[S] Romans 10:8 --
8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
[O] When my loud kids quieted down while they are eating, I used to thank God for making just one mouth so that kids could not talk (a lot anyways) and eat at the same time because that's only chance to get a break from the noisiness. In light of this, having just one mouth to preach the word of faith is also another reason to thank God because He wanted us to preach from a single source to make it very clear when we do preach what God plants in our hearts.
[A] God has been depositing many of His grace into my heart over the years. Now I must preach His goodness through my mouth clearly and loudly.
[P] Dear Father, thank You for giving me the mouth to breath, eat, and speak. While breathing and eating are requirements to live on, speaking is an option so may I use that option (opportunity) to preach the wonderful message of Your grace and love. In Jesus' name. Amen.
From my Life devotional journaling and more (Read Today's Passage)
Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Seek Mercy before Running Hard
[S] Romans 9:16 --
16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
[O] In the end, God has the last saying. This is a universal truth which is not always accepted by man, including myself. I can try to do it all but without God's mercy they will only lead to vanity.
[A] In everything I do, I need to seek His mercy first and put my actions into the right perspective before His throne. That's what I have to remember in my workplace, the current crisis our family is facing, and how I want to live the rest of my life.
[P] Dear God, before I make the plans to run toward my goals may my heart reach for Your wonderful mercy and first soak it up fully so that all that I do will be under Your mercy -- my attitude, my energy, and my purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
[O] In the end, God has the last saying. This is a universal truth which is not always accepted by man, including myself. I can try to do it all but without God's mercy they will only lead to vanity.
[A] In everything I do, I need to seek His mercy first and put my actions into the right perspective before His throne. That's what I have to remember in my workplace, the current crisis our family is facing, and how I want to live the rest of my life.
[P] Dear God, before I make the plans to run toward my goals may my heart reach for Your wonderful mercy and first soak it up fully so that all that I do will be under Your mercy -- my attitude, my energy, and my purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
There Are More Unknowns than Knowns
[S] For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. (Romans 8:24, 25 NASB)
[O] Hope is to wait for the future that is unseen because it doesn't mean much to hope for outcome that is already known. There are a lot of unknowns in our lives and that is why having hope is important so that we would have a healthy perspective of what is to come.
[A] I need to have hope in the crisis I face now because I cannot see how it will resolve itself in the future. I need to wait eagerly for it with perseverance as I put my trust in God.
[P] Dear God, there is so much unknown than known in my life I have to trust in You in order to have the right outlook in life because otherwise I'll be so entrenched in my own ways to make things work, I will spend all of my energy doing that just for the short span of life I live here in respect to the eternity You have for me. May my heart be filled with Your hope and may it carry me through the life I live here on earth to glorify You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
[O] Hope is to wait for the future that is unseen because it doesn't mean much to hope for outcome that is already known. There are a lot of unknowns in our lives and that is why having hope is important so that we would have a healthy perspective of what is to come.
[A] I need to have hope in the crisis I face now because I cannot see how it will resolve itself in the future. I need to wait eagerly for it with perseverance as I put my trust in God.
[P] Dear God, there is so much unknown than known in my life I have to trust in You in order to have the right outlook in life because otherwise I'll be so entrenched in my own ways to make things work, I will spend all of my energy doing that just for the short span of life I live here in respect to the eternity You have for me. May my heart be filled with Your hope and may it carry me through the life I live here on earth to glorify You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Path of Righteous Will Shine
[S] Proverbs 4:18 --
18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
[O] Some people say this world is getting darker and darker and I somewhat agree but when I read this passage I realized that the root cause may be due to diminishing sources of light stemming from righteous people. If you think about it, the human society is lit up by those who radiate the positive changes to others and it's not done through a system.
[A] Gather more and more people desiring to walk righteous lives so the community we live in will become brighter and brighter.
[P] Dear Father, please send more of those who are sold out for You so that how we desire to live will rise like morning sun. In Jesus' name. Amen
18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
[O] Some people say this world is getting darker and darker and I somewhat agree but when I read this passage I realized that the root cause may be due to diminishing sources of light stemming from righteous people. If you think about it, the human society is lit up by those who radiate the positive changes to others and it's not done through a system.
[A] Gather more and more people desiring to walk righteous lives so the community we live in will become brighter and brighter.
[P] Dear Father, please send more of those who are sold out for You so that how we desire to live will rise like morning sun. In Jesus' name. Amen
Friday, May 25, 2012
Nevertheless Faith
[S] 1 Kings 11:2 --
2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.
[O] The word "nevertheless" in faith can have two different effects -- nevertheless pursue or ignore God. Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego "nevertheless" the circumstance of being thrown into the fiery furnace they would not turn away from God. But here Solomon "nevertheless" God warned him he could not let go of his desires to turn to God.
[A] If to believe in God or not is a 100m dash, then to "nevertheless" trust and turning to God despite all sorts of situations (Daniel's friends crisis was to choose death or trusting God while Solomon's crisis was his own indulgence in his own life) is like the marathon. I may have to make some dashes but the whole journey of my faith in God is a marathon of not giving up in God's hope for my life and keep on pursuing after His heart.
[P] Dear Father, I want to run the marathon with and for You, not giving up but to seek after Your heart despite the bumps in my life. I want to model after Daniel's three friends who nevertheless held on to You, not concerned with the outcome in their circumstance but totally trusting in Your love for them. In Jesus' name. Amen.
2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.
[O] The word "nevertheless" in faith can have two different effects -- nevertheless pursue or ignore God. Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego "nevertheless" the circumstance of being thrown into the fiery furnace they would not turn away from God. But here Solomon "nevertheless" God warned him he could not let go of his desires to turn to God.
[A] If to believe in God or not is a 100m dash, then to "nevertheless" trust and turning to God despite all sorts of situations (Daniel's friends crisis was to choose death or trusting God while Solomon's crisis was his own indulgence in his own life) is like the marathon. I may have to make some dashes but the whole journey of my faith in God is a marathon of not giving up in God's hope for my life and keep on pursuing after His heart.
[P] Dear Father, I want to run the marathon with and for You, not giving up but to seek after Your heart despite the bumps in my life. I want to model after Daniel's three friends who nevertheless held on to You, not concerned with the outcome in their circumstance but totally trusting in Your love for them. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Prayer of Anticipation
[S] 2 Chronicles 7:1-2 --
1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.2 The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it.
[O] What a scene this must have been. I was impressed by Solomon's prayer and how he praised God sincerely and as soon as he finished his prayer, God's glory filled the temple. This overwhelming presence of God prohibited the priests from entering the temple. Most likely it was clear for everyone there that God was present.
[A] When I pray, I should expect the "fire" from heaven come down to consume my prayer offering and the glory of God fill my surroundings like a thick fog welling up. When I worship on Sundays I should expect God's glory to pack into our sanctuary so everyone will know that God is there with us.
[P] Dear Father, may my prayer lifted up to You be not just mere words but an anticipation of Your presence being clearly displayed in our midst. In Jesus' name. Amen.
1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.2 The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it.
[O] What a scene this must have been. I was impressed by Solomon's prayer and how he praised God sincerely and as soon as he finished his prayer, God's glory filled the temple. This overwhelming presence of God prohibited the priests from entering the temple. Most likely it was clear for everyone there that God was present.
[A] When I pray, I should expect the "fire" from heaven come down to consume my prayer offering and the glory of God fill my surroundings like a thick fog welling up. When I worship on Sundays I should expect God's glory to pack into our sanctuary so everyone will know that God is there with us.
[P] Dear Father, may my prayer lifted up to You be not just mere words but an anticipation of Your presence being clearly displayed in our midst. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Greater than Highest Heavens
[S] 1 Kings 8:27-30 (NIV) --
27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!28 Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
[O] Solomon's perspective of comparing the temple he built to the highest heaven gave me a reality check. So many times, what I do or "built" seems so "majestic" that I feel like nothing can top it. But I'm sure Solomon's temple was by far greater than anything I've done (so far) and his confession of how greater the highest heaven must be and yet it cannot contain God's presence because He goes beyond that put what I did so infinitesimally small it's not even funny. He goes on to claim that even that insignificant we may be, the vast God still gives attention to our prayers.
[A] Personally, I will continue to cry out to God of the greatest heavens who still listens to my cries to Him to shower down his mercy and grace. I will claim His promises to be with me for eternity. For our church, I am going to also claim that our church's sanctuary will be the place where people gather to cry out our hearts to the God of this universe and then some because You will give attention to each of our cries.
[P] Dear Father, Your name is far above all and to You we surrender our cries of joy as well as crisis. May Your Spirit's unending ministry dwell in our hearts and our sanctuary. In Jesus' name. Amen.
27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!28 Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
[O] Solomon's perspective of comparing the temple he built to the highest heaven gave me a reality check. So many times, what I do or "built" seems so "majestic" that I feel like nothing can top it. But I'm sure Solomon's temple was by far greater than anything I've done (so far) and his confession of how greater the highest heaven must be and yet it cannot contain God's presence because He goes beyond that put what I did so infinitesimally small it's not even funny. He goes on to claim that even that insignificant we may be, the vast God still gives attention to our prayers.
[A] Personally, I will continue to cry out to God of the greatest heavens who still listens to my cries to Him to shower down his mercy and grace. I will claim His promises to be with me for eternity. For our church, I am going to also claim that our church's sanctuary will be the place where people gather to cry out our hearts to the God of this universe and then some because You will give attention to each of our cries.
[P] Dear Father, Your name is far above all and to You we surrender our cries of joy as well as crisis. May Your Spirit's unending ministry dwell in our hearts and our sanctuary. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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