Devotion
Think your free from pride? Think again!
David Jacobs
Imagine a proud person. Are they rich? Perhaps they are in a position of power or prestige that commands respect everyone around them. Or perhaps they take pride in their beauty or looks. But this is only an image of pride. In fact, pride is a human condition that we cannot escape, even if we lack all of these things.
Knowing this, the narratives of the Scriptures repeatedly emphasize the dangers of pride. For example, Saul, who was revealed to be God's chosen leader of Israel, is described as handsome and impressive. Scripture even says that he was without equal among the Israelites (1 Samuel 9:2). God promised to guide him and provide the powerful help of the Holy Spirit in leading the nation. You can see how this might go to someone's head.
Yet, Saul was meant to follow the instructions of God in his role as leader. Due to his pride, he failed in this. He acted as if he was in charge rather than God, and as a result he crumbled under the pressure of leadership rather than be obedient to God.
As Christians, we are all in a similar situation to Saul, being chosen to belong to God's family. God has given His Holy Spirit to dwell within us so that He can use us to empower His plans for the world. When our pride gets in the way of this, we fail in our purpose. God's command is that we put away our pride allow Him to be our guide by humbling ourselves before Him, confessing our sin, and asking for His help in overcoming it.
Prayer
God, I am prideful. I confess my pride to you, because alone I am not able to overcome it. I recognize that your plan comes first, and so I humble myself before you. I will not walk my own path, but the one that you have laid out for me, and I ask for the guidance of your Holy Spirit.
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.
