Devotion
Bring Every Thought To Christ
David Jacobs
There has been one thought that has run through my mind for many months now every morning when I pray: I want to remove every evil thought from my imagination. This verse was the impetus for this meditation. Every thought that is not good, not in obedience to the word of God, or negative in any interpretation, I want to remove from my imagination. I am not even saying that I want to not commit evil actions. I am not saying that I want to stop thinking evil thoughts. I want to not even be able to IMAGINE an evil thought.
I have had some difficulties managing my ego. I have often thought that I was better or more important than other people based on my accomplishments or actions. What does that mean exactly? For one thing, it means that I am putting myself above others. I am not humbling myself in the sight of the Lord, I am not helping those that most need it. I began to notice these negative thoughts about others creeping into my subconscious and infecting my daily thoughts about others. I needed to step back and reflect on this.
Three verses really stuck out to me during this period of self reflection. 2 Corinthians 10:5, the verse above, and the two below:
James 4:10 - Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
1 Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
What had I done? How selfish and sinful I had been! I knew that I needed to make changes to my life, and every morning that I prayed, right after waking up, I kept these verses in my head. "Be humble." "Bring every thought to the obedience of Christ." These words were like a soundtrack in my mind.
Prayer
I began noticing a difference almost immediately. As the Bible says, knock and the door shall be opened, seek and you shall find (Matthew 7:7-8). I needed to be more humble and I needed to discipline myself by keeping my ego in check. I needed to be more open and positive towards other people. I turned to God, asked for forgiveness, asked for help, and received it. I can firmly say that there is no more positive a meditation than asking God to remove negative thoughts from your imagination. It is He that deserves thanks. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
