Devotions

If I asked you a question about your own devotional life, would you be uncomfortable? Some Christians spend little—if any—time with the Lord on a daily basis.

The battles intensified for Elijah. He had witnessed the power of God in defeating nature, death, Ahab, and Baal, but the next battle would not be so easy. This time it was Elijah vs. Jezebel. Jezebel was as committed to Baal as Elijah was to Jehovah. Her hometown was the worldwide headquarters for Baal worship.

One of the most special times between a mother and child is when they spend time reading a book together. I always loved it when one of my kids would crawl up in my lap and ask me to read a story. Now, I especially love it when one of my grandkids asks me to read a story!

It would seem that a ministry devoted to helping preachers would not need to talk to them about having a time of daily devotions and a regular schedule to read the Bible. Unfortunately, my sad experience through the years has taught me otherwise.

Recently, in my personal worship, I came across two great truths that stirred my heart and caused me to contemplate some meditative thoughts. The verses are in Psalm 111 and 112, they are both incredibly rich with significant truths about the kind of experience God wants each of His children to enjoy with Him while they journey through this life here and now.

Sometime ago, I found a little acrostic that has been helpful to me, and I would like to pass it on in the hope that it will help others. When reading a passage, I use my “specs” to find any of the following things:

I purchased my first goat as a thirteen-year-old fresh out of the city suburbs. I had no idea what I was in for. I named my new pet Sarah Jane, and exactly one day after my purchase, she had four kids. And I had my hands full. Sarah Jane nursed two of the kids, and I bottle fed the other two.

Every week, I have the exciting opportunity to sit across the table from a young Christian and study God’s Word during our church’s discipleship time. At the end of each lesson, I usually ask the lady I’m studying with what stood out to her the most and if she has any questions we didn’t already answer.

Parents are responsible not only to teach God’s Word to their children but to “teach them diligently.” Deuteronomy 6:7 describes the level of persistence with which we are to teach our children: “and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

A few weeks, ago before the Sunday evening service, we had one of the meetings that I most look forward to—a Pastor’s Prayer Partners fellowship. This is a group of people in our church who have committed to pray with a partner for me, my family, and the ministries of our church. Their commitment and faithfulness is a tremendous blessing and encouragement to me.

God can take the everyday, ordinary and turn it into a miracle. Would you consider yourself everyday, ordinary?

Often we read stories of great men of God in the Bible and wonder if we can ever be used of God in the way they were used. The truth is they were men, just like you and me. They faced the same battles that all men face.

We have a God who delights in answering the prayers of His children. Praying is a holy privilege and resource that every one of God’s children has at their disposal. However, in order for our prayers to be answered, there are unchangeable biblical principles that must be met.

Next to the Bible, the book that has helped me the most in my walk with the Lord is a book I wrote. Actually, it’s an eight-volume set. Before you think I’m boastful, let me give two clarifications.

Physiologically, a fresh calendar suggests a fresh start. But realistically, January 1 cannot obliterate the needs and burdens of December 31. What can you do practically to renew your soul for the new year?

All of us come upon times when our time with the Lord is not as fresh as it could or should be. Below are tips I recently shared with my Sunday school class. They were a blessing to me to compile, and I hope they’re helpful to you. Perhaps you could pull just one or two of these to incorporate into your time with the Lord.

I recently returned from a week out of the office. My week away was not a vacation, missions trip, or preaching meeting. It was actually a time to get away from my daily routine of office, ministry, and work. It was a time to reflect, pray, think, read, and prepare for the future.

One dictionary definition of religion is “the ritual observance of faith.” It is perhaps this connotation that is most often in our minds when we use the word religion. We may think of the repetition of certain prayers or a formal and liturgical service or some other form and order.

Our generation is relationship-conscious but not relationship-wise. In every heart there is a legitimate hunger to be close to someone—to love and be loved, to know and be known. People search online, in social groups, and too often in wrong places to find that one deep, personal and fulfilling connection.

History tells us Abraham found shade for his family under a grove of large oak trees known as the “Plains (or the Oaks) of Mamre.” The trees were situated at the top of Mount Hebron as it looked over the area known as Sodom and Gomorrah. This site became known as “Abraham’s Oaks.”