Whose Prayer Is Answered?

February 3, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

   

    WOW! What a powerful verse. In addition, what a misunderstood verse this has been. Too many preachers and teachers today take this verse out of context and tell people if you just believe hard enough you can have anything. However, what if I as a Christian, believe with all my heart that you would squander any wealth God might give you? It is my true belief that wealth would cause you to take your eyes off God and instead trust in the wealth. Therefore, really believing this I pray and ask God to withhold wealth from you for your own good. You, on the other hand, as a Christian believe just the opposite. Therefore, you pray and ask God to bless you so you can use the wealth for His honor and glory. Which prayer will be answered? We both believe and pray for what we think is good for you.

 

    To understand this you need to read a couple of verses before today’s verse. Mark 11:22 Jesus begins this conversation by saying, “Have faith in God.” Jesus is trying to help us understand that we need to believe in God and desire what He desires. Even if it looks impossible, you can believe what He has said. Believe your sins have been forgiven when you trust in Jesus and His blood for salvation. Believe Jesus is faithful to carry out everything He says. Believe your soul’s destiny is heaven as He has said. Believe what God believes.

 

    So, in the scenario we laid out whose prayer would have been answered? That is easy. It is the prayer that God knows will glorify Him. He always does what’s right.

 

  CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

 

    The foundation for answered prayer is salvation. The ultimate will of God is that none should perish, and all should come to repentance. If you believe what God says about this and trust in His Son Jesus for salvation, you can and will be saved. Believe those promises about your soul from God and you shall have them. It all begins with faith in God.

 

How do you try to pray according to the will of God?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and today’s Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

 

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  February 3, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
Exodus 12-14 – Psalm 30-31
Proverbs 3 – Mark 10-11

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Exodus 20-22 – Matthew 21:23-46

 

The Thundering Of God

February 1 & 2, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 29:3
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

   

    Living near the beautiful Lake Michigan, we have the ability to watch thunderstorms miles offshore before they ever get to us. We can see the lighting flashing in the distance and rain making its way toward us. However, knowing how far away the storm is from the shoreline is important so you do not end up getting all wet. Science tells us by using some very simple math we can determine the approximate distance. Here is what they say you can do. When you see a flash of lightning, begin counting, one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, and so on until you hear the thunder. Sound travels at about one mile per 5 seconds so if you get to one thousand ten, the storm is about 2 miles offshore. Count the next one and you can tell about how fast it is coming toward you. Once the storm gets closer to the shore you can not only hear the loud crashing thunder but also feel its rumble. You know at that point to take cover, as the storm is very close.

    In this passage today, David likens the voice of the Lord to thunder on many waters. The thundering voice of the Lord has been warning us for years to prepare for a storm to come. Today it seems the rumble of His voice is even closer, as we see the devastation all around us which God predicted would happen in the last days. In fact, in Revelation 10:3 & 4 it talks of seven thunders. That is exactly the number of times “the voice of the Lord” is spoken of in Psalm 29. The thundering of God’s voice is ringing loud and clear.

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

   

    Can you feel the rumble of the voice of God? Do you know the storm is closer today than ever before? You need to take shelter. The only truly secure shelter to be found is in the arms of Jesus Christ. Run to Him today. Jesus is, “a shelter in the times of storm.”

How do you shelter in the storms of life?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  February 1, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1,/NT & PS-2,/Prov-Monthly)}
Exodus 9-11 – Psalm 29
Proverbs 1-2 – Mark 9

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Exodus 17-19 – Matthew 21:1-22

WHAT TO DO ON SUNDAY:

    There will not be a Daily Devotion sent out on Sundays. Instead, we encourage you to attend your church and listen intently to what God has prepared in the heart of your Pastor. Write down all the scriptures he uses in that message, then when you get home re-read those passages for today’s reading. God has given to your Pastor exactly what He desires for you on that day.  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  February 2, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1,/NT & PS-2,/Prov-Monthly)}
NO READINGS ON SUNDAY

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
NO READINGS ON SUNDAY

The War Of Wills…

January 31, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Exodus 8:31
And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

   

    Today’s verse says, “And the LORD did according to the word of Moses…” So why is it then that this same God does not always do what I say in my prayers? Could it be that we at times treat God as if He were our own personal genie? Make a wish, and God is supposed to make it come true. Our verse today indeed says that God did everything according to the words of Moses. Nevertheless, to understand this verse we must read all the verses before it.

    Why is it that reading all those verses is so particularly important? Well, because what you will find in those verses is that Moses did everything according to the Words of God.

    You see, for us to expect God to do our will, we must first be sure that our will is in complete alignment with His will. Like it says in the Lord’s example prayer given to His disciples, “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”     

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     As we go through this day with our laundry list of requests before God, we must pause for a second and ask God to guide us into His Will. Making sure what we desire is in line with what He would desire. Then we can step back and watch how God will answer our prayers according to His will.

Are we praying following God’s will?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  JANUARY 31, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Exodus 7, 8 – Psalm 28
Proverbs 31 – Mark 8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Exodus 15-16 Matthew 20

What Does Man Say God Says?
January 30, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Mark 7:7
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

   

    Ok, today we will do a simple test of our Bible skills. Where do you find these phrases in Scripture? “Cleanliness is next to Godliness…” “God works in mysterious ways…” or, “God helps those who help themselves…”  These all sound very biblical and logical. Some will even argue with you that this is what the Bible says. The Bible does say those things, right? No, it is not right. Being clean is important, and I think the idea is great; however, it is not in the Bible. If we are to be Biblically accurate, God helps a man when a man cannot help themselves. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

   

    Sometimes we look extremely hard to try to make the Bible say what we want it to. Pulling a verse from here and a verse from there and then tying them all together to make a doctrine. However, Jesus warned people about that in Mark 7:7 where it says, “Howbeit in VAIN do they worship me.” What? Preacher, are you telling me all those great religious actions we do are in VAIN? Not actually. Some things we do help us in our worship of God. However, if these actions are not in God’s Word and we call them a doctrine of the church, that is wrong. Or, if we do things because we have been told to, believing somehow, we must do them to be saved or to be Holy, well, I guess the Bible speaks for itself. More importantly, the Bible speaks for God, because it is His Word.     

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     As you read your Bible today, read the entire passage to gain the full meaning of God’s Word. His truths are in the passages of Scripture, in the chapters, and in the books. I believe you will find that there is enough truth written in God’s Word for us to work on already in our lives, without making up new stuff that is not even there.

 

So let’s be honest, did you believe any of those widely used phrases
in the first paragraph were actually in the Bible?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and today’s Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

 

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  JANUARY 30, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Exodus 5, 6 – Psalm 27
Proverbs 30 – Mark 7

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Exodus 13-14 – Matthew 19:16-30