Devotion
Knowing (Really Knowing) God
David Jacobs
There are people who have dedicated their careers to studying the life of Abraham Lincoln. They have read every speech he ever gave and they know the story of his life perhaps even better than they know their own. But do they really know Abraham Lincoln? Do they know him the way his wife would have know him? Or even the way a friend who regularly ate lunch with him would? The fact is that no amount of reading about a person can be a substitute for spending time with them.
Knowing and studying the story of Jesus helps keep us on the right path, but God offers us so much more. Through prayer, we can actually spend time with God, and know him personally. And prayer is just one way we can grow closer to God. Worship, fellowship and ministry all draw us closer to Him.
Our relationship with God is unlike any other, and what's more, it is the foundation for all of our other relationships. The more time we spend in prayer and in prayer and fellowship, the stronger and healthier our relationships with friends and family become.
Prayer
Lord, I am open to you. When I study your word, I wrestle with it, and come to know you better for it. As I come to you in prayer, I wrestle with You. As Jacob wrestled you with his body, I wrestle you with my heart and mind, so that I will be shaped by you. I pray that each day that I rise to praise your name, I will be drawn closer to you and better understand your will.
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.
