Devotion
Cries to God Are Heard
David Jacobs
Times of desperation come from time to time in life. Sometimes it's a school test, or it can be something as grave as waiting to hear the results of a surgery. Whatever it is, it can be overwhelming, and even those of us who struggle in our relationship with God can't help but cry out and call upon His mighty name.
When our hearts are filled with fear or dread or even anxious hope, crying out to God may feel like the only thing we can do, the only option on our plate. We are not alone in this. The Bible is filled with stories of people crying out to God in desperation and hopelessness.
There is one important truth that we must know about these cries, these outpourings of emotion, and that is that the Father hears them. He hears each and every one. God heard Moses' cry of anguish in Exodus 17 (3-7) and he heard His people's cry to deliver them in Judges 3 (9-11), and he hears you whenever you cry out in great need. In fact, He wants His children to cry out and call on His name when great burdens weigh on our hearts, and when we are unsure what to say to God, he sends His Holy Spirit to intercede the message of our hearts.
Prayer
It is important to know that there is a difference between our cries to God and our prayers. In prayer, we bring many things to the Father at once, emptying our hearts before His throne, listening to what He has to say to us. Our time of crying out to God comes when we are so overcome with emotion that we can't help call on him.
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.
