A Sobering Reality and Warning: We Pray Too Little.

Verses for the day: James 4:2, 1 Tim. 2:8

Whether attending conferences, teaching classes or participating in church, prayer is often the subject of conversation. I hear this spoken everywhere, “We don’t pray enough!” Yet, there seems to be the fear that because of the pressure from work and the force of habit, little hope lies for a change.

I regularly talk with people who now understand the importance of prayer yet seem paralyzed to make any change. What a sobering confession and with it the warning brought. We pray too little.

Which has more importance, the call of God for our time and attention, or work? If the God of Heaven is waiting to meet us and give us the power we need to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, it is shortsighted to put other things in the place of prayer?

If we want to experience God’s presence, there must be more definite and persevering prayer.

Can You Love Someone Who Hates You and Wants to Destroy You?


Scriptures for the day: Matthew 6:15, Matthew 18:21, and Matthew 18:33,35

Have you ever had a true enemy? They will tap your phone, have you followed and hire private investigators to find out what they can of your children. They don’t want to harm you or get even; they want to destroy you. There is no limit to how far they will stoop. Could you forgive and love someone like this?

Forgiveness of sins is the one great gift that sets the sinner free. Forgiveness is the source of our salvation. As you and I walk with God and have the assurance of forgiveness of sins, He desires that we extend that same forgiveness towards others. However, the seriousness of forgiveness goes dramatically further: if we refuse to forgive others, we will not be forgiven (Matt. 6:15).

This scandalous forgiveness that the Lord asks of us, who is able? And then the, even more, mind-boggling admonition in Matt: 18:33, 35. So the servant that would not forgive his fellow servant was sent to prison. Then the Lord warns us: “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.” It is only through the Holy Spirit of God that we can appropriate this kind of forgiveness. But it is there for the taking if we will cry out to God. Oh, the great rejoicing in my heart as I realize I have forgiven my enemy. Forgiveness: the great gift that sets the sinner free.

Hating Others Because of Their Race

Scriptures for the day: Titus 3:3, Col. 3:11

I grew up seeing dramatic race prejudice on my mother and father’s side of the family. I have to “check-in” with the Lord often to make sure my heart is clean from this heritage and it has no part of me. What a terribly sad condition. It is the darkest side of the human race. How could such a deplorable state come about in the lives of people? The answer is simple, “Adam’s fall.” Cain, the first child born of the man God created, shed the blood of his brother. Can you imagine such a thing! Humanity’s love of their own people, implanted in their hearts by God, soon changes to murderous hatred.

Love of country becomes the source of race-hatred and bloodshed. God judges and tests us. He now places the races side by side to see if our Christianity will enable us to overcome race-hatred. Does it really matter what race you are?

We have a great opportunity to prove the power of God’s love to change race-hatred into brotherly love. Here’s the deal: we must pray for ourselves and for each other that we would obey God’s Word and live in the power

GOD’S DESIRE IS TO REVEAL HIMSELF

Verses for the Day: John 14:16 and John 14:21

We are called to enter into fellowship with our God. And this unique invitation is to know the Godhead in His fullness and individuality. Each part of the Godhead is God in the reality of a Person who is eternal. And God’s desire is to reveal all three Persons to us.

We are unable to render to God the love He so freely gives to us. However, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. The Father has sent us this advocate to teach and guide us. We find this intimate fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in prayer. It is with us as it was with our Savior; while Jesus was being baptized He prayed and the heaven’s opened; God the Father spoke, and the Holy Spirit descended and engaged Jesus. The Godhead was revealed to man in prayer.

Pray dear saint; it is time to experience this personal fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.