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7/29/2009 Praying the Names of God - July 29 
Week Five, Day Three
 The Name
The Hebrew word raah (RA-ah, from which yireh is derived) means “to see.” In this case, it is translated as “provide.” Since God sees the future as well as the past and the present, he is able to anticipate and provide for what is needed. Interestingly the English word “provision” is made up of two Latin words that mean “to see beforehand.” When you pray to Yahweh Yireh, you are praying to the God who sees the situation beforehand and is able to provide for your needs. Key Scripture
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:13–14) *** Wednesday
PRAYING THE NAME He [Abraham] bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven,“Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:9–12) Reflect On: Genesis 22:9–12 Praise God: Because he is highly exalted, glorious beyond our understanding. Offer Thanks: That God has pursued a relationship with you. Confess: Your tendency to shrink back when God asks something difficult. Ask God: For the grace to make the necessary sacrifice. This passage captures one of the most dramatic moments in the entire Bible. It’s a scene filled with tension. A man is about to slay his only son, not as act of cruelty or rage but out of homage to his God. The story shocks and bewilders. What kind of God would ask a man to do this? What kind of man would obey? The questions betray our ignorance. Seeing the story through human eyes, we miss the point and fail to see what it means to be God and what it means to be human. Why would God ask for such a sacrifice? Because he knows there is no other way for us to learn that he is God. When we put something on the altar, sacrificing it to him, we acknowledge two things: that he is God, and that we are not God. This is the worship we need to offer, the worship that will allow us to experience his provision for our lives. Each of us will be faced with Abraham’s dilemma, perhaps many times in our lives. In our case, it won’t be a matter of physically placing a child on an altar, but it may mean placing a child in God’s hands, forswearing our tendency to be a little god to that child, trying to control her universe and to keep her safe. If not a child, then something else—a relationship, a career, a gift, a dream. Whatever it is, if we offer it to God as Abraham offered his only son, we will begin to know God as Yahweh Yireh, the Lord who provides everything we need. Pray for the grace today to surrender your life again to God. Open your hands as you kneel before him as a symbol of your willingness to give him whatever he asks and to receive whatever you need.   For more from Ann, or to own your own copy of the Praying the Names of God / Praying the Names of Jesus devotionals, please visit www.annspangler.com.
7/27/2009 Every breath is a gift from God. Every second is another chance. Every word has a purpose. Every thought guides a dream.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for this new day and for all that is in it. I lift up my family and friends and ask that You surround them with Your love and protection. Lord, there is no one like You and I pray that You will be able to help me to consider what I say, what I do, what I think, and how I act that it may be glorifying to You. Lord, that my goals and commitments would be bigger than me showing my faith and allowing You to be a part of it and not just me working to achieve instead of abiding in faith in Your love. May today bring You praise and honor and glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
7/25/2009 Every breath is a gift from God. Every second is another chance. Every word has a purpose. Every thought guides a dream.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for this new day and for all that is in it. I lift up my family and friends and ask that You surround them with Your love and protection. Lord, there is no one like You and I pray that You will be able to help me to consider what I say, what I do, what I think, and how I act that it may be glorifying to You. Lord, that my goals and commitments would be bigger than me showing my faith and allowing You to be a part of it and not just me working to achieve instead of abiding in faith in Your love. May today bring You praise and honor and glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
7/21/2009 
Daniel 3; Psalm 82:1-4; Proverbs 15:33 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
"Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3 WORSHIP God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
He judges among the gods.
How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 82:1-4 WISDOM The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.
Proverbs 15:33  Would you like your own copy of this devotional?
Three Friends in a Furnace Daniel 3; Psalm 82:1-4; Proverbs 15:33 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
"Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3 WORSHIP God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
He judges among the gods.
How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 82:1-4 WISDOM The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.
Proverbs 15:33 Would you like your own copy of this devotional? 7/20/2009 Daniel's Life in Babylon Daniel 1:1-2:23; Psalm 81:11-13; Proverbs 15:32 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king." So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants." So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus. Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream." Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation." The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation." They answered again and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation." The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation." The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, "There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh." For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel. So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.
"I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king's demand."
Daniel 1:1-2:23 WORSHIP "But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
"Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!"
Psalm 81:11-13 WISDOM He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
Proverbs 15:32 Would you like your own copy of this devotional? 7/19/2009 What is being preached today in churches? Is everything that is in the Bible being preached? Are there parts being left our or omitted in exchange for getting more people in the door? Are people only getting part of the story? Are the preachers preaching the full meal deal – bringing all of the truths of the Bible to their people? Are the preachers afraid to preach about honoring a mother and father and as such miss out on celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? Are the preachers fearing man instead of God? If it is in the Bible, we should want it and pursue it. If it isn’t in the Bible, then it is a distraction from the truth. Where do you stand today? What do you hear in the preaching of today? Consider the Old Testament and what happened with the Israelites. Consider history and what happened when people either turned from God and His truth or pursued the things of the world instead of the things of God.
Today’s Reading:
Jeremiah Prays for Restoration Today’s Verses:
Lamentations 4-5; Psalm 81:1-4; Proverbs 15:31
Heavenly Father,
I thank You for a church family that seeks the truth, the full truth of the Word of God. I thank You for an outreaching, embracing, and discipling church. I thank You for a church that preaches the Word of God and believes that if it is in the Bible, we want it and if it isn’t we don’t. Lord, draw each of us closer to You today that we may look at where we are and compare it to Your Word. Help us to use Your Word as our foundation and our map. Let Your Word be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Let Your Word show me what I need to consider and what I need to reject. Let Your Word be my focus and help me to not be distracted by the things of the World. God, help me to respect those in authority over me. God, help me to respect the elders in my life. God, help me to honor those who honor is due. And through all this, not for my glory or my commendation, but Lord that You will receive all the praise and all the glory and all the honor, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise.
Proverbs 15:31 7/17/2009 Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and all that will be in it. I thank You for the incredible blessings and direction You have provided me since You brought me out of one country and into another. I praise You for the miraculous experience I was and and continue to be able to experience over all these years building up my faith and giving me testimonies that I can have and share with others to help build them up and encourage them when they face similar situations in their lives. God, I thank You for this vacation time as I know You will use it for great things and help my family and I to refocus and rejuvenate. I pray for clarity and wisdom on what to do, what to say, and how to lead. You are awesome Lord and I pray that You will provide me with the wisdom on mentors that I can approach as I move forward for You, in Jesus’ name I pray. And Lord, I will give You the praise, the honor, and the glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today's Devotional: Making the Lord our Banner Today's Verse: Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. - Exodus 17:15 Today’s Reading: Babylon to Be Destroyed Today’s Verses: Jeremiah 51:1-5,15-26,49-58; Psalm 80:4-7; Proverbs 15:29
WORSHIP O LORD God of hosts,
How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
Psalm 80:4-7 WISDOM The LORD is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 15:29 Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and all that will be in it. I thank You for the incredible blessings and direction You have provided me since You brought me out of one country and into another. I praise You for the miraculous experience I was and and continue to be able to experience over all these years building up my faith and giving me testimonies that I can have and share with others to help build them up and encourage them when they face similar situations in their lives. God, I thank You for this vacation time as I know You will use it for great things and help my family and I to refocus and rejuvenate. I pray for clarity and wisdom on what to do, what to say, and how to lead. You are awesome Lord and I pray that You will provide me with the wisdom on mentors that I can approach as I move forward for You, in Jesus’ name I pray. And Lord, I will give You the praise, the honor, and the glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today's Devotional: Making the Lord our Banner Today's Verse: Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. - Exodus 17:15 Today’s Reading: Babylon to Be Destroyed Today’s Verses: Jeremiah 51:1-5,15-26,49-58; Psalm 80:4-7; Proverbs 15:29
WORSHIP O LORD God of hosts,
How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
Psalm 80:4-7 WISDOM The LORD is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 15:29 7/16/2009 Heavenly Father, I thank You for all that You have done and for this incredible day. I thank You that there is nothing that is too big for You and nothing that surprises You. Lord, I praise You for all the miracles and plans You have ordained in my life. Forgive me Lord, for not being quick to give You the credit that You so deserve when You have blessed me. Forgive me Lord, for not having spoken Your praise when our team won an award that without Your divine appointments and direction we wouldn’t have had such an opportunity. God, I praise You for so many things You have done over the past 9 years, and pray You will grant me the wisdom and the courage to share with others all the great things You do and keep doing. God, I thank You for this new day and the revelations that You bring to me through my devotional and daily readings. I give You all the praise, the glory, and the honor, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Consider this challenges: - You are running for your life, a group of people are coming after you with weapons and the like and God says, stop, stand still and wait.
- A new problem comes up at work and that still quiet voice says to wait
- Someone calls you and asks for you to do something huge while at the same time that still quiet voice says wait
Consider now when Israel was released after years of slavery in Egypt. They made it all the way to the Red Sea and Pharaoh changed his mind. God said to wait as the people we call on Moses to do something. Imagine if they had a run towards the soldiers or try to find another way what might have happened. But as they waited God was able to bring them through a life changing experience, show them His love through a great and incredible miracle, and give them a testimony that exists to this day as the Red Sea parted and they walked across on dry ground and then closed back up on those who were coming to get them. So will we be obedient next time we get that check in our spirit – we hear that still quiet voice say – wait – and allow God to perform a miracle in our lives? Or will we do the easy thing and try to fix it or do it ourselves? It will be in your hands… What will you do? Will you pray and be obedient to what God tells you to do? Learning To Stand ..."Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...." - Exodus 14:13 WOW - The Big Picture 6/17 – The New Heaven and the new earth Isaiah 65:17-66:24; Psalm 71:14-16; Proverbs 14:31 Consider this challenges: - You are running for your life, a group of people are coming after you with weapons and the like and God says, stop, stand still and wait.
- A new problem comes up at work and that still quiet voice says to wait
- Someone calls you and asks for you to do something huge while at the same time that still quiet voice says wait
Consider now when Israel was released after years of slavery in Egypt. They made it all the way to the Red Sea and Pharaoh changed his mind. God said to wait as the people we call on Moses to do something. Imagine if they had a run towards the soldiers or try to find another way what might have happened. But as they waited God was able to bring them through a life changing experience, show them His love through a great and incredible miracle, and give them a testimony that exists to this day as the Red Sea parted and they walked across on dry ground and then closed back up on those who were coming to get them. So will we be obedient next time we get that check in our spirit – we hear that still quiet voice say – wait – and allow God to perform a miracle in our lives? Or will we do the easy thing and try to fix it or do it ourselves? It will be in your hands… What will you do? Will you pray and be obedient to what God tells you to do? Learning To Stand ..."Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...." - Exodus 14:13 WOW - The Big Picture 6/17 – The New Heaven and the new earth Isaiah 65:17-66:24; Psalm 71:14-16; Proverbs 14:31 7/15/2009 Heavenly Father,
I lift up this new day and celebrate for this is the day that You have made so I will rejoice and be glad in it. I thank You for yesterday and the time we spent together as a family. Lord, go before us today and prepare all that You have planned that we may follow after You and bring You honor and glory and praise in how we act and how we respond. I lift up my family to You that You would be with them today and help them to make right decisions and protect them from harm. God, when I think of the future, I am glad that You are with me, Your Word says that You will be closer than a brother, Your Word says that You will never leave me nor forsake me, Your Word says that You are the Good Shepherd, You lead me by green meadows and peaceful streams, Your rod and staff will guide and comfort me. Thank You Lord for this day and I look forward to spending it with You. May You receive all the praise, the honor, and the glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Title:
Jeremiah Taken to Egypt Today’s Verses:
Jeremiah 42:1-43:7; Psalm 79:11-13; Proverbs 15:27 7/14/2009
Devotional:
The Works of the Flesh Verse:
You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." - Deuteronomy 8:17
Don't let pride hide the true source of your provision. Don't let pride allow you to forget that that unless the Lord builds the house, the builder builds in vain. Where did your talents come from? Where did your purpose come from? It's not an accident, God knows your name, He knows your every thought, He sees each tear that falls and He hears you when you call. Look to the one who knows the beginning from the end. Seek Him with all of your heart, all of your mind, and all of your strength and see what you find and how He will be there for you.
Title: Governor Gedaliah Killed Reading: Jeremiah 40:7-41:18; Psalm 79:8-10; Proverbs 15:26
The power went out yesterday and I lost a large portion of that posting, but didn't want to miss posting at least a portion of what I can remember from it.
Title:
The Capture of Jerusalem and Burning of the Temple
Reading:
Jeremiah 39:1-18; 52:12-23; Psalm 78:70-72; Proverbs 15:25
Are you a part of the sheepfold?
Do you realize that the Good Shepherd
just wants what is best for you?
He sees the dangers and wants to keep you inside of the lines.
Inside the lines is where the game of life is played.
Inside the lines is where the game can be won.
It isn't that He doesn't want you to have fun,
it is that He wants you to be able to experience a good a life
and a life that is lived to the full. Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd and I have all that I need.
7/12/2009 Today's Reading: Jeremiah's Last Meeting with Zedekiah
Today's Verses: Jeremiah 38; Psalm 78:54-56; Proverbs 15:24
Courage and Confidence: Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and for the incredible week You provided to me and to the children who were able to attend RFKC (Royal Family Kids Camp). Lord, You brought across my path many children who I could relate to: a gentle giant - a boy who like me was very tall at a young age, a shy boy and girl who when called on to come to the front or perform were terrified as when I was a shy young boy not wanting to have anything to do with public speaking. God, I spoke hope and love to each of these any other children that You have great plans for them. I know God that You will be able to help them to become all that they are destined to be no matter the circumstances they have come from. Lord, Bless them and my family today and be glorified through all I say and do, in Jesus' name I will give You all the praise and all the honor and all the glory. Amen. 7/3/2009 Consider what you do. Consider how you do it. Consider where you've been. Consider where you are going. Consider what people see. Consider what people hear. Consider what people know.
Your EpitaphHe will bless those who fear the Lord- small and great alike. - Psalm 115:13
This isn’t the first time that I have read this devotional, nor the first time that I have considered the question. I have had thoughts, but haven’t made any progress towards defining it. I know that since I have come to the Lord in 2001 my life has changed. I knew about the Lord previously, but I didn’t feel the relationship part of it till Jan 2001. God took me where I was and help to transform me. He took all my selfish things and has started a new work in me. I am a new creation in Christ, the old is gone and the new has come. He takes away our pain and replaced it with joy. He removed the pain of being hit and replaced it with joy of not acting out in anger if someone happens hit me in the face as it had for decades earlier through a Cleansing Stream seminar. I found Him, because I search for Him with all my heart, my mind, and my strength and He drew me even closer through being saved, getting baptized in water and then through a spiritual emphasis week, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. God did it while I was still a new dad with our first child which has blessed not only my daughter, but also my wife and my next two children too. By spending time with God daily, He is able to reveal things and speak to my heart about what I am going through and what is coming my way. He spoke to me not only of my relating to Philip the Evangelist (daughters), but also to Abraham (son) when He spoke to me that He promised me a son as he had done with Abraham, which caused me to change the name if we had a son from Benjamin to Isaac. I was blessed by God bringing a friend into my life named Benjamin, however, my son is Isaac.
As I think of my life, I hope that I am remembered as: - a servant of the Lord
- a loving & dedicated husband
- a loving & dedicated father
- a loving & dedicated son
- a loving & dedicated brother
- a loving & dedicated friend
Blessing to each of you today and may the Lord speak to your hearts and minds about how best we can all serve and turn back to Him today. 7/2/2009 
Living for a Greater Cause • By Os Hillman I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13 What does it mean for workplace believers to live for a cause greater than themselves in our day and time? Jeremiah Lanphier was a businessman in New York City who asked God to do this in his life in 1857. In a small, darkened room, in the back of one of New York City's lesser churches, a man prayed alone. His request of God was simple, but earth-shattering: "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 337] He was a man approaching midlife without a wife or family, but he had financial means. He made a decision to reject the "success syndrome" that drove the city's businessmen and bankers. God used this businessman to turn New York City's commercial empire on its head. He began a businessmen's prayer meeting on September 23, 1857. The meetings began slowly, but within a few months 20 noonday meetings were convening daily throughout the city. The New York Tribune and the New York Herald issued articles of revival. It had become the city's biggest news. Now a full-fledged revival, it moved outside New York. By spring of 1858, 2,000 met daily in Chicago's Metropolitan Theatre, and in Philadelphia the meetings mushroomed into a four-month long tent meeting. Meetings were held in Baltimore, Washington, Cincinnati, Chicago, New Orleans, and Mobile. Thousands met to pray because one man stepped out. Annus Mirabilis, the year of national revival, had begun. This was an extraordinary move of God through one man. It was unique because the movement was lead by businessmen, a group long considered the least prone to any form of evangelical fervor, and it had started on Wall Street, the most unlikely of all places to begin. Could God do something extraordinary through you? Take a step. Ask God to do mighty things through you. ©2004 - 2009 Marketplace Leaders - All Rights Reserved.
WOW - The Big Picture 7/2 July 2 Jeremiah's Jar and Complaint Jeremiah 19-20; Psalm 77:1-2; Proverbs 15:14 Thus says the LORD: "Go and get a potter's earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests. And go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the Potsherd Gate; and proclaim there the words that I will tell you, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will bring such a catastrophe on this place, that whoever hears of it, his ears will tingle. "Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents (they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind), therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that this place shall no more be called Tophet or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hands of those who seek their lives; their corpses I will give as meat for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. I will make this city desolate and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the siege and in the desperation with which their enemies and those who seek their lives shall drive them to despair."' "Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, which cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury them in Tophet till there is no place to bury. Thus I will do to this place," says the LORD, "and to its inhabitants, and make this city like Tophet. And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods."'" Then Jeremiah came from Tophet, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.'" Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. And it happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. For thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword. Moreover I will deliver all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its precious things; all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, seize them, and carry them to Babylon. And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. You shall go to Babylon, and there you shall die, and be buried there, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied lies.'" O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded;
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
I am in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
For when I spoke, I cried out;
I shouted, "Violence and plunder!"
Because the word of the LORD was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name."
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not.
For I heard many mocking:
"Fear on every side!"
"Report," they say, "and we will report it!"
All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,
"Perhaps he can be induced;
Then we will prevail against him,
And we will take our revenge on him."
But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
But, O LORD of hosts,
You who test the righteous,
And see the mind and heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For I have pleaded my cause before You.
Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD!
For He has delivered the life of the poor
From the hand of evildoers.
Cursed be the day in which I was born!
Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!
Let the man be cursed
Who brought news to my father, saying,
"A male child has been born to you!"
Making him very glad.
And let that man be like the cities
Which the LORD overthrew, and did not relent;
Let him hear the cry in the morning
And the shouting at noon,
Because he did not kill me from the womb,
That my mother might have been my grave,
And her womb always enlarged with me.
Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame? Jeremiah 19-20 WORSHIP I cried out to God with my voice-
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
Psalm 77:1-2 WISDOM The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
Proverbs 15:14 7/1/2009 WOW - The Big Picture 7/1 July 1 The Lesson of the Potter and the Clay Jeremiah 18; Psalm 76:8-10; Proverbs 15:13 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words." Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. "Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good." '" And they said, "That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart." Therefore thus says the LORD: "Ask now among the Gentiles,
Who has heard such things?
The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.
Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon,
Which comes from the rock of the field?
Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters? "Because My people have forgotten Me, They have burned incense to worthless idols.
And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways,
From the ancient paths,
To walk in pathways and not on a highway,
To make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And shake his head.
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy;
I will show them the back and not the face
In the day of their calamity."
Then they said, "Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words." Give heed to me, O LORD,
And listen to the voice of those who contend with me!
Shall evil be repaid for good?
For they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember that I stood before You
To speak good for them,
To turn away Your wrath from them.
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine,
And pour out their blood
By the force of the sword;
Let their wives become widows
And bereaved of their children.
Let their men be put to death,
Their young men be slain
By the sword in battle.
Let a cry be heard from their houses,
When You bring a troop suddenly upon them;
For they have dug a pit to take me,
And hidden snares for my feet.
Yet, LORD, You know all their counsel
Which is against me, to slay me.
Provide no atonement for their iniquity,
Nor blot out their sin from Your sight;
But let them be overthrown before You.
Deal thus with them
In the time of Your anger.
Jeremiah 18 WORSHIP You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was still,
When God arose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
Psalm 76:8-10 WISDOM A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13
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