November 22, 2024

Praise At All Times

November 24, 2014 by

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Through Jesus, therefore
let us continually offer to God
a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess His name.
Hebrews 13:15

A believer who is in fellowship with God has to be full of praise…for that’s the calling we have.  Believers who cannot praise and worship the Lord are not true disciples of Jesus.  When you are in good fellowship with Christ, you are always mesmerized with the Lord’s deeds and naturally a spirit of praising comes from your heart and your mouth lets it out.

Why do we praise God?

For what He has done:   In everything we have to praise the Lord and the Lord is always pleased with our praises.

Sing praises to the Lord enthroned in Zion,
proclaim among the nations what He has done.
Psalm 9:11

The Lord does a lot in our lives—His protection, providing, shepherding, etc.  We need to thank God for all of those!  Whether we face adversity—or even challenges that make us wonder whether God is seeing us—we have to praise God for we are commanded to praise the Lord at all times.

Fourfold Reason:

But you are a chosen people, a loyal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of Him
Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9

And we need to celebrate this fact that He took us out of darkness, what a wonderful God that He is so mindful of man. He is indeed good and compassionate. We have to praise God for all this.

As a commandment:   Perpetually we are to praise the Lord and universally do so (as Psalm 63:7 stipulates),

May the peoples praise You, O God, may all peoples praise You.

Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim His praise in the islands.
Isaiah 42:12

So we are all to praise God; let us make a choice of doing so in the morning…in the afternoon…and in the evening time!  As children at Sunday School we used to sing this song (many times, repeatedly, we would sing this).

Praise Him
Praise Him
Praise Him in the morning
Praise Him in the noon time
Praise Him
Praise Him
Praise Him when the sun goes down
Halleluia!!!

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Lord, we thank You for who You are, what You have done and what You are yet to do in our lives.  We praise You for this unfailing love and the good deeds we testify about day in and out.  May Your name be praised at all times.  Help us, Lord, to praise You more and more as this pleases You the most.  Let the praises come from deep within our heart.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen!

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Thanks Giving

November 17, 2014 by

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Be joyful always,
pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances
for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My dear sisters, anything that is God’s Will…I will do it!  For it means I have no choice but to obey.  Acts of disobedience will lead to destruction.  And, in fact in this case, thanks giving is an act of love.  As a child, you do thank your parents for buying you shoes (even when you don’t love the shoe).  You always thank them for the nice shoes as a token of your appreciation.

This is the same way we are to treat God.  Already it is His Will for us to do so.  Let us “…be doers of the Word, and not hearers only…” (James 1:22 ESV).

Thanks giving should be our lifestyle not an option.  See the following and meditate on these Scriptures.

When you have eaten and you are satisfied
praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.
Deuteronomy 8:10

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
Psalm 100:4

Let them sacrifice thanks offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.
Psalm 107:22

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share
in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light…
Colossians 1:2

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
Since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

So being thankful is a calling; do not despise it.  Let us do it diligently always for we are called to do this.  Let us please the Heavenly Father in this, dear sisters and friends. Since it is His will we will be measured according to that.  How have we faired in this area?  Where you are and how are you doing it?  All of these matter.  Meditate on the Scriptures shared and make a choice to give thanks always…as per the calling.

 
Father, I thank You for calling me/us to this noble duty!  Father, sometimes we have not done Your Will…forgive us.  And I pray for Your grace to abide in us and cause us to do those that which You require us to do.  The grace should instill in us the spirit of thanks giving through our works, words, deeds, clothing, personality (and even those areas that I have missed).  May You do it, Lord, for You know us very well.  Thank You for what You did for us over 2000 years ago—sending Christ to die for us a shameful death and providing a rewarding life to the lost.  We give You praise and honor always!   In Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN!

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Grateful for His Works

November 11, 2014 by

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Great are the works of the Lord, they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Psalm 111:2

This psalm praises the Lord for His physical and spiritual blessing as well as for His providential care over those who love and fear Him.

I am so grateful to the Lord for His works and deeds which no one can fathom. He who delights in them is blessed. God is a wonder and He has done so many wondrous things that you and I are witnesses to today.

I am so grateful that the Lord works wonders that transform people to the point of realizing Who God is, Who Jesus is, and being able to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. As it says in Exodus 15:11, the Lord is “majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders…” who is like unto Him? No one.

And that is why I am so grateful for being part of His Kingdom because whatever my Lord has I am a partaker and so I lack nothing. He created me in His own image and likeness.  How does a father feel when a child is born and resembles the father? They are always in jovial mood! It is the same way with my God whom I resemble—in His own likeness He created me—I am so grateful.

I can scale a wall because of Him and I am so grateful. He performs miracles…He displays His power among the peoples…with His mighty arm He redeems His people (including me!) I am so grateful.

You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your might among the peoples.
You with Your arm redeemed Your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
Psalms 77:14-15

I am so grateful to my Lord for great are His signs and mighty are His wonders. His kingdom is eternal and His dominion endures from generation to generation.

Sisters, it is the will of God for us to be grateful for what He has done. Each time we should show a grateful heart to the Lord. Do not murmur when you face adversaries; think of His wondrous works and His care for you night and day. In fact we need to be grateful and sing new songs to Him…the songs that will be like a sweet aroma to him. I am sure more blessings will follow you.

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Lord, I am so grateful for what You have done in my life and what You are yet to do in my life and the lives of my friends and relatives. May You continually be praised… and receive all the glory and honor. For Your works and deeds, Lord, we are so grateful. Be praised for everything in my life…in Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen

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Guidance

November 3, 2014 by

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He guides the humble in what is right, and teaches them His way.
Psalms 25:9

Guidance is a word that communicates something for which we often ask.  For example “I need God’s guidance for me to find a spouse…how to do my business…, etc.  Good guidance is when we expect the Spirit of God to take full charge in us and when we listen and discern to what the Spirit is saying.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left your ears will hear a voice behind you saying “…this is the way, walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:21

And when He brings out His own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.
John 10:4

There are times we seek God’s guidance even though we have already made mistakes in some of our choices.  Before doing anything or embarking on any project we should seek God’s guidance.

When we allow God to guide us:
He will watch over us so that nothing comes against our plans and the plans of God and that the will of God on us will be accomplished. We shall have good success.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Psalm 32:8

He will be our God forever and ever.
…for this God is our God for ever and ever He will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 48:14

We shall be walking in prosperity all the days of our lives.
The Lord bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Psalm 128:5

He will take us into glory.
You will guide me with Your counsel and afterwards You will take me into glory.
Psalm 73:24

He will guide our path.
I will lead the blind ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them.
Isaiah 42:16
(also Isaiah 48:17, Luke 1:79)

He will guide us in all truth.
But when the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you in all truth. He will not speak of His own, He will speak only what He hears and He will tell you what is yet to come.
John 16:13

So, where do we get this guidance?  Joshua 1:8 tells us… “in the word of God.”

Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth meditate on it day and night
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
THEN and I say THEN you will be prosperous and successful. (NIV)

(…In KJV the successfulness is connoted as having “good success”.)

Let us make a choice of involving God in everything we do, and seeking His guidance. And also make sure we are guided by the Spirit of God through the Word of God. I know we all need good success.  May God help us!

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Father, we thank You for the word that has come at the right time.  May we find pleasure in meditating on Your Word so that we may do everything therein allowing You to direct our path always for our good success.  In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

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Prayerfulness

October 27, 2014 by

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Answer me when I call to You, O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress,
Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
Psalm 4:1

This verse reveals the kind of person who will be answered by God in times of distress—it is one with an earnest desire for God’s help.

There are times in my life when I have been down and cried to my God to answer my prayers because I felt that they were not being answered and that I was left alone with no one to turn to.  And this only brought discomfort and fear in me. All the faith had gone…all I could see was unanswered prayer and so it led me to focus on the issues and not where the solution can could come from.  But the Holy Spirit communicated to me saying “You know what, Ann? Cast all your cares unto God and He will give you rest.”  And it was at this time when my eyes opened and I remembered Jeremiah 33:3.

Call to Me and I will answer you,
and I will tell you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.

Prayer is a weapon for answered prayer especially when it comes from an earnest heart…and so earnestly He will answer us. Make a choice to engage into a different dimension of living.  Engage in a prayerful gear and you will appreciate, too, what I appreciated.

O Lord, in the morning You hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.
Psalm 5:3

In this verse, we see David committing himself to three actions

1. Confident that God will hear his voice, he persists in prayer
2. He will pray in the morning – if we orient our lives around God, morning prayers will be a natural thing to do
3. He will wait in expectation for answers to his prayer and throughout the day he will search for signs that God is at work in his life

I rise before dawn and cry for help I have put my hope in Your Word.
Psalm 119:147

The Word of God is not false it is a living thing that helps us to build trust in the Lord.

And then was a widow until she was eighty four.
She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.
Luke 2:37

Therefore, my brethren, with the few Scriptures quoted in this devotion, I urge each one of you to be earnestly prayerful and regularly engaged in prayer.  With faith, we will have answered prayers.  All that we need is to ask God for help. Our prayers will be granted.

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Lord, I pray that You hear me when I pray as I come to You. I pray for Your mercy to hear me when I call, Lord. Supply to me according to Your riches in glory. Silver and gold is all Yours! Have mercy on me, Lord, and on my sisters in the Lord, too. We seek You and thank You that all things will be added to us, Lord. Glory and honor be unto You always. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Fear Of God

October 20, 2014 by

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As a father has compassion of his children
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

I remember when I was young, whenever I would see my father coming from work and maybe I had not bathed yet, I would rush into the bathroom and start bathing. Or if I knew I had done something wrong and knew once my father knows I will be in hot soup…I would run and hide under my bed for fear of being beaten.

Sometimes when my father would ask me to do something, even though I felt tired, I would do it out of fear that if I didn’t, I would be beaten or else will not be given money for something. Those were experiences that instilled in me fear and respect at the same time. And I had connected my experiences to this Scripture where it shows the benefits of fearing…Since when you fear and you put yourself in a corner the father would feel sorry and will not beat you.

Now who is the father in the eyes of God? Yes, our biological father, they raised us and had compassion on us but what more of The Father who has no shortfalls—The Creator of the universe? ‘Fear’ing Him is more beneficial than anything else. Doing what He tells us to do becomes so fun when our hearts are there.

I looked up a few Scriptures that will help us understand what fearing Him means in the eyes of our Father God:

The Lord delights in those who fear Him who puts their hope in His unfailing love.
Psalm 147:11

The fear of the Lord is the beginnings of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:7

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of His servant….
Isaiah 50:10

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other and the Lord listened and heard.
A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence
concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name.
Malachi 3:16

His mercy extends to those who fear Him from generation to generation.
Luke 1:50

…But accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
Acts 10:35

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Lord, we thank You for Your love for us despite that we have many shortcomings. This word this week has made us realize that it is when we fear You that we will earn mercy. We pray for the grace to fear You and do what You want us to do. May Your name be glorified in Jesus name, Amen.

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Comfort

October 13, 2014 by

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My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
Psalm 119:50

I love this passage of Scripture, for to be preserved by God is a big relief to any person who is waiting upon the Lord and has faith (1 Thessalonians 3:7) and has accepted Christ as his/her Lord and Savior.

This shows that God’s will for my life and your life is for us to be victorious in all areas of our lives. Even when we face trials, adversaries, challenges of any kind He will preserve us. Even if the enemies may fall 10,000 at the left side and 10,000 at the right, we will not be harmed for we are preserved and this is a comfort to us.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble You preserve my life,
You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes,
with Your right hand You save me.
Psalm 138:7

But why do you think He is preserving us for?

  • Because of His banner of love for us – He promised neither to leave us nor forsake us. He said in Psalm 23 that ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow us’ all the days of our lives. In Isaiah 46:4 it says “Even to your old age and grey hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you, I have made you and I will carry you, I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
  • So that we accomplish what He sent us here on earth for—we are His disciples and so we have to bear fruit (disciples). [Click here to read John 15:1-8.] God wants us to bear fruits, more fruit, much more fruit and abiding fruit.
  • For us to live a comforted life—a life that is not worried about anything but trusting in the Lord. By so doing, serving Him will not be a hassle to do. “Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God trust also in Me” (John 14:1). This was Jesus speaking, giving an assurance that He and God are there for us.
  • Finally Romans 8:28 crowns it all by saying, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Let us make the purposes of God be fulfilled in our lives.

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Oh Lord, our God, we come before You in prayer giving You all the praise and honor for who You are…and what You have been…and what You shall be in the years to come. You are the Ancient of Days—from age to age You never fail us. We thank You for preserving us to Your glory. Make us also realize our calling and make us useful for Your purposes in this life. We thank You for this comfort and victorious life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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Perfect Law

October 6, 2014 by

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The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul,
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy making wise the simple.
Psalm 19:7

In this portion of Scripture, there are a few questions that can help us understand God and His character.

  1. What is it to be ‘perfect’?
  2. Which law is it talking about and where do we get the law that is perfect?
  3. Whose soul is revived and how?
  4. Which statutes?
  5. What does it means to be ‘trustworthy’?
  6. What it means to ‘make wise the simple’?

Consider these answers….

1-) To be ‘perfect’ is to be holy, righteous and good (Romans 7:12 and Psalm 119:142). And we see this in our God—He is Holy, righteous and good. Look at what He does to our lives: though we grieve Him, He is never upset with our characters, otherwise we would have been dead by now. However He is still gives us another chance.

2-) The “Law” is talking about the commandments that are holy, the Word of God that is contained in the Bible. When we meditate on this Word, it teaches us on what to do and what not to do. Therefore it is in this Book where we are shaped and molded to be perfect.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth meditate on it day and night
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:8

3-) It is our souls that are revived as the Word of God is life.

The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
John 1:1 and John 1:14

4-) The statutes are the precepts, the commandments, the “dos and dont’s” which are to be obeyed.

5-) If something is ‘trustworthy’ it means it is so true, and there is truth in it.

Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.
Psalm 119:142

What this means is that the precepts, the commands, and the promises of God are true. What He says He will do, He will; believe it shall come to pass. When He says “the reward of sin is death,” He means it.

6-) We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. Meaning that it is simple to follow if one uses it properly otherwise if it is not used properly it make wise become tough.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
I Timothy 1:8

Therefore, let us rejoice, my sisters, in meditating on the Word of God as it is a sure way to our perfect life. God is perfect—let us also be perfect. Remember He is holy and in Him there is no darkness.

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Father, we thank You for You are a perfect God.  We pray, oh Lord, for the grace that we should be perfect as well.  Whatever is not pleasing to You, Lord, may the Holy Spirit reveal it to us; and as we confess to You may we be united again with You and be with You always.  Thank You that You hear our prayers each time we come to You.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

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The Bible as a Teacher

September 29, 2014 by

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Since my youth, O God, You have taught me and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds.
Psalm 71: 17

David had to recount throughout his life what had been happening to him.  How he has excelled in life, how he has been protected, etc.  And he came to a point of realizing that it was not about him but that the Lord was with him always.  And so it is for us today to have a recount of our own lives.

How does God teach us?

He teaches us through His very own Words in the Bible.  And the Bible is the true book where the wisdom of our wise God is revealed.  God spoke the Word and breathed into it and it became life.  We thank God for the Word that is life today.  The Word that is changing our lives for the best disciples.

I have learned in life that I can only learn better as long as I study much. Learning is a process which goes step-by-step.  Looking at myself I have passed through a nursery school (kindergarten) through a higher level and now a profession in my field.  All this is achievable through teachings, studies etc.

And so the Word of God teaches us—from a Sunday School kid and now a born-again Christian who is not merely born again but also a disciple of Jesus Christ.  In Isaiah 8:11, “ The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me warning me not to follow the way of this people, he said….”

Why does God teach us?

• So that we can walk in the right way: Isaiah says His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Isaiah 28:26
• That we may know what God have freely given us: We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit Who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. I Corinthians 2:12
• That we know the truth that is in Jesus : Surely you have heard of Him and were taught in Him that is in Jesus. You were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. Ephesian 4:21-22
• Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you for you yourselves have been taught by god to love each other. 1 Thessalonians 4:9
• All these teachings urge us to appreciate the marvelous deeds God has done. 1 John 2:27

Let us be Christians who are not only mouthing the words but rather renewed in our minds and able to study the Word of God and observe to do what it says we should do. Joshua 1:8.

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Father, we thank You for Your Word. You’ve give us the grace to be true disciples that are willing to be taught by a great teacher.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

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Unceasing Praise

September 21, 2014 by

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I will exalt You, my God the King
I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will praise You and extol Your name forever and ever.
Psalms 145:1-2 NIV

In this psalm I am able to see that we need to praise the Lord at all times despite our adversaries that are in this life.  Ignoring the works of the devil while praising God makes the devil want to give up on us.

What is unceasing praise?

Revelations 4:8 says, “Each of the four creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around even under his wings.  Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.’

If the four creatures were able to say ‘Holy Holy Holy,’ what more you and I who are created in His very own image—us who were given dominion over the creatures?  He gave us the power over things.  And here the same creatures are saying ‘Holy Holy Holy!’ (How about us?)  I feel ashamed when sometimes a day passes without being able to praise the Lord in the name of being busy.  Praise has to come from deep down in our heart.  It has to be a daily thing to do and a thing that we need to love to do.  Let us therefore choose to praise the Lord at all times.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea
and all that is in them singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever.’
Revelations 5:13

Praise the Lord forever! In Psalm 35:28 we read,

My tongue will speak of Your righteousness and of Your praises all day long.

The birds of the air are able to praise God; what more you and I?

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Psalm 104:33

Praise can only done when you are alive. Let us give the best to our Lord now while we are alive. If we die it becomes another issue altogether. Let us make best use of our time to praise the Lord.

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Father, I thank You for Your answers to prayer always and for the revelations each time I come to You. Lord, You are indeed worthy! Glory and honor be unto You. Father, give us the grace to praise You more each day and without ceasing forever and ever.  I pray for an intimate relationship with You, Lord.  Let Your Presence saturate us with Your anointing always.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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