Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: daily devotion
Charles Stanley (August-21-2019) Daily Devotion: Our Trustworthy Guide.
Many years ago, while I was on a photography trip, the heavenly Father taught me a valuable lesson about leading and following. My party had been hiking on a trail for three or four hours when I felt a slight sensation of dread. I had a sneaking suspicion that we were traveling the wrong way. When I asked our guide about it, he calmly reassured me that we were, in fact, heading in the right direction.
Well, that quieted me for a few minutes, but this persistent sense of being off track simply would not go away. So I pulled out my compass and discovered that, sure enough, we were heading the wrong way. When I pointed this out to our guide a second time, he finally stopped to think about it. After examining the compass, map, and trail markers, he realized that we really were off course. We lost about three hours—and some beautiful photo opportunities—because our guide wasn’t leading us correctly.
That experience taught me how vitally important it is to trust in the person who is guiding us. Beyond the hiking trail, this holds true in business, church, families, or any other relationship. If our guide isn’t trustworthy—if we cannot put our complete faith in him or her—we’ll end up lost.
So let me ask you: Who is your guide? Are you following celebrities or news reporters? Are you trusting in politicians or business leaders? If you’ve placed your absolute faith in anyone or anything other than your heavenly Father, you’re already off course. He is our one trustworthy Guide. Seek Him and get back on track today.
Joseph Prince (August-11-2020) Daily Devotion: NOTHING TO DO, ONLY BELIEVE.
John 6:28–29 …“What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
When I was a young Christian, I attended a seminar on what we must do to “work the works of God.” I was told that we had to pray more, fast more, know our enemy and so on. I came away from the seminar confused. Then one day, I found the same question in the Bible. But the answer was very different!
In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus being asked the same question by the multitude who had been awed by His miracles—“What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” The people had seen Jesus healing the sick, and feeding 5,000 men with only five loaves and two fish.
Notice how Jesus answered them: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” My friend, the greatest doing is believing—believing in Jesus the sent one, who has done it all for you at the cross!
If you are asking, “What must I do to receive my healing?” the answer is this: Believe in Jesus, who “Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17). We have seen members of our church delivered from life-threatening conditions such as cancer and kidney failure. They had simply believed that Jesus bore their diseases on His own body. There was nothing for them to do, except to believe.
When the jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:30–31). The greatest miracle in your life happens not by you working and trying to save yourself, but by you simply believing in Jesus who died to save you from eternal damnation and to give you eternal life. Why then, should the lesser miracles of healing or financial breakthroughs be any different?
Beloved, what is the miracle you need today? There is nothing left for you to do, but everything for you to believe, because Jesus has done it all for you!
Joel Osteen (August-02-2021) Daily Devotion: Preparing for the Promise.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear. Psalm 10:17, NKJV
TODAY'S WORD: In the Scripture, it says that God didn’t lead the Israelites by the shortest route to the Promised Land. He took them the long way on purpose because they were not prepared for war. God knew that if He would have taken them into the land too quickly, they would have been easily defeated. Their enemies were much bigger and much more experienced. So on purpose, God took them a longer route to protect them and strengthen them so that they could fulfill their destiny.
I’m sure they prayed many times, “God, we’re uncomfortable out here in the desert. Where’s our Promised Land?” But God didn’t answer that prayer, not because He was trying to make their lives miserable, but because He knew what was up in front of them. He had to prepare them to step into the fullness of their destiny.
In the same way, God has already laid out the plan for your life. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it. If you are in a difficult situation that’s taking longer than you hoped, know that God is preparing you. He is strengthening you. Stay in faith and keep praising Him as you move forward into the Promised Land He has for you!
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for leading and guiding me. Thank You for Your hand of blessing upon my life. I choose to trust You even in the difficult times knowing that You are preparing me for the promises in my future in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Charles Stanley (August-01-2019) Daily Devotion: Left Here to Minister. God has given every believer a purpose in ministry.
Why do you think God has left you here on earth instead of immediately taking you to heaven the moment you were saved? Think of all the hardships and heartaches you’d have escaped. Imagine the joys you’d be experiencing with Christ in heaven. But then again, who would be here to tell others the gospel of salvation if all the believers were taken out of this world?
If you are living and breathing, then the heavenly Father has a purpose for you, a ministry to fulfill. Don’t think of ministry as something done only in a church building by a select group of people. Service to God is the responsibility of every believer. It’s a matter of doing the “good works, which God prepared beforehand” for each of us to accomplish (Eph. 2:10).
Although the way we serve may change over time, we are never called to retire and do nothing. Even a bed-bound saint can pray for others or offer encouraging words to visitors and caregivers. A believer’s goal should not simply be to attend church, listen to a sermon, and receive enough spiritual food to get through the coming week. The goal is to serve God with our whole being, reflecting the love of Jesus through who we are. Our worship of God and instruction from His Word is what edifies and equips us to serve one another and go into the world to share the gospel.
Your entire life is meant to be an act of service to God. If instead you are living for your own happiness and goals, you will eventually be disappointed. But when you walk in the good works God has prepared for you, you’ll have the satisfaction of doing exactly what you were created to do.
What Hardens a Heart? - Dr. Charles Stanley Daily Devotion (July-27-2019). Tuning in to God's Word and His Spirit will prevent our heart from hardening.
Joseph Prince (July-26-2020) Daily Devotion: GOD BLESSES WHAT YOU TOUCH.
Deuteronomy 28:8 - “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
Do you remember the story of King Midas and his golden touch? He made a wish that everything he touched would turn into gold, and his wish came to pass. He touched his food, the trees in his garden and his palace, and they all turned into gold! Then, he hugged his daughter whom he loved very much and she immediately turned into a gold statue!
God’s way is better and it has no side effects. He wants to bless everything you touch. The Bible says, “The Lord will command the blessing on you…and in all to which you set your hand.” This means that whatever you touch, whatever you set your hands to, God will command the blessing upon it, be it a person, thing or business. So if you touch your child, he is blessed. If you touch your guitar, anointed music flows forth. If you touch your business, it prospers. When you touch a sick person, he gets healed. When you touch someone who is facing lack, his needs are met.
In the Bible, everything that Jesus touched prospered. He touched the eyes of two blind men and their eyes were opened (see Matthew 9:28–30). He touched the open coffin of a widow’s son, and the young man sat up and began to speak (see Luke 7:12–15). He touched the leper and the leprosy departed (see Mark 1:40–42). Under the old covenant laws, no one was supposed to touch a leper as lepers were considered unclean. If you touched the unclean, you became unclean. But Jesus touched the leper and the unclean became clean!
Everyone whom Jesus touched received a blessing. And because Jesus lives in you by His Spirit, what you touch will be blessed too. He paid the price for you to have this blessing. His loving hands which imparted blessings to so many were nailed to the cross so that today, God can command His blessing on all to which you set your hands!
Joseph Prince (July-24-2020) Daily Devotion: GOD IS WITH YOU UPHOLDING YOU.
Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
It is easy to say, “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!” when times are good. It is easy to believe that God loves you when you are on the mountain top enjoying the sunshine. But what happens when you are down in the dark valley surrounded by your enemies?
Perhaps today, you are in the valley of marital, financial or bodily trouble, and you are asking, “Where is God?”
My friend, He is right there with you. The God of the valleys says to you, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
When King Jehoshaphat was surrounded and outnumbered by his enemies, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he said to the king, “Don’t be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you. Don’t fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out against them for the Lord is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:14–17).
What King Jehoshaphat did next was brilliant. He acted with wisdom from on high. Instead of putting his commandos in front, he put worshipers in front! What did the worshipers sing? They sang of God’s love for them—“Praise the Lord for His loveendures forever!” And God utterly destroyed their enemies (see 2 Chronicles 20:21–23, NIV)!
Beloved, it is not the trials that make us strong, but our responses in those trials. The devil wants us to respond by asking, “Where is God?” But God wants us to respond with faith in His love for us. We are more than conquerors not because of our love for Him, but through Him who loves us (see Romans 8:37).
So whatever valley you are in today, don’t be afraid. God is there with you strengthening and upholding you. Just sing of His love for you and let Him fight your battles for you!
Joel Osteen (July-21-2019) Sunday Daily Devotion: Change Your Environment.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Mark 1:35, NIV
TODAY'S WORD: Are you facing challenges today or feeling overwhelmed by your circumstances? Perhaps what you see on the outside of your life doesn’t match what God has placed on the inside. The key is: don’t sit around in self-pity, depressed or discouraged. Go out and find somewhere you can dream and connect with Almighty God. Go to the park and watch the sunset. Look up at the stars and think about His goodness. Take a break from the negative environment that seems to be holding you back. Find a place that inspires you, a place where you can meditate on His Word and let your faith be elevated. Find a good, Bible-based church where people are going to build you up and not tear you down; a place where people are going to challenge you to rise higher and become all that God has created you to be.
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, today I choose to separate myself from my circumstances and from my environment so I can set my heart and mind on You. Show me Your ways. Reveal Your love to me. Give me Your vision of victory for my future in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Joel Osteen (July-17-2021) Daily Devotion: A Flood is Coming.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: ...He sends forth [rains], and they overwhelm the land or transform it. Job 12:15, AMPC
TODAY'S WORD: Sometimes on the news, the weatherperson will announce that we’re under a Flash Flood Warning. That means conditions are ripe for possible flooding. Water could get out of its normal boundaries. It could overflow and increase in such a way that drainage and bayous are overwhelmed. Just like that weatherperson, I’m here to announce that you’re under a Flash Flood Warning today. Conditions are just right. You’ve honored God. You’ve been faithful. You’ve passed the test. Now God is saying, “There’s about to be a flood of My goodness, a flood of new opportunity, a flood of healing, a flood of goodness that breaks to where you are overwhelmed with My favor. It’s beyond your expectations. It puts you into overflow.” Today, get ready! Get your expectancy up. Be on the lookout for His goodness because a flood of favor is coming your way. When God opens up the floodgates of His divine power, nothing can stop it!
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for flooding me with Your goodness, favor and mercy. I set my heart and mind on You today, and I’m ready to receive every blessing You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Joseph Prince (July-16-2022) Daily Devotion: JUST A GROAN WILL REACH GOD’S THRONE.
Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Once, when my father was hospitalized, I remember driving as fast as I could to the hospital to see him because his condition was deteriorating rapidly. I was just sobbing in my car on the way there. I didn’t know what to pray. So I just cried and prayed in tongues, groaning in my spirit.
I believe that at that very low point, the Holy Spirit was helping me in my weaknesses—“For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
The events that soon unfolded in the hospital convinced me that just a groan or sigh will reach the throne of our Abba Father.
I managed to reach the hospital just in time to clasp my father’s hand before he was wheeled in for surgery. The surgeons came out of the operating theatre some time later to inform my mother that they didn’t need to do anything after they had opened him up because they discovered that “surgery” had already been done on him!
Surprised, my mother answered, “He has never been operated on. I am his wife. I should know.” Not convinced, the surgeons told my father when he regained consciousness, “We opened you up and found that surgery had already been done. Whoever did it did a perfect work.”
Equally surprised, my dad told them, “I have never had surgery done on me.”
“No, you have!” the surgeons insisted.
As my parents and the doctors continued arguing, I found myself thinking, “My goodness, I didn’t even pray for a miracle on my way to the hospital. Yet, a miracle has just happened!”
My friend, when we who are God’s children groan as we pray in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which will reach the throne of our Abba Father, and cause Him to move powerfully on our behalf!
