Devotion
A Sign
Frances Taylor
This passage from 1Kings refers to the question of who was God – Yahweh or Baal. There had been a severe drought and the prophets of Baal set up a test with Elijah as to whether the God of Israel or Baal could end the drought. No matter how the prophets of Baal tried to bring fire to their sacrifice, they failed. As we see, when Elijah prayed, God brought fire down that consumed everything and the people believed. We have just ended the Easter Season and celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost but are we still looking for a sign?
We are given signs all the time but we need eyes of faith to see them. They're not as dramatic as with Elijah, but no less powerful. We hear all about the disasters that happen and don't quickly forget, but we don't always hear of the miracles that occur. We know about plane crashes when all die, but there have also been those when all lived. A mine collapses in Chile and all are rescued. A hurricane or tornado or other natural disaster occurs and millions of people work to put things right with money or volunteering their expertise, whatever it takes. All of these are signs that God is working in our world. What kind of sign do we need? There will never be an end to tragedy. So much of what is wrong in our world is a direct result of the action of people using their free will. There's not much we can do about that, but we can look for the little miracles that happen every day instead of the tragedies. The cancer that is caught in time, the donor match that means a person will live, the couple that has tried for years to have a child and now are pregnant, the day you were late for work and missed being involved in a terrible accident, all these are daily miracles. If we look, we'll see the signs.
Prayer
Lord, we do believe, help our unbelief. Amen.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
