Many of you tonight may be praying for God to help you overcome the hurt of rejection. Rejoice, the victory may be closer than you think! Jesus was brutally rejected many times. Do you think He was unaffected by it? I think rejection affected Him very deeply, but, with God's help, He learned to channel the hurt into understanding and compassion, and just kept going! This very thing happened when Jesus preached a sermon the congregation didn't like. Luke says, "All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. Then he went down to Capernaum (and)...began to teach the people" (Luke 4:28-31, NIV). This shows us that Jesus refused to let rejection interfere with His love for people or His work to save them. In fact, He allowed Himself to love them all the more. Because discouragement ravages so many people, night after night, I decided to study what it is that triggers a sudden spasm of discouragement, right when things seem to be going well. I found a valuable insight in what the psalmist told God: "I am completely discouraged-I lie in the dust. Revive me by your Word. I told you my plans and you replied. Now give me your instructions. Make me understand what you want; for then I shall see your miracles" (Psalm 119:25, TLB). Note the progression of events that led to his discouragement. Like you, this person had plans. But, somewhere along the line, he got lost. Suddenly, his plans didn't make as much sense as when he started. Nothing seemed as clear. He became confused, lost sight of God's purpose and discouragement set in. How are you feeling tonight? Are you down in the dumps because a path that once seemed so clear has become foggy? Are you, too, beseeching God to, "Make me understand what you want...then I shall see your miracles."? If so, be encouraged. Maybe you're not as lost as you think. No matter what you're going through, Your Heavenly Father appreciates your calling out to Him for further instructions. His heart is moved by the fact that you want to know His will and fervently desire to see His miracles in your life. Believe me, you won't be discouraged for long. He will respond! Are you going through an inner "famine" tonight? If you are, then perhaps your spiritual hunger has driven you to the things of the world to fill the void. The problem is that these worldly substitutes will never bring you any real satisfaction. Aren't you ready for something else? As I was reading the story of the prodigal son today, one phrase stood out. It says the young man "journeyed to a far country," where he was consumed with wasteful living (Luke 15:13). However, when the famine hit and he was forced to eat the pig's food, he suddenly came to his senses. What was he doing there? He didn't have to stay. He had another country to go to...the "country" of his father's house which he was created to share. So he started home. The thrilling part is that, like the prodigal son, you don't have to stay where you are either. God has a "better country" in which you can dwell now. The book of Hebrews says that all the heroes of faith "...admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own...they were longing for a better country ? a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-14, 16, NIV). Rejoice in the fact that no matter what "far country" you've been dwelling in or how low you've gone, God has a "better country" waiting for you now! Won't you start the journey home tonight? Have you ever felt like someone was playing games with you - testing to see just how far you could be pushed? Perhaps such a situation is hindering your sleep tonight. Jesus knew what it was to endure this kind of treatment. The Pharisees were continually trying to trap and trick Him into saying something that would justify His arrest. Just such a "set up" occurred when they brought Him the woman who was caught in adultery. The Apostle John reports that every question they asked was "a trap in order to have a basis for accusing him" (John 8:6, NIV). However, Jesus utilized His ability to call on His Father's wisdom and thus avoided all their pitfalls. He turned the tables! Without using one ounce of cruelty, He did what Brother Cerullo has been teaching you to do. He went on the offensive! In the case of the adulterous woman: "When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ?If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away..." (John 8:7-9, NIV). With that one insightful remark, Jesus turned the tide and the battle was won! Learn to call upon Your Heavenly Father, as Jesus did, for the best response in a tough situation. For when His words are delivered, the foe retreats! Heavenly Father, thank you that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty in You. Teach me to draw from Your wisdom and to hear Your words, so that whenever someone tries to play games or entrap me, Your light will outshine the darkness, and You will give me victory. In Jesus' Name, Amen. In a world so full of the "villains" pitfalls, it is such a blessing to realize that we have our "hero" to snatch us from the precipice before we slip off the edge. We use the word "Savior" for our Lord because His sacrifice has "saved" us from a devastating eternity in Hell...sometimes we need reminding that He also saves us in numerous ways each day as we come up against the enemy´s traps. Did you feel the tug of the enemy´s snare today? Did temptation rear its ugly head and beguile you if only for a moment...tempting you to consider indulging in some sinful activity or reaction? Take heart. Peter reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles, but need just to trust in our Lord and claim the assurances He has promised His children: "So also the Lord can rescue you and me from the temptations that surround us..." (2 Peter 2:9, TLB). Seek His guidance, pledge your faith and trust to Him tonight; then rest easy, assured of His ability and intention to rescue you from temptations. It is very easy to say that you will serve God and be obedient to all that He tells you to do. But the true walk of faith ? that total and complete trust in the reliance upon God ? can be likened to a walk down a narrow road. There are times when you don´t know what´s ahead and it is hard to trust God when your circumstances seem to say that God has forgotten you. Is this where you are tonight? It is not an easy time, I know. We all walk this same walk daily. As we arrange ministry crusades in foreign lands, very costly trips, we move ahead on that same narrow road of faith. God has told us to go, but where is the money to come from? There are thousands of souls to be won for the Kingdom and we dare not back down in fear. We don´t see the money, but God has told us to go. Faith in Him means that we know that we know He´ll supply! If we stand fast on our narrow path, He always provides. We don´t have to figure out how God will do it, or question God´s timing. If God said it, that should settle it. Are you on this narrow road of faith tonight, wondering and wavering? It is hard to wait, but it is sometimes God´s way. Stand fast, my friend, and sing as the Psalmist did: "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower" (Psalm 18:2). God is all this and more to those who trust in Him. "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." If you say this in the dark valley of your unbelief, God will restore your faith, leading you on the narrow road to victory. Are you living with a driving restlessness so disturbing that it is affecting your ability to sleep? Maybe you feel restless about your job...an urgency is prodding you to quit and seek new employment. Or possibly you are thinking that you have lived in one place long enough and are ready to move on. Or maybe you are restless about your marriage and are contemplating a separation or divorce that you think will solve your problems. There are many causes of restlessness, unpleasant at best and traumatic at worst. They need to be faced and analyzed. When we feel a restless urgency we need to ask, "Is this God urging me to make a change, or is it my own dissatisfaction? It´s vital not to make important decisions in the eye of the storm. Rather, covet God´s calming influence; then when the storm clouds lift, you are free to see your situation with more clarity, and free to decide rationally just what God´s perfect will is for you. Above all, never make a move based on fear. Before you go to sleep tonight, ask God to lift your stormy restlessness so you can awake refreshed and see His will. His direction will come quietly, gently and couched in peace in spite of the circumstances. And His timing, based on a vision beyond the human limitations of perception, will be perfect. "...the work of righteousness shall be peace: and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever" (Isaiah 32:17). What causes bad dreams and nightmares? Speculations range from late night pizza to subconscious stress. How well I remember walking the floor with my children, calming them and trying to explain the bizarre images that would confront them in the middle of the night. My son would ask me, "Mommy, what´s happening? What do these things mean? Will they come back again?" I wasn´t sure, but since then I´ve learned much more about Satan´s tactics in the spirit realm than I knew then. I´m now convinced that the enemy himself can be behind many of these episodes. The Lord tells us, "You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night...Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness..." (Psalm 91:5, 6, AMP), but unfortunately, many people DO become afraid...piling fear on fear until they are afraid to sleep. Tonight the Lord is giving you hope. In Him is the power to deliver you from all bad dreams, nightmares, and fears. There´s a line from a poem that goes, "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest of these: it might have been." In a tragically poignant way, this illustrates the sorrow of a life lived chained to the past with the "might-have-beens" and the "if-onlys." The past can´t be changed, and yet we find ourselves trying anyway. In this sad process, the enemy blocks us from living in the present and facing the future with the peace that God intends for us. Tonight, are you wishing you could turn back the hands of time? Are you tired of trying to figure out what you could have done to prevent something that can´t really be undone? When I feel like this I think of Samson, blind and grinding at the mill. He could have said, "I used to be a mighty ruler in Israel. I might still have been a ruler if only I hadn´t met Delilah." But Samson didn´t say this. Instead, he became my example for living in the present in spite of the past. While his enemy rejoiced that Samson was their prisoner; he decided not to live in the spotlight of his past glories, or in the glare of his past mistakes, but to live for God in the present. He asked His Father for a last anointing of strength, and achieved final victory for God that was greater than any past success. Even though he was blind he pulled the temple down with a mighty surge of power killing more of the enemies of God than he had in all the days of his life. Samson learned the hard way that the past should only be used as a bridge to the future. Tonight, put aside your yesterdays and live with God in the now of your life. Do you desire to serve God in the special way you feel He´s calling you...to walk where He leads you knowing He has plans to use you? But, do you find yourself wondering, "Who am I, Lord? How can I, Lord?" instead of saying, as Isaiah did, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8)? It is natural to feel both exuberance and fear in the face of God´s call, but what you are in yourself should not be your consideration. When God calls you to speak or act for Him, you don´t have to invent your message or choose your listener. When God calls, He enables. It is by His plan, in His strength, and by His Spirit that we accomplish His will! Jesus, tempted by Satan in the wilderness is an example of the human will´s potential for good over evil. Satan gave Jesus an opportunity to exercise His will for the things that would appeal to the carnal nature of any person whose will is not submitted to the will of God. But, glory be to God, Jesus chose the higher way and was as victorious over Satan´s plan of destruction as we can will to be! He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24) God knows your inadequacies and inexperience, but still He chooses to call you. He uses willing vessels, and it is by your willingness that He receives the glory. Your weaknesses magnify His strengths. He will fill your mouth when you are speechless. Follow God´s marching orders and claim His wisdom, anointing, power and manifold blessings ? all are yours when you obey the Master´s call. The amazing account of steadfast conviction in Acts 20 reminds me of the importance of being immovable for God. In spite of repeated warnings by the Holy Spirit of the imprisonment and hardship awaiting him, Paul was hurrying to be in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost because the same Spirit was sending him there on a ministry mission. Paul refused to be moved in his obedience to God´s will. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). We all know people who, unlike Paul, have been moved from their place of commitment by greed, fear, laziness, or apathy. Oh, what they missed by moving! Paul talks of the joy that comes in addition to eternal reward from immovable obedience. This bumper sticker sums it up: "If you´re not as close to God as you used to be, guess who moved!" Let us move closer to Him Who bought us with the price of His blood. Let us plant our feet firmly on that immovable Rock, so we can say with Paul, "I shall not be moved from following my God!" We too can reap the joy that was his. James confidently said, "Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort, or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience" (James 1:2, 3, AMP). God loves you and wants to answer your prayer. Say this prayer with me: Dear Father, I count it all joy even in the midst of my trial of pain. Jesus´ pain has purchased my victory. I accept this overcoming power and receive Your peace in mind and body. I commit myself into Your loving arms, knowing that even in pain, You will give me rest. In Jesus´ Name, Amen. Have you ever considered the importance, in warfare, of having a good spy network, intelligence, CIA? With a better spy network there might never have been a Pearl Harbor or Vietnam. All truth is parallel. If we want victory to avoid spiritual Pearl Harbors, we must learn to receive information from God´s master spy network, the Holy Spirit. ...whatsoever he (the Holy Spirit of God) shall hear; that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13). God wants us forewarned of the enemy´s plots, so we can delight in His loving, watchful care. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird..." (Proverbs 1:17), when God tips you off as to what your enemies are planning. He did it for David as he prayed (I Samuel 23:12). He did it for King Jehoram through the prophet. He did it for Paul through his nephew (Acts 23:16). He did it for Morris in Madras, India, through a strong witness in his spirit. God revealed to him the strategy the Hindu priests planned to use to destroy the crusade. But the Word tells us God´s spy network can also function In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men...Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction (Job 33:15, 16). Jesus never met Satan by chance and never met him unprepared. The sweetest dreams we can have are those in which God unveils to us the truth we need to defeat our spiritual enemies. Picture a crowded zoo. See the delighted toddler point a chubby finger toward a noisily roaring lion, saying, "See, Papa!" as she skips merrily along behind her father. Just then, a crowd of teenagers, clamoring and pushing, separate the toddler from her father. Her whole world disintegrates. Suddenly, she is alone in a sea of legs, surrounded by threatening, fearful sounds, with no father to cling to. Her sweet face becomes a picture of terror. She feels totally lost and alone. Into the afternoon air she cries, "Papa, Papa, please help!" in a small, shaky voice. Just out of her line of sight, her startled father hears her cries, breaks through the crowd with arms outstretched, and calls, "Come to Papa!" Hearing her father´s voice, the child´s whole countenance lights up and she runs headlong into her father´s open arms, her world secure once again. Have you ever been like that child, going merrily along enjoying life´s blessings and excitements, and suddenly found yourself terrified to realize you had lost sight of your Heavenly Father...separated from Him by the crush and clamor of the world? How precious it is to know that like the lost child, all you need do is call to your Father, assured that He will reach out His outstretched arms and let you "come to Papa" and recapture the security of His everlasting love. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26). Do you feel neglected tonight by others in the Body of Christ? Have they missed ministering to a need in your life? Ask yourself, how well do you know the people who sit next to you in the pew week after week? Do you know their needs and their hurts...or even their last names? One of the conditions in the Body that grieves Brother Cerullo and me the most is the superficial level of many church "friendships." Because this once-a-week, detached attitude is so prevalent, many partners tell us, "I can´t find a church where I really feel at home. I don´t know where I belong. I know God wants me rooted somewhere, but how can I find a real church family?" It´s painful to think that many of our brothers and sisters go to bed on Sunday nights feeling neglected ? like "displaced persons." Yet, the scripture that comes to mind is: "Give, and it will be given to you; A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38, NIV). This Sunday, look around for someone you don´t know very well. Ask what their needs are and offer to pray with them. Take them to coffee and follow up with contact and prayer during the week. Then open your arms to receive, as God gives back to you what you have given to others. What a harvest you´ll reap! Could secret hurts you´ve been carrying for years be the underlying cause of sleeplessness? If so, how can you tell if you´re a nighttime victim of submerged pain? Years ago, prisoners wore loudly striped garments, broadcasting what they were. Likewise, prisoners of hidden hurts today "wear" attitudes that broadcast the fact that they are bound. One of our jobs, as God´s ministers, is to know how to read these attitudes ? both in ourselves and in others. One sign of a prisoner, whether in the natural realm or the spiritual, is that he or she is barricaded behind walls. Hurting people are often uncommunicative and withdrawn. Even if the individual is quite extroverted in public, there can be an underlying mistrust of what people will say or do, so walls go up...walls that enclose more wounds. Other signs of hurt people can be ungrateful, stubborn or sulky attitudes; defensiveness; reluctance to help others; blaming others; mood extremes; and restless, erratic sleep. What hope is there for getting these walls down? Plenty! Remember Jericho! When the children of Israel first came to possess the Promised Land, the first battle they faced involved a formidable wall! But, with God´s help, it came down. "And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city" (Joshua 6:20, NKJV). Are you so tired that you have gone beyond the point of relaxing and falling asleep? Has your mind and your body been stretched to the limit, and is your mind still racing and your body still tense? What do you do? Quit fighting and get up to work around the house, or keep struggling, hoping sleep will eventually come? When I travel with Morris to crusades around the world, it sometimes is difficult to adjust. My mind and my body are in "jet lag," working in one time frame while I am living in another. Sometimes contemplating the coming week makes me even more overtired and unable to sleep. I had quite a struggle with sleeplessness until someone kindly gave me some pointers, "Theresa, God promises His beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2). It doesn´t say that sleep has to come at a certain time or in a certain way, but that it will come to provide your body and mind with the rest that it needs to glorify God." I decided then and there to trust in the promise given in Psalms. I´d pick a Scripture promise verse that applied to that day´s need and repeat it out loud, thanking God for meeting those needs. The burden was no longer mine, but His. I used my time awake to talk to my Father. How sweet His communion. To my surprise, the time spent talking to my Heavenly Father relieved me so that the sleep, even if only a few hours, gave me more rest and strength than if I had slept eight hours. How faithful our Lord is to meet our practical needs. Try this now as you prepare to sleep. See if it doesn´t work for you, too. Hear God saying now, "Good night, beloved." Frustrations...pressures...problems...one thing after another! It´s no wonder you´ll hear people saying, "I think I´m losing my mind" during a hectic day. If you´re in a turmoil tonight, feeling as if you´re losing control...don´t feel alone. Many share the occasional fear that they just aren´t in control of themselves as they should be. This is not God´s intention for your life. When pressures and stresses crowd in on you, and you feel yourself slipping into the enemy´s trap of fearing for your sanity...STOP! As a Christian, you have a great advantage over those in the world who have to rely on their minds and their own strength of control to combat fear, but you have Jesus living in you! Paul expressed it for us beautifully in his letter to Timothy: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). Instead of allowing yourself to fall into the enemy´s trap, recognize that Satan is the source of the problem and cast him out. Actually tell Satan, in the Name of Jesus, to take his hands off your circumstances and go. (You must be a born-again Christian to do this.) Rebuke means to tell Satan, "Stop, you have gone far enough!" The Lord has given us the power to use His authority for just this purpose. Satan must flee in the Name of Jesus. After rebuking the enemy, claim God´s peace by quoting the Word of God, until you believe it for your circumstance and can relax...free from that fear which would threaten your very sanity. There are times in this modern society full of busyness and rush when, in spite of the crowds that may press in around us, we are gripped with the terrible pain of loneliness. It seems ludicrous and contradictory to exist in the midst of masses of people and yet feel so alone. But, this is a sad fact of our times. Invisible walls are erected as people struggle through life trying to avoid any additional commitment or responsibility which would tax their already over-taxed schedules and their over-extended emotional and physical resources. Many times, wrapped in self-pity, we fail to appreciate the One Who draws near and always goes with us. It is through the knowledge of His everlasting presence that we can transform the insecurity of loneliness into the security of aloneness with God. Pour out your loneliness to this Friend Who is closer than a brother. You will find that Jesus will share Himself with you in a new and deeper relationship. The captivity of loneliness will be overcome, and you will experience a new joy in His fellowship and companionship as your personal friend. With our finite minds it is hard to comprehend that there is a Friend Whose love is infinite ? Whose love cannot be earned. How then can you measure this love without price? And here is how to measure it: The greatest love is when a person lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13, TLB). For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26). Have you ever sought help for a desperate need and been told, "Don´t worry; just keep the faith and everything will be fine. Confess your sins, and the Lord will take care of everything. If it´s real serious, go to a psychiatrist." Believe me, God is not pleased when His people are given these "band-aids" to cover deep wounds. In fact, in the book of Jeremiah, He severely rebukes His ministers: "They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ?Peace, peace!´ When there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14, NKJV). Know that the Lord does not want you going to bed night after night with your wounds "healed slightly." He is doing a new work in His Body ? a deep work in which He is cleansing the indescribable inner hurts that nobody sees. This is the day when "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds ? curing their pains and their sorrows...they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses. He sends forth His Word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction" (Psalm 147:3; 107:19-20, AMP). This is the work of Jesus ? God´s living Word! (See also Luke 4:18). Don´t settle for a superficial treatment of your innermost hurts. Starting tonight, the Lord wants to do a penetrating, miraculous work in your life. Cry out to Him and let the Master Surgeon (Jesus) have His way. Not only will you be healed, you will never be the same again! Do you know what God wants to do for you as you sleep tonight? He wants to make you beautiful...to bring the inner radiance which He has placed within you to the surface. As one man put it, "God desires to love forth your beauty"...the beauty that was created in His image. Right now, Christ is preparing His bride! He is restoring "the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride..." (Jeremiah 33:11, NKJV). He is getting ready to come back for His beloved, but before He does, one thing must occur. Each one of us will soon be so filled with Him...so overflowing with joy and love that a new kind of "witnessing" will start to take place. This will not just involve preaching to people, leaving tracts on their windshields or asking them, "Do you know Jesus?" It will mean radiating the real thing, Christ Himself, through the new beauty and new song He is working in each of you tonight. As the Psalmist David proclaimed, "Make me to hear joy and gladness...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me with Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You" (Psalm 51:8, 12-13, NKJV). What a powerful force joy is! To think that through it God will use you to teach and convert sinners is an incredible truth. Surrender to the beauty and joy He wants to work in you now... even as you sleep. I´d like to share a story that will give you the sweetest dreams imaginable...the story of the ancient Jewish wedding tradition. We get so caught up in the work of serving Christ that we may lose sight of the end result: the union of the bride and groom! So lie back, relax and enjoy this ritual that is so full of symbolism for all God´s people. Wedding plans were initiated when the prospective bridegroom left his father´s house and traveled to the home of the future bride. There, a price had to be paid to secure the bride. Once paid, the marriage covenant was considered sealed, although they were not yet physically joined. At this point the bride was "set apart," the betrothal being finalized when the bride and groom drank from a cup. The groom then returned to his father´s house for one year, preparing their living quarters in his father´s home. The bride assembled her wardrobe and prepared for married life. Likewise, Christ´s bride is getting ready today. God has sent apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers "for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13, NKJV). After the year, the groom left his father´s house to get the bride. Although she expected him, she didn´t know the exact time, so his arrival was preceded by a shout! Sound familiar? Yes, get ready. Jesus is coming soon! Dear Yvonne, Tonight, Theresa and I want to take these few moments to tell you how much you matter to us and to our loving heavenly Father. Along with the Helpline prayer team, we pray for you every day, taking the needs that are on your heart to the throne room of the Father who cares and answers prayer! Remember, miracles happen when someone cares, and we truly care what happens to you! As I pray for you, I can feel the pain that some of you are feeling and the hurt, anger and depression that threaten to steal your joy and stop the good plan of God for your life. Notice that the Apostle Paul is telling us that sometimes we may fail or take a step backward. We don't have to be perfect! Now is the time to shut the past out, aim your focus at the future, and press forward, trusting Jesus to help you reach your destination.HOT PURSUIT! Some of you may have the privilege of being called of God to sacrifice something especially precious to you. Maybe tomorrow is the day you agreed to give it up. If so, as much as you love Him and have agreed to do His will, you may not be sleeping well. How easy it is to have second thoughts or get "cold feet" as "D-Day" approaches. One of our ministry partners was called upon to give up her home and live in a 22-foot trailer in order to evangelize a new community...another to donate a valuable family heirloom to help start a prison ministry...another to leave his family to do pioneer work in the most dangerous part of the Orient with no guarantee that he´d ever return. No matter what sacrifice you might be making, be encouraged. No person was ever asked to offer a greater sacrifice than Abraham; yet he had so much trust in God that he actually arose early to prepare to offer Isaac! Because he did not withhold the most precious thing he had, the Lord told him, "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (Genesis 22:17-18, NIV). "Lord, this work is overwhelming me! Please send help. I can´t manage it anymore!" Has this been your prayer tonight? If so, you´re not alone. After years of being engulfed with work, I know firsthand that the Lord always sends help just when you need it the most. The problem is that He sometimes sends it through the least likely person or circumstances you can imagine! Often it´s someone you don´t know. If you do know them, they may be someone you wouldn´t have considered. When you first realize you need help, your tendency may be to look to those closest to you, but this seldom works for long, because they may sometimes feel imposed upon or you may feel let down. It´s easy sometimes, to overlook the person the Lord has chosen as His candidate for the job. In Jesus´ life, too, God sent an unlikely choice. When Jesus was walking to Calvary, and His cross became too heavy for Him, the one sent to help carry it wasn´t one of the disciples, one of His friends, or even anyone He knew. Matthew tells us, "...they led him away to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross" (Matthew 27:31-32, NIV). Likewise, the person or answer God sends to help you might be someone or something totally unexpected. Be open to what the Lord provides. God may work in surprising ways, but He´ll always come through for you. Nothing is more frustrating than partial victory. Are you being kept awake by a sneaking suspicion that Satan is snatching a victory right out from under you? It could be true. The greatest "war stories" in the Bible show us that counterattack by the enemy is a very real possibility. Maybe just when you were rejoicing that Johnnie was off drugs...that Mary´s marriage was back on track...or your neighbor was finally saved, their lives fell apart. Why? Because the victory wasn´t completed as you may have thought it was: Satan regrouped and counter-attacked! That´s why God puts so much emphasis on the hot pursuit of fleeing enemy forces after the initial triumph is secured. One example is the story of Gideon. It was after his first flush of victory that he "...sent for the troops of Naphtali, Asher, and Manassah and told them to come and chase and destroy the fleeing army of Midian...Gideon now crossed the Jordan River with his three hundred men. They were very tired, but still chasing the enemy" (Judges 7:23; 8:4, TLB). Gideon was determined that not one enemy troop would escape to rally his friends for another attack! I discovered a startling truth which may help you with a problem you are facing tonight. As one partner described the dilemma, "I´ve known the Lord for eight years now and still have nothing to show for my walk with Him. My finances are still dry; my marriage is lukewarm; my career is in a rut and I have no direction for ministry. What´s the matter?" Unfortunately, this "stuck-in-the-rut" syndrome, described by out partner, is not uncommon. How can you break free? The Lord showed me that what is missing in many of these Christians´ lives is diligence. The dreams are there, the desire to live a more productive life is there, but the diligence to actively pursue goals and stick to them is missing. Diligence means to persevere; to pursue steadily, earnestly and energetically. We have become a society of dreamers who abandon our goals with the slightest excuses. God´s Word warns us that this is dangerous: "The soul of a sluggard desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. The sluggard will not plow because of winter; Therefore he will beg during the harvest. And have nothing" (Proverbs 13:4; 20:4). If you're lying there, tonight, gritting your teeth and muttering, "Lord, when am I ever going to get anywhere?" then I have a bedtime story for you. A local pastor once told me about a company that grew trees for lumber. The executives wanted the trees to grow faster so they hired some scientists to devise an artificial means to accelerate growth. This seemed to work fine until they used boards from the trees to build a house. Within a short time the floor collapsed. The scientists discovered that wood from the trees that were forced to grow too fast couldn't take the pressure of excessive weight. As Brother Cerullo often reminds us, "All truth is parallel." Your spirit-man is no different from those trees. If you try to force yourself to grow too fast, or to climb too far too soon, you won't be able to hold up under the pressure later on. Remember that you are God's "tree" and He can best determine your growth. "...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..." (Philippians 2:13 and 1:6, NKJV).
It has happened to God's greatest servants, and it could happen to you. The night may come, if it hasn't already, when you lie awake in violent outrage beseeching God: "How should I answer these false accusations? I've done nothing wrong! What should I say? What should I do? God's answer may come as a shock. He may instruct you to say nothing at all. Joseph, set up by Potiphar's wife; David, slandered by Saul; and Jesus, whose trial was a total mockery, all behaved the same way: By exercising incredible self-control, they trusted God for their defense. David described himself as being like a mute, restraining his mouth with a "muzzle" while the wicked were before him (Psalms 38 and 39). But unbeknownst to him, God was using these trials to prepare him for greater things. It is possible that God is preparing you to face future persecution, through your experiences with false accusations now. What you are learning to handle and the way you handle it could bring great glory to Him. As He told the disciples: "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer; or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (Luke 12:11-12, NKJV). As difficult as it is, look at these painful accusations as a training ground for unprecedented progress in the Lord. He has tremendous things in store for you! Adultery is a spirit. Lust is a spirit. Both of these would like to destroy God's people. This fact was made dramatically clear to Brother Cerullo at one of our recent crusades. God showed him how inordinate affections were attacking the minds of God's people. As Brother Cerullo prayed an anointed prayer and broke through in the spirit, victory came to hundreds of men and women. People were delivered and set free; families were restored. But what about you? Are you in the tortuous grips of lust, adulterous urges or inordinate affections? If so, then God wants to set you free ?now! He is all ready to do His part, but you must do yours. Starting tonight, you must agree to redirect your mind ? to set your affections on things above, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6, NIV). Don't let these spirits gain entry through weak thinking. Get a grip on yourself; drive ungodly imaginations out. Desire and seek a new life of holiness and peace. I remembered one of my children coming home from school one day, very upset, complaining about a particular teacher. "What does he know, anyway?" was their initial reaction. Over the years, I have often thought about that question when I'm in some disagreement with the various people God has placed in my life for my own personal counsel and guidance. "What do they know anyway?" I am tempted to think. Perhaps you have thought this way about a boss, or your spouse, or perhaps even your pastor? In those particular moments, the Holy Spirit has taught me to prayerfully meditate on the counsel of others, instead of immediately rejecting it. Proverbs 19:20, NKJV tells us to "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days." Remember that in order to grow and become more mature we may need to see things from a different perspective than our own. Counsel from others is the divine process God has created so that you "may be wise" in every difficult matter you face. Tonight as you cuddle up with your pillow, rest in comfort knowing you understand God's secret key to His wisdom. I am thrilled to hear how many of you want to come into a deeper level of prayer and the presence of the Lord, especially in your quiet time at night. One question many of our partners have asked me about is Jesus' admonition to "watch and pray." The question is, watch for what? Exactly what are we to be looking for? Is it natural...spiritual? There are a number of things, but one in particular may surprise you. In the Book of Hebrews, God says: "Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord; looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled" (Hebrews 12:14-15, NKJV). As believers, we often hear the phrase, "Without holiness no one will see the Lord." But this Scripture warns us that anyone who is at odds with his brother will not see Him either. Bitterness and disunity in the Body of Christ is very serious business to God ? so serious that he asks all prayer warriors to be on the lookout for these contaminations. These are the things you can watch for...and when you see them, pray! Bind all Satan's forces that would "divide and conquer." Loose God's power into the lives of all involved. God loves you and wants to answer your prayer. Say this prayer with me: Heavenly Father, I now understand how important the unity of Your body is to You. Teach me to be diligent; to "watch and pray" lest any of us dishonor You through jealousy, envy, contention or quarrels. Help us to actively pursue peace with all men, and to rebuke any bitterness that would try to enter our minds or hearts. May our love for each other glorify You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Golden anniversaries, funerals and reunions all point out the fragility of life. Suddenly everyone is older... some aren't even here anymore. James described our life as a "vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14, NKJV). But in the midnight hours, this realization can hit you the hardest. What is God trying to tell you? The Psalmist David actually begged God to intensify his awareness of the fragility of life for a reason. He said, "Lord, make me to know my end, and (to appreciate) the measure of my days...let me know and realize how frail I am ? how transient is my stay here...Surely every man walks to and from ? like a shadow in a pantomime; surely for futility and emptiness they are in turmoil: each one heaps up riches, not knowing who will gather them" (Psalm 39:4, 6, AMP). David's increased awareness of his own fragility accelerated his zeal and determination to know God, Who is the only Life that is lasting! It also confirmed the utter emptiness and uselessness of allowing himself to be in turmoil, or letting his life be wasted in wrong priorities, such as, seeking earthly riches. Tonight I would like to arm you with a little "preventive medicine." Let me ask a question: How well do you think the Apostle Peter slept the night he betrayed the Lord? I doubt he slept well for weeks. Yet when Jesus tried to warn him in advance of the impending disaster, Peter refused to believe it. While he couldn't envision anything that could make him deny his Master, Satan could. Do you think you could ever deny or betray the Lord? Very few of us can imagine falling to such depths, but only the Lord knows who, under the pressures of persecution, sickness, bribes or fear, will buckle. Take heart that should this ever happen, you have the Lord's words to His apostle as His words to you: "And the Lord said, ?Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fall; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren'" (Luke 22:31, NKJV). What a temptation it is, when it's late and you're tired, saying a quick prayer "just to get it over with" and flopping into bed. If this becomes a habit, it could affect your leadership potential for God. Look back on the great leaders whom God raised up for His purposes. They all had one thing in common: they loved to linger in the presence of God. The book of Exodus describes how, even after Moses finished communing with God, Joshua stayed behind in the prayer tent just to be with Him. Nothing could pull him away.
Taken by Yvonne Louise, in Naples, Florida at CBN Retreat.
He just waited for me to open the sliding glass doors of hotel and
allowed me to come within 3 feet of him and wouldn't fly away.
Morris Cerullo Prayer Line
Encouraging Word
MAKE ME UNDERSTAND
A BETTER COUNTRY
PLAYING GAMES
TO THE RESCUE
THE NARROW ROAD
BE NOT AFRAID
THE MASTER´S CALL
BE NOT MOVED
PAIN TO PROMISE
How is it possible to consider joy in the midst of piercing pain, physical or emotional? Often, during a time of pain, we begin to question God. Pain sorely tries our trust in His ability to turn its ugliness into anything worthy of His glory. How then can pain bring the endurance James talks about? How do we find our faith when our vision of God is so blurred by the onslaught of pain?
James had the direction of God when he wrote his words. They are not mere expectations, but divine promises. Yes, the pain that you are suffering now can be a cause for joy. It is God´s unfailing promise that your trials will produce endurance, strength, and ultimately your perfection.
Even Jesus, in the pain of the cross, felt abandoned by His Heavenly Father. Jesus, the sacred Son of God, could have called ten thousand angels for His rescue, yet He committed Himself to His Father´s will unto death. His reward was the joy of resurrection. Your promise is that same deliverance. Hold fast and receive joy in the midst of your trial, remembering that joy will turn your pain into the promise of your victory!
COME TO PAPA
GOOD NIGHT, BELOVED!
SANCTIFIED SANITY
NEVER ALONE
BRIDE AND GROOM
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
MAKING THE SACRIFICE
July 5th
POVERTY OF DREAMERS
FORCED GROWTH
INORDINATE AFFECTIONS
GIFT OF COUNSEL
WATCH FOR WHAT
FRAGILITY OF LIFE
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
LINGER WITH GOD
REJECTING REJECTION Sooner or later, rejection occurs in each of our lives. These agonizing experiences can be like knife wounds that never heal, draining us of incentive and leaving us lifeless. We can allow our hurt feelings to fester, leading to anger, bitterness and devastation, or we can rise above the painful rebuff, learn from it and grow beyond it. We can decide we're not so terrible as that person might have us believe, and ask God what He wants us to learn and, if necessary, to change. God can turn a rejection into an opportunity to enlighten us about our weaknesses and strengths. It's normal to feel hurt when we're rejected, but if we take action against it, it won't take root and be able to destroy us. Use the experience to learn, grow, and become more like Christ. Use rejection as an opportunity to exercise forgiveness. Were you rejected in some way today? Don't jump to the conclusion that the rejection is always personal. Find out the cause, if you can, and it may surprise you to find it had little, if anything, to do with you. Being accepted by people is good, dear friend, but remember that it is even better that we are accepted by God: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world... Having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians. 1:4-6). |
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Heavenly Father, how wonderful to be accepted by You when men sometimes reject me. I choose from tonight on to allow people the freedom to reject me without letting it hurt me. I will forgive them and do forgive them now. I thank You for Your unending love for me. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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PRESS ON! Have you ever climbed a mountain? I haven't in the natural realm, but I've sure climbed some steep ones in the Spirit. When the going gets rough, it's hard to press on. I heard of a group of young people who recently climbed a mountain called Golgotha in Colorado. The pine trees were thick and millions of dead pine needles covered the ground. As a result, the upward climb was one of "two steps forward, three steps back." The climbers kept wondering, "Should we turn back now?". This might be the very question that is keeping many of you from sleep tonight. It's not so much the difficulty of the road ahead; it's fear you won't make it and indecision about continuing that keeps you awake. First you think, "Yes, I'll stick with it." Then you say, "No, it's impossible." What does Paul say? He says: "...I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14, NKJV). Paul pressed on, as did that group of climbers. At the top they discovered a panoramic view such as they had never imagined. Think of what they would have missed if they were still at the halfway point, debating about continuing!It's the same with you. You have no idea what God has for you "at the top," but whatever it is, it's His best. So stop tossing and turning...get out of the valley of indecision, and press on! |
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Heavenly Father, thank you for the ability You have given me to make a decision to press on in Your wisdom and love. Although the way may be rough, I know You will provide all the strength I need. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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GETTING THROUGH
Have you ever had to live or work with someone who seems impossible to get along with? Most people have. Yet as difficult as these people can be, it is even worse when it involves outright persecution. The persecution I'm talking about is a kind of pressure pitted against you because of Christ. Sometimes it can even happen in your own home. As most believers would, you have probably prayed intensely for these "impossible" people, but just as you thought you were breaking through, things got worse! Why? Likely it was because you were getting through! It's when you start to make real headway in the spirit realm that Satan will launch his worst attacks. I believe that this is why Jesus said: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:11, 12, NKJV). You've heard it said that "it's the darkest before the dawn." In the case of your persecution this could be true. I don't know when the spiritual attacks against you will stop, or how long the Lord would have you endure, but I know that you are His beloved and He wants you to sleep in peace. So, sleep in peace tonight, rejoicing in the fact that you would not be persecuted if Satan, wasn't stirred up! In your faithfulness and steadfastness, you must be getting through! |
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Heavenly Father, I know Your plan is perfect. I know that in spite of the tremendous pressures and contempt that are hurled at me because of You, I can sleep in peace, rejoicing in the fact that Your will is being accomplished, as I strive to be greatly pleasing to you. Thank You for giving me the strength to endure my persecutions. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
TO THE BACKSLIDER As Brother Cerullo and I travel throughout the world, we have discovered one tactic that the enemy uses universally. He tries to convince saints who have stumbled that they have backslidden beyond hope. Unfortunately, this tactic often works. In each country we find people who think that God would never take them back! They say, "After what I've done, it's all over for me. I've got no future with God." This simply is not true. If you are in this state tonight, don't be deceived. God has put this email in your hands for a purpose...the purpose of bringing you back to Him. He is pleading with you to return to Him. He longs to give you rest from your wanderings. Hear His call: "Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am married to you" (Jeremiah 3:14, NKJV). "I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him" (Hosea 14:4, NKJV). If you recognize your backsliding, repent of it, and return to God. God is holding His hand out to you! If this describes you tonight, turn back to the Lord and grasp His forgiving hand and be led into His everlasting embrace. |
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Heavenly Father, I want to come back to You. Like the prodigal son, I recognize that I have not been faithful to You. I acknowledge and repent of all my sins and all wrongdoings, and ask You to forgive me. I also receive and thank You for complete forgiveness. I know my sins have been blotted out through the blood of Jesus, and that I am now restored to You. Help me to live a new life in Your perfect will. From now on my life will give You great glory, for he who is forgiven much, loves much! In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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TOTALLY GOOD One evening I read two heartbreaking questions from an eight-year old boy. He wrote that his father had promised to take him fishing on his birthday, but when that day arrived, the father forgot. His little spirit crushed, the child wrote, "Did God make my dad forget me? Didn't He want me to go fishing?" It is especially hard to answer questions like this from a child, yet many adults ask the same thing in different ways. Somehow they can't completely rest in God because they don't really trust Him. They think He is behind their hurts. They find it hard to believe that God is totally good. Have you ever tossed and turned, doubting that God would keep His promises? If things go too well do you sometimes secretly wait for God to "pull the rug out" from under you? Rest assured that God is good! The negligence of the little boy's father like any abuses you may have suffered, were not from God! As James tell us: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17, NKJV). God's goodness is continually working in your behalf, He not only is good, but He does good, and He wants the best for you. Believe it! If secret doubts about the reality of His goodness have been hindering your rest, ask Him to heal your heart as you learn to stand against the real enemy of your soul. |
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Heavenly Father, help me fully believe in Your goodness toward me, realizing that You are not the source of my many hurts and pains. I thank You for healing me now, as I lie down to rest, in a new revelation of Your goodness and love. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
FIGHT YOUR PHOBIA If you suffer from a serious phobia, you are not alone. We live in an age of anxieties, an age when fear of all kinds is rampant in phobic proportions keeping its victims prisoners in their own minds and bodies. One in twenty Americans suffer from some kind of crippling phobia, an irrational, excessive, and persistent fear of a particular thing or situation. With fears this powerful, people can be afraid to go places, meet people, and do things, thereby minimizing or eliminating their effectiveness for Christ. As Christians we must face our fears and overcome them ? we can with God's power working on our behalf. His perfect love casts out all fear: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7). If you're discouraged tonight because a fear has gripped your life, take heart. God has a victory for you over your phobia. Before you go to sleep, take these definite steps: First, recognize what your fear is and recognize God's power to overcome it. Second, rebuke the fear by declarations of faith, reclaiming your God-given power over it. From tomorrow on, act on your faith, expecting God's victory as you do things your fear has previously prevented. Remember, dear one, Satan wants your fear to overcome you...overcome that fear instead with the "power and love and sound mind" God promises. A powerful victory is yours. |
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Father, I thank you that my fears are under my feet because of the blood of Jesus and the authority of Your Word. I look to You from tonight on to help me overcome my fear of (name your fear(s) ________________), and I ask for Your boldness and power for each victorious step. I receive new peace now as I rest in You. I am released and freed. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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CLEARING THE FOG - DEPRESSION
Did depression roll over your spirit today like a thick gray fog? Of all the devil's devices, depression is probably the most insidious. It sneaks in on you and torques your perspective before you even realize it's there. It can be a natural phenomenon...the result of worldly influences and pressure...but one that is used by the enemy. If things don't go the way we prefer, if today's pressures paint such a bleak scene we fail to look at the big picture, we can allow the enemy to cause us to lose sight of God's sovereignty over each day and sink into a spirit of depression. As a weapon in Satan's hands, it takes more than natural methods to overcome it...it takes supernatural release. When you feel this depression suddenly coming over you, you know that it is more than just your own thoughts and feelings...you can even feel its power trying to overcome you! "And I tell you this-whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever you free on earth will be freed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18, TLB). Realize that as God's child you need only to recognize the source of the problem and exercise your authority over this spirit of depression...binding it in Jesus' Name...and receive His precious release, and the joy that follows. The fog depression can be cleared away with the sword of the Word of God. |
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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the power of Your Word which is the answer to any cloud of depression that has threatened to engulf me today. I bind you, Satan, and your spirit of depression in Jesus' Name. Thank You, Lord, for releasing me from Satan's bondage. Release Your Spirit of hope and joy to live my life for You today and tomorrow. In Jesus' Name, Amen |
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SQUARE PEG Great timing - started the day with this marvelous Glory of the Lord and ended it at the ARC meeting where some vicious people were and witchcraft attacks stemmed. This was the word for this evening... Thank you Lord. The devil can use those ignorant of God's love and glory to bring some pretty tough pressures to bear on God's children. You can find yourself being put down and made to feel stupid for choosing not to see a popular movie, or laugh at vulgar humor or getting cynical looks and remarks because you won't cheat the careless store checker, lie to a potential car buyer, etc. Maybe your Christian life occasionally causes minor inconveniences and sufferings. You may feel like giving up trying to live as a Christian in the world, a "square peg in a round hole." The enemy would have you knuckle under and conform to the world's ideas. He will try to make you feel that you are suffering indignities unnecessarily, and that the principle isn't really important. Don't let yourself fall into this trap. Reject the enemy's pressure...cling instead to the Lord's beautiful promises. Follow Paul's advice: "So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for He will never fail you" (1 Peter 4:19, TLB). Sleep easily tonight, dear one. For He who promises never to fail you has been where you are. He knows what it is like to be a "whipping boy," a "square peg," and because of His sufferings on earth, He assures a victorious tomorrow! |
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Dear Jesus, forgive me for letting the enemy spoil my day. Help me tomorrow to be mindful of Your sufferings, and to face my sufferings, trusting You are in charge and will never fail me. I give my life to Your care. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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COMFORTING WORDS
I thank God that He has allowed the preservation of each loving promise in His Word to survive down through the generations so that at this moment in time we can draw upon the hope and help that we need. No matter how troubled we may be about the circumstances that assail us during the day, when it is time for us to go to bed we can draw upon God's Word that abides in our hearts to bring us comfort and peace. This verse from the book of Proverbs concerning the Bible's wisdom is especially beautiful for a troubled time and explains what I am trying to say: "When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee" (Proverbs 6:22). Did you realize that when you read the Bible, each powerful word is stored in the hidden recesses of your memory and has the amazing ability to minister to you all through the day and night? For instance, there are times in the course of a day when something troubling will seem to steal away my peace. Before I know it, I feel like I am being overtaken by distress or anger, or maybe frustration. I then stop and ask Him for His Word of comfort or direction for my situation to calm my spirit and bring me peace and hope in the midst of a storm. God cares and He does answer that need you have. Ask Him now as you pray to bring forth that Word that you need for your edification and comfort this very night. |
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Dear God, I don't know how to solve this problem that is troubling me tonight. I know that You have the answers I need because You know things about this situation that are beyond my human limitations. Cause the Word that lives in me to come to my mind some time during the day ahead, and give me the wisdom to act upon it. I thank you for Your help in troubling times. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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THE WEARY WARRIOR
Did you fall into bed tonight a weary warrior? Are you heaving a huge sigh of discouragement and exhaustion...unsure whether any souls were enlightened, or victories won in your struggles today against the enemy's ever-present onslaught? Did your day seem fruitless, or filled with missed opportunities? Are you pondering why you should even bother to regroup for battle tomorrow? Instead of surrendering to the enemy's tactics of self-defeat, consider this: Take your eyes off today's circumstances for a few minutes and begin to relax in the simple omnipresent glow of God's love. Realize that He is not a demanding taskmaster, insisting we constantly prove ourselves through our accomplishments. As He has desired in His servants from the beginnings, He simply wants us to persevere, renewing our strength through His Word and His Holy Spirit within us, allowing our works to bear fruit in His season. Paul recalls this conditional promise: "And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9, RSV). Recognize that you are not the first weary warrior in God's army, nor will you be the last. Don't allow the enemy to let you lose heart and, in God's time, you will become one of those victorious soldiers whose good works will reap a great harvest for our Commander. |
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Dear Father, I come before You tonight as a battle-weary warrior in Your army, but I claim supernatural renewal of strength and encouragement as only You can provide. I rebuke the spirits of weariness and self-surrender in Jesus' Name. Father, loose Your victorious power within me. Grant that my rest tonight be sweet, total and invigorating, so I may face tomorrow's battles heartened by Your promise of rewards in due season. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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DISAPPOINTED?
Disappointing news, a disappointing turn of events...can send us struggling to overcome problems that seem to become steadily worse. Friends who are usually a source of strength are absent, offering no help. Disappointments can be large or small, and come in differing degrees. Maybe you just came through a difficult experience or lost something valuable or important. Sometimes, a particularly difficult disappointment can be so crushing that your whole line of communication with God is suffering. Maybe you are asking: Where is God? Did He know? Does He care? Beloved, God understands. He is aware of every aspect of our lives. He knows all about our joys and our heartbreaks. He understands our hearts as a father understands his children. And He isn't overwhelmed by our problems, no matter how big they seem to us. Where is God? He was there just as He is now, close beside you, knowing your wondering, understanding your hurt, speaking these words of comfort and direction. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:7). This word from the Lord has two parts. The first, "casting your care" is something we do. The last part is a promise lovingly made to us by God, saying He will care for us. Put your trust in the Lord today. Give Him your cares, your disappointments, and His healing will flow through you bringing you new life. |
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I praise You, Father, for Your love and understanding. I praise You for being here when I need You. Thank you for providing me with a way to be strengthened to overcome my disappointments and heartaches. I am so glad You are a God Who heals and helps tenderly. Thank you for comforting me through Your Holy Spirit. I praise You, Father. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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RESTORER OF THE BREACH
Many times during the years of Morris' ministry, he traveled overseas preaching the Gospel. I had to be both father and mother to our young children. I don't have to tell you that this was not an easy task. Both the children and I missed Morris terribly. I did my best to make the decisions a father should have made, and tried my hardest to be what he might have been in the lives of the children. Even though Morris was often very far away for long periods of time, and while it was a real sacrifice for all of us, at least we knew that on a certain day he would return and we would be together again. There are so many people today separated by divorce or death who do not have this assurance. They have said a goodbye to their mates that was final. The pain that is endured when parting is permanent leaves the hearts of those involved torn and shattered. The only answer to the hurts of separation from a loved one is the companionship of God. ...He (God) Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. (I will) not...in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake nor let (you) down, (relax My hold on you). Assuredly not! (Hebrews 13:5b, AMP). |
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Heavenly Father, even though I feel the pain of separation tonight, I know that You will never leave nor forsake me. I know You will never fail me. This is my confidence and assurance tonight. I ask You to bring me peace and comfort. I ask You for the sleep that comes with my security in You instead of in man. Heal my deep hurts and meet my every need. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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STAY POSITIVE
Do you ever have days where people have a negative effect on you? In fact, as the day continues you become more negative than positive and find your feelings changing from peaceful, happy thoughts to ones of discouragement and confusion? When bombarded by negative-speaking people, don't respond to a negative with another negative or agree with their comments just to be accepted. People don't always mean to be negative but they find themselves with a negative spirit before they realize it. So if you remain positive, you will help them and help yourself as well. As our Lord instructs, Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification (Romans 15:2, NKJV). The Lord always has our good in mind through every situation that we might find ourselves. In a negative experience be encouraged. Remember, it is an opportunity to minister the positive life of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will provide you with the support and wisdom you need. It is God's will for you to grow and bless others by learning as a result of this confrontation. Walking in His strength helps us to see another's weakness more clearly and to help us avoid adding to their troubles. Then, we are capable of listening to God's quiet whisperings within our hearts showing us the way to minister His love and acceptance to the individual in need. As you live each day accepting challenges, and believing in God's goodness toward you through them; each opportunity you experience really will turn into a blessing and become an encouragement to you. |
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Dear Lord, forgive me for being negative today. I really want to be a positive influence to my friends. Give me the ability to recognize the situation before I speak a negative word. I know that You love my friends even more than I love them. Help me to be sensitive to their needs. Help me to see beyond what they are saying into the reasons why they say it. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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GUARDING THE GIFTS
Do you feel of little value tonight? Do you feel like everyone else is more witty, knowledgeable, loveable or more talented than you are? Satan loves to encourage us to look at ourselves in distorted mirrors, seeing only what we dislike about ourselves ? our shortcomings and failures ? and overlooking our strong points. I doubt that anyone ever feels perfect, nor should they. Only God is perfect. But, while some people have sensational singing voices, others paint beautiful pictures, and others have exceptional physical prowess, there are none of us who are without special talents and gifts. Remember, we are individually special to God. He made us just as we are. Everything we are comes from Him and He is the giver of all good things. He has given each of us special gifts, or talents meant to be used for His glory. Don't let Satan tell you tonight that your talents are meager or unimportant. Nothing being used for God's glory is unimportant to Him. Guard well the splendid, God-given ability you received as a gift from the Holy Spirit who lives within you (2 Timothy 1:14, TLB). Recognize and develop your God-given talents, whether they be the ability to listen well, balance a budget, witness one-on-one, write poetry, bring out the best in a child with a learning disability, or build bridges. Rest comfortably this evening, knowing that the talents God has given you are important to Him. |
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Dear Lord, thank you for the gifts You have given me. Help me to recognize, appreciate and develop my abilities to their fullest. Help me to resist the enemy's attempts to make them seem of no value, and to better use them to glorify You in my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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SAVOR THE STILLNESS
Some days just seem to scream by, literally a whirlpool of sounds that leave your mind reeling by evening. Some sounds are beautiful - children giggling, voices of prayer warriors raised in praise and adoration, melodious bells in the distance. Other sounds are disturbing - sirens wailing, brakes squealing, voices raging in anger or cries of pain. Are you having difficulty unwinding tonight after a noisy day? Consider that the enemy would like to use noise to try to jam your channel of communication with the Lord. If you think the enemy has tried to block your communications today, remember the value of stillness. Seek it and trust the Lord to reopen the communication lines. You might choose tonight to reflect on God's Word in an easy chair in a quiet corner, or you may step outside into the evening air and stand in a quiet spot where you can bask in serene silence, contemplating God's handiwork in the night sky. However you find it, savor that stillness. ...in quietness and in trust shall be your strength... (Isaiah 30:15, RSV). Be still and know that I am God...(Psalm 46:10). Find your quiet spot, relax in the Lord and renew your strength. The peaceful sleep you will enjoy as you trust your night to the Lord, will give you the strength to face tomorrow enthusiastically. |
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Dear Father, thank you tonight for these moments of stillness, where I can move beyond the noise and confusion of today and reestablish my communications with You. I look forward to tomorrow, renewed in strength and trusting You to be at my side, even in the midst of a noisy world, offering the serenity of Your love. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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especially for YOU |
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ONE STEP FURTHER
Are you looking back on your day feeling discouraged by something left undone? Did distractions or other people keep you from completing something you feel the Lord wanted finished? If so, what will you do about it? Your first step will probably be to take it to the Lord and ask His forgiveness. Isn't it a treat to have a Father who can forgive all our shortcomings? But, after you ask His forgiveness, do you still feel burdened? What then? Your next step would be to forgive those who caused the distractions, and free yourself from grudges toward them. Unforgiveness is a stumbling block to perfect joy. Now, do you still have doubts and guilts, even after asking the Lord's forgiveness, and forgiving others? You're on the right track...you have done the right things...you just need to go one step further. Have you remembered to forgive yourself? It is a key step in experiencing the Lord's perfect peace. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive you your sins too (Mark 11:25, TLB). Jesus didn't say to forgive some of those responsible. He said anyone. You are someone too! If you want to be free of grudges...free to receive forgiveness...you must forgive yourself! Praise the Lord for His simple and beautiful formula for finding forgiveness ? one step at a time! |
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Heavenly Father, help me to forgive those who distracted me from my goal today. Help me to forgive myself for not accomplishing what I set out to do. Keep me from bearing any grudges against them, or myself, as I ask You to forgive me. Thank you that I can rest easily tonight as my forgiveness and Your forgiveness together make tomorrow a brand new start. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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TURNING A CHEEK
Would someone we trust, even a Christian, ever do something to disappoint or hurt us? Yes, the enemy can use any of us if we let our defenses down...if we do not ground ourselves in God's Word and become sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, especially concerning worldly problems like finances, illness, or relationships. Would you handle it like a friend of mine did recently when a trusted Christian did him an injustice? His first reaction was to become angry ? almost ready to get even ? a natural response to the hurt of being cheated. Fortunately, he stifled that natural reaction and prayed instead. The Spirit led him to read Jesus' teaching concerning an inflicted wrong. But I say: Don't resist violence! If you are slapped on one cheek, turn the other too...But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you. In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:39, 44, 45 TLB). So that God can be free to work the situation out, the Lord's Word makes it clear that a Christian's reaction must be forgiveness. Through God's grace, my friend was able to forgive. The Lord honored his obedience to His Word and made up two-fold the amount of which he'd been cheated by the misguided man. Is there someone tonight you need to forgive? Turn your cheek, and let God work it for your good as you are obedient to His Word. |
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Our Evening Prayer - Let's Pray Together3; |
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Dear Jesus, I need to forgive _________________________________ tonight, so I can sleep peacefully and release Your power that the situation might be healed. Grant me a forgiving heart, that I may never separate myself from Your love through unforgiveness. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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ACCEPTED BY GOD
While so many people today are going through feelings of rejection, frustration and loneliness, what a joy to know we belong to Jesus and Jesus belongs to us! He is our friend, our brother, our intercessor...always pleading our cause before the Father! Yes, we have trials. Yes, we go through difficult problems, but never alone. Praise God, He holds our hands and walks with us. He gives us joy in the midst of our trials. His word is true: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus assures us, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Live within my love" (John 15:9, TLB). "You didn't choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always..." (John 15:16, TLB). With these words tucked comfortingly in your heart, you can look at your circumstances from a whole new perspective. Rejoice in the confidence of Jesus' acceptance and abiding love for you. Live in His love, filled with His peace and joy. |
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Heavenly Father, I abide by Your command and choose to live within Your love tonight. I will fall asleep peacefully, thankful that You chose me, and mindful that the love You have shown me far surpasses any hurts the world can try to inflict on me. I face tomorrow assured of Your love and ready to produce lovely fruit. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
GOD, WHY? Have you ever questioned God? Have you ever asked Him why He did something one way instead of another? Have you ever presented Him with alternate plans that certainly seemed more logical to you? Of course you have, because you're human. Every one of us has surely questioned God at some point in our lives. We don't question God's existence or holiness or righteousness, and yet we question God's judgment because things don't work out the way we think they should or the way we want them to. If we don't like the way He works in the circumstances of our lives ? even though we've supposedly yielded our lives to Him ? then we complain about His fairness and question His methods. Our big problem is that we would like to get God's thinking in line with ours. But, God's Word says: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). The secret to receiving God's best for your life ? the divine solution to your problems, and the plan of total victory in all of your circumstances ? is not in getting God to work things our way, but in deciding that His way is what you really want and is for your best. Remember, He has the big perspective for your life; we only see what is confronting us today. |
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Father, I am so glad that You don't think like I do. I thank You that Your ways to solve my problems are perfect. Forgive me for questioning and doubting You. I ask You to help me to line up my thinking with Yours, and release You to control the circumstances of my life Your way. Help me to sleep now knowing that I can trust You to work out Your purposes for my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS
There is a blueprint for success that is far more profitable than any book or seminar that is presently available. It is a blueprint that far surpasses the success strategies of any modern method in existence. There is no price too high to pay for the wisdom contained in this blueprint. If you apply its principles in your life, you will be guaranteed prosperity and success. I can just hear you saying, "Let me at it! Where can I get this blueprint?" Hold on, my friend, I will wager that you already own this blueprint. It is called the Bible, otherwise known as the Word of God. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Joshua 1:8). Down through centuries of time God has preserved His blueprint for man to read and apply to his life. It is filled with guidelines for success and victory in every area of life. There is hardly a problem or need that is not addressed or a question that is not answered by a careful study of the Bible.God tells us that to gain the full benefits of His Word we are to have it so imbedded in our mind and hearts that it becomes our words and our actions. Make it a part of your daily life from tonight on and experience the adventure and the satisfaction of true success. |
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Father, I commit myself to meditate upon Your Word in a deeper, fuller way than I ever have before. I desire to be a success, so that the victory it brings into my life will bring glory to You. Help me to study the Bible; quicken its truths to my understanding, and help me do Your will for my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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GOD'S LOVE
The message of the cross is simple: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, KJV). It is so simple it is often misunderstood or unaccepted. It is a gift of love from God to man that is so precious and pure that it can't be understood. Man's meager mind cannot conceive of a perfect God sacrificing His only Son for imperfect man. This love defies reasoning. Sometimes, even Christians can't believe they really are loved so freely. Man usually sees God's love as having conditions and a price. This is an age when nothing is free, so how can love ? a commodity most highly prized ? not also demand a payment? Yes, God's unconditional love is beyond our comprehension because there is no human love to match it. Man does not deserve it; it can't be earned. It is given freely; it does not wax cold.Be encouraged by this; man's love wavers and is conditional. But, God's love is for you, unconditional, born of a mercy and grace that transcends all faults and failures. God loves you because you are special and important to Him. Rest now in His love. Be free from condemnation of the enemy, your failures, or the circumstances of the day. Face tomorrow with His love ? it will never fail! |
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Father in heaven, how perfect is Your love for me! Even though I don't deserve it, thank you for loving me. Thank you for this day You gave me, wrapped in love from You. Thank you for this night of rest now, for even sleep is an expression of Your loving kindness. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
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BLESSINGS OF POWER
"Now I lay me down to sleep...God bless Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa..." Thus goes the familiar bedtime prayer of hundreds of thousands of children. But do you realize how much more is involved here that vain repetition of age-old lines? Something powerful happens whenever we bless anybody, even in the innocence of a children's prayer. One dramatic example is in the book of Hebrews. Chapter eleven is better known as "Faith's Hall of Fame." Many saints who performed mighty feats for God are mentioned... Samson (whose strength brought down pillars), Noah (who built the ark), Abraham, Sarah, David, and many others. It's easy to see why these people are listed as spiritual giants. But there's Isaac and Jacob. What did they do? They blessed their offspring, and for this they got written up in this "Hall of Faith." This tells us that the faith they exercised in blessing others was just as great as David and others "subduing kingdoms." God says, "By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff" (Hebrews 11:20-21, NKJV). As you can see, blessing others is very serious business with God. So tonight, as you begin to pray, "God bless Joe, and Pastor Frank and Sister Susie..." take a moment to reflect and believe that every blessing you utter will come to pass! |
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Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing us with every spiritual blessing through Christ Jesus, and that as I bless others through Your Son, I can appropriate these blessings for them. May I never ignore or take lightly the power You have given me through prayer. Thank you for giving me the ability to make a difference through blessings of power. In Jesus' Name, Amen! |
STAY POSITIVE Do you ever have days where people have a negative effect on you? In fact, as the day continues you become more negative than positive and find your feelings changing from peaceful, happy thoughts to ones of discouragement and confusion? When bombarded by negative-speaking people, don't respond to a negative with another negative or agree with their comments just to be accepted. People don't always mean to be negative but they find themselves with a negative spirit before they realize it. So if you remain positive, you will help them and help yourself as well. "As our Lord instructs, Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification," (Romans 15:2, NKJV). The Lord always has our good in mind through every situation that we might find ourselves. In a negative experience be encouraged. Remember, it is an opportunity to minister the positive life of Jesus. The Holy spirit will provide you with the support and wisdom you need. It is God's will for you to grow and bless others by learning as a result of this confrontation. Walking in His strength helps us to see another's weakness more clearly and to help us avoid adding to their troubles. Then, we are capable of listening to God's quiet whisperings within our hearts showing us the way to minister His love and acceptance to the individual in need. As you live each day accepting challenges, and believing in God's goodness toward you through them; each opportunity you experience really will turn into a blessing and become an encouragement to you. |
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Let's Pray Together3; |
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God loves you |
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Dear Lord, forgive me for being negative today. I really want to be a positive influence to my friends. Give me the ability to recognize the situation before I speak a negative word. I know that You love my friends even more than I love them. Help me to be sensitive to their needs. Help me to see beyond what they are saying into the reasons why they say it. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
FRIEND OF THE FRIENDLESS I am often reminded of the words to the song that go: "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear..." There are times in life when each of us has felt quite friendless, and this song is a precious reminder that when we feel abandoned by the friendship of others. Jesus is always our Friend, no matter what. People often ask me why the Lord is so real and so close to me. I really don't know how to answer that because I cannot remember not knowing Him and not having the experience of having the Lord to call on, just as you would call on a good friend. I don't know how to define in words how very real and close He is to me. If He were standing by my side in person, He couldn't be any more real to me than He already is. I feel His presence. He is my Friend and my life. He is my all. When people can't be trusted, when people disappoint you, Jesus is there ready to a Friend to you. His friendship is like no other. His is a friendship wrought in blood, a friendship that can never fail. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Yes, Jesus wants to be more real to you than any human friend will ever be. You see, He laid down His life for you, and He calls you, friend! |
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God loves you and wants to answer your prayer. |
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Dear Father, I desire the conscious presence of your Son Jesus in my life as this true Friend for which I long tonight. I thank you that this covenant friendship was purchased with the blood of Your Son on the cross at Calvary. I thank You that I never have to feel alone ever again. Thank you for being right here by my side, comforting and protecting me. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
The message of the cross is simple:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, KJV).
It is so simple it is often misunderstood or unaccepted. It is a gift of love from God to man that is so precious and pure that it can't be understood. Man's meager mind cannot conceive of a perfect God sacrificing His only Son for imperfect man. This love defies reasoning.
Sometimes, even Christians can't believe they really are loved so freely. Man usually sees God's love as having conditions and a price. This is an age when nothing is free, so how can love ? a commodity most highly prized ? not also demand a payment?
Yes, God's unconditional love is beyond our comprehension because there is no human love to match it. Man does not deserve it; it can't be earned. It is given freely, it does not wax cold.
Be encouraged by this; man's love wavers and is conditional. But, God's love is for you, unconditional, born of a mercy and grace that transcends all faults and failures. God loves you because you are special and important to Him. Rest now in His love. Be free from condemnation of the enemy, your failures, or the circumstances of the day. Face tomorrow with His love ? it will never fail!
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CHOOSE LIFE
Have you ever felt like giving up on life? Has the thought of death ever seemed like the easier way? When circumstances seem terribly out of control, our minds think of escape! Wanting to die because of the stress and pressures of this modern society is not uncommon, but it should not be the alternative for a Christian. Elijah, one of God's boldest servants, had faced strong men fearlessly, yet when he faced the fearful threats of one woman, Jezebel, he ran frightened into the wilderness. Escape was his sole plan. Wearied from the warfare of life, he cried out to God, not for mercy, not for help, but for the chance to die. Fear causes us to lose hope. When we have lost hope, we have lost everything, but God is our strength, our healer, and our deliverer. "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler; and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower...the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears" (Psalm 18:2-6). God did not forsake Elijah, neither will He forsake you. God fed him supernaturally. God gave him rest. God renewed him. God gave him a new goal. And, God will do the same for you. |
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Our Evening Prayer - Let's Pray Together3; |
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God loves you and wants to answer your prayer. Say this prayer with me: |
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Dear Father, in my desperation I turn to You. My heart cries for Your divine touch. Renew my faith, restore my body. I choose the life You gave me and renounce Satan's lies and the attraction of death. |