Let Us Adore

Do we truly appreciate God?
Do we truly adore Him in our lives?

He deserves every praise of His people. Whether in good or bad times, He still remains faithful. The moment we wake up everyday, it should be our hearts desire to give Him all the praise and adoration He deserves.

I am a huge fan of Hillsong and they have this song entitled "Let Us Adore". This is one of my favorite worship songs and I pray that it may touch your heart as you listen. This song is not just about music and entertainment, its about giving God all adoration.

Effective Prayer for Others

READ | Colossians 1:11-14


One of the disciples saw Jesus praying and made the request, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). If Christ’s close associate needed instruction, surely we, too, must learn about prayer.

Thankfully, there are many examples in Scripture for us to follow. For instance, Paul’s first-century requests for the people of Colossae are still applicable today.

One such request was that these people would know God (v. 10). In other words, he wanted them to grow in the Lord and not stagnate in their faith. This transformation takes place by studying the Word, applying biblical principles, and observing the consequences of obedience.

Another plea was for the Colossians to experience God’s power (v. 11). The apostle wanted them to have the Lord’s supernatural energy and the strength they needed to carry out His will. What is impossible by man’s effort becomes possible when believers rely on God. Then the glory rightly goes to Him.

Finally, Paul asked that they would give thanks joyously (vv. 11-12). This indicates his hope that they would exhibit the proper attitude, expressing gratefulness even during difficult situations.

In church, we often hear people asking for prayer. And many believers make a prayer list so they don’t forget to intercede for certain individuals during the week. Using the apostle Paul’s example, we can be confident that we are praying for those on our lists in a manner that pleases the Lord and is in line with His will.



From: InTouch - Early Light Devotionals

Brag About That!

“Don’t praise yourself. Let someone else do it.”
Proverbs 27:2


Demanding respect is like chasing a butterfly. Chase it, and you’ll never catch it. Sit still, and it may light on your shoulder. The French philosopher Blaise Paschal asked, “Do you wish people to speak well of you? Then never speak well of yourself.” Maybe that’s why the Bible says, “Don’t praise yourself. Let someone else do it.”

Do you feel a need for affirmation? Does your self-esteem need attention? You don’t need to drop names or show off. You need only to pause at the base of the cross and be reminded of this: The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that is a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that.


From: Max Lucado

Impulsiveness or Discipleship?

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith . . . — Jude 20


There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the lines of our own nature, not along the lines of God’s nature. Impulsiveness is a trait of the natural life, and our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple. Watch how the Spirit of God gives a sense of restraint to impulsiveness, suddenly bringing us a feeling of self-conscious foolishness, which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulsiveness is all right in a child, but is disastrous in a man or woman—an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person. Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline.

Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he "followed Him at a distance" on dry land ( Mark 14:54 ). We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises—human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes.


From: RBC - Utmost For His Highest

The Renovator

Even when we were dead through our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ.
- Ephesians 2:5 (NRSV)


THE shack my wife and I had bought in Tasmania required major renovations. Still, the place was ours. We replaced rotten timber and old plaster and removed debris. We repainted the place. It took time, effort, and money, but it became our home.

It struck me that God does something like this for us. God bought us with the blood Jesus shed on Calvary. Though we were worse than a shack (according to Eph. 2:1-3 and Rom. 5:6-11), God saw the beauty of a temple in us.

When God gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, we needed a lot of renovating. God has a master plan by which to work, a goal for each of us. We are to be transformed into Christ's likeness. (See 2 Cor. 3:18.)

Throughout scripture we read stories of God's renovations in the heart, mind, priorities, and relationships of people. Similar replacing, repairing, and rebuilding can happen within us. But unlike us with our shack, God requires our cooperation to achieve that transformation. Yet God is gracious and patient with us. The result glorifies God, blesses others, and makes us eternally grateful.


Prayer
We praise you, Lord, for your work in our lives. Amen.



From: UpperRoom Devotionals - Raymond N. Hawkins