Pray for your Pastors

by Yvette van Niekerk

 

June 29

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)."

  The Apostle 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 the mystery of the good news ~ the Gospel boldly." 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 older people were praying for our Pastor. He mentioned that he felt his preaching seemed a little easier. The Pastor asked the congregation to attend church in the week; to pray for the church and the Pastor. We must bring our Pastors before God, and they need our prayers. The Holy Spirit can work in our lives while we pray for them. Our Pastors are looking after our spiritual growth, and we should view them as our religious parents.

Prayer

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

 

God looks after everything

 by Yvette van Niekerk

May 23

God looks after everything.

Psalm 104:27 (AMP)

27 "These all wait and are dependent upon You, that You may give them their food in due season."

  Stop for a moment and look out of your window, what do you see? From my window, I look over a sparkling blue swimming pool, a beautiful Lapa, and a lovely garden. My plants are flourishing, and I can hear and see the birds all around the house.

The birds are beautiful, and they are all over, I sometimes put some seeds out for them to enjoy. What you and I don't know is that God is still in control, and everything you have can change within a moment. We do worry about jobs, retirement annuities to name a few.

We cannot foresee the future, and if we do not have faith that God looks after us. We are in for an enormous shock. Our seasons can change, and you can be out of a job and be penniless.

Prayer

Father God, Your Word says we have obtained an inheritance, "being predestined" according to the purpose of You, who works all things according to the counsel of Your will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of Your glory. We praise You, Lord, in Jesus's Name, Amen.

Take My yoke.

by Yvette van Niekerk

 

May 22

Take My yoke.

Matthew 11:29 (AMP)

29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls."

  I think it's only by the grace of God that we can take the yoke of the Lord Jesus. It is because the Lord enables us to choose to do so. Nevertheless, we still have to ask the Lord to do it. Once we take the yoke of the Lord Jesus upon us, we become holy. I have noticed people are drawn to Holiness because it is attractive. Because Holiness is beautiful, I am asking the Lord to enhance my beauty with His Holiness.

I desire to become holy and to live according to God's Word. In taking the Lord's yoke upon my life, I am also inviting the Holy Spirit to come and abide in me. I desire to live right before God each day.

Prayer

Father God, before the foundation of the world, you choose me. I desire to take Your yoke upon me today. Lord, I want to be holy and without blame before You in love. Please create in me a pure heart, for I desire to see You, Lord. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Change your attitude.

by Yvette van Niekerk

 

May 21

Change your attitude.

1 Chronicle 4:10 (AMP)

10 "Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me! And God granted his request."

  If Jabez didn't believe that God could change his circumstances, he might never have even asked for God to intervene on his behalf. Jabez's attitude was all things are possible with God, and Jabez believed that. By taking stock of where you are in your relationships, in your job, anywhere you find yourself right now, you need to decide whether your attitude is amicable, are you in the right mindset to receive what God has in store for you?

You have to leave that toxic relationship behind move forward; leave a deadbeat job and look for something worthwhile. You need your attitude to change to get you in the right frame of mind.

Prayer

Lord, when I read how You changed matters around for Jabez, it is my desire and wishes that I too may start that business that will increase and enlarge and help me move forward. My attitude is in Your hands, Lord Jesus, I need your help. Amen!

Mustard Seed

by Yvette van Niekerk 

May 20

Mustard Seed.

Luke 17:6 (AMP)

6 "And the Lord answered If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you."

  Walking by faith isn't always easy; we want to know what tomorrow brings. But I do believe we all have an amount of trust we carry around in our hearts.

Faith believes in something we cannot see. The funny thing is we think we will receive our salary at the end of each month. Going to work each day, we believe we are going to come home tonight.

The Lord Jesus was speaking to His disciples, and He said to them if they had faith like a mustard seed, they would say to "the mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you." Our faith carries us through each day. We are hoping for things in our lives, and it is through our belief that we receive them.

Prayer

Humbly, Lord, I want to pray that you will bless us who fear You, who walks in Your ways. Lord, Your blessings make one productive. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, create the work of our hands. All glory and honour to You, in Jesus's name, Amen.

Be Strong

 by Yvette van Niekerk

May 19

Be Strong.

Joshua 1:9 (AMP)

9 "Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

  This command is from the Lord, our God. "Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous." You know growing older we lose our strength, I find that there are many things that I used to do that I cannot do anymore.

I also see that I don't have the same vigour I used to have; it seems as the day progresses. I lose my energy. I realize that I need the courage to face each situation in my life. I need the strength to overcome obstacles in my life. Yes, I would love to do what I did in my everyday life, I cannot, and it's become too hard. I take courage in the fact that the Lord my God is with me and that I can call on Him ~ He is with me wherever I go. Augustine wrote, "When God is our strength, it is strength indeed; when our strength is our own, it is only weakness."

Well, change is inevitable, and I will not be afraid, neither will I be dismayed, for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go. Hallelujah.

Prayer

Abba Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I want to pray that You will help me to stay healthy, vigorous, and very courageous. I want to have the assurance that was every I go You Lord is with me. Amen.

Open Space

by Yvette van Niekerk

 

May 18

Open Space.

Genesis 26:22 (AMP)

22 "And he moved away from there and dug another well, and for that one, they did not quarrel. He named it Rehoboth [room], saying, For now, the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

  For us to enjoy our lives, it is essential to have "room" to move around. We need space to feel comfortable and at ease. Being "boxed in" isn't something the Lord our God wants for us. He wants us to enjoy the freedom of the space around us so that we can grow and prosper.

The Lord creates "wide open space" for each one of us so that we can improve and thrive. Praise and Honour and Worship to the LORD our God, we thank You, Jesus, for giving us the "room" to move in. Even when our faith is as little as a mustard seed lets, grow in this open space. Matthew 17 verse 20 says: "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." We serve a merciful God, giving us space and room to move in, with our faith at hand.

Prayer

Lord thank you for our "Rehoboth" in our lives, as people, we need to have open space and because You have given us this space, please help us in being fruitful in our endeavours, bless our hands and work in Jesus Name. Amen!

Our Inheritance

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

May 17

Our Inheritance.

Psalm 47:4 (AMP)

4 "He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!"

  We all want to leave an inheritance for our children and our grandchildren. I do not feel that I have anything my children want to inherit. The Lord, our God, says that He has chosen our "inheritance for us." We have something glorious and something that we may be proud of, a promised land waiting for us.

God wants the very best for each one of us. God says that those "who love Him" will He bless with an inheritance. Something I can look forward to, and you as well. His love endures forever.

Prayer

Thank You, Father God, for the blessings You have in store for me. Lord, I don't always know what is right for me, but I do know that You can bless each one of us. Please help me to be aware and ready to accept each new blessing into my own life. In the name of Jesus ~ Amen.

 

God delights in us.

by Yvette van Niekerk

 

May 16

God delights in us.

Zephaniah 3: 17 (AMP)

17 "The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Saviour [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction], and in His love, He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing."

  Zephaniah writes, "The Lord your God is in the midst of you." As I read this, I feel so blessed to know the Lord is here with me. I am not alone. I feel like I have a superhero in my corner. I do not have to worry about things, and my hero loves me because He said that He saves me.

He rejoices over me with joy, and He forgets all my sins and trespasses. D L Moody wrote, "God has cast our confessed sins into the depts of the sea, and His even put a "No Fishing" sign over the spot." I feel so blessed considering that He exults over me with singing.

I don't know of people that will do half of what the Lord my God is doing for us. We are o blessed. I will take these words into my heart, and may the Holy Spirit make it grow and be blessed.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for delighting in us, thank you for the word of reassurance and thank you that You rejoice over each one of us with joy and most of all thank you for forgetting our sins and thank you, Lord, for exulting over each one of us with singing. In the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen.

God is everywhere

by Yvette van Niekerk 

May 15

God is everywhere.

Psalm 139: 7-10

7 "Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea. 10 Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me."

  Our God is everywhere ¬ omnipresent. We know God is unlimited when it comes to wisdom, power and love. I cannot imagine His greatness never mind the fact that He is all over right now. I can't picture it, can you? 

It amazes me that I can call on God, I realize His an infinite being.

I fear I pale in imagination when I think of God being around me and with you all the time. Thinking of something the Apostle Paul wrote: "That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Something I am striving for, and I want to be filled to the measure of all God's fullness.

When God is all around us, we are in His loving light. We are safe.

Prayer

Father God, I cannot imagine how it must is to be omnipresent. I have no idea as I fall short every minute of the day. I love the thought Lord that if I were to be filled with Your grace to me is immeasurable as Your attributes. Praise You, Lord. Amen.

God has been with us since birth.

by Yvette van Niekerk

 

May 14

God has been with us since birth.

Psalm 22: 10 – 11 (AMP)

10 "I was cast upon You from my very birth; from my mother's womb, You have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble, is near, and there is none to help."

  Sometimes it's hard to believe that the Lord knew me when I was still in my mother's womb. God has been with me since my birth. He knows me inside out. He knows where I am, where I will be, and what I am doing. I believe my life can be victorious when I draw on God's power moment by moment ~ focusing my attention on God.

I realized that my biggest problem was my thoughts and impulses. I am very reactive, and then I make mistakes.

In 2 Peter 1 verse 3 to 4, we read "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. He has given us great and precious promises [so we can] share his divine nature and escape the Worlds corruption." God knew me before I was born, and He knows where I am right now.

Prayer

Father God, please help us to focus our lives on drawing from Your divine power, giving us everything we need to live a godly life and give us a great and precious promise in sharing Your divine nature and help us escape the world's corruption. In Jesus' Name, amen.