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.
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.
