PUT GOD in HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE

"Do not have other gods besides ME." (Exodus 20:3)

As you think about the nature of your relationship with God, remember this:  you will always have some type of relationship with Him - it is inevitable that your life must be lived in relationship to God.  The question is not if you will have a relationship with Him; the burning question is whether that relationship will be one that seeks to honor Him...or not. 

Are you willing to place God first in your life?  And, are you willing to welcome Him into your heart?  Unless you can honestly answer these questions with a resounding yes, then your relationship with God isn't what it could be or should be.  Thankfully, God is always available, He's always ready to forgive, and He's waiting to hear from you now.  The rest, of course, is up to you. ~ Finding Hope

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!

The quality of our spiritual life will be in direct proportion to the quality of our prayer life.  It is a matter of will and habit.  We must organize our time and take quiet moments with God, and form habits of daily worship.  He promises that the prayers of righteous men can accomplish great things.  These are precious moments building a relationship with Christ.

When we learn to pray - we stop worrying about our circumstances and the size of our challenges.  God is bigger - much bigger.  He will instruct us, protect us, heal us, and guide us if we let Him.  So we must pray fervently, listen carefully, and study His Word diligently,  It will help us to stay alert and accountable.

"Be sober! Be alert!  Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour."  1 Peter 5:8

THE RIGHT KIND OF EXAMPLE?

Whether you know it or not, you're a role model.  Your friends and family members watch your actions and make careful mental notes about what those actions reveal about your character.  Your obligation, of course, is to behave accordingly.  After all, your words of instruction will never ring true unless you yourself are willing to follow them.

What kind of example are you?  Are you the kind of person whose life serves as a model of integrity and righteousness?  Are you a believer whose behavior serves as a positive role model for others?  Are you the kind of Christian whose actions, day in and day out, are based upon kindness, faithfulness, and a love for the Lord?  If so, you are not only blessed by God, but you are also a powerful force for good in a world that desperately needs positive influences such as yours.

Corrie Ten Boom advised, "Don't worry about what you do not understand.  Worry about what you do understand in the Bible but do not live by."  And Phillips Brooks advised, "Be such a person, live such a life, that if every person were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be God's Paradise."  That's sound advice because your family and friends are watching...and so, for that matter, is GOD!                                                        

                                                                                                                   ~Discovering Peace Devotional

TEACH US TO LOVE

It is when we come to the Lord in our nothingness, our powerlessness and our helplessness that He then enables us to love in a way which, without Him, would be absolutely impossible. ~ Elisabeth Elliot

Putting God First

      "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be provided for you."  Matthew 6:33

      Think about you priorities.  Are you really putting God first in your life, or are you putting other things- things like possessions, pleasures, or personal status - ahead of your relationship with the Father.  And if your priorities for life a misaligned, think of at least three things you can do today to put God where He belongs: in FIRST place.

      Dear Lord,  today I will honor You with my thoughts, my actions, and my prayers.  I will seek to please You, and I will strive to serve You.  Your blessings are as limitless as Your love.  And because I have been so richly blessed, I will worship You, Father, with thanksgiving in my heart and praise on my lips, today and forever. Amen ~ Discovering Passion Devotional