Devotion
My Protector
Frances Taylor
The psalmist is wondering who will take care of him as he travels through the mountains. He is telling us that God will watch over him keeping him safe during the day or during the night. Another one of my favorite psalms, it has given me comfort when confronting new and potentially dangerous situations. I have a terrible fear of driving on the edge of a road, especially one with no guard rails that are narrow and or treacherous. I have done a lot of praying when I was travelling in Haiti and in Africa as well as in Hawaii. I have learned to believe that God will take care of me and if it's my time, it's my time. Until then, I need to trust the people he puts in my path. It's amazing how freeing that is. It enables us to go places and do things that otherwise we wouldn't do. How can we be witnesses for God if we live in fear of what might happen? It all comes down to whether we truly believe what we say we believe. Do we trust that God has a plan for us? If so, then we have to believe that he will take us where he want us to be with people he wants us to interact with. In Haiti, with limited French and less Creole, I worked mostly with the children. In Africa, I was privileged to spend time with women and witnessed the changes they were bringing to their communities. God does not want us to live in fear, but to trust in his goodness and care of us.
Prayer
Father, I trust in you and your love of me. You have brought me to people and places that have enriched my life and given me opportunities to witness you in places beyond my dreams. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
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.
