Devotion
Increase Our Faith
Frances Taylor
I bet that the apostles aren't the only ones that would like to have more faith. Faith is sometimes difficult to sustain. There are so many factors that can lead to doubt. We see so much pain; we see an increase in natural disasters; we see more tragedies. We can ask ourselves, "Where is God in all of this?" Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who say that these are just signs that there is no God. There are others who claim that these are signs of the end times. Either way, our faith can be shaken. People have "lost" their faith when God didn't answer their prayers the way they wanted, or lost a loved one and can't see how a loving God could cause them pain. God did not prevent his son Jesus from suffering. Jesus lost his foster-father Joseph, his cousin John the Baptist, his friend Lazarus. He was scorned, abandoned, tortured and killed. Was this a sign that God didn't love Jesus? No, in fact Jesus' prayers from the cross show that he still trusted in God, his Father. If God didn't prevent Jesus from suffering, why do we think he will prevent our suffering? Instead, he is with us through our pain, just as he was with Jesus. All we need to do is ask Jesus to increase our faith just as the apostles did. We can help ourselves by reading the Gospels and learning from Jesus. We can also read the letters of Paul and the Book of Revelation all of which talk about the importance of standing firm in faith and give examples of those who did. God is always there. We just need to trust.
Prayer
Faithful God, you know our human weaknesses, our tendency to doubt. We do believe, help our unbelief. Amen.
Morning Prayer
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
Inspiration
Wicked men greedy of filthy lucre and worldly gain, willing to secure it at all costs, will go so far as to persecute and defraud even the poor to attain their ends. But so often, God causes them to be taken in the very trap that they themselves planted, or in the case of Haman (Book of Nehemiah), to be hung on the gallows he had built for the righteous (for Mordecai).
Prayer
O Lord, we know that this world is full of men willing to mistreat others in order to benefit themselves. But they cannot take away our joy, peace, faith, or the love of God in our hearts. Nor can they touch our souls. You will judge the wicked. Though he amass great wealth, it will do him no good. But we have everlasting riches in Christ, which we rejoice in even in the midst of poverty. Amen.
Night Prayer
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Inspiration
When we live for Christ, our struggles are meaningful, and God uses them to strengthen our character. He does not promise sunshine and roses when we surrender our lives to Him. Our world is imperfect, filled with destruction and impending doom. God uses our challenges as opportunities to grow closer to us as we lean on Him for guidance. He pours blessings into our lives and creates miracles with lasting effects. We praise God through our storms because we know He will shield us and strengthen our faith.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You when we struggle because we have faith in Your plan. Thank You for Your perseverance and desire to turn our struggles into blessings. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
