in me; He fills me; and He empowers me to conquer every attack that the devil tries to bring against me. God knew I needed this power and therefore gave it to me. I boldly confess that I am FILLED with the supernatural, wonder-working, and dynamic power of the Holy Spirit!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you feel a need for more strength and power in your life today?
2. Have you asked the Lord to refill you with the power of the Holy Spirit? Why don’t you take a few minutes right now to open your heart and let the Lord fill you with a new surge of divine power?
3. What steps can you take today to avail yourself to a special touch of the Holy Spirit’s strength?
When Your Attitude Stinks So Badly that It Affects Everyone Around You!
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
— James 1:21
Today I want to speak to you from James 1:21. I want you to particularly look at the words “filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness.” Since James tells us that we must remove and discard from our lives whatever is meant by these two concepts, it is imperative that we understand exactly what he is talking about.
The Greek word for “filthiness” is the word raparian. This Greek word describes filth that is obnoxiously filthy. The man pictured in James 2:2 is described in this same way. In this verse, James described two categories of people who attended the Early Church — those who were nice in appearance and those who were filthy dirty. About these categories, James wrote, “For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, and in goodly apparel, and there come also a man in vile raiment.”
That word vile at the end of this verse and the word filthiness in James 1:21 come from the same Greek word. In James 2:2, the Greek word raparian portrays a man whose body and clothes are so encrusted with filth that he emits a disgusting odor to everyone nearby. Have you ever smelled a person who stank that badly? Take just one whiff of that kind of stench, and you’ll never want to smell it again!
This is the same Greek word James uses in James 1:21 when he describes believers who have bad attitudes! In other words, when a believer is being pessimistic, downbeat, negative, uncooperative, gloomy, cynical, or indifferent, it just flat stinks! Whew! Nothing stinks worse than an attitude of a grumpy and pessimistic person. In fact, a person with a bad attitude emits such a distasteful aroma that it will literally drive people away from him! This person has to make the decision to “lay apart all filthiness” — which in this case is not referring to dirty clothes, but the stinking and repulsive attitudes he carries in his life.
Because James uses the word raparian in James 1:21, the verse could be translated:
“In light of what I’ve told you, it’s time for you to remove those stinking, foul-smelling, putrid, rank garments.…”
When my wife and I were young in the ministry, a man attended our church who never learned proper hygiene when he was growing up. His hair was dirty; his face was unshaved; his skin was encrusted with dirt; and his clothes smelled like something had died in them.
Because we loved this man, we decided to take him into our home to teach him hygiene. We grabbed our noses, held our breath, and took him to our house so he could get cleaned up. I coaxed him into the shower, and afterwards he came out looking nice and clean. But then he reached over, picked up his same old, dirty clothes, and put them back on again!
As I watched this newly cleaned man put on his filthy clothes, I thought, That’s just what a lot of Christians do! Jesus’ blood washes and cleanses us, and God gives us a new robe of righteousness. But many people were reared in negative, faithless environments and were never taught God’s Word. These Christians have walked in these negative attitudes for so long that it has become a part of their thinking. Yes, Jesus has washed and cleansed them by His blood and showered them with His grace and power. But those wrong attitudes have been a part of their lives for so long that they are still tempted to reach down, pick them up again, put them on, snap them back in place, and keep acting the same old way they did before they were saved.
These people are inwardly changed, but their old thinking patterns have become a bad habit. Therefore, they still wear those old, filthy attitudes, even though those negative attitudes are no longer consistent with the clean, new condition of their inner man.
For people who fit this description, it will take a strong act of determination for them to stay free of those old encumbrances. That’s why it’s so important to understand the words “lay apart” (see January 6). In Greek, these words describe someone deliberately laying down wrong attitudes and then pushing them so far out of range that he isn’t able to reach down to pick them up again.
Before you get too busy today, why don’t you take a few minutes to ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there are any stinking attitudes from the past that you’re still carrying around in your life? I guarantee you that He will reveal them to you — and then He will give you the power to remove these foul-smelling, negative attitudes from your life!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You for washing me with the blood of Jesus and for making me brand new. Forgive me for clinging to my old ways of thinking and of doing things. Today I ask You to help me drop those old habits and attitudes and to never pick them up again. By myself, this would be almost impossible, but I know that by Your power, I can walk free. Right now, I release those old attitudes and habits that I’ve been carrying around with me for so long. I ask You to help me think and behave in a way that’s consistent with the new creature in Jesus Christ You have made me to be!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I declare by faith that I am free from wrong habits and attitudes from my past. I have laid them down, and I am free of them forever. Now I have the mind of Christ, the power of the Spirit, and the fruit of Jesus Christ working inside my life.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. What attitudes have you been harboring that are repulsive or offensive to God and that you know need to change? Make a list so you can pray about these wrong attitudes.
2. What do you need to do to drop those foul-smelling attitudes from your life?
3. Is there a person you need to forgive or a past situation you need to forget in order to really be free? Be honest with yourself as you search your heart.
Learning to Follow the Leader
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
— Romans 8:14
When I was a small boy, my siblings and I used to play a game called “Follow the Leader.” I always wanted to be the leader, but my older sister always claimed that coveted leadership role. As leader, she had the right to tell us what to do, what games we would or would not play, who would clean the house, who would take out the trash, who would vacuum the carpets, and so on. No wonder my older sister always wanted to be the leader!
I always think of this when I read Romans 8:14. It says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” In Greek, the sentence structure is reversed so that it reads, “For as many as by the Spirit are being led, they are the sons of God.” This version puts the Holy Spirit at the first of the verse, and we are placed behind Him — just as children stay behind the leader as they play “Follow the Leader”!
The Greek word for “led” is the word ago, which simply means to lead. It was often used to depict animals that were led by a rope tied around their necks. Once tied to that rope, these animals willfully followed wherever their owner led them.
How interesting that Paul used this word! It tells us that we should be willing to let the Holy Spirit lead us in every part of our lives. We should be so surrendered to Him that wherever He tells us to go or whatever He tells us to do, we should simply be obedient and follow.
However, it must also be pointed out that this word ago is also the root for the Greek word agon, which is where we get the word agony. Even in Greek, the word agon describes an intense conflict, such as a struggle in a wrestling match or a struggle of the human will. This illustrates the fact that although the Holy Spirit wants to lead us, our human will doesn’t like the idea of being led. You see, it’s the nature of the flesh to want to go its own way, so when we choose to walk in the Spirit and let Him dictate our lives, His leadership over us creates a struggle between our will and our flesh.
Just for a moment, think of how many times a child is tempted to rebel against his parents. Or consider the many times our flesh has rebelled against exercise or a diet that we’ve imposed on ourselves. There’s no doubt about it — the human will and the flesh are strong. These parts of us have a very difficult time surrendering control to someone else — and that includes being led by the Holy Spirit!
When I was a child and we played “Follow the Leader,” I didn’t like being led by my sister and being told what to do. I wanted to be in charge myself so I could call the shots as I saw them! Maybe that’s how you’ve been feeling about your own life. But as a child of God, you have to learn to stay in your place — behind the Holy Spirit, following His lead.
Romans 8:14 really means:
“Those who follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, they are the sons of God.”
However, because the word agonidzo is used, Romans 8:14 also carries this idea:
“Following the leadership of the Holy Spirit is one of the privileges of being a son of God, although it may be agonizing to learn how to defer to Him and to really let Him be your Leader.”
If you want to learn to live a Spirit-led life, there is no way around it — you have to deal with your flesh. The flesh wants control, so you must mortify or defeat the flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way. The struggle may seem great, but it’s the only way to live a supernatural Christian life!
Make it your goal to learn how to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading. Become His constant “tag-along,” watching to see what He’s doing, where He’s going, and how He’s leading. Stay sensitive to Him so you can pick up His “nudge” in your heart. Then once you know what He wants you to do, just fall in step behind Him and “follow the Leader”!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I want to learn how to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. I know that You sent Him to be a Leader and a Guide for my life, so today I open my heart to Him. I ask You to help me learn to recognize the Holy Spirit’s voice and to know what He is leading me to do. With all my heart, I request that You help me become sensitive to Him so that He can lead me in all the paths You have designed for my life.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am spiritually sensitive and that the Holy Spirit is actively leading my life. I am His constant tag-along — watching what He’s doing, where He’s going, and how He’s leading. I am so sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading that I pick up every “nudge” He puts in my heart. He is my Leader, and I faithfully follow wherever He leads me to go.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you recall times in the past when you emphatically knew that the Holy Spirit was supernaturally leading you to do something?
2. What were you doing at that time in your spiritual life that made it easier for you to recognize and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit?
3. In order for you to be consistently led by the Holy Spirit, what actions do you need to take to keep yourself sensitive enough to hear His voice and to discern His leading?
Have You Said Thank You Today?
I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
— Ephesians 1:16
When was the last time you gave thanks from your heart for the loved ones God has placed in your life? The phrase “give thanks” in Ephesians 1:16 comes from the Greek word eucharisteo, a compound of the words eu and charis. The word eu means good or well. It denotes a general good disposition or an overwhelmingly good feeling about something. The word charis is the Greek word for grace or freely granted favor.
When these two words are compounded into one, they form the word eucharisteo. This compound word describes an outpouring of grace and of wonderful feelings that freely flow from the heart in response to someone or something. This is the word Paul used when he “gave thanks” for the Ephesian church. In fact, in nearly all his epistles, Paul used eucharisteo when he “gave thanks” for people he loved.
For instance, Paul used this word in Ephesians 1:16 when he said, “[I] cease not to give thanks for you….” This means that when Paul thought of the Ephesian church, wonderful feelings of thankfulness would well up in his heart for them.
The Greek carries this idea in Ephesians 1:16:
“Thanking God for you is so easy — it just flows out of my heart every time I think of you. In fact, I never take a break from letting God know how I feel about you.”
In Colossians 1:3, Paul uses the same Greek word when he says, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” In First Thessalonians 1:2, he again uses the same Greek word when he prays similarly for the Thessalonian believers: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.” In Second Thessalonians 1:3, he uses this word again when he writes, “We are bound to thank God always for you….”
The fact that Paul used the word eucharisteo when he prayed for his dearest friends reminds us that we must be thankful for the relationships God has put in our lives. Whenever we think of our closest circle of friends, a deep sense of gratefulness, thankfulness, and appreciation should well up within us!
So when you’re praying for others, stop for a moment and reflect on all God has done in your life through those who are closest to you. When you realize how valuable those relationships have been to you, you’ll be able to freely, joyfully, and unreservedly thank God for such precious friends!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, You have blessed me with the most wonderful friends — and today I want to thank You for putting such great people in my life. Long-term, real friends are such a treasure, so I want to start this day by thanking You for these gifts of precious relationships. Help me never lose sight of how much I need these people. Help me also to never fail to show them how much I love and appreciate them!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I am thankful for the relationships God has placed in my life. They are a blessing to me, and I am a blessing to them. God brought us together, and Satan will not tear us apart. I will learn to love them more dearly, forgive them more quickly, and show them the same patience I want them to show me. I am richly blessed with some of the best friends I could ever ask for!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. How long has it been since you stopped to thank God for the people He has placed in your life?
2. When you pray, do you focus only on the “problem people” who bother you and steal your peace, or do you always make certain to take the time to thank God for the faithful ones?
3. Write down a list of all the people God has specially used to help you in life. Then stop to tell the Lord how grateful you are that He sent each one of them into your life.
It’s Time for You To Act Fast!
And others save with fear…
—Jude 1:23
Have you ever known fellow believers who got caught up in sinful lifestyles that had the power to destroy their lives? How did it affect you when you saw them making those harmful decisions? I don’t know about you, but I find it heartbreaking when I see someone I love doing things that are self-destructive and harmful to his or her walk with God. Doesn’t it affect you this same way?
Jude tells us what our attitude should be toward fellow believers who get caught up in the world again. We must realize that these fellow believers are in grave danger of reaping the consequences of sin and that those consequences are very serious. Therefore, we must act decisively when we see this happen to someone we love.
In Jude 1:23, Jude tells us, “And others save with fear….” That word “save” is taken from the Greek word sodzo. In this particular verse, it is used in the present imperative tense, which means the Greek calls for immediate, fast, and continuous action. This is not a mild suggestion that Jude is making to his readers. This is a strong command to take action and to do it as fast as possible.
The word “fear” is from the Greek word phobos. In this particular case, it evokes a fear or a strong dose of respect for something that is life-threatening, dangerous, or alarming. Jude uses this word “fear” to let us know that believers who continue in sin place themselves in a very precarious, dangerous, and alarming situation. This is no game. Sin in the life of a believer is extremely serious. Therefore, Jude commands us to act immediately when we see a fellow brother or sister compromising his or her walk with the Lord.
With the full meaning of these Greek words, Jude 1:23 could be translated:
“Because of the alarmingly dangerous state that some believers are in, I urge you to take immediate and fast-acting measures to see them delivered and rescued. And if they don’t quickly respond, don’t stop! You need to keep up your sense of urgency until you are convinced that they are rescued from this precarious situation.…”
There is no doubt about it! This verse places a heavy responsibility on us to do whatever we can to bring this deceived person back to a place of safety. Jude speaks in a commanding tone of voice to let us know that we don’t have a choice in this matter. We must act fast, act deliberately, and be continuous and unending in our efforts until we are certain that these straying brothers and sisters are back in safe territory again.
So if you know a friend or loved one who is allowing serious sin to continue in his life, pray for him. Then go to him and express your concerns in love. Love that person enough to speak the truth to him. Act fast on his behalf, and do what you can to save him. Otherwise, he may eventually make mistakes that will bring disaster and destruction upon his life.
That’s why Jude commands us to take action right now. The possible consequences are too serious to ignore. We must do everything within our power to save and rescue believers caught in the snare of sin as quickly as possible.
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me know exactly what to say and what to do when I see fellow brothers or sisters who are headed in a wrong spiritual direction. Give me Your heart, Your wisdom, and Your boldness to speak the words I need to speak. Help me love them enough to speak the truth to them. I realize the consequences of sin are great, so please help me do everything within my ability to see them rescued as soon as possible.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am moved to action when I see fellow believers caught in sin. I pray and believe for their deliverance. I go to them in love to express my concerns to them. I love them enough to speak the truth. I act fast on their behalf and do what I can to save them.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Are there people in your life who are headed in a wrong spiritual direction? Who are those people? Have you spent time in prayer asking God for a real “turnaround” in their lives?
2. Have you taken the time to go to them so you can express your concerns? Or have you asked the Lord to give you ideas of how you can approach them in a non-threatening way so they will listen to you instead of tuning you out?
3. If you were in their situation, wouldn’t you want someone to care enough that they would come to you to express their concerns? If this is what you would hope others would do for you, don’t you think it is the least that you can do for someone else?
How to Remedy Spiritual Boredom in Your Life!
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
—James 1:22
Do you ever get bored with church or with your spiritual life? If you say, “Yes, I get bored with my spiritual life all the time,” I want to help you understand the root of that spiritual boredom.
There is one primary reason why people get spiritually bored. It is very simple: Knowledge without application eventually becomes boring and unfulfilling — every time.
If all you do is sit and listen, listen, and listen to the Word without ever taking steps to apply it to your life, you’ll soon reach a place where you’ve heard, heard, and heard so much of the Word that you are sick of hearing it! Instead of anticipating what you might receive from the Lord, you’ll think, Oh, no, another sermon!
But the problem isn’t the Word! God’s Word was meant to be acted on. So if you just sit and listen to more and more sermons, gathering more and more information but never acting on what you’ve heard, you’ll eventually become so oversaturated that you won’t want to hear any more!
If this describes you, it is likely that you are tired of hearing the same ol’ Word over and over again. You probably wish someone would come along to preach or teach you something that you’ve never heard before. You might even find yourself roaming from church to church, seeking someone or something to spice up your spiritual life. However, the problem is not the church, your pastor, or the kind of preaching you are hearing. The problem is you!
You are bored because you’re not doing the Word that you’ve heard preached. Let me tell you the truth: If you will simply do what you have already been told to do, you won’t have time to be bored!
Applying the Word you already know will necessitate that you have a serious prayer life. It will require great discipline; it will demand that you learn to crucify your flesh. In fact, walking in the kind of obedience that God expects of you will take every ounce of your focus. You’ll be so busy trying to obey what you’ve already heard preached that you’ll never have a moment to be bored!
This is why James 1:22 tells us: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Notice especially the words “hearers only” in the verse above. These words are taken from the Greek word akroates, which was used in classical Greek times to describe people who audited a class rather than taking it for credit.
In other words, these people didn’t attend the class to receive credit for the course. They were simply there to hear the lecture, think about what was taught, and then later discuss it with their friends. But they had no intention of actually applying what they heard!
In addition to being intellectually stimulating, these lectures could be quite entertaining. So these “hearers only” would roam from meeting to meeting because they loved special speakers and the excitement of hearing something they hadn’t heard before. Sometimes they followed their favorite speakers from city to city.
Although the “hearers only” had no intention of applying anything they heard, they loved to gather new information that made them look knowledgeable in the eyes of other people. It was their delight to attend meetings in order to be with the crowd, to have a good laugh, or simply to hear something new. But they never put any action to what they heard, because they were “hearers only.” They weren’t listening to the messages they heard to get credit for it, but simply to have a good time!
This means James 1:22 conveys this idea:
“Don’t be like those who attend meetings and listen to sermons for the sole purpose of being with the crowd or of gathering information that makes them look smart in other people’s eyes.…”
Since this is the background to the phrase “hearers only” used in James 1:22, we must take a good look at ourselves and ask:
- Am I serious about the Word of God and its application in my life?
- Or am I simply an “auditor” who has no intention of doing the Word?
- Am I doing something with the Word I’ve heard preached, or am I among those who hear the Word but do not act on what they have heard?
- Does God consider me to be a hearer or a doer of the Word?
The fact is, many people attend church regularly, go to special meetings, read books, listen to teaching tapes, and watch nonstop Christian television. They’ve seen a lot, heard a lot, and they really do know a lot — yet they do nothing with what they have heard. That’s why they eventually become bored with spiritual matters. They haven’t acted on what they’ve heard or put into practice the information they’ve gathered; therefore, they’ve become oversaturated and spiritually numb.
Don’t let this happen to you. Make the decision to be a “doer of the Word and not a hearer only.” Receive deep into your heart the truths you’ve heard preached over the years and let them begin to work in your life. You can be sure of this one thing: If you determine to obey every scriptural truth that’s ever been preached to you, you’ll never have time to become spiritually bored again!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to help me become a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. Forgive me for the times I’ve heard the Word of God preached in power and even said “Amen” to the message, yet failed to walk out the truth I heard or to make it a part of my life. Starting today, I make the decision to be a doer of the Word of God. Holy Spirit, give me the strength and divine energy I need to take the Word I hear or read and put it into practice in my life!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I declare that I am a doer of the Word of God. I am among those who hear the Word and immediately apply it to their lives. I experience the power of God’s Spirit in my life because of my obedience to walk in what God has revealed to me.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Be honest! Have you been “spiritually bored” recently?
2. If Jesus were to ask you the reason for your boredom, what would you tell Him?
3. Make a list of steps you could take to eliminate spiritual boredom from your life.