Devotion
Iron Sharpens Iron
Chipo Biti
Friendship should be about bringing the best out of each other. While you enjoy good times and create wonderful memories, you should also focus on building each other up. There are things that you can learn from your friends and there are also things that your friends can learn from you. Godly friendships should be about helping each other grow in your knowledge of God and His Word. The way iron can sharpen iron, is the same way in which you and your friends should sharpen one another. When you leave one another's presence, you should have learned something that will help you grow.
You don't have to arrange specific meetings for teaching or building one another - though that is something you could try every now and then. Building one another should come naturally, in your normal conversations. This is why you need to make sure that your friends are as focused as you are on developing your relationship in God and making something great out of your life. If you choose to associate with people who do not take their lives seriously, you will struggle to grow. If you choose to associate with focused people who have great ambitions and are passionate about the things of God, you will grow in leaps and bounds.
Your friends should inspire you to do better and to be a better person. They should be inspired to do the same thing when they spend time with you. When your friendships are rooted in God, you will grow in the right things because you both have the right priorities. You will push one another to maximize on your full potential. The best friendships are the friendships where you communicate well, you pray together, and you celebrate one another's victories. Great friendships are also characterized by supporting and encouraging one another when challenging times come.
Prayer
When your friendships are rooted in the love of God, great things will bloom. You will look out for one another and you will see the fruits of your support and encouragement for one another.
Godly friendships glorify God and also serve as testimonies to the people around you. Check your friendships and ask yourself whether they glorify God.
If they don't, pray about them and follow God's guidance on what to do.
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.
