2022-07-21
Philippians 4:6 CEV
God’s Word clearly tells us to “pray about everything.” Today, science is beginning to recognise the value and the power of prayer. Researchers investigating the role of faith in health are discovering evidence that’s hard to refute. For example, a 2014 study conducted by The Mind Health Report confirmed that people who engage in private prayer, intercessory prayer, and church activities are healthier and live longer.
Here are some additional benefits: (1) Florida State University researchers found that praying for somebody increases your readiness to forgive them. When a group of men and women prayed for the well-being of a close friend every day for four weeks, they were more willing to forgive not only the friend but people in general. Forgiveness is associated with better overall health and satisfaction with life.
(2) University of Miami researchers discovered that prayer and religious practices improve your ability to pursue and achieve long-term goals. Prayer affects regions in your brain that improve self-control, and people who view their goals as sacred are more determined to attain them.
(3) A research study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison concluded that victims of abusive relationships recovered a positive self-image and reduced their emotional pain when their lives included prayer.
(4) Columbia University researchers found that people who value religion and regularly attend church are 90 percent less likely to suffer from depression than their nonreligious peers. That’s pretty strong evidence in favour of prayer, wouldn’t you say?
Soul food: Acts 8-9; Matt 27:1-10; Ps 140; Prov 16:3
2022-07-20
Genesis 22:10 NKJV
We are not all tested in the same ways, but we’ll be tested on the same issues. Consider Abraham. After waiting for twenty years, God gave him a son destined to “father… many nations” (Genesis 17:5 KJV). Then God told him to sacrifice that boy on a remote wilderness altar. It didn’t make sense because it contradicted God’s promise, yet Abraham obeyed.
Now, it’s unlikely you’ll be called to face the same challenges as Abraham, but, rest assured, you’ll be tested on the same issues. For example, you’ll be tested on your level of commitment. When the going gets tough, will you stay committed to God and obey His Word, or will you look for a way out? When it doesn’t make sense, isn’t fair, and you don’t deserve it, will you trust God and remain faithful to Him?
You’ll be tested on the issue of who is in control of your life. When you can see the hand of the Enemy at work or identify the person responsible for your predicament, pressure, or pain, will you remember that “all things work together for good” and God is still running the show? (See Romans 8:28.)
Another area where you’ll be tested is on the issue of your faith. When it looked like God was reneging on his promise, yet “by faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac” (Hebrews 11:17 NKJV). How could a loving father do such a thing? Because he never doubted that God could raise Isaac up, “even from the dead” (v. 9 NKJV). So when you’re tested, “hold fast the profession of [your] faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.)” (Hebrews 10:23 KJV).
Soul food: Acts 6-7; Matt 26:57-75; Ps 133; Prov 16:2
2022-07-19
Isaiah 65:22 NIV
In 1968 a scientist discovered a six-hundred-year-old necklace in an Indian grave. It was made up of seeds which had been strung together. He planted one of those seeds, and guess what happened: It sprouted and grew. Although the seed had been dormant for six hundred years, it still had the potential for life.
Maybe you have been a Christian for years and have been spiritually dormant for most of that time, but now you would like to be productive. You desire to be fruitful. The good news is, it’s not too late! You can begin right now. “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree… planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock'” (Psalm 92:12-15 NIV).
Did you know that a palm tree produces its greatest harvest of fruit in its final years? That can be your destiny too. “For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.” That Scripture means bunions, bifocals, and baldness notwithstanding, your last season of life can be your greatest season of life. It may take you longer to do what you do, but fueled with the wisdom of God’s Word and the years you have walked with Him, you can still make a mark for God in this world.
Soul food: Acts 3:11-5:42; Matt 26:47-56; Ps 123; Prov 16:1
2022-07-18
Ecclesiastes 4:9 KJV
Sportswriter Rick Reilly gave rookie professional athletes this advice: “Stop thumping your chest. The line blocked, the quarterback threw you a perfect spiral while getting his head knocked off, and the good receiver drew the double coverage. Get over yourself!” During twenty-seven years coaching his ten-time national-champion UCLA basketball teams, Coach John Wooden reminded them, “It takes ten hands to score a basket.”
His message lines up perfectly with Solomon’s counsel: “Two are better than one”! No one realises his or her best potential on their own. God’s Word and life itself teach us that living is designed to be a team sport. In the very beginning, God established this principle: “It is not good for the man [or woman] to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18 NIV).
Being the “lone ranger” was never God’s intention for us. Loneliness is a killer. Companionship is the elixir of life. In Ecclesiastes 4:1-12, Solomon talks about the value of human relationships in a challenging and difficult world. And teacher Philip De Courcy tells us that biblical wisdom embraces “a theology of we” and “rejects a theology of me” (See Philippians 2:4).
To win in life, we need to commit ourselves to (a) resisting the “go-it-alone” spirit that often characterises our culture, (b) cultivating meaningful relationships and learning to treasure our friends, (c) staying closely connected to the members of the body of Christ, (d) reaching out to the lonely and the fallen, and (e) going out of our way to demonstrate the nature of real friendship (See Proverbs 17:17; Hebrews 10:24-25; Luke 10:25-37; John 15:13). Blazing your own trail is a dead-end street. Life shared is life fully lived!
Soul food: Acts 1:1-3:10; Matt 26:36-46; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 15:33
2022-07-17
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
Have you heard of stress dots? They are little pressure-sensitive dots that you place on your hand. As adrenaline changes in your body, the dots change color and reveal if you are under stress. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a tiny internal warning light that informed us every time our focus was off the Lord? Or if we had a small beep or signal light that cautioned us we were out of tune with God? We do!
It’s known as tension, or stress. Becoming tense is a sure indication that we have taken our eyes off the Lord and set them on circumstances. We are staring at the problem rather than the solution. And when we do that, we are going to get tense. When you think about it, stress can be God’s way of saying, “Get your focus in line: Look at me.” The Bible says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” You have the choice of focusing on your troubles or focusing on the One who holds the solution.
Corrie ten Boom wrote: “The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God. If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” It’s what you concentrate on that decides your amount of peace. So when trouble comes, focus on God’s presence; He is with you, and He has promised that He will never leave you (See Hebrews 13:5).
Soul food: Gen 5:22-24; Heb 11:5; 2 Kings 2:1-12; Acts 1:9-11
2022-07-16
John 15:16 NIV
Ever wonder how some people are able to accomplish so much? What makes them so productive? Fast-forward to the end of your own life. What will it take for you to be able to say, “I led a productive life. I accomplished what I set out to do”? What do you consider to be a productive life? More importantly, do you know God’s definition of a productive life?
Let’s consider what it means to be a fruitful Christian. The word “fruit” occurs sixty-six times in the New Testament. Three different kinds of fruit are referred to: the kind we eat – figs and grapes; biological fruit – infants; and spiritual fruit – Christ-like character. The Bible defines this spiritual fruit as nine things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (See Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).
Now you know the kind of fruit that God wants produced in your life. That’s how He defines a productive life. Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8 NIV). The proof that you are a disciple of Jesus is that you bear spiritual fruit. Perhaps you’re a good “fruit inspector” when it comes to examining the lives of others. But what kind of fruit is growing in your own life? Are you growing more carnal or more Christ-like?
To know how fruitful you are, examine what’s growing in your life. If you like what you see, keep doing what you’re doing. If you don’t, get down on your knees and pray, “Father, help me to bring forth fruit that glorifies you.”
Soul food: Joel 1-3; Matt 26:26-35; Ps 118:10-18; Prov 15:31-32
