Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit of God

Ephesians 4: 30 - 32
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption, get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you."

In life we all experience different kinds of pains, while living and growing up in your parents house it is normal things that takes place.  Then you start your own adult life and people start to disappoint you.  You find that people tend to lie and gossip and they are saying hurtful things about you.

Before you know it you are tending a garden filled with bitterness, growing your rage and anger, and out of these couple of fruits brawling and slander obviously sneaks in.  Its not long before there are signs of all kinds of malice growing too.

The first signs of becoming bitter is when you cannot drop something, a friend, husband or relative has done.  You just cannot believe these things can happen, now it starts to take root and you keep feeding on it.  Going back to the day something happened, you keep nursing it and before long you have grown a tree of bitterness, the best part is the rest follows suit as it all started with that little seed.

It is my hearts desire to get rid of any bitterness I may have in my own life and I pray the Holy Spirit of God will come and show me what I should be confessing.  Do yourself a favor and do some in-depth soul searching and see what you need to confess to become Holy and pure before the Lord today.

Holy Spirit I pray that each person reading this devotional today will look into their own hearts and find the seeds and trees that are clouding their minds.  Praying and confessing it aloud and asking for forgiveness in the most wonderful name in this world, Jesus Christ.  Amen

You are a blessing to me, may the Lord Jesus Bless You today!

Pray for your Pastor

Ephesians 6: 19 (AMP)

¹⁹ And [pray] also for me, that [freedom of] utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news (the Gospel),

Paul asks the believers in Ephesus to “Pray for me, that freedom of utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news ~ the Gospel.”

Do you ever think of praying for your Pastor?  I never thought about it until our Pastor asked the congregation to please pray for him.

As time went by a couple of old people were praying for our Pastor.  He mentioned that he felt his preaching was made a little easier.  The Pastor then asked that the congregation come to church during the week and pray for our church as well as for the Pastor.

Prayer Father God we pray that our Pastors will have the freedom of utterance to open their mouths in proclaiming boldly the mysteries of the good news to us and the world.  In Jesus Name we pray, Amen!

The Secret of the Lord

Psalm 25:14 (AMP)

¹⁴ The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

            My BFF (Best Friend Forever) normally is in on all my secrets, how I feel, if I’m sad and when I’m really happy.  The thing to think about is do you only go to the LORD your God with all your sad secrets?  Or do you take the good things that happen to you, and share them with the LORD?

            Can you too come to the Lord Jesus in prayer and say “Lord Jesus; Your will be done.” Yes, you can when you have a relationship with the Lord.  By trusting that the Lord Jesus will help you in everything you do.

            Prayer Thank You Lord, it amazes me when You answer so many of my little desires, without my even asking.  Lord thank You for You loving kindness and companionship in my life.  In the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen!

Sharing

Proverbs 23:7 (NIV)

⁷ for he is the kind of person
    who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.

The gift of hospitality isn’t always present in all people.  I have been to see people that begrudgingly will pour you a glass of water.  There whole demeanor shows they really don’t want you to have this water.

Help me never to become the person that has a heart that is not with others.  Help me to give as much as I can and more.  Sharing is caring so I’m told.

Prayer

Abba Father thank You for the hospitable people You placed in my life, people who teach me to be a cheerful giver, in the name of Jesus.  Amen

Praying to keep silent !!!

Colossians 1:11 - 12 (AMP)

¹¹ [We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, ¹² Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.

As Christians we are reminded by Paul and Timothy in Colossians to pray for the Holy Spirit to invigorate and strengthen us with all power according to the might of God’s glory.  To exercise forbearance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of God’s holy people in the Light.

Prayer  Today Lord help me through the Holy Spirit to show and teach me how to become invigorated and strengthened with all the power according to the might of God’s glory.  Teach me to make this part of our daily prayer so that we see how the Father will qualify and equip us for today, in Jesus Name, Amen!

Which way LORD?

 

Psalm 32:8 (AMP)

⁸ I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

In life we need guidance and we want to sort of know that we are on the right ‘track’.  So now we read in scripture ‘The Lord will instruct us and teach us’. 

How do we know we are getting in line with what God wants from us?  Firstly I believe we need to get down to basics, we need to spend time in God’s word.  The only way to know what God wants of us is to keep our quiet time with God.  Reading our Bibles, keep a journal and praying and mediating on the Word of God.

We know that we can speak to God any time of the day or night the thing is; are we prepared to put in the time to spend in HIS presence?  In spending time in the Word we learn more of God and it gives us the opportunity to hear the Holy Spirit.  We start to open the line between us and God.  The Holy Spirit moves over our lives and we just come into line with what God wants for us.

Prayer Lord please bear with us and please instruct us and teach each one of us the way You want us to go.  We are asking YOU Lord Jesus for Your counsel and please keep Your eyes upon each one of us.  Amen!

Attitude

Colossians 4:6Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁶ Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you].

            These days it’s very clear people say and do as they please, never keeping in mind that what they say might offend or hurt others.

            We are reminded to be pleasant and winsome, our words should be seasoned with salt.  We also need to keep in mind that when we are asked a question that we would know how to answer it.

            As you step into your Managers office this morning with your excellent idea, think of what you want him or her to hear.  Keeping a good attitude will help you ‘ace’ the deal.

            People are fickle and you and I know that, so when someone makes you angry remember Colossians 4: 6 today.

Prayer   Lord Jesus help me be gracious in my speech today, let it be seasoned with salt and help me to know how to answer people that ask me any questions.  Thank You Lord, Amen! 

Mini Me

As a mom I must be honest in telling you that I have thought about my children on a daily basis, they all are grown up and have moved out of the house.  They live their own lives and work and look after themselves and their families.

Now I have always been a ‘fanatic’ when it comes to the Lord, my passion and my love is always been for the Lord.  What I did not realise is that what I was doing would rub off on my children and it did too onto my daughter.

I can see how passionately she loves the Lord God.  I see how she goes out of her way to serve the Lord and she has her husband right by her side.  They both are following the Lord. 

I am proud of her and what she has accomplished in her life.  My heart is grateful to the Lord for a ‘mini me’.

I believe both my sons also love the Lord but serve the Lord in their own special way.  To my mind the children will be mighty in the land and they will enjoy the legacy God has in mind for them from me.

My heart is grateful and my love for the Lord is still strong and I love and worship You Lord Jesus, thank You for what You have done in my life.

In the little things – God helps me

You probably won’t understand or even care but I do want to tell you that God helps me even in the little things in life.

Now I have been out of a job for a very long time, I need the work and I was offered a job at a really busy Occupational Health Clinic.  Patience arrive I check their bookings in a file and make copies of their identity documents.  Hand the copies with a flow chart to the Data captures and then the process begins.  The Patients are referred to the next room where they wait.

In the meantime the Patients information is captured and files are drawn accordingly.  Because this is a very pressured environment and time is of the essence we need to work accurately but also efficiently.

Well this is where I have seen how the Lord my God has been helping me, many times we need to find a file that has been drawn or the patient has ‘exited’ from a company.  I see how the Lord leads me to the right box or stack of files and I am not lying when I say the numbers stand out between the rests of the files.  Today was no different, again I needed to find a file and it wasn’t in the filing cabinet and then walked to the filing room and found the file I needed.  The number literally jumped out at me.  It made me feel so good, that I just had to laugh as I took the file and handed it over to the nurse.

Being blessed by God is important and yes filing seems insignificant but when you need information to be handed over to a nurse or doctor then it is important.  I must be honest and tell you that God is truly in control over my life, I see it in the tiniest of things.

To God all the Glory and Honor and praise to His Holy Name, for always coming to my aid.  Thank You Lord, You always bless me.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (Living Bible)
'We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.'

Be Positive

It sounds so easy 'be positive'.  Well I am probably one of the people that can speak negatively more often than speaking positively.

I have decided speak words of wisdom and positively into my own life.  You will not believe it but my self-esteem is really low.  

So today I have decided to say things like, I am beautiful, I am strong and I have courage to face any situation.  I am successful and God will turn my mourning into laughter, I am prosperous and I have the supernatural favour of God in my own life.  I love what I am doing, I am a nice person to be around, people love and like me.  I am a fun person.

My future is bright and happy, my children are mighty in the land and my legacy will live on to inspire future generations.  I run with purpose every step of the way, because God is blessing me, I am victorious and I am a child of the Most High God.

I want to encourage you today, be positive, look to the Lord our God and know you are of value and God loves You.

Be blessed and know you are a blessing to me.

Proverbs 19: 21 Many plans are in a man's mind, but is is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

                  This morning in the shower I stood before the Lord my God and prayed that He would please forgive me, I felt that I have been abandoned and that I have disappointed Him so dearly.  I then went to wake my husband and step children.  Got dressed and prayed “Please Lord God I pray that I may be clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ.”  We drove off to church and as I walked into the church I was quiet and waiting for something to happen.  I sat next to my husband and we looked at the messages that were popping up on the screen, someone passed away, someone is sick etc.  The preacher came into the church and greeted the congregation.  A couple of songs were sang and then, I felt this breaking in my spirit, tears rolling down my cheeks I could not stop it.  I felt so desperately alone and as though I was abandoned.

John 14:1-17Living Bible (TLB)

            ¹⁴ “Let not your heart be troubled. You are trusting God, now trust in me. ^2-3 There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly. ⁴ And you know where I am going and how to get there.”

⁵ “No, we don’t,” Thomas said. “We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the Way—yes, and the truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me. ⁷ If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him—and have seen him!” ⁸ Philip said, “Sir, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.”⁹ Jesus replied “Don’t you even yet know who I am, Philip, even after all this time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own but are from my Father who lives in me. And he does his work through me. ¹¹ Just believe it—that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or else believe it because of the mighty miracles you have seen me do. ^12-13 “In solemn truth I tell you, anyone believing in me shall do the same miracles I have done, and even greater ones, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask him for anything, using my name, and I will do it, for this will bring praise to the Father because of what I, the Son, will do for you. ¹⁴ Yes, ask anything, using my name, and I will do it! ^15-16 “If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and someday shall be in you.

            The Lord had heard my prayers this morning while I was showering, I could feel the Holy Spirit moving over me today in Church.  I knew without a doubt that the Lord my God loves me, and then the most amazing of all ~ the preacher decided to show us a You tube video of “Falling Plates”.  I was so touched I could not contain my tears.  God is still God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Awesome.  My God lives.  Praise the Lord my God.