Daily Devotion 1 2 2015

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord God, we awake to another day of life you have blessed us with. We pray that you drop thy still dews of quietness till all our strivings cease,
Take from our souls the strain and stress and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of your peace.
We pray in Christ's name, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord, as we go forth in the daily journey from sunrise to sunset, remind us always of your holy presence hovering near, within us to guide us, and surrounding us to protect us. Free us from shame and self-doubt; and help us all as fellow believers, to see the myriad opportunities to walk our path in the courage, honesty, and wisdom inspired by your Holy Spirit. Be with us all this day Lord and bless us all. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer of Blessings
Lord , Thank You for each and every day You have blessed us with here on earth.
Thank You for Your tender mercies. Thank You for giving us friends and family to share joys and sorrows with.
I ask You to bless my friends, relatives, brothers and sisters in Christ and those I care deeply for, and especially those who are praying with me right now. Where there is joy, give them continued joy. Where there is pain or sorrow, give them your peace and mercy.
Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence. Where there is need, fulfill their needs.
Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings today and each and every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, as we prepare for this new day, help us find the path that we may walk with confidence because you are our are with us. Banish all thoughts that try to depress us. Let your Spirit drive them away. May our hearts become quiet before you, because you, the Almighty, guide everything for the good of people on earth. Everything will lead to thanksgiving, to your praise and glory. Be with us at all times, day and night. May our hearts always exult afresh, rejoicing in you.
Keep us faithful in this, and let us serve you with gladness on every path we tread. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. – Malachi 3:1

The term Malachi means “My Messenger,” which aligns perfectly with the purpose of the book as it communicates God’s message to His people. It is laid out as a conversation between man and God, argumentative, heartfelt, and convicting.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, as we go forth on this new day, let us take all that shall be brought upon us and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience.
You know our weakness and failings, and that without your help we can accomplish nothing for the good of souls, our own and others. Grant us, therefore, the help of your grace, according to our particular needs this day. Enable us to see the tasks you will set before us in the daily routine of our life, and let us set our hand to these tasks with the vigor and joy of one with whom you abide. And if we should face trials, suffering or failure, we pray that your hand will lift us up, and we may be refreshed. In the name of Christ, we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, keep us and uphold us in the grace that is ours through Jesus Christ. As we go forth on this new day, we pray that we may come to you in spirit. Grant that in you we may find peace and courage for our whole lives. Lead us always by your Spirit. Help us to find your will on earth and grant us access to your heavenly powers, for alone we can do nothing. Strengthen our faith so that we can always serve you. Bless your Word in us. May our hearts be opened, for we are your children. Guide and bless us as we go forth today. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Today's Prayer
Lord God, as I cross the threshold of this day I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to Your care. Watch over us all, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless us all.
May we travel our paths with a life pure from spot or stain.
Order this day all our communications according to Your wisdom, and to the gain of mutual good. May I speak each word as if my last word, and walk each step as my final one. If my life should end today, let this be my best day. This I pray in the name of Christ, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord God, we rise to the start of this new day with life and breath. We are called to be the Body of Christ, we pray for those who hear and respond to your gospel: with their minds; that they grow in understanding; with their hearts, that they remain strong in you; with their lips that they sing and speak your love and praise; with their hands, that they serve faithfully; with their feet, that they continue to journey with you. May all our being be totally committed to you and all that you offer through the life, death and resurrection of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, you have given us another day. Bring your Holy Spirit into our mind and our life, so that we may walk this day in your presence. Let us feel your presence throughout the day, remembering always that you sent your Spirit that you might be a living force in all we see and all we do. When we feel temptation or begin to stray, show us your path. Correct us, comfort us, let us live your will; that we may be happy in this life and blessed in the life to come. And so we are joyful and await your grace and your help on all our ways. Bless us, and help us find what is right in every situation, to your praise and your honor. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, we thank You for this day. We ask that You would guide our path today and, more specifically, our thoughts, words and actions. Please be with us throughout the day and help us navigate whatever comes our way. Most importantly, help us to reflect and live out our life in a way that is honoring to You.
As the sun rises we come before you with a heart full of gratitude. Thank you for the gift of this day and the opportunity it brings. We pray for your guidance and presence throughout the day ahead. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, we don’t know what lay before us on this new day, but we commit it all to You. We pray for strength and courage to get through the joys, challenges and happenings of the day. We thank You for our life and for all that we have; we commit this day to You. No matter what happens or what we may face, we know You have us in the palm of Your hand. Be with us and lead us forth with your spirit to guide us. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Today's Bible Verse: I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. - John 15:5

So often in life when things get tough, we hear the words, “Just hang in there.” Words meant to reassure you, but they fall short. I believe we need to hold onto the truth of God’s Word. And when things get difficult, we are to meditate on what we know to be true, no matter how things feel. We cannot trust our feelings. They are fickle. Feelings change and if we trusted how we felt, well, we’d be all over the place. Believe me, I used to do that. I was a double-minded person (James 1:8).

The moment we accept Jesus as our Savior we are born into God’s family. Sometimes we forget this truth and we think we need to keep doing things to be one of God’s children. Yet, we are told that just as we received Jesus, we are to walk in him (Colossians 2:6).

When we made the decision to accept Jesus, we were kept by God’s power. My Bible teacher illustrated this vividly. “If I were to put a fork into a power outlet,” she said, “I would have made the contact, but it would be the power source that kept me there.” When we accepted Jesus, we were in Christ, kept by God.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, please give us the patience and strength to make it through this new day with all the hustle, demands and distractions of life. Let us find the quiet time to hear your voice and feel your calming presence. Protect and bless us, may your Spirit help us find your ever-present kindness and mercy. Let us follow your will and direction and trust in you with all our heart. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord God, as we awaken to another blessed day, we pray that you walk with us, so that we may not be alone as we face this day, but always in your presence. Your joy is a lighthouse in a world often dark with sin, and we pray that the light of your truth will inspire others to follow your path and serve you. In the name of Christ, bless us this day, and all whom we may meet,
Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord God, as we awaken to another blessed day, we pray that you walk with us, so that we may not be alone as we face this day, but always in your presence. Your joy is a lighthouse in a world often dark with sin, and we pray that the light of your truth will inspire others to follow your path and serve you. In the name of Christ, bless us this day, and all whom we may meet, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

The Amazing Meaning of This Familiar Psalm (Psalm 118:24) - Your Daily Bible Verse - February 27

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

Many of us may have heard this verse over long years. But often, with some of these most popular verses, they can become so familiar to us that we may even miss the deeper meaning and context under which they are written.
So what is the “day” that Psalm 118 makes reference to? Is it the general “every day” that God gives us, or is it referring to a specific day in history?

In Psalm 118, the author is writing about incredible adversity. It's not written when times are good, but when times are really hard. Situations were changing. The Psalmist cried out to God in anguish, he was surrounded on all sides by the enemy. He felt pushed back, and about to fall. Yet right in the midst of huge struggles shared, this chapter both starts and ends with the same verse, of giving thanks and praise unto God.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever." v. 1,29

Such a powerful reminder to us: True joy is never dependent on our circumstances. And though we may know this in our head, it might be hard to walk out every day. Learning to choose joy in hard times takes effort and action on our part; it requires our hearts to be set on Him. God is faithful to help us, so that we can choose well. And we can be assured that in His grace, He has made every day, and for that gift itself we can “rejoice and be glad in it.” No matter what we face, we can still believe in God’s goodness and love, for that’s what carries us through the most difficult of seasons.
We might be facing the toughest of times right now, but the truth is this, He's still given us breath for today. Jesus came to give us hope and freedom, He’s the very reason we can live with joy right in the battles and have peace that is unexplainable to the world. He's with us and will never leave or fail us. His love covers us, He gives us the strength to face every trial and obstacle with courage and grace. We can rest in the security that Truth brings.

No matter what you’re up against, be confident in God’s unchanging love for you, always. And it is written, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

[Suzuki Johnny]

Is Your Thought Life a Problem?
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” -Romans 12:2

Have you ever heard the statements, “you are what you think.” Or, “if you think you can’t, then you can’t!” These statements and many like them, reflect the observation that our thoughts are powerful. The things we think about can impact our lives in a significant and sometimes life-altering way.

It’s amazing how our thoughts can change things. Perspective matters. What we think about is HUGE. God talks about the importance of our thought life all throughout the scriptures. Our thoughts are undeniably important, and God has a design for our thought life. (See Romans 12:2.)

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, as this day unfolds before us hear our prayers, as we come before you. Let your will be done among us; let your will be done for each one of us individually, and for our time. Let everything go according to your will, even if the way leads through tribulation, fear, and need. Be with us guiding us in all we face as we go forth to serve you. We stand before you today in your presence to ask that You grant us strength. Give us the strength to power through all of the tasks today — whether little or big. It is by Your will that we live. In Christ we pray, Amen

[Suzuki Johnny]

Never Give Up through Unanswered Prayers
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. - Luke 18:1
Some believe if you ask God once, you don’t need to ask Him again. However, Jesus taught His disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1).

In one of His parables on prayer, Jesus proposed what you might do if a friend comes to you in the middle of the night seeking food for an unexpected guest. You might be tempted to tell him to go away because it’s late, and you and your family are in bed.

However, because he’s your friend and has so boldly approached and asked you for help, you most likely will get up and give him all He needs (Luke 11:5-8).