Always the Same

Promise of the Day:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
(Hebrews 13:8)

Prayer:
Lord, You never change! You are the same today as You were before before the earth and galaxies were even formed. And Your Word states You knew me then. Here in this life, everything changes through the years as the young become the old, yet You remain the same. The good thing is that I shall shortly see You, and talk with You face to face! My heart longs for You, Lord. Make haste, my beloved (S.of S. 8:14). Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen

Praise In Everything

Promise of the Day:
Be joyful always; pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
(I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Prayer:
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow." Praise helps me focus on You, Lord. Praise can cause distressing circumstances to be blessings in disguise. Praise can help me see how You intervene and overrule in my daily life and situations. Praise will free me from wasting my energies by speculating on how each circumstance in my life is part of Your plan. Praise helps me accept and trust Your working in my life. I will praise You in everything, Lord, and this is my 'Sacrifice of Praise'. Amen

More on The Way of Praise

Promise of the Day:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. (Psalm 63:3,4)

Prayer:
I am learning more and more about praise and prayer, Lord. Peter tells us to bring You our prayers and requests--with Thanksgiving. Many of the Psalms begin with a Praise, then the psalmists' heart cry is poured out to You, followed by Praise again. Praise is as important as making our requests to You. In Psalm 22 I am reminded that You are 'enthroned' in the Praises of Your people. In II Chron. 20, Jehoshaphat praised You, then prayed about his urgent problem of pending battle, then praised again. And You responded that the battle was not theirs, but Yours. So our battles, whether it be illness, taxes, politics, financial, they are not ours, but Yours. Praise God, You are in control!
Amen

The Way of Praise

Promise of the Day:
I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
(Psalm 138:1)

Prayer:
Lord, there are so many reasons why praise is so important. For one thing, when I praise You in the midst of trial, I am co-operating with Your plan to remove the scum and dross in my life. Through praise I am focusing my attention on You only. Praise helps me obey Your commands, and can help me experience You in my life, stimulating my faith. Praise is actually the catalyst that speeds up Your maturing process in my life and helps me see my trials as friends. I will praise You in the morning, I will praise Your name at noon. I will seek Your face in the evening with praise, lifting Your name on high, praising Your Glory forever! Amen

The Lord's Supper

Promise of the Day:
...The Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.
(I Cor. 11:23-24)

Prayer:
It was Your blessed hands, it was Your precious feet where the nails were, and Your body that was broken for me! The analogy You use, Lord, of eating the bread depicting Your body, and drinking the wine to depict your blood which was shed, is the best there is to show how You must become one with me through and through. As food breaks down and flows through me to give nourishment, so it must be as I take You to become my life. It is the new way You opened through Your death. I must feed on You, on Your Word, that then You give me quickening life. This is what the Lord's supper means to me...to remember that it is Your life in me. Amen

God's Direction

Promise of the Day:
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
(Psalm 73:24)

Prayer:
Lord, It's not that You give me more hours in the day, but when I take time in my day to spend with You, it seems everything else manages to be accomplished. A day not started with You has become to me a day without purpose or meaning. To paraphrase the promise for today: "When my day is guided by Your counsel, I can look back and see how You have blessed me." All I need do is to pull over and read Your map and lean on Your guidance. Amen

Knowing God

Promise of the Day:
And God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the Lord.
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty
but by My name Jehovah I was not known to them."
(Exodus 6:2,3)

Prayer:
I thank You God, that in this 'Day of Grace', You are a personal as well as personable God. Father, You love us as Your own children. In Hosea 11:4 it implies that You hold us to Your cheek. My Jesus, You are my lover of my soul, my Savior, my Shepherd, my friend. You have given us Your Spirit, the Spirit of Life, the Spirit of Prayer. Fill my heart Holy Spirit, You are the life in me, You are my comforter, my intercessor. You, O God, are my King forever. Holy Lord! Amen

Guardian Angels

Promise of the Day:
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

Prayer:
You have made me Lord, and therefore You will protect me. As it states in Psalm 91: "He shall give His angels charge over You." I believe You put a 'hedge' of protection around each of Your children, and nothing can get through unless You allow it. I don't know if this hedge is one of angels, but when You opened the eyes of Elisha's servant in II Kings 6, he saw they were surrounded by angels, chariots and horses. In Matthew it states our guardian angels continually see the face of God, and in Psalm 34 it indicates the Angel of the Lord surrounds Your child. You have not only made me, but you also protect Your own. "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together! (Psalm 34:3) Amen

Prayer Without Words

Promise of the Day:
Pray without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:17)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, I find that prayer is the linking up of the soul and mind and heart to God and You say we should 'pray without ceasing'. I feel this means my heart is always open to You, always attuned to hearing Your guidance. This may be a poor analogy, Lord, but I think of it as having an intercom on in a baby's room, or a sick person's room. The slightest movement is heard, the softest whimper is picked up and the caregiver is there. No verbal requests need be made, but the knowledge of 'all is well' is a comfort. I am always aware You are at the other end of my intercom. Thank You Lord. May my 'intercom' be always working! Amen

Fellowship

Promise of the Day:
Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
(I John 1:3)

Prayer:
Lord, Just to think that I have fellowship with You and the Father through the Sweet Holy Spirit! This thought is so amazing. I can come directly into the throne-room of God with my petitions and Thanksgivings. With this knowledge how can I think of being disobedient? I know, though, that the moment I take my gaze away from You, I could slip; but I know, too, that "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world". So I can keep myself through You. You have overcome the world, so through You, I too can be an overcomer. Thank You Jesus. Give me more of You! Amen

Sweet Holy Spirit

Promise of the Day:
"...the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

Prayer:
How can I describe the Sweet Holy Spirit within me? He is like another Jesus; He is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of the Father; so in essence I do have the fullness of God within me. He gives me power and light, peace and comfort. He gives me joy in the midst of sorrow, riches when I am poor. Just as a breeze carries the sweet fragrance of perfume or flower, so the Spirit flows through me as love, joy, peace, goodness, righteousness wafting its way to others. Frederick Faber was one who had a blazing love for the Holy Spirit, and he wrote:

O Spirit, beautiful and dread!

My heart is fit to break

With love of all Thy tenderness

For us poor sinners' sake.

O Sweet Spirit, fall on me today. Mold me, melt me, use me that Your fragrance will flow through me. Amen

His Faithfulness

Promise of the Day:
For what if some did not believe?
Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
(Romans 3:3)

Prayer:
Praise to You, dear Lord, that regardless of my feelings at any given time, Your faithfulness is constant. Faithfulness is one of Your attributes, and therefore it never changes. True, I need some faith on my part, but if I just lean over on You and let You bear me up, I have it all. So all I need do is lean over on You physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and Your faithfulness will give me power and peace. Thank You, Lord. Amen

My Responsibility

Promise of the Day:
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5)

Prayer:
My Jesus, I am truly working on this verse to make this instruction become a "Holy Habit"--that You will be put first in all of my thoughts, plans, goings and comings, and even what I will wear. Your Word says "(you) commit", which makes it MY responsibility. In John 14 it says "(you) let not your heart be troubled" implying again that it is MY responsibility. When I do my part, then You are free to work. You actually know the number of hairs on my head, so I know You are interested in everything I do or say, or wear; but I have the responsibility of making it a 'habit', a 'holy habit' of trusting You and letting you work. Thank You my dearest friend. Amen

Trials

Promise of the Day:
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,...But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings. (I Peter 4:12)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, I remember this verse so well. When I was young and would complain or cry about some problem, my mother would quote this verse. Another one she often quoted was I Cor 10:13 which states that "there is no testing taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful...and will make a way to escape..." You are always there, and You will see me through it! Since then I have learned other verses such as James 1: 3, 4 & 5. In the Phillips translation it is worded that we are to think of these trials as friends, and that if I lack wisdom in dealing with the trial, You will give me that wisdom, as well as the patience and endurance to handle it. Job knew his trials would help him grow as he said in Job 23:10 'when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.' So I pray for Your help and peace and Joy as I take each trial to be my friend, and embrace it as allowed by You. Amen

Worthy Is The Lamb

Promise of the Day:
I lay down My life for the sheep. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
(John 10:15, 18)

Prayer:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain." You were the perfect Lamb of God who gave Your life for all mankind. Lev. 17:11a states: 'The life of the flesh is in the blood'. I have reworded it to say 'The life of all mankind is in the blood of the Lamb.' You alone are worthy to be praised, and You alone are worthy to open the Book when we all appear before the Father's throne. You alone are my hearts' desire, dear Lord. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing". (Rev. 5:12) And every creature will say 'blessing and honor to the Lamb forever and ever'. Amen

God Incomprehensible

Promise of the Day:
And he answered, and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:40)

Prayer
Lord, how great is our dilemma! In Thy Presence silence best becomes us, but love inflames our hearts and constrains us to speak. Were we to hold our peace the stones would cry out; yet if we speak, what shall we say? Teach us to know that we cannot know, for the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Let faith support us where reason fails, and we shall think because we believe, not in order that we may believe.* In Jesus' name. Amen

*A.W.Tozier
Knowledge of the Holy

Blameless!

Promise of the Day:
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
(Job 1:1)

Prayer:
O Lord, In Psalm 32:1 it states "blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." Through Your grace, Your amazing grace, I am going to stand before the throne, clothed in Your righteousness and blameless before the Father. You have taken the filthy rags of my life, all the broken pieces, and made something beautiful, just as if I had never sinned. You are an awesome God, You are a Great God, You are the 'lover of my soul', and there is a sense of peace knowing that I will stand before You blameless! Thank You, Jesus. Amen

Take It To Him

Promise of the Day:
The Lord hath sent strength for thee. (Psalm 68:28)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, the song "Take it to the Lord in Prayer" has been going through my mind. In the song it says that we forfeit 'peace' because we don't bring everything to You in Prayer. You are my friend, You are my solace, and You are my strength. You give me power, and when I am weak, then am I strong if I will bring all to You in prayer. Your strength will also help me when You tell me to 'sit still ' and 'watch You work in the events of my life'. You Lord are my strength and song. You have become my salvation. "This is my God and I will Praise Him..." (Ex. 15:2) Amen

At The Cross

Promise of the Day:
Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. (Psalm 118:27)

Prayer:
O Lord, may I not shrink from the cross. I want my prayer to daily be "I am crucified with Christ...". But also because I am crucified daily, I can cry out in Praise: "Nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me!" What a concept! What a 'truism'. I am alive spiritually because I have the fullness of the Godhead within me. Whenever I am feeling down or discouraged, I need to remember I have been crucified with You. My sins are nailed to the Cross. I am no longer a sinful being, but I am a child of the King. Wrapped in the whiteness of salvation, and the Robe of Righteousness. I have blessings all around, if I will just look for them. My heart's cry daily is to 'just give me more of You!'
Amen

Do You Hear Me?

Promise of the Day:
I called him, but he gave me no answer. (Song of Solomon 5:6)

Prayer:
Perhaps, Lord, this verse is like the Footprints poem: "...there was only one set of footprints..at the lowest times of my life." Did this mean You had left? I was alone? No--it was then You were carrying me. I feel there are times I do not become still enough to hear You answer. You have promised to never leave me, so if I don't hear You its because my spiritual ears are not open. Too much of the world is coming between us. Open the ears and eyes of my heart, Lord, that I might hear You and see You! Amen

Eagles Wings

Promise of the Day:
They shall mount up with wings as eagles. (Isaiah 40:31)

Prayer:
An Eagle is such a Majestic bird, Lord. It has a huge wing span, and has learned to soar on the air currents. Psalm 91 states You will cover me with Your pinions, or feathers. There is a little fable about some wingless birds for whom God made wings. He gave them to the birds and told them to take these burdens and bear them. As the birds laid these burdens upon their shoulders, they grew fast to their bodies and they soon discovered these burdens could be used to lift them up and the burdens became wings. This little story shows how our tasks and trials are the pinions God has made to lift us up, and we rise and soar toward God, floating upon our burdens as the eagle does the air currents. We can learn lessons from the eagle, as You lift us up on eagle's wings. I will safely dwell in the shelter of Your wings and Your faithfulness.
Amen

Hope in the Lord

Promise of the Day:
Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:24 NIV)

Prayer:
My Hope is in You, dear Lord, and Your unfailing love. And what is this Hope, Lord? In Colossians 1:27 it states it is "Christ in you, the hope of Glory." This is not a 'hope' as we sometimes think of the meaning as something that might be, but it is a 'hope' with the meaning of fact. It is a fact that You are in me, and You are my salvation. It is a fact that You give me strength and Power to face whatever life brings. It is a fact that in You I am perfect! What a Blessed Hope!
Amen

Nothing Can Separate Us

Promise of the Day:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:38,39 NIV)

Prayer:
What a blessed verse this is, Lord, showing me that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate me from You. And You have not given me a spirit of fear but of love and of a sound mind. So today's fears and tomorrow's worries are needless in light of Your love. You are always with me to lead and to guide me, to shield me and protect me. Your love is not based on whether I deserve it, You already know all about me, yet nothing can separate me from it. Your limitless, intensely personal love, is always with me. I place my hand in Yours and look forward with great expectation to the future You have prepared for me!
Amen

He Supplies

Promise of the Day:
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

Prayer:
O Lord, I have often read this verse and think of how You supply my material needs--according to Your riches. Today as I read it, I see it as much more personal. You supply what I need for me personally at any given moment, whether it be a friend, a teacher, a confidante; and the need may change every hour. You are flexible to change my supply as my needs change. One day I may need more love; the next day I may need to be more loving. One day I may need compassion; the next day I may need to be more compassionate. And so, I see You Lord, as truly supplying all of my needs. And in each of these circumstances I see You, my God. I see You as my God-Friend, my God-Leader, my God-Savior, my God-Shepherd, my God-Teacher, my God-Healer. To God be the Glory for all You do for me! Amen

Beware of Another Gospel

Promise of the Day:
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. (Gal. 1:8)

Prayer:
Yes, Lord, we must beware of any other gospel. The best way is to find out what they preach about You, Jesus, and what they do with the Cross. You are the only true way. Thank You for giving me the armor of God, the shield of faith, the Sword of the Spirit. Without the Sword, Your Word, I would have no weapon, but as David says is Psalm 119, it is through your words I get understanding. Your words are sweet to the taste of my soul. Upon Your Word I will meditate; it is light to my path and peace to my soul and my weapon of discernment. I have heard that 'In order to detect counterfeits, we must be saturated in the Truth.' Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom (Col. 3:16). Amen

The Holy Gardener

Promise of the Day:
What more could have been done to my vineyard
that I have not done in it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? (Isaiah 5:4)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, as You well know, for years my heart was in a drought. I became parched, dry and cracked in my heart. Then You reached down and let the waters of Your Spirit flow over me. The ground of my heart became moist, Your Word once more filled my soul, Your love healed the cracks and wounds. You have promised that with Your life flowing through me, I will bring forth fruit, the fruit of the Spirit which is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control (Gal. 5:22,23) Thank you, My Holy Gardener. Amen

The Joy of the Lord

Promise of the Day:
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11 NIV)

Prayer:
O Lord, no matter what circumstances face me, You are with me; and in this knowledge there is Joy. You remember our sins no more, they are blotted out, deleted; in this I have Joy. Your love and life flows through me and gives me the fruit of the Spirit; and in this I have Joy. I am a child of God and a joint heir with You, my Jesus; in this I have Joy. You are my Joy and my Salvation. "The Joy of the Lord is my strength! (Neh. 8:10) Amen

My Ebenezer

Promise of the Day:
"...Ebenezer...'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'" (I Sam. 7:12)

Prayer:
You, O Lord, are my Ebenezer. You have helped me all of my life. Even when I thought You had turned away from me, I found that You had been there all the time; it was I who had turned away. You have taken all of my mistakes and sins and worked them all to the good to draw me to Yourself. You hear me when I call, You are my strength and help in time of need. And why? Why have You done this, Lord? Not because of anything that I have done, but because of Your mercy and grace. In Isaiah You say You do it "for Your own sake". It pleases You. It brings glory and honor to You. Psalm 63:3 states "because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise you." With my lips I give You my "Sacrifice of Praise". You are 'My Ebenezer'! Amen

Cleanse Me

Promise of the Day:
Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Psalm 139:23,24 KJV)

Prayer:
O Lord, You whose eyes search the heart, first cleanse me, I pray! Psalm 51:7a states "cleanse me...and I will be clean." The NIV explanation is "un-sin me". The last part of this same verse says "wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." A snowflake has a minute particle of dirt in the center, so I must be made 'whiter than snow'. Verse 2 states "wash away all my iniquity" so that I will then be clean in Your sight. Cleanse ALL of me, Lord. Psa 51 verse 10 then asks You to 'Create in me a clean heart...'. NOW, O God, You can search me, NOW You will see me as Jesus, You will see me as pure, clean and righteous. Amen

Slaves to Righteousness

Promise of the Day:
And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

Prayer:
O Lord, when I was released from the slavery of sin, I was actually 'freed-up' to love You and to be Your bond-slave. Matthew 5:48 says "be ye perfect even as your Father is perfect." That means my new freedom is truly to live righteously as I am now 'bound' to righteousness. It is my obligation to honor You and seek to become more like You through the Holy Spirit. Thus, Lord, my freedom from sin is a freedom to live righteously by being Your bond-slave. And so we have a 'paradox'--I am Free to be Your slave. Amen

When Jesus Says "Come"

Promise of the Day:
And He said "Come". When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, 'Lord, save me!' (Matt. 14:29,30)

Prayer:
Lord, the problem that I see here with Peter, as with myself, it was not that he lacked faith, but he removed his eyes from You. When we look away from You, and see the waves and winds of the world, then we falter and even fall. If You tell me to "come" then I must not look away from you for a moment. I have no business looking at the storms of life around me. When You have said to 'come' You will not let me go. Your Word has promised that 'He who has begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Christ Jesus.' (Phil 1:6) I will keep my eyes on You! Amen