This day is the Lord's (continued)
Yes, Lord, You will have to do the work, but I must be willing to let You do it. Thank You for Your Spirit, who will always warn me when I am in danger of taking a wrong turn. Thank You, Lord, for Your victory.
October
Satan wastes no ammunition on those who are dead in trespasses and sins. Christians are far more strategic targets for him. Traveling all over the world, I saw Satan, with his timely shots, attacking Christians more than ever before. What a joy that we have so many promises in the Bible. We are holy, chosen, beloved, hidden in the hollow of His hand. We have a living Savior, legions of angels.
Count your many blessings!
. . . having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13
The devil is strong, much stronger than 1. Thank You, Lord, that You are stronger, much stronger than the devil, and that with You I am more than conqueror. Hallelujah!
A discouraged person—you can pray for him. You can pray, ''Open his eyes, that he may see his defense.'' You can pray like that if he is a Christian, when he has surrendered and knows how to use the Word of Cod. In that book, God's logistics are summed up.
If the discouraged person is not yet a Christian, pray, "Lord, lay Your hand on his eyes that he sees that he must be born again and that he may then cast all his cares on
You."
150 This Day Is the LorTs
Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Lord, You know that discouraged person I am concerned about better than I do. You love him. Show him that he may—must—surrender.
A great hindrance to Christians can be that they trust in orthodoxy and the sufficiency of their religious knowledge. When they sin and fail, they say, ''If only we could be more earnest, more faithful.''
The disciples needed not to be more earnest and faithful in using the privilege of having such a Master. More and more strenuous efforts would only have led to more and more bitter failures. They had to die to their old way of knowing Christ and receive the gift of an entirely new way of fellowship with Him.
Worldly standards have ceased to count in our estimate of any man; even if once they counted in our understanding of Christ, they do so now no longer.
2 Corinthians 5:16 NEB
Lord, we pray that You remind us, each time we look at our failures, that we can never improve ourselves by trying in ourselves. Help us to let go of all worldly standards and receive tbe newness of life with a thankful heart.
There is only one right way of fighting sin. The secret of true overcoming is to calmly trust in the victory Jesus has already won for us, counting sin as dead, which it is, through Jesus' victory.
So then, there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God; for whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:9—10 RSV
Lord, You know how often I have tried and tried, without success. Thank You that Your Word says we can always fully trust You.
A king gave a little golden staff to his jester and said, ''Keep this staff until you find a greater fool than you are, and then give it to him."
Later the jester came to the king, who was dying.
"I am going for a long journey to a country far away," said the king.
The jester said, "But I don't see any suitcases. Did you not make any preparations?"
"No," the king said. "I made neither reservations nor preparations."
Then the jester gave him the little staff and said, "Now I have found a greater fool than I!"
The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:25
Lord, I know that someday I will have to leave this world. Will You show me how to get ready? i 52 This Day Is the Lord's
We are never alone. We have His promise, and we need not be concerned. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be used to glorify Jesus. Jesus is the door to a victorious life. Did you put your hand in His today? You must do it each new day. He loves you, and He wants to guide you. Look up to Him!
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
Psalm 48:14
Lord Jesus, thank You that You are with us in every circumstance, in every trial, and that we need never be overcome if Your hand holds and leads us. Thank You that Your grace enfolds us.
When you come into a pitch-dark room, you cannot hnd out how things are. With your hands you can feel a chair, a table, a door, but the moment you put on a light switch, you suddenly see all the details.
Faith is the light that shows the reality of Jesus' victory and love. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the faith.
And God said. Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:3
Lord, I have been in the dark. I did not see anything, but I felt something, and I surely felt unhappy. Make it light in me, that I can see things close and far away.
Where are you living? In the valley of your inadequacy or on the mountain of God's adequacy? Are you living in the valley of '1 cannot/' or are you on the hill of ''God can"?
Defeat is an abnormal experience. We must be more than conquerors.
I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritanee among all them whieh are sanetified.
Acts 20:32
Lord, thank You that when we are unable. You are able and willing to do the work through and for us.
In a Ghristian, the combinations of pride and Ghristianity, self-sufficiency and Ghristianity, irreconcilability and Ghristianity, backsliding and Ghristianity, are impossible. Jesus is very serious in His command to all decent and indecent sinners.
Go, and sin no more.
John 8:1
Father, we pray that Your Spirit may enlighten our minds and show us every compromise we are making.
Teach us how to live in Your light.
When you study the life of Jesus, you see again and again that He is Victor in every circumstance. Seeing a hungry
154 This Day Is the Lord's crowd, He feeds them. Always He has the answer to people's problems. Three times He raised people from death. How was this possible? Because He was hlled with the Holy Spirit—not only because He was the Son of God. For although He was the Son of God, yet He was also man and subject to hunger and temptation. But the Spirit caused Him to be victorious!
He was faithful to him who appointed him. . . . Christ was faithful over God's house as a son.
Hebrews 3:2, 6 RSV
And, Lord, because the same Spirit works in us, we can also be faithful and victorious. Let us not hide behind false excuses.
When you overcome the dark powers, you become a strategic target for them, so you must know how to remain on victory ground. Remember that with Jesus you are more than eonqueror. When they attaek, pray for the proteetion of Jesus' blood. Don't wait until you understand that; just obey.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.
Revelation 12:11
Teach me. Holy Spirit, how to fight victoriously in Jesus' power.
October i55
Because of listening to the enemy, Satan, who is the accuser of the saints day and night, we see ourselves as slaves and prisoners of sin—without hope. But the door is open. Come out, enter into freedom.
1 am the door.
John 10:7
Thank You, Jesus, that I may lay my hand in Yours and that You set me free. Hallelujah!
Into the heart of every believer comes an intense longing for victory over sin and power for service. It is inconceivable that the Lord of a perfect salvation should not make provision for every need of His children. There must be a way to purity and power. But how few avail themselves of Jesus' promise: He who believes in me, Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:38 RSV
Lord, I believe in You. Fulhll my longing for a life in Your strength.
It is a trick of the deceiver to make us think that we are still sinning when we have met all God's conditions for 156 This Day Is the Lord's confessing sin and claiming the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
God's faithfulness and truth are the guarantees of our forgiveness, once the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all the sins we eonfess. His blood will never cleanse an excuse. We must fully surrender.
... to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins.
Acts 26:18 NIV
Thank You, Father, that You made it possible for us to be delivered from the power of Satan and to receive forgiveness of sins. May our lives prove the truth of this fact. We pray that those who do not know You yet may be drawn to You.
Is there any purpose in feeling guilty? There is. The purpose of guilt is to bring us to Jesus. That is what any feeling of guilt should do for you.
If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything. i John 3:20 TEV
O Lord, thank You that You also called me. Thank You that I can bring all my feelings of guilt to You. Thank You for cleansing me.
Don't build a ladder of good works in order to reach heaven. Heaven is a long distance away from 'good people." But it is only one step from a sinner.
1 came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
Mark 2:17 RSV
Lord Jesus, thank You that I can come to You, because You are calling sinners such as me. Thank You for Your great love.
Jesus died in our stead, that we might receive forgiveness.
He lives that we might know deliverance. I need forgiveness for my sins. I need deliverance from the power of my sins. God's Spirit can give me both.
For God hath . . . given us the spirit ... of power.
2 Timothy 1:7
Lord, how You must love me that You were willing to die even for me.
People sometimes say they have committed a sin so bad that they cannot bring it to God, or that He cannot forgive and forget. But there is no sin too great to bring to Jesus. Those who come to Him, He will never cast out. i 58 This Day Is the Lord's
The first step is to come to Jesus and to turn away from sin, in His strength. Then we shall be cleansed and sanctified.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 RSV
I need Your help. Lord, to turn away from sin. Thank
You that in Your strength I can. I long to be sanctified.
Since Satan attacks us so often, it is necessary to confess often. Regardless of how old people may be, or how long they have ministered in the name of Jesus Christ, they still need to confess their sins again and again and ask forgiveness.
When we follow Jesus, He makes us sensitive to the smallest sin that comes between Him and us. Whenever this happens, we can go to Him at once to confess this sin.
If we confess our sins, he . . . will forgive our sins.
1 John 1:9 RSV
Lord, make us increasingly sensitive to anything that tries to come between You and us. Thank You that whenever this happens, we can go to You and tell You all about it. Thank You that You will always forgive.
The devil accuses us night and day. He likes to discourage us, because then we cannot be strong. But the Word of God says to us, over and over again, ''Be strong in the Lord/' The Lord can give us this command because He
Himself gives us His strength.
As soon as we realize that there is a sin in our hearts, we must bring it to the Lord, because that sin makes us insecure and weak. "Your sins have hid his face from you" (Isaiah 59:2 RSV). But when we confess our sins. He will forgive us and make His face shine upon us anew. We must kiaow it is really true that: The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7 RSV
Father, teach us more and more the wonderful power of Jesus' blood.
Theology wants to know where sin comes from. Jesus tells us how we can get rid of sin. We shall not conquer the world with theology. Knowing that Jesus conquered sin and all the power of the devil when He died on the cross will make us conquerors.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? i John 5:4—5
O Lord, we thank You that it is possible to live a victorious life, because we know and believe that You are the Son of God and that You are the Victor!
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Those who come to Christ must have the right attitude.
They must know they need salvation because they are sinners. Only the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. And we have only to deal with our own sins, not with those of others.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 139:23—24 LB
Father, I also pray that You will search my heart and show me if there is anything that has caused me not to walk in Your way. You know my thoughts, even those I want to hide. Make me willing for Your Spirit to work in me.
We must have clear vision, but our sins often hinder us. They confuse our sight. He who waits for Jesus' coming again should be sensitive to every shadow that comes between his Master and himself, and he should not rest until his vision is clear again. We must clearly understand that this does not mean striving to make ourselves better and better. We must look at Jesus, our hope. He is the Lord who sanctifies us. The Holy Spirit gives us all we need.
The Spirit . . . produces in human life fruits such as these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23 PHILLIPS
Thank You, Lord, that You sanctify us. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who not only gives us what we need, but who also produces fruit in our lives that is well pleasing to You.
Octoher
When Jesus is in your heart, you suddenly see all uneonfessed sin so clearly. Together with Him, there comes a spring cleaning in your heart that sets you free, takes away the guilt, and gives you vision.
Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it.
Psalm 69:18
Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are willing to live in my heart. What a miracle! You in my heart!
How often we must pray, ''Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions'' (Psalm 51:1). But then we can add: Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.
Psalm 51:12
O Father, how great are Your love and merey. How we thank You for blotting out our transgressions and for restoring unto us the joy of Your salvation.
God has let us share His secrets. We know about it because God has sent His Spirit to tell us, and His Spirit searches and shows us God's deepest secrets.
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Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
] Corinthians 2:9
Our Father, how You must love us that You are willing to let us share the things that are hidden from those who do not love You. Help us not to brush such love aside.
God never takes away; God gives. If I reach out and take someone for myself and the Lord steps in between, that does not mean God takes. It rather means that He is asking me to turn my back on something or someone I should not have, because He has a far greater purpose for my life.
Behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither.
Ezekiel 40:4
Father, thank You that You have a purpose for my life.
I trust You to work it out, and because You love me, I know that You will only do that which is to Your gloiy.
God's fullness is available when we serve Him.
But you shall receive power. . . . You shall he my witnesses.
Acts 1:8 RSV
Thank You, Lord, for this promise. Help us to be faithful witnesses, filled with Your very power.
Don't look at the people who do you wrong. It is God who allows you to bear this difficulty. If you are in the center of the will of God, you can accept that all comes from His dear hand.
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.
Colossians 1:11
Holy Spirit, turn my eyes away from myself, from other people, from my problems, and straight to Jesus.
God will give us the state of life that is best for us. And because He is the Lord of our lives, we can thank Him for whatever He gives, whether it is marriage and a family or remaining single. He alone knows in which state of life we can best serve Him. And is not that our heart's desire?
Those God calls to live single lives are always happy in that state. It is a special gift. This happiness, this contentment, is the evidence of God's plan.
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Our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Psalm 33:21
Help us to share with others the joy You gave to us, Father. We know You are guiding our lives according to Your will, giving us Your peace. Let others see Your love and greatness in the circumstances in which You allow us to live.
November
When a part of the body is injured, the pain causes tensions, and tensions in their turn cause pain. It is the same with anger and resentment. A good bath of forgiveness makes us ready for peace and joy. But if we give ourselves over to hatred and resentment, we will receive the opposite of peace and joy.
For the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
James 1:20 RSV
Keep us from getting angry. Father. Give us Your love for those who try to harm us, and make them conscious of Your love.
What is the secret of forgiveness? It is not enough to simply say, '1 forgive you.'' You must also begin to live it out. That means acting as though their sins, like yours, have been buried in the depths of the deepest sea. If God can remember them no more, then neither should you.
The reason your resentments keep coming back to you is i66 This Day Is the Lord's that you keep turning them over in your mind. Please, just trust God with your thoughts. He will renew your mind.
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 10:17
How great Your love is, heavenly Father, that for Christ's sake You will not remember our sins!
Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Theology in the hands of the Holy Spirit is a beautiful science, but in the hands of unbelievers, it is death. Listen to the simple faith of those who read only the Bible and trust only in God. They don't care if some theologian says that heaven is a fable. Those who have found Jesus, know that heaven does exist.
I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2
How wonderful. Lord, that You went to prepare a place for me. Help me to live in such a way that, when my time comes to go to that place, I shall be fully prepared.
Have you ever thought of the fact that one day we shall all have to appear before God, and then asked yourself, 'Tut who will be able to stand? What about my sins?"
It is true: Sin has to be dealt with before we can come to God and have fellowship with Him. But God did deal with sin. His Son Jesus Christ gave His life as a ransom. and God made a new covenant based on His own faithfulness.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 8:12
Father, I thank You for Your promise. I thank You that You will do it, because Your Word says that You will not lie or repent of what You said.
Have you been born again? It is so important. When a child is born, there is great joy for the parents. The baby does a lot of crying, but we, who know what it means to live, say, 'Taby, why cry? You were born, and you received a life to live.''
Jesus told Nicodemus how important it is to be born again and to receive another life—eternal life. He said: Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:3
We thank You, Lord, that when we come to You, accepting You as our Lord and Savior, we shall be born again and receive eternal life.
Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? That is a great experience. Yet, when one is converted and says yes to Jesus, it does not mean the end of a new experience, but 168 This Day Is the Lord's the beginning. You have entered the gate to a new life.
You will hnd complete joy and liberty there. Don't be too concerned about what Christians should and should not do. You can leave those things safely to the Holy Spirit to show you, for you have not been brought to a religion or doctrine, but to a Person; Jesus Christ.
Now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off are brought near through the shedding of Christ's blood.
Ephesians 2:13 PHILLIPS
Thank You, Lord, that the power of Your blood is still the same and that it continues to cleanse and protect each one who comes to You.
There are Christians who have yet to learn that Jesus stands outside the door of their hearts. Are vou a Christian? Is Jesus in your heart? He knocks. Let Him in!
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.
Revelation 3:20
Yes, Lord, come in and have fellowship with me. I see that I was satisfied much too soon. Really come into my heart, so that we can sup together. What a joy!
Often people think that working for the Lord, as a missionary or a pastor or an evangelist, is a matter of ability.
Because they have no special gifts in that respect, they think they cannot do anything. But working for the Lord is far more a matter of availability, and we are all called to take our share. God gave a gift to each one of us. It is our responsibility to make it available to Him. One thing every child of God can do is pray. However weak or young or old we are, we can always pray. And it might well be that prayer is, in God's eyes, the most important thing.
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Lord, we do not know how to pray or what to ask for. Teach us to pray and make us faithful, so that we can do our part in serving You.
Novemher
Prayer is sanctified by the name of Jesus. Therefore use this name! It is the most powerful name in heaven or on earth.
If you ask the Father for anything in my name, he will give it you. So far you have asked nothing in my name.
John 16:23-24 NEB
Lord Jesus, it is true I cannot come to the Father with anything of myself. You told us that we can always go to Him in Your name. How I thank You for this!
Looking unto Jesus in prayer is a blessed training. Prayer without listening is like going to a person, asking questions, and leaving without waiting for an answer.
We need some practice. We have prayed so much without listening that we do not always hear the answer
170 This Day Is the Lords immediately. Then we must wait upon the Lord. This waiting upon Him is a blessing in itself.
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
Isaiah 40:31 LB
Lord, teach me to pray and teach me to listen and understand Your sometimes still, small voice.
The enemy considers it most important to destroy our prayer life by little faith, lack of time, and doubt. We should know that prayerlessness is sin for a child of God.
But we can confess this sin and be cleansed.
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.
Psalm 32:5
Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for forgiveness and cleansing. Make us always willing to confess.
Prayerlessness is a sin. It is a creeping paralysis, beginning with neglect of prayer and ending in utter prayerlessness. By neglecting prayer, a Christian becomes prey to a hundred voices.
Ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jeremiah 29:12
Father, forgive me for not keeping in constant touch with You and for letting other things take up my mind and draw me away from You. How great is Your mercy that I may go to You again and that You will listen to me.
Are your prayers unanswered? You must be convinced that your loving Father hears whenever one of His children makes any request. God does not always grant what we ask, because He knows what we don't know. He sees
His side all the time; one day we shall see it too.
And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God.
Romans 8:28 LB
Father, I thank You for every answered and every unanswered prayer.
During a timiC when I was unable to do what I wanted so much to do, I was very conscious of my inability. Yet I knew that the Lord would go on with His work, and I could thank Him for this.
One evening, these two thoughts kept coming to me: "Tomorrow I must get on further," and "Tomorrow I shall be permitted to get on." What a comfort to see God's side of the matter once again!
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Phili'ppians 1:6 RSV
172 This Day Is the Lord's
Lord, keep us from thinking we have reached the goal. Make us willing to have our hearts searched by You.
Let not past and present difficulties close us in, but let us continue on our path in the power of Your Spirit.
Do you witness for the Lord? I do not find any word in the Bible for so-called secret believers.
What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Matthew 10:27—28 RSV
Forgive me. Lord, that I was afraid to witness. Make me, through Your fullness, more than conqueror.
It is not important how much I can do for Jesus, but how much Jesus can do through me.
I will make you to become fishers of men.
Mark 1:17
Lord, how I need to look to You and not to myself.
Turn my eyes, through the Holy Spirit, in the right direction.
Many communists are articulate, while many Christians are tongue-tied, like the mouth of the MacKenzie River, which is frozen over three-quarters of the year.
November i 73
It may be true ''that the devil is dead and gone, but sensible people would like to know who carries the business on/' But he is a conquered enemy, since Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil. We overcome through the blood of the Lamb and the name of Jesus. Those who are with us are more and stronger than those who are against us. At our side are a powerful high priest and legions of angels.
Because [Jesus] . . . has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Hebrews 2:18 RSV
Lord, through the Holy Spirit make me an articulate, joyful witness for You.
Soul winning is a task and a privilege from which no believer is exempt. Witnessing for Christ is the greatest work in the world. It is the work that is most honoring to Christ, most joyful to the believer, most beneficial in its blessed effects to those who are won.
Go . . . preach the gospel.
Mark 16:15
Make me sensitive. Lord, to the needs of those whom I meet, that I may know when to speak to them of You, that they may come to know You personally.
The best way of reaching others is to say, as simply as possible, "I was blind. Now I see."
174 This Day Is the Lord's
The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind.
Psalm 146:8
I praise You, Lord, that You opened my blind eyes and that now I can see. May others see the change in my life and be drawn to You.
The gospel is not a secret to be hoarded but a story to be heralded. Are you saved? Do you think that is what matters most? If so, what about those you meet every day? Do you keep it all to yourself, or do you do what the shepherds at Bethlehem did when the angel brought them tidings of great joy?
As for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:60 RSV
Forgive me. Lord, if I think I can keep the good news of salvation to myself. Show me to whom I must pass it on today.
The only evidence of the truth of the Bible that is seen by thousands today is the men and women who claim to be Christians. Are you and I proof of the Bible's truth?
Do all you have to do without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and harmless, faultless children of God . . . shining like lights in a dark world.
For you hold up in your hands the very word of life.
Philippians 2:14-16 PHILLIPS
O Lord, make us to be men and women who do all they have to do with a willing and cheerful heart, that those who do not know You yet may long to be Yours.
The world does not read the Bible, but it reads you and me. Does it see you grow like Peter, glow like Stephen, go like Paul? If not, ask God to make you a person in whom the world can see what He can do with a yielded life.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.
2 Corinthians 3:5
Father, thank You that we need not force ourselves to be and do something special. Thank You that You will do that in us which is pleasing to You. Make us willing to let You do whatever You think necessary.
We are called to be God's ambassadors. His missionaries, the light of the world in a time of chaos and great darkness. And as we see chaos and darkness increasing, our responsibility also increases.
We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20 RSV
Lord Jesus, help us to remain watching and praying, that we may be able to discern other people's needs and go and help them, pointing them to You.
176 This Day Is the Lord's
What is God doing with people who never hear the gospel? What are you doing with them? How will the heathen be saved when they never hear the message of God's love? Will you perhaps have to bring it to them?
But how shall they ask him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
Romans 10:14 LB
Lord, show me whether You want me to be such a preacher. If not, show me what You do want me to do.
When Jesus told His disciples where they were to go to preach the gospel. He said they were to go to the utmost parts of the earth. That really meant they had to surrender their own will. Jerusalem was hostile to them.
Samaria was their natural enemy. Of themselves, they did not want to go. But the fact that Jesus sent them made all the difference. Now thev were safe and secure.
Now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
Genesis 31:16
Lord, give me an attentive ear that I can hear what You are saying, that I may do what You tell me to do.
When we are ready to witness, we are also ready to suffer. What about you? Are you ready to tell everyone who is willing to listen? It is settled for all eternity that Jesus is Victor. The whole world belongs to Him!
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57 RSV
Father, make us aware of the needs of those we meet, that we may minister to them, telling them the glad news of Your great love in giving Your only Son for us.
We need heroes and heroines for Christ, people eager to go out and preach Christ to those who have not yet heard of Him. We need men willing to point them to Jesus, the Savior of all mankind.
All shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Hebrews 8:1
Lord, we pray for men and women who are willing to bring the gospel to those who have not yet heard it. Tell me what You want me to do.
The multitudes are waiting for the workers. Will the workers come? Or will they have to go on waiting until it is too late and they have to cry out, as they go into eternity, 'The harvest is past and we are not saved''?
How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?
Romans 10:14 RSV
178 This Day Is the Lords
Again, Lord, I pray: Show me what You want me to do.
It is not my ability, but my response to His ability, that counts. It is not what happens to me that matters, but what I do with what happens to me.
Who is sufficient for these things?
2 Corinthians 2:16
Our sufficieney is of God.
2 Corinthians 3:5
Father, thank You that You are the all-sufficient One and that I can always depend on Your ability.
I stand amazed at the unfathomable complexity of God's wisdom and God's knowledge. How can man ever understand His reasons for His doings, or explain His methods of working?
Who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his eounsellor?
Romans 1 1:34
O Lord, how great You are! I can only bow down and worship You for Your majesty and wisdom.
Man has to go through many experiences in order to receive the spiritual vision that is needed to see the divine plan. Some experiences are hard. But then nothing that is of great value is easily obtained. If we let God do the work, He will show us His plan little by little. One day we shall see it all. When we feel as if there is nothing but darkness around us, let us not forget that a film has to be developed in a darkroom in order to bring out the beauty.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Proverbs 29:18
Father, keep us close to You, that in times of darkness and difficulties we may feel Your presence. Thank You that one day we shall see the whole plan You have for our lives.
Sooner or later, to most who follow Christ, there comes a time when flesh and heart fail. Feelings and fears can be like a torrent of rough water, and we see no way to cross it. The words But God make all the difference then.
Amy Carmichael
180 This Day Is the Lord's
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Psalm 73:26
Father, You know that at times we have no strength whatever. Help us then to turn to You. With You, there is plenty for everyone.
There are two great forces at work in the world today: the unlimited power of God and the limited power of Satan.
So when we have surrendered our lives and hearts to Jesus Christ, we need never be overcome.
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Colossians 1:11 RSV
Thank You, Father, that Your glorious power will strengthen us whenever we need it. And You know how much we need it, just to be patient and longsuffering with joyfulness.
To grow spiritually, we must recognize that every part of us belongs to God, once we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When we are totally emptied of ourselves, we can be full of the Holy Spirit. Then we shall be conquerors and able to accept all things from His hand.
Haven't you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God, because he owns it.
1 Corinthians 6:19—20 LB
Lord, we must confess that we have not yet fully learned that our body does not belong to us. Help us, that we may glorify You by the way we live.
The things of this world are empty in themselves, and so are many of our ambitions, because they are earthbound.
Jesus made us children of God, our Father who is in heaven, and so He wants us to be heavenly minded.
. . . that ye might be filled with knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Colossians 1:9
Lord, we pray that we may know Your will and grow spiritually, so that we may bring joy to our heavenly
Fathers heart.
In our days, man and his achievements are increasingly being brought into the center of people's thinking. This may seemi to be the right thing, because man has indeed achieved much. However, if we really think man is on top of everything, we make a mistake. We forget that all man's thinking is nothing hut afterthought, copying what God has orginally thought long, long ago.
182 This Day Is the Lord's
By him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible. . . . All things were created by him, and for him.
Colossians 1:16
Lord, we worship You. We thank You that we know
You are the omnipotent One and that all things are in You.
It is sometimes hard to reconcile the Christian's dual role of being separate from the world and yet part of it. We are in the world but not of the world, and we must learn to discern between the two. When we realize what it means that we are not of the world, we begin to learn the secret of living in it as we should, being more willing to ser\^e God in all circumstances, more willing to serve those around us and give to them out of the vast riches we possess in Christ.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 RSV
O Father, how we thank You that whenever we need anything. You will give it to us. Also we thank You for this wonderful promise in Your Word, which covers each and every need.
In order to grow in our faith, we need to be placed into circumstances where we are forced to reach out to the Source of our strength. That is the way our spiritual vision is exercised, and how we discover new dimensions in our
God.
All my springs are in thee.
Psalm 87:7
Father, I can say with the psalmist that it is good for me to draw near to You. Renew my strength, for You are the Source from which I live. And then help me to tell others.
God's will is not a hidden mystery that you must set out to discover. You must simply open your heart to the evident will of God. Remember that God wants you to know
His will and that He is doing everything He can to make it obvious to you.
Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:17 RSV
Our Father, I thank You that it is so simple to know what Your will is and that You Yourself make it known to me. Gause me to fully understand.
We have to conquer the world in us and the world around us. In the inner world there is pride, selhshness, guilt, bitterness, greed. All these things must be conquered. We ourselves can never do this.
184 This Day Is the Lord's
With us is the LORD our God to help us, and to hght our battles.
2 Chronicles 32:8
Thank You, Lord, that You will always strengthen us and make us vietorious.
Are you acting as if your life were your own? You lost the right to do so on Calvary. Christ bought you—lock, stock, and barrel. What does he get from you in return?
Live as obedient children before God. Don't let your character be moulded by the desires of your ignorant days, but be holy in every part of your lives.
1 Peter 1:14-15 PHILLIPS
You alone can enable us, O Lord, to live a completely surrendered life. Help us, we pray, that our lives may show what You can do.
Let us not forget that we are eternity people. We are citizens of heaven; our outlook goes beyond this world.
Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with . . . cares of this life.
Luke 21:34
Thank You, Lord, that You have given me eternal life.
Let Your heavenly light shine on my life of today, so I see things in the right perspective.
It is never a waste of time to look unto the Lord. Looking is a most needed part of our daily discipline.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Mark 13:37
Forgive me, Lord, for looking in the wrong direction.
I know that is the reason I was discouraged.
Elijah prayed to God for his servant: "Open his eyes that he may see.'' What was there to see? A great army to defend them.
We may pray for others, that their eyes may be opened, and also for ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit who does the job. Jesus said we would have power when the Holy Spirit came upon us, and that is because the Holy
Spirit gives us vision.
When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.
John 16:13
Lord, what a victory when we see Your way, Your plan.
An unsanctihed Christian is not in the will of God. He is a burden and a sorrow to God. The Father wants His child to be sanctihed.
186 This Day Is the Lord's
As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy/'
1 Peter 1:15-16 RSV
Lord, whenever You command me to do anything. You also give me the power to fulfill it. I thank You for that.
How much more we know than those for whom Christmas only means the ringing of bells and Father
Christmas, or the many who only prepare for Christmas by posting their Christmas cards in time and wrapping their presents! They do their best to do their duty every year, because it is a yearly ritual for them and they are afraid people might think they forgot about them.
Those who know Jesus Christ have received what the Bible calls an inexpressible gift. Is He the center of your Christmas?
The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psalm 14:2
Lord, Your Holy Spirit can give us this understanding. We pray You, let Your Spirit work in us more and more, enlightening our understanding so that others may find the Way of life because of what they see in us.
The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God, not the call to do something for Him. We are not sent to December i87 battle for God but to be used by God in His battles. Are we being more devoted to service than to Jesus Ghrist?
Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. [Jesus] saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
John 21:15
O Lord, I love You, and that is why I am so glad when You use me. Give me discernment.
Sanctification is not a heavy yoke but a joyful liberation.
If you have surrendered to Jesus Ghrist, He will work this liberation in you.
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us . . . sanctification.
1 Corinthians 1:30
Thank You, Father, that whatever You command us. You made possible through Jesus Christ, Your Son.
Someone asked Henrietta Mears the week before she died, 'df you should have an opportunity to live your life again, which things would you do differently?''
Her answer was, would trust Jesus more than I have done this time."
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
Isaiah 30:15 LB
Lord, increase my trust by Your Holy Spirit.
188 This Day Is the Lord's
Sanctification brings us to a new battlefield: that of the spirit. The devil tries to keep us concerned with our own selves—preaching self, looking at self, looking at our own faith, looking at our own experiences—and he says, ''Rest on those experiences."
Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 RSV
Lord, I know that in my own strength I never can accomplish the things of Your kingdom. But thank You that in Your strength I can.
We rob the work of Jesus of its efficacy and we stand powerless before the adversary when we doubt the integrity of the Word of God. There is no other way of proving the authenticity of the Bible but by believing it and by living it ourselves.
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:3 NIV
We thank You, Lord, that Your power is available to us, if only we depend on You. Use us so others see that You are the only wise God.
Christmas is no duty! The coming of Jesus was a free gift to us all. Christmas reminds us that He came as a baby.
Let us prepare our hearts for that celebration, in order to be able to prepare others for it.
Then said I, Lo, I come. ... I delight to do thy will, 0 my God.
Psalm 40:7—8
Lord, we thank You that You were willing to come to this earth with such a desire to do Your Fathers will. Make us willing for whatever You may ask from us.
We must crawl before we walk, and we must walk before we run. This is the natural development in the life of us all. Actually, it applies to all spheres of life. Never run ahead of yourself; youT never make it. Another thing is that we must learn to crawl and to walk and to run—and for this we need the help of others. The Bible also speaks of this when it tells how Cod taught His people.
1 taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms.
Hosea 1 1:3
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are helping us, leading us, teaching us in the small details of everyday life. Make us willing to obey, not trying to do things in our 190 This Day Is the Lord's own limited strength, waiting for Your timing in our development.
We are God's ehildren if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If only we knew how truly we belong to Him, everything would be different. God is continually remembering us, and if He claims our life for Himself, it is because we share the same life of eternity.
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
1 John 3:1 RSV
Father, we bow down before You and worship You. It is beyond our understanding that You love us so much.
God made a little opening in the sky to show the shepherds a little bit of heaven. He will show you still greater joy if you open your heart for the fullness of the Holy
Spirit. Even now, your eyes may see some of the far vast reaches of eternity.
We all . . . are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18
I would like to see much now. Lord. Will You, by Your Holy Spirit, open my eyes? Thank You.
December 191
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Jesus not only wants to save us from our sins—He wants to restore God's image in us. We never can love like this, but it is not necessary. When we put our weak hand into the strong hand of the Lord, then He will do it. He
Himself causes His love to overflow. Just imagine unblamable in holiness! This we can never achieve by trying. But He can!
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
I Thessalonians 5:23
Our Father, we worship You. You are the almighty
One, and You will do that in us which we in ourselves never can do. Thank You for the greatness of Your power.
December
How is it possible to be blameless—holy? When we look at ourselves, such words just frighten us. But when we look unto the Lord, we never need be afraid, for 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says; 'Taithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
We can rely on these words, because we know that on the cross of Calvary all was finished that had to be done to prepare us for the future. Jesus said; "It is finished." And when we look at Calvary's cross, we know. Faithful is He who did it and who also will do it. It is Jesus who calls us.
192 This Day Is the Lord's
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 5:32
Lord, we thank You that You are ealling us. You know how weak we feel in ourselves, how we never can become blameless and holy by trying. But, oh, we thank You that You did all that had to be done and that we can just accept it from You.
Will God be defeated? No! After the period of darkness, His trumpet will sound, and His Son Jesus Christ will come. Then it will be very clearly manifested that the gospel has indeed been brought to all nations.
One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven! Those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then we who are still living will be swept up with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And after that we shall be with him for ever.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 PHILLIPS
What a wonderful future lies before us. Lord. We are looking to the day of Your coming. Help us to encourage one another again and again.
What a joy to know Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was born in Betblehem, who died on the cross for our sins, who was raised, and who is with us always, until the end of the world!
Let us do what the shepherds did—tell it to everyone who is willing to listen.
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?
Romans 8:32 RSV
Our Father, we can only thank You for Your great gift in Jesus Christ, Your Son, by passing on these good tidings of great joy to others.
The certain hope of every child of God is that death is not the end but only the gate to greater life. This keeps believers from fearing death. If we gave our heart to Jesus, we can be certain that He prepared a place for us in His Fathers house.
Death is not a pit but a tunnel leading to a far greater fullness of light than we ever saw before, because we shall then be in the light of God.
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And ... in my flesh shall I see God.
Job 19:25-26
Lord, how I long for the day when I shall see You and shall no longer need the light of the sun or of a lamp, because You shall give me Your light.
This year brought us closer to the great end battle and to the return of the Lord Jesus. May He use you and me to hasten this return, because when the last of the Gentiles
194 This Day Is the Lord's has turned to Jesus, the time will have come. You and I could be used to bring this last one to Him. What a joy!
Ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return. . . . Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching.
Luke 12:36-37
Lord, show me if there is a compromise in my surrender, whether that is the reason I do not enjoy the fruit of the Spirit more fully. Lord, use me to build Your kingdom.
Corrie ten Boom was imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II for harboring Jews. Upon her release, she began a worldwide ministry of preaching and teaching.
The Hiding Place is the best-known book about her life.
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A Note from the Editors
These books were selected by the Books and Inspirational Media Division of the company that publishes Guidefosts, a monthly magazine filled with true stories of hope and inspiration.
Guide'posts is available by subscription. All you have to do is write to Guideposts, 39 Seminary
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Guideposts Books are available on the World Wide Web at wvcw.guidepostsbooks.com. Follow our popular book of devotionals. Daily Guideposts, and read excerpts from some of our best-selling books. You can also send prayer requests to our Monday morning Prayer Fellowship and read stories from recent issues of our magazines, Guideposts, Angels on Earth, and Guideposts for
Teens.
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(i In her travels, Gorrie ten Boom took every
I opportunity to spread the message of the need to .'j prepare for Christ's second coming.
I "Every Christian is called to take his place in the army of King Jesus and to wrestle as a ^ fellow conqueror with Him," writes Corrie. In 'J The End Battle, she shows us how to fulfill our - responsibilities as part of God's army. =
Each day of Corrie ten Boom's life belonged to . the Lord. He was her victor through many trials J; and her joy throughout her lifetime. This' Day Is t|.
: the Lord's shares Corrie's personal way of starting . |; each day with the Lord. The daily devotional j ' entry contains a brief thought from the authop a ¥; relevant Bible verse and a prayer to guide you in ?
' your daily walk. t www.guidepostsbooks.com \