Morning
O God, my heart is fixed.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. - He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. - In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strength-en, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
PSA. 108:1. Psa. 27:1. Isa. 26:3. -Psa. 112:7,8. Psa. 56:3. Psa. 27:5,6. I Pet. 5:10,11.
EVENINGThe Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD. - Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
I am the LORD, and there is none else; there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the in-habitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? - If God be for us, who can be against us?
He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. - Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
PSA. 103:19. Prov. 16:33. Amos 3:6. Isa. 45:5-7. Dan. 4:35. Rom. 8:31. I Cor. 15:25. Luke 12:32.
~Samuel Bagster~
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One Big Request
Yesterday we looked at God’s promise in John 14:14. Too often people take the verse to imply, “If you ask anything, I will do it.” They overlook the most essential phrase: “in My name.”
Asking in Christ’s name has two meanings. First, believers are welcome to make requests that align with God’s purpose and plan. To do that, we need to ask Him if our prayers match His will. God has several ways of assuring followers that they are on the correct path. For instance, He may increase right desires or decrease wrong ones. Another possibility is that He will use His Word to redirect a Christian’s steps or confirm that the believer is going the right way. Either way, God will make a path for the man or woman who seeks to do His will.
Second, invoking Christ’s name means that we desire to glorify Him instead of ourselves. James gives this warning: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). To understand that, let’s consider those who are trying to pray their way out of a financial hole as an example. The question is, Does a person want to get out of debt so that he has more for himself or so that he can use the excess in God-honoring ways? Motives are apparent to God, and He will not encourage ones rooted in sin.
In the name Jesus Christ, there is abundant power. However, calling upon Him in prayer is not a magic charm to get what we want. Rather, it is a signal that we are laying down our personal desires and our own way of getting things done. In so doing, we commit to follow God and bring honor to Him.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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