Devotion
Faith
Frances Taylor
One of the main ingredients of faith is trust. Trust that what we have been told is true. Trust is learned very early in life. As infants we need to experience so many different things in order for us to learn If a parent comes when we cry, feeds us when we're hungry, changes us when we need it, and soothes us when we don't even know what's wrong, we learn to trust. Of course the opposite is also true. As we grow, we trust that what that parent tells us can be trusted and if the parent teaches us about God, we come to believe. When we trust, we are open to faith. We trust our teachers to teach truth; we have faith – trust – in those who we depend on to take care of our plumbing, electricity, etc. All of this makes it easier to have faith in God. To believe in the words of the Bible, and believe that all that Jesus taught us is true. Faith helps us get through every day of our lives, in the small things and in the major events of our lives. I really don't know how people survive without faith. Faith in God is a gift from God. I firmly believe that we are all given the gift, but some either reject it, or put it in a dark closet and don't open it up right away. I have known children who wanted to be baptized when they were seven or eight, and also adults who were eighty before they opened the gift. Whenever we respond, our lives with be more fulfilled by having faith in God to depend on.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the gift of faith, the ability to trust in you and in the promises of your son, Jesus. Amen.
Morning Prayer
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Inspiration
All thine heart. . . soul. . . might. Have you given ALL of your heart, soul, and might to something before? What about just one of those 3 things? Imagine how powerful and good your effort and achievement would be with just one of those things. Combine the efforts of all 3 and it is a recipe for everlasting life.
Prayer
Lord, I want to love you with all my heart, soul, and might. I must love you with all my heart, soul, and might. When my faith wavers my God, strengthen my love and will to know you. I will leave everything else to you, my strength and my redeemer. In your name I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
Inspiration
Social media is often a platform for boasting, and we must be mindful to guard our hearts by asking God for peace and guidance. Bitterness erupts as we observe the corrupt becoming successful. Often, we unintentionally compare our lives and begin to think more highly of ourselves or completely lose confidence. The Devil enjoys testing our feelings in this manner. Boasting occurs in any setting such as work, school, church, or even the grocery store. We cling to God as we find ourselves in these settings and ask for guidance and protection, and we will not fall prey to jealousy or unnecessary condemnation from others.
Prayer
Dear God, help us to overlook the boasts of others and protect our hearts from the Devil as he attempts to ignite bitterness and jealousy within our hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Devotion
We Have Hope
Frances Taylor
We all have lost someone we loved. Because of our faith in Jesus, we have hope. There must have been people in Paul's time who questioned the resurrection of the dead since Paul made such a point of telling the Thessalonians that as Jesus rose, so he will raise those who have died in Christ. Death is such a mystery. There are those who claim that they can communicate with the dead. I must admit I'm skeptical. That doesn't mean that I think that they are all fake. I just say that I am skeptical. Do I believe that people have had experiences that are unexplainable? Yes, of course I do. One of my classmates was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was in high school. As this was more than fifty years ago, there were not the same treatments available to treat this cancer then and she went downhill quickly. Her father had died when she was in eighth grade. On the day of her death, surrounded by her mother and other relatives, she opened her eyes and looked up, ...
