Christian Daily Devotionals

by Vonette Bright

Friend, God can open the hardest heart.  Here’s one example:

Our film team sought government permission before preparing to show the JESUS Film in Africa.

For security reasons, an official insisted they show the film in the government compound.

But the compound guard refused to allow them to set up.

When the official heard this, he fired the guard immediately.

Well, the film team begged the official to have mercy on the guard, until the official finally relented.

After the JESUS Film was shown that day, the guard prayed to receive Christ!

Dear one, God opened the guard’s hardened heart to hear the message about Christ’s love.
But God used the film team’s act of kindness and mercy to do His will.
Be bold for Jesus and show mercy to those near you!

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/02/28/vb_surgery/
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by Darren Hewer

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus".  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Have you ever noticed how often thanksgiving and prayer are mentioned together in the Bible? In the same breath that Paul encourages us to “pray continually,” and also says we should “give thanks in all circumstances”. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17) Author Paul E. Miller, in his book A Praying Life (pg. 89-90), collected over a dozen verses where the apostle Paul explicitly connects thanksgiving and prayer. Here is a sample:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. Philippians 4:6

“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers”. 1 Thessalonians 1:2

“I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers” 2 Timothy 1:3

“I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers”  Philemon 4

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” Colossians 4:2

Prayer itself sometimes will be a struggle, as Paul admits when he explains how Epaphras has been struggling in prayer for their friends in Colossi. (Colossians 4:12) However, by always praying with thanksgiving, we can remain encouraged by remembering what God has done and what He promises He will continue to do. By matching prayer of thanksgiving with prayer of intercession, we will not be weighed down by the prayer needs of others (or ourselves) but instead will balance these needs with the assurance of how God has already provided and will continue to provide for us. In this way, we can, as Paul also encourages, “be joyful always”. (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

Even when we are praying for help in the midst of deep distress and struggle, give thanks to the God who has sustained and will sustain us always!

Questions: What are you thankful for today? What would you like to ask God for, in a spirit of thanksgiving?

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/02/23/dh_thanksgiving-prayer/

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon. Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

“God, even our own God.” Psalm 67:6

It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God Himself. Though He is “our own God,” we rarely take our problems to Him, and ask little of Him. Seldom do we seek counsel at the hands of the Lord. In fact, we often we go about our daily lives without seeking His guidance!

In our troubles we constantly strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord so that He will sustain us. We can take our problems to God, for the Lord seems to say, “I am yours, come and make use of me as you need; you may come freely to use my resources, and to Me, the welcome offerer.”

It is our own fault if we don’t make use of the riches of our God. Since you have such a friend, and He invites you, draw from Him daily. Never crave spiritual nourishment when you have such a great God to go to; never fear or faint while you have God to help you. Go to your treasure and take whatever you need – there is all that you can want. Learn the divine skill of making God all things to you. He can supply you with all, or, better still, He can simply “be” to you instead of all.

Let me urge you, then, to make use of your God. Make use of Him in prayer. Go to Him often, because He is your God. Who would disdain to use so great a privilege? Fly to Him, tell Him all your wants. Use Him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark thoughts are clouding your mind, use thy God as a “sun”. If someone is causing you harm, find in God a “shield”. For He is a sun and shield to His people. If you have lost your way in the mazes of life, use Him as a “guide” for He will direct your steps. Whatever you are, and wherever you are, remember God is just what you want, and just where you want, and that He can do all you want.

Questions: Do you sometimes find it difficult to pray? What prevents you from having a more active prayer life?

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/02/19/cs_what-you-want/
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by Darren Hewer

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

I love the Bible. It’s God’s Word, our ultimate source of truth. It contains not only the grand story of the beginning of time and space and our Earth, but also the intimate story of God’s people, and the glorious coming of God’s Son Jesus Christ for our salvation.

But even so, I find that there are times in my life when my daily Bible reading becomes merely routine, if I happen to do it at all. In fact, sometimes I wonder about the Bible: Couldn’t God have given us a more efficient manual? What I mean is, it sometimes seems so complicated. Did you know that the Bible has 66 books, containing 1,189 chapters and 31,170 verses? Instead of 17 major and minor prophets, for example, maybe we could have been given a list of the top 10 marriage tips instead?

Then I think: God didn’t want to give us the kind of book that you read once and put on the shelf. He wasn’t interested in giving us a pamphlet. God wanted to give us something that would engage us and continue to challenge us for a lifetime. He, in His infinite wisdom, gave us a book that was so deep that we could read it every hour of every day of our entire lives and still not exhaust its wisdom.

If you’ve spent any serious amount of time reading the Bible you can probably attest to how you’ve read a passage a dozen or more times before, but somehow this time, it hits you in a totally new way as God illuminates your mind to deeper meaning and fuller understanding. “How did I not see it before?” you think. And it’s so amazing how deep this book is!

God Himself is like that: Our great God isn’t someone of whom you could say, “Oh, God? Yeah, I met him once, I think.” God is so amazingly great that it’s a lifelong process to know Him. He wants us not to just know ABOUT Him, but to know Him intimately. And for that, a simple pamphlet won’t do.

God, we thank you for your Word, the wisdom of which can never be exhausted!

Question: How has your Bible reading been lately? Is it time to begin to re-read it with “new eyes”?

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/01/23/dh_bible/
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