Tag: receive
God Knows All Hearts!
Scripture reading for July 23: 1 Kings 8:37-40 “If there is a famine in the land, if there is a locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear from heaven Your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart You know, according to all his ways (for You, You only know the hearts of all the children of mankind, . .”
Prayer is a matter of the heart. Hearts that were humble and sincere and revered God and His Word were invited to ask the Lord, Whose presence had filled Solomon’s temple to bring healing or deliverance. Solomon asked God for grace in hearing and acting on each request. He stated that he believed God would bring an answer according to the condition of the heart. Only God knows each person’s heart.
Even in this time of the Old Covenant, God made provision for healing sickness, plagues, and disease. He loved His people and wanted them to enjoy health and blessings. He also knew that the law could not truly change the heart of His people, it could only reveal sin like a mirror. God encouraged His people to pray and seek Him for all their needs. The temple of the Lord built by Solomon as a dwelling place of God was given to help His people grow in faith and build a relationship with Him. As their hearts moved them, they could pray and God would respond.
But God’s plan was not a physical temple, but to dwell intimately with His people. Each person now can ask God in Jesus’ Name for whatever is needed and it will be supplied. “In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:23-24)
Prayer: Father God, thank You for grace for each of us Your children to ask for healing or provision and knowing that You will hear and answer. Examine my heart and heal it. Amen.
Forgive, believe and receive!
Scripture reading for February 24: Mark 11
“”Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also Who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”” Mark 11:21-25
As human beings, we are not accustomed to our words having power. We often make requests that are ignored and ask for certain things to happen that never come to pass. We make declarations of our intentions but fail to follow through. We develop our lack of trust over repeated failures of our own efforts and others who don’t respond as we asked. Then when it comes to God, we are full of unbelief because we are centered on ourselves. Forgiveness is needed for all.
Jesus wants to alter our view of God and life in His kingdom. In this story of cursing the fig tree, Jesus was teaching multiple lessons to His disciples as His time to be physically with them was soon coming to a close. The kingdom of God works through faith because of love. God is love and this implies a relationship where God wants the best for us. We are to have faith in God as the central relationship in our lives. He has promised to answer prayers prayed in faith. Faith believes in God and His goodness and ability to do whatever is asked. Because God has forgiven us through Jesus, we must also forgive others and maintain the loving relationship that fosters faith. Forgiveness also takes faith to give and receive. Mountains of bitterness and hills of resentment can be easily removed when faith works in love!
Have you ever felt bitterness and cynicism come into your heart because of your own or others failures? Have you asked God for something you desperately needed and felt He failed to respond? Have you forgiven others as Christ has forgiven you?
Prayer: Father God, forgiveness requires great faith in You and Your amazing goodness and justice. As I mature in Christ Jesus, help me to more freely forgive others and myself when I fail. Prompt me to ask and believe that I will receive the answers I need. Perfect Your love in me to improve my faith. Amen.
God loves to answer His children!
Scripture reading for July 7th: Matthew 7
Key Scriptures: Matthew 7:7-11 “”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Is God really listening to us? In our world there are lots of voices and distractions. Not many people really listen closely to others. And we can’t see God so how do we know He is listening? These same questions came to the disciples who followed Jesus. Jesus gave them careful instruction and used examples that everyone could understand. Getting God’s attention is as simple as asking, seeking, or knocking. Those that ask, receive. Those that seek, find. And those that knock find the door opening. These verbs are all in a persistent voice that is full of faith in the answer coming. To help His followers with God’s willingness, Jesus pointed to children asking their parents for bread or fish for satisfaction of daily hunger. Would the parents spitefully give their own children stones or serpents instead? Never! Neither would the Father! He is a good, good Father who always listens and gives good gifts in response!
Luke 18:7-8 “”And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?””
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for being a loving and compassionate and listening Father Who delights to hear and answer prayers. Forgive me for failing to believe this by not asking, seeking or knocking but instead trying to figure out how I can do it myself. Fill me afresh with the Holy Spirit and empower me to pray even when I don’t know how or what to ask for.
John 16:23-24 “”In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.””
Adversity and the Word of God
Scripture reading for June 16th: Proverbs 24-25, Psalm 41, 1st Thessalonians 2
Key Scriptures: 1st Thessalonians 2:13-16 “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved–so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!”
Paul commended the Thessalonian believers for receiving the Word of God for what it really was. God’s Word is alive and powerful, able to transform the soul from death to life eternal. It changes attitudes and rebellious behaviors and enables perseverance during suffering. In fact, suffering in believers lives comes from the unsaved world and sometimes our own relatives. They are under God’s wrath and oppose the Word of God. Jesus was betrayed by one of His own disciples and was crucified by His own people.
Psalm 41:9 “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the Word of God. I receive it and desire its work in me for transformation and salvation. Anoint me to preach the Word of God in the face of adversity!
Proverbs 24:10 “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”
Mountain-moving words of faith!
Scripture reading for January 16th: Genesis 28-29, Mark 11
Key Scriptures: Genesis 28:20-22 “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that You give me I will give a full tenth to You.””
Mark 11:20-24 “As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to Him, Rabbi, Look! The fig tree that You cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Jesus taught His disciples that there was great power in faith and in speaking by faith. Our words can move mountains and appropriate God’s promised blessings. Jacob’s dream of the ladder to heaven and God’s promises to provide for him and bring him back to his father’s house brought forth a vow to God and God’s Word to him came to pass.
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your amazing promises and powerful Word that brings faith to believe, confess Your promise and receive Your blessings. Prompt me to speak in faith to move a mountain today!
Thankful for a Great Year of Rejoicing!
December 30, 2017
Dear fellow Bible readers,
Thank you for joining me during this past years journey through the entire Bible. We read on a 5 day per week rotation of about 4 chapters each day. In each reading, I wrote a short devotion on verses from that day’s reading that brought to mind something to rejoice about or be thankful for. I tied each verse in the Old Testament with a counter-part in the New and vice-versa. I never ran out! This helped me to stay positive and keep a thankful heart in a world saturated with negativity and fear. I pray that you were encouraged with the overflow!
In 2018, we will begin another journey (my tenth year of writing) through the entire Bible with an emphasis on prayer and walking with God. Jesus encouraged His followers to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Paul taught , “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24) We will embark on this Bible Trek beginning Monday, January 1st reading 5 days each week with 3-4 Old Testament chapters and one chapter from the New Testament each day. My goal is to inspire prayer and faith that we might walk closely with our Lord each day. In His Love, Pastor John Morse
The blind receive sight!
Scripture reading for January 12th: Matthew 9
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9:27-30 “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When He had gone indoors, the blind men came to Him, and He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.”
Blindness is a horrible affliction that cuts us off from many of the pleasures of our world. Darkness is the companion of the blind and they need assistance to get around. In this story, two blind men call out to Jesus for mercy! They address Him as the “Son of David”, a messianic title. Jesus went inside, apparently not interested in addressing these requests, but the blind men follow Him. We are not sure how they found their way, but they were persistent and Jesus questioned them about their faith: “Do you believe I am able to do this?” They answered with an affirmative, “Yes, Lord!” Jesus then simply touched their eyes and told them that they would receive what they believed! Immediately their sight was restored!
Observations for over-comers: Persistence in prayer–calling out to Jesus–is essential in overcoming “impossible” situations. We will receive what we believe! “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)