thoughts by Phil Ware Archives - Page 2 of 23

Published November 23, 2023

Search Me

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

Thought

God does know us. We cannot pretend we are something we are not with him. He knows us — inside and out, through and through. This should liberate us to share a remarkable degree of intimacy with him, but most of us run from such a close relationship with our Father. If our desire, however, is to become more like him, the only way to be transformed is by inviting him in to look at our hearts, our motivations, and our desires.

Prayer

O God, I know you are the one who “searches hearts and minds.” Yet because of the grace you demonstrated in Jesus, I am confident that you love me. My heart is sorry for the sin I have committed, but I am really trying to serve you in honor and purity. Please fill me with your Spirit to enable me to become more like Christ. In the name of your holy Son I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Praying for You

“Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9

Thought

When we hear of Christians in other places, especially where circumstances and times are difficult, or they are new in the Faith, let’s intentionally and purposefully pray this prayer for them!

Prayer

Loving Father please bless my brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Strengthen those under attack and facing oppression. Mature those new to your family. Enlighten those who are facing doubt and uncertainty. Please bless your people today with peace. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”— Matthew 6:25

Worries are many, and they all seem to trouble our hearts around bill time or tax time, don’t they? Jesus reminded us that life is more than food, clothes, or money. The real question is whether we can live like life is more than food, clothes, and money! We are easily deceived, like Esau, who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Let’s not sell out what is precious to us for the allure of what will most likely end in difficulty and entanglements. So much of what the world pursues ? and the devil tempts us to pursue ? doesn’t have eternal value.

Generous Father, banish fear and selfishness from my heart. I know you have already provided the most incredible gift of all time, Jesus. Please help me pursue you and your will, not the things that choke your presence out of my life and distract me from what is eternal. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

To Love Others

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Thought

We love others because God has first loved us. Our Heavenly Father taught us how to love in Jesus. Our Abba Father has given us security and confidence so we can love more fully. Our Holy and Almighty God loved us boldly and sacrificially so we could properly understand and define love. We are not the source of love: God is. We are not the great example of love: God is. We tend to be careful and share our love with only those with whom we want to share it: God’s love is expansive and open to all. We love because he first loved us.

Prayer

Forgive me, Righteous Father, for the times that I have been careful and guarded with my love of your children. Please help me to love others as you have loved me. I ask especially for today, that I might touch someone’s life with love that especially needs it whether they respond favorably to that love or not. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Speaking the Truth

“Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

Thought

Our goal as believers is to mature into the full presence of Jesus Christ in the world by being his unified Body of believers. This challenging goal can only be accomplished if we speak the truth — God’s Spirit-inspired message — and do so with an attitude of love. How can we expect to convey the message of God’s love which sent Jesus if we don’t live that love ourselves?

Prayer

Almighty and sacrificial God, please help me capture all my impure motives and ungodly attitudes and clothe them in your love. I need the purifying and transforming presence of the Holy Spirit even more powerfully present in my life each day, so please fill me and make the Spirit’s fruit more real in my attitudes and actions. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
used by permission

You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalms 46:10

Thoughts on today’s verse

History tells me it has been true! Faith trusts it will be true eternally! Reverent silences, a pause in the hectic rush of our lives, reminds us that it is true today.

Prayer:

O Father in heaven, may your name be revered and held holy in my life and my world today. Your will be done, your reign on earth come with power and might and finality, just as it has already come in heaven. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.’

by Phil Ware
used by permission.

From: http://www.heartlight.org
You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

My Great Delight

“Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.” Joel 2:23

Thought

“The prayers go up and the blessings come down...” The words to this children’s song are only half right, because God sends his blessings many times even when we don’t pray. But just as we love the special smell that comes with a drought breaking rain, God loves the aroma of his children’s joy, especially when he is the source of its delight!

Prayer

Holy God and tender Father, you are my great delight. When all others fail, you are still God. You are my rock and fortress, you are my tender shepherd, and you are my solid mountain that cannot be shaken or moved. Your blessings and grace shower down upon me and fill me with joy. I can’t wait for the day I get to see you face to face and delight in your presence forever. Until then, I will rejoice in anticipation. In Jesus’ glorious name I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by permission

From: http://www.heartlight.org

He Knows the Way I Take

“He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.” Job 23:10-11

Thought

How we long for this to be our true confession. We are not yet gold, but long to be. We are not yet fully following his steps, but are trying. We have tried to not turn aside, but we sometimes falter. Thank God for his grace until our intentions and desires are fulfilled in our discipleship!

Prayer

Magnificent Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, I confess my sin and my inadequacy in following your paths. Forgive me as I commit my life to serve you in holiness and joy. Thank you for your grace which covers my sin and perfect in me the character of Jesus. Through him I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

From: http://www.verseoftheday.com

I Am Made by God

“You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” — Psalm 139:13-14

Thought

I am made by God! You are made by God. Just as surely as ANYone has been made by God, we have been made by God. He knew us before anyone knew we were there. He had plans for us before anyone planned our arrival. And he made us well! How do we know? Look at all God has made.

Prayer

God Almighty, my Savior and Redeemer, thank you for knowing me before I was able to know. Thank you for choosing my life and giving it to me. Thank you for giving me the gifts, abilities and talents that you have given me. Now please help me live as if I was made special by you, because I am! Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Show Me Your Ways

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

Life can be so confusing. We have many choices as we decide the values governing our lives. So how will we find the best way ? and much more importantly, God’s way ? to live? We ask God to show us! Our hope is in him. Our salvation is in him. So why not ask him to guide us and teach us his truth? Why not expect that he will make his will known to us? If our hearts are open to his truth and we seek his path, he will make his will known. So, as we seek the answers to our questions, and as we seek to know God’s truth from the Scriptures, let’s invite God to help us:

O mighty God, the only accurate guide to life, please help me know your will more completely. I want to live for you and to please you. I want others to know of my allegiance to you not just through the words I speak but also through the character of my conduct. I want my life to demonstrate that you are guiding me, and my hope is in you! In Jesus’ name, I ask this. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission
You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Secret of Contentment

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12

Thought

Contentment! Mmmm, I’d like to have a little of that! How about you? Paul was in prison when he wrote those words. I want the peace and joy from Jesus that assures contentment in any situation! However, I find it hard to be contented about almost anything. My performance is not up to par. My weight isn’t where it should be. My words were a little insensitive in the last conversation. No one seems to recognize I am even a part of the conversation. It’s easy for me, and also bet for you, to slip into recognizing what we don’t have financially and then pursue that instead of thanking God for our blessings. But before money, possessions, health, or any other thing can be truly enjoyed, we first must learn that contentment is not based on our circumstances but on our salvation and the presence of Jesus in our lives and futures.

Prayer

Almighty and generous God, you are the giver of all good gifts, so now I want your help to find my contentment in Jesus. Deep in my heart, I believe no blessing can compare to being your child, lovingly known personally by you, and having my future secure with you in Jesus! I thank you in Jesus’ name and look forward to this contentment. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Let Us Bow Down

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” Psalm 95:6-7

Thoughts on today’s verse

Worship is more than our heart, soul, and words offered to God. It’s our posture. When we understand the grace he has given us to be called his children, what else can we do but bow down. We come to him as a conquering ruler in full submission, and he chooses to treat us tenderly, like a loving shepherd.

Prayer:

Pastor of my soul, I come to you seeking your protection and rest as one of your sheep, often harried and driven by life’s pressures and temptations. But I come to you, not demanding, but submitting myself to be used for your glory — not just today, but for the rest of my life. In Jesus I pray. Amen.

by Phil Ware
used by permission

By Phil Ware from http://www.heartlight.org

In Everything You Do

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Thought

Ah! The “Golden Rule” is so straightforward, isn’t it? Sometimes we make things, especially religious things, far too complicated and complex. I love the Bible because it is so often practical and plain when God deals with our behavior. You want to know how to treat someone? Then do for them what would be a blessing if it was done to you! If it wouldn’t bless, encourage, build up, support, comfort, or help you, then don’t do it to them. If it would hurt, wound, depress, spite, or discourage you, then don’t do it to them. Treat others with the same dignity, kindness, love, respect, and tenderness with which you would like to be treated. Simple to understand; revolutionary to do!

Prayer

Almighty God, thank you for making some things so simple to understand. Please fill my heart with your love as I try to live the “Golden Rule” in my relationships. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

Reflect Jesus

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:10

Thought
Jesus came so that the last could be first, the sick could be healed, the sinners could be saved, and the lost could be found. That was his purpose: to fix that which was broken — not just us, but our world, our humanity, and all that goes with it. So how can we wear the name of Jesus and not live with his passion and purpose toward what we see lost in our world?

Prayer
O loving Father and Almighty God, please stir a holy passion in your people, and especially in me, so that we may more nearly reflect Jesus’ purpose in our lives, our families, and our churches. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
used by permission.

Daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Our Confidence

“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36

Thoughts on today’s verse

Boy there are some tough times in life! They’re inescapable. That’s when our confidence in the Lord’s salvation and our relationship with him get tested! It is one thing to sing “it is well with my soul” at the end of a peel-the-paint worship service, but it is quite another to be able to sing it when they auction your house off at the courthouse steps or you’ve lost a child to death. That’s when the commitment to be who we want to be overrides the weakness of what we feel. Faith can’t take a holiday when we travel through the suburbs of hell or we’ll never find our way out. So don’t throw it away. Be like Job or Jeremiah who both argued and complained to God. Just don’t quit.

Prayer:

Holy and Almighty God, today is a good day. But I am profoundly aware that some of those I love are wrestling with throwing away their confidence in your love, mercy, grace, peace, and deliverance. Please use me, but even more I pray that you use your Holy Spirit to renew their hearts. I pray that you intervene directly to change the course of events and give them relief. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

by Phil Ware
Used by Permission

You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com

Search Me

Further Reading

Praying for You

Further Reading

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”— Matthew 6:25

Further Reading

To Love Others

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Further Reading

Speaking the Truth

“Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

Further Reading

Be Still

Further Reading

My Great Delight

“Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.” Joel 2:23

Further Reading

He Knows the Way I Take

Further Reading

I Am Made by God

Further Reading

Show Me Your Ways

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

Further Reading

Secret of Contentment

Thought

Prayer

Further Reading

Let Us Bow Down

Further Reading

In Everything You Do

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Further Reading

Reflect Jesus

Further Reading

Our Confidence

Further Reading

Category: <span>thoughts by Phil Ware</span>

Further Reading

Further Reading

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”— Matthew 6:25

Further Reading

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Further Reading

“Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

Further Reading

Further Reading

“Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.” Joel 2:23

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

Further Reading

Thought

Prayer

Further Reading

Further Reading

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading