Jesus, The Very Thought of You!

Promise of the Day:
As he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spiknard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
(Mark 14:3)

Prayer:
Lord, when one falls in love it is sweet to hear the name of that loved one often repeated. It is pleasing to speak of that one often as well. This is how it should be for me about You. You are the one I love. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus, the very thought of You brings peace to my heart, healing to my soul, and a balm for all sorrows. And the amazing part is, You love me! You love me with an everlasting love. Your thoughts of me are for peace. When I think of Your coming to earth, of Your loving me, I would that I could do as this woman did, and give You all that is precious to me. And I do, Lord, I hold it out on my open hand, giving You my all. This is my way to show You my love.
Amen

Sin Vs. Sins

Promise of the Day:
For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (II Corinthians 5:21)

Prayer:
Lord, Had I never done an 'act' of sin, I still have the 'sin nature' inside of me as part of my heredity. It is this heredity that You died for. Oswald Chambers explains it best in his book "My Utmost for His Highest": "The revelation of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took upon Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took upon Himself the heredity of sin which no man can touch." All I have to do is accept the price You paid. Accept Your Redemption. Go back to the Cross. It is taking this heavy burden on my back to the Cross, and leaving it there. You are my Redeemer, my Savior. It is truly 'The Old Rugged Cross' and what You did there that makes the difference! Amen

Overcomers

Promise of the Day:
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Rev. 12:11)

Prayer:
Lord, to each of the seven churches in the first part of Revelation, You tell them to be 'overcomers'. To all it is to "he who overcomes" You will give certain blessings. He will eat of the Tree of Life; he will not have the second death; he will receive the white stone and a new name. The overcomer will be clothed in white; will have a place in the temple of God; and the last is that the Overcomer will share Christ's Throne. All I have to do to be an Overcomer is to 'open the door' of my heart and let You in, give Your Spirit control of my life, and through You I can conquer all. When once I give You control of my 'self-life', sin will have no more dominion. Love will shine through and Your work will go forward. It is by the 'blood of the lamb' that I will be an "Overcomer'. Amen

God Controls All

Promise of the Day:
"I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, You have said that in this world we shall have tribulation, but we are not to fear as You have overcome the world. I thank You, Lord, that You have control even when we come to that bend in the road, You see around the bend.
Another verse that comes to mind is I Peter 4:12: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you...but rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers in Christs sufferings...". You suffered and died, died for my sin, my infirmities, my bends in the road; but someday this will be past and I will share in Your Glory. You are controlling and guiding every step. Amen

The Amen

Promise of the Day:
These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.
(Rev. 3:14)

Prayer:
You, O Lord, are the Great Amen. In our verse it calls You the "faithful and true witness." You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. When I say "Amen" at the end of a prayer, or in worship, I am adding my agreement to what has been said, my way of saying "may it be so". This is my prayer that it may be done. When David ends the 72nd Psalm with a double 'Amen', he is adding an exclamation, an emphasis. You, the Blessed Lord God, are the "Amen", and to this I add 'Amen, so be it, and blessed be Your glorious name forever and forever! Amen, and again I say, Amen

Substance of Faith

Promise of the Day:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1 KJV)


Prayer:
Yes, Lord, it IS by 'Faith'. It is Faith, first, last and always. Yet it is not by MY
faith; it is by YOUR faith. It is Your Faith that gives me life and hope. Galatians 2:20 in the King James Version is stated correctly and makes the most sense. "...the life I now live in the flesh I live BY the Son of God." I could never of myself have faith strong enough to give me life, but by leaning on You, totally, physically, spiritually and mentally, I not only have life but I have "abundant' life through You, the Faithful One. Amen

The Potter's Wheel

Promise of the Day:
Does not the potter have the right
to make out of the same lump of clay
some pottery for noble purposes and
some for common use?
(Romans 9:21 NIV)

Prayer:
Lord, sometimes I do feel as though my life is on the potter's wheel, spinning around. But if this is an analogy of my life, then I want your gentle fingers to be smoothing and molding this lump of clay. May there truly be a reason for each turn, and may I become what You have planned for me. It may just be a 'common use', but at least it will be of use. You are my potter, Lord, I am Your soft and pliable lump of clay. I want to be a product of Your perfect plan.
Amen

He is the Potter

Promise of the Day:
Hath not the potter power over the clay?
(Romans 9:21 KJV)

Prayer:
You, O Lord, are my Creator-owner. My Potter; my designer. Melt me, Lord, Mold me, use me, and most of all, fill me. Fill me up with You so that I spill over with Your love. The one thing I do not want is to be useless and cracked and set on a shelf. You are the potter, Lord. I am a lump of clay, but You can make this lump into a useful vessel; into something beautiful and good. I yield to You, my Savior. Amen

Deeds of Love

Promise of the Day:
Let us not love in word, neither in tongue;
but in deed and in truth.
(I John 3:18 KJV)

Prayer:
It was Your love, Lord, that brought You to earth in human form. It was Your love that hung You on the tree of Calvary. It is Your love that sets me free, that gives me salvation. Then I, as Your child, am also to love. Your love is an attribute that You share with me, and so by having Your love in me, one should know that I am Your child. My love should show by my deeds. Use me, Lord, as a vessel of love. Amen

Deeds of Helps

Promise of the Day:
Whoever serves me must follow me;
and where I am, my servant also will be.
My Father will honor the one who serves me.
(John 12:26 NIV)

Prayer:
Lord, You said that even a cup of water given in Your name would glorify You. I don't want to miss seeing the needs of others just because my own needs may be so great at any given time. When I see You working somewhere, I want to be helpful. Help me to see the hungry, the thirsty, the lonely, the sick, and bring Your touch to them. And when I am not able, may I appreciate and pray for those who do. I want to follow You and glorify You, dear Lord. Amen

I Give You My Heart

Promise of the Day:
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise.
(Psalm 51:17NIV)

Prayer:
Lord, it is not the sacrifices of animals You want, but me, a broken spirit before You. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." You, Yourself, were given as my sacrifice; now You only want from me my heart, totally and unreservedly laid at Your feet. I am crucified with You Lord. I die daily that You might have total control. Here is my heart, Lord Jesus. I can only offer You my worship and praise, and a contrite heart of thanksgiving. Amen

Our God Reigns

Promise of the Day:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
(Matthew 6:13b)

Prayer:
O Lord, You are Majesty! Even Job could only stand in awe when he realized Your power. You, who made the oceans also made the dew drop. In John 18 You tell Pilate Your kingdom is not of this world, and in Psalm 93, Your throne is established of old. Your Glory is from everlasting to everlasting. Yet You tell me Your kingdom is within me! The power that raised Jesus from the grave is within me! Romans 8 promises I will share in Your glory. So Lord, Your kingdom, power, and glory which is forever, is also mine forever. The Lord Reigns! Hallelujah! Blessed be the name of the Lord! Amen

Bless The Lord

Promise of the Day:
"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall
continually be in my mouth.
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered
me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:1, 4)

Prayer:
O Lord, I will praise You at all times. I am to pray about everything, with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6), and I know You remove my fears. The situations may still be with me, but O the peace You give! I call this the "Sacrifice of Praise". No matter what the circumstances, if I will praise You, just thank You for being with me knowing You ultimately are in control, then the burden is lifted, the heart is lightened and I will bless and thank You. "I sought the Lord . . . and He delivered me from all my fears." Amen

Comforter, Teacher and Helper

Promise of the Day:
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,...he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
(John 14:26)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, You have given to me a helper, the Holy Spirit, to dwell within me. You told Your disciples that You were going away, but another would come, one who would comfort and help. The Holy Spirit is part of the Triune God, one with the Father, one with the Son. The Holy Spirit is "the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified." This is a quote from one of the ancient creeds, but helps me see the workings of the sweet Holy Spirit. In our verse it promises the Spirit will teach me. So I have a Comforter, a Helper, and a Teacher ready to bless me and guide me through each day. I can do "all things" through Him. Amen

Worship In Spirit

Promise of the Day:
The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being. (Proverbs 20:27 NASB)

Prayer:
They that worship You, O Lord, must worship You in spirit. The Amplified Version of Proverbs 20:27 states that the "spirit of man is the factor in the human personality which proceeds immediately from God." This would tell me that my spirit is so entwined with Yours, I should be at complete rest. It shows how the life of the vine flows through the branch, just as Your Spirit is flowing into my spirit, giving me life and peace and rest. You know my most innermost being and thoughts. I will lift up my eyes from earth's troubles. I will rest in You, my Savior and my God. Amen

Holy, Holy, Holy

Promise of the Day:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. (Rev. 4:8)

Prayer:
There is none like You, O my Lord! When I think of Your Glory, I say "Woe is me..." as did Isaiah; and as Job, "I abhor myself". You are Holy and full of Glory! Yet You are mindful of me! Through the blood of Jesus, I can come boldly into Your throne room, entering into the Holy of Holies, to praise You and worship You and to seek Your face. You are Majesty! I could search through all eternity and find no one like You! You are Holy, holy, holy; there is none like You! Amen

Abba, Father

Promise of the Day:
You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Rom 8:15,16)

Prayer:
Father, Father, My very own Father! You are Holy; hallowed and holy is Your name. And You have accepted me as Your child, a joint heir with Christ! This is all so very incomprehensible! Because I am unable to believe this in my finite self, You have given me the Spirit to give witness to my spirit, and He assures me I am Your child. Verse 17 of Romans 8 goes on to say that we also must share in Christ's suffering if we are to share in His Glory. This is only in this present life, and even here You never leave me and I can cry out "Father, my Father!" Amen

True Meekness

Promise of the Day:
I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
(John 5:30)

Prayer:
Dearest Lord Jesus, You who are the life in me, I bow before You today and seek to do Your will. When You were on earth in the body of a man, You yielded Your all to the Father. You did nothing of Your own self but always the will of the Father. Yet You also were one with the Father, equal to the Father. If You were so willing to yield to the Father's will, then so much more should I be to yield to Your will. It is in yielding that I will have strength. In yielding I shall inherit all You desire for me. In yielding Your Grace shall be sufficient for me. I delight to yield to You. Amen

Temple of God

Promise of the Day:
In him the whole building is joined together
and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
And in him you too are being built together
to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
(Ephesians 2:21,22 NIV)

Prayer:
"Know ye not that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit?" What a sobering thought, dear Lord. Not only are all believers joined together by the Holy Spirit, comprising the church, but I am as an individual a dwelling place. The Spirit dwells within ME. And since He is the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit of the Son, I have the fullness of the Godhead within me. The Trinity! So the Trinity, and me, that makes a 'foursome'. I am one with the Trinity! What Grace! What Amazing Grace! I fall on my knees before You, O Holy Lord! Amen

The Trinity

Promise of the Day:
Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. (John 14:9)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, You told Your disciples that if they saw You they had seen the Father. Another verse states that You and the Father are one. In the Nicene Creed it states "being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made . . . ". It goes on further to say of the Holy Spirit that He "proceedeth from the Father and the Son." You, my Lord are equal to the Father in Your Godhead, yet less than the Father in Your manhood; thus explains another verse where you state "my Father is greater than I." This thought, O Lord, that You are one with the Father and Holy Spirit is the doctrine of the Trinity, and because man cannot explain it shows it is too wonderful to be imagined. You are the "Holy Trinity"; One God, the equal three! And You are in Me! This is all I need! Amen

Thy Will be Done

Promise of the Day:
I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord.
(Psalm 26:6 NIV)

Prayer:
Lord, I have just reread the whole of Psalm 26. What a blessed Psalm--"Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart." Here the psalmist is asking to be tried. He is committing himself to You because as it next says "Your loving-kindness is before my eyes." You love me, and only do what is right, what is best for me. I have titled this Psalm "He is a Just Ruler". Merge my will with Yours, dear Lord; Thy will be done.
Amen

God Uses It for Good

Promise of the Day:
And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison...
But the Lord was with Joseph...
and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
(Genesis 39:20-21, 23)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, my mind often goes to Joseph when life seems to get difficult. What happened to him was meant for evil by the brothers, yet You turned it all around for good. Satan often tries to thwart Your work and discourage Your people, and he knows I am an easy mark. But I am learning to know that YOU can turn it all into good. My job is to keep my gaze on You and put joyous trust in You as Joseph did. The Joy of the Lord is my strength. Show me Your desire for me and fill my heart with You. A quote from Madame Guyon: "I have learned to love the darkness of sorrow; there you see the brightness of His face."
Amen

Breathe His Name

Promise of the Day:
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

Prayer:
Breathing Your name, Lord, calling on You by Your name brings peace to my soul. Even repeating it over and over when wrong thoughts pop up, cleanses my mind and helps me fill it with good thoughts, pure and lovely. Another way I use Your name is in the 'night watches' when I have difficulty sleeping. I repeat Your name by using letters of the alphabet, such as "Adoni" for A; "Beloved" is for B, and so on. Your name, O Lord, IS a strong tower! It gives me courage and it gives me life. By breathing Your name in the face of Satan, he flees from me. O Praise Your Name, Your Holy, beautiful name! Amen

He Goes With Me

Promise of the Day:
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. (Daniel 3:17)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, Just as with these Hebrew boys and the furnace, You may not always deliver me from something, but You do go with me through it. When the king looked in to the fire, he even Saw You and knew who You were. With Daniel, You made the lions nothing more than large kitty cats. In the New Testament, when Paul was on his way to Rome, the ship even broke apart, yet all were saved because You brought them through it. I could go on and on, even in my own life, but with You all things are possible. You will walk with me all the way through the Valley of the Shadow of death and through the gates of Heaven itself. I will never be alone. Thank You, Lord, that no matter how impossible a situation may seem, You go with me. The fire cannot burn me, the water will not overflow me. Praise Your name forevermore! Amen

Love and Unity

Promise of the Day:
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others...(I Cor. 12:27-28)

Prayer:
Lord, Your church is to be known by its "love". Not by any miracles, but by love. You have given us a 'spirit of love', one of Your attributes which You share with us. From Ephesians we also learn that Your church is to have "unity". This unity is the bond we share that is sealed by Your blood. One body, One Spirit, One Lord, and we are to preserve the Unity of the Spirit. Fill me with Your love, dear Lord. You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of love. May I show and spread Your love in this unlovely world. Amen

Victory through Jesus!

Promise of the Day:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:11)

Prayer:
"Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
(I Cor. 15:57) Lord, You have not given me a spirit of fear, but the victory over fear, and sin. You have given me the Victory I need so that I can love even the unlovely; and keep a sound mind. Through You, Lord, I can be an overcomer. You have promised eternal life, an inheritance with You, a new name, even a crown. O Lord, without You I am nothing. With You I can have the Victory over all things. Death may come to this body, but life comes through You forevermore. There is Victory in Jesus! Amen

Without Him!

Promise of the Day:
By the grace of God I am what I am. (I Cor. 15:10)

Prayer:
Without You, Lord, I am nothing! I would be lost, I would truly fail at trying to be worthy of You. I was nothing but rags, I had nothing to offer You but my filthiness and sin, and You made me into something beautiful. But for Your grace I could not be saved, yet You reached down and plucked me out of the mire. You made me a princess, clothed in Your righteousness, and now I can stand before the Father clean and shining in the light of Your Glory. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen

God's Word

Promise of the Day:
When the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God." He answered and said, "It is written . . .It is written. . . It is written . . ." Then the devil left Him. (Matt. 4:3-4, 7, 10-11)

Prayer:
Lord, You used Your Word against Satan, and I too, should know Your Word well enough to use it as my weapon against Satan. "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11) Your Word is as a double-edged sword, and is my weapon of choice. When I am faced with a decision, I should seek Your Word for the answers. Paul said "Woe to me if I preach any other Gospel." Your Word, Lord, is a light unto my path. May I be true to You and love Your Word for the rest of my life! Amen

Strength for the Needy

Promise of the Day:
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is like a storm against the wall. (Isaiah 25:4)

Prayer:
O Lord, Your promises are so great. No matter what the day brings You bring me the strength to face it. This You have proved to me over and over as I have been traveling down this road of life. As I read through the Old Testament, I am reminded how You gave strength to each of Your saints. Jeremiah said he was too young; Moses said he could not speak. Jehoshaphat was afraid and he sought You. He was promised the battle was the Lord's and You gave him strength to go forward. You have promised, dear Lord, that if You bring me to something, You will see me through it, through every dark spot, over every stumbling block, around every bend. Yes, even through the final passage of the "valley of death". I can rely on You, You are always with me. Thank You, Lord.
Amen

My Future Home

Promise of the Day:
Now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
(Hebrews 11:16)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, I do look for a better city. This world is not my home! You have promised and indeed it is true, my citizenship is with You. How can I describe this place, my future home? I Corinthians 2:9 puts it as plainly as possible: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." So, there is no way our finite minds can even imagine how wonderful it will be. One thing I do know is that I will "awake in Your likeness", and I shall see You face to face! I shall hear Your voice! I can not even imagine how I will react. I think I will fall on my face and kiss Your feet and thank You for giving me eternal life! One day, when I reach my future home, and I see Your face, I will say 'it has been worth it all'. Amen