Christian Daily Devotionals

by Marilyn Ehle
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“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.� 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

While we want to be people of prayer, many of us find it difficult to keep our oft-repeated promise: “I’ll be praying for you.� The more disciplined among us maintain a prayer list or notebook and faithfully record both requests and answers. Unfortunately, the practice of prayer is one that frequently slips through the cracks of our busy lives.

Recently a friend wrote that every time she breaks an egg into a frying pan, she recalls a bit of egg-cooking advice I gave her over 50 years ago…and she prays for me! That simple prayer reminder spurred me to creative thinking about my own prayer life. While I take time daily to be quiet with God, pray for friends and family and urgent needs that have come to my attention, perhaps it is also time to use my friend’s “egg method.�

When I fold clothes fresh from the dryer, I often think about my elderly friend, June, who meticulously folded every item of clothing and linen when we stayed in her home. Ah, a perfect time to bring her now frail body before the Great Physician. Many years ago another friend gave me a timesaving hint about ironing shirts—now I pray for this friend as my iron glides over my husband’s shirts. The newspaper becomes another prayer journal. As I read of rebel attacks, over-populated refugee camps, natural disasters in far off countries, I bring these people to the only true peacemaker.

I am making it a habit to slowly and carefully look at the pictures of a woman living under a ragged canvas tarp or a child listlessly leaning on his mother’s shoulder. Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, wrote these words inside the cover of his Bible: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.�

Whether everyday acts that remind us of friends, or news reports of needs far too vast for me to imagine their solutions, God has called me to be a person of prayer.

Jesus, I imagine you not only getting away to mountainsides for private conversations with the God of the universe, but also maintaining a daily dialogue with the One you loved. Help me do the same.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/05/me_prayer/

By Katherine Kehler
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"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready" Revelation 19:7

I had never really thought much about the subject of the church being the bride of Christ. Oh sure, I heard sermons and even read about it -- but didn't stop to think about it.

Then I went to a bridal shower for a young friend of mine. We had been spending time together during her courtship and it was rewarding to watch the relationship blossom. Driving to the shower, the bride was sewing beads on the bodice of her wedding dress -- hundreds of beads. She was working hard at looking beautiful for the groom. She would never have thought of walking down the aisle in dirty, torn jeans and oily hair. Brides buy (or make) everything new and beautiful -- they want to look their best. 

When Jesus, the Groom, comes to meet His bride (the people who are called by His name) will be ready for Him – they will clean and dazzling because our radiance comes from within -- Jesus Christ directing and empowering us.

David Hazard, in his book, quotes Teresa of Avila regarding the brightness of Christ within us: "It is true that the soul which has once rooted itself in Christ can never lose all the brightness of its King. Once the splendid Son of Righteousness has come into the central throne room (the throne of our heart), the castle can never lose it bright glory. And yet, by our foolish neglect, and by our willful sins, we drape the whole castle with a black pall."

Think of the grimy film that develops on the windows of our houses or cars. Picture tarnished silver or brass. That is what sin does to our souls. It prevents the radiance (Psalm 34:5) of Christ from shining through. 

But we can change that. We can become radiant again. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Notice the “all unrighteousness�?   Do you need a good washing?

Reading the article, Spiritual Oxygen, will teach you how to continue to have a clean heart.   http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/meditating/sw_oxygen.htm

Let us be radiant brides for our Lord!

~ Father, like any bride, we are looking forward to meeting our Groom. Give us the grace to keep ourselves shining like stars in the universe (Philippians 2:15) and radiant as we look to You (Psalm 34:5). Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/06/17/kk_bride/

by Alec Niemi
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We visited very dear friends last week who have always been a blessing to us. They have prayed for us for years. The Lord has blessed them as well with wonderful family and friends. And even after retiring they have been blessed with relatively good, active and healthy lives. They are always serving their church, family and friends in ever practical ways.

We arrived at their home just after they had returned from the doctors office. The doctor had informed them that he has cancer and six months to a year to live. His response to us was all about making sure his wife was taken care of and rejoicing in having family that would be there for her. "It's in the Lord's hands," he said. Then he took me out into his garden and gave us some rhubarb plants...

We can pray for a miracle, we can pray that God's 'will' be done, we can pray that there will be little suffering, we can pray that the Lord will wrap His Holy Spirit around them and their family and give them peace and we can pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God for my friends, giving thanks for blessing them and using them to bless others even in these later days of their lives.

And it reminds me that I don't say thank you often enough to my friends for being part of my life. It is the mosaic of people like you in my life that makes me who I am. So thank you, my friend, for being a blessing to me.

My prayer for you this week:

"Lord I pray that you will bless the latter part of our lives more than the first just as you did for Job. Amen." Job 42:14

Have a great week.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/05/23/an_friends/

by Rod Marshall
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"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28(ESV)

I hoped that being a Christian might save me from living in a marred world. Now I can say, in as far as I have the direction, peace and protection of God: it is true. In as far as, I still see, know and have, bad things happen: it is false. This can seem a bit of an insult at times, as when a friend of mine was murdered or a work colleague committed suicide.

Unsuspecting, I soak up the world on my way to glory; I become captivated by its unwanted attentions and temptations and fail. Yet, I am called not to withdraw from life, to pass by on the other side of the road and avert my gaze. I am to be whom God has made me: fragile, fallible and dependent on Him in the mess and muck of life but not sucked in by it.

Jesus incarnate lived, ate and breathed in the midst of the mire of this world (Eg, Jesus eats with sinners Mark 2:15-16). He experienced the full range of emotional pain and suffering including his betrayal by Judas (Eg, last supper – Matthew 26:21-31). So failure comes as no surprise to Jesus because He has seen it all before.

However, this is not the whole story because I also succeed. Like Zacchaeus (cf. Luke 19:6) I rejoice in being accepted as a follower of Christ.

Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into the surrounding countryside and heal the sick, deliver people from evil and most of all to proclaim the coming Kingdom of God. How excited they were about the events they had experienced. On their return, Jesus reminded them of a more important issue:

Luke 10:20:- "…rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (ESV)

Without our names written in the Book of Life, all the rest counts for nothing both then and now!

PRAYER: LORD, before we go out into the world once more today, grant us Your focus on what is important to You and Your vision for us to see how we can bring Your Kingdom's Light to bear in our hearts and where we are. Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/03/03/rm_life/
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