Category: Scripture

Planted In Him

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”

~ Psalm 1:1-3

Prayer Life Pause: Father, keep my heart from the counsel, paths and seat of the wicked. Guard me and plant me firmly in the presence of Your tender love and priceless grace that I may bear fruit to Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Ultimate Question

~ A Prayer Life ~ 5 Comments

“Who do you say that I am”?

~ Matthew 16:15

From ancient philosophers to modern scholars, people have delved into timeless questions. What are the origins of the universe? Is there really any such thing as good and evil? Where did man come from? What is the meaning of life? Mankind has relentlessly prodded and plied on these ubiquitous questions with little to no avail for centuries on end.

Yet, there is only one question that truly matters. It is the one question every person must eventually face. This crucial question draws a spiritual line in the sand which divides and defines the whole human race. It is a question of reckoning. This essential question confronts the man, challenges the mind and pierces the very heart and soul.

Jesus puts this question to everyone who ever lives, “Who do you say that I am?” And to be sure, there are as many opinions about who Jesus was and is, as there are about the origins of the universe. In Jesus’ own day, He was likened to Elijah and Jeremiah. Some thought He was John the Baptist. Yet, all of these answers fall short of the glorious truth.

Peter, the Apostle, replies to our Lord’s question saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” This, beloved reader, is the only satisfactory answer. None other will do. Jesus is the Christ, or He is nothing. And while foolish men may continue their search for the meaning of life, Jesus is Life. And He is asking you, “Who do you say that I am?” May your answer to this ultimate question echo Peter’s own, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”.

~ apl

Prayer Life Pause: Lord Jesus, make the reality of Your divine person, love and grace ever more present in my life that I might continually exclaim and proclaim You to the ends of the earth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Down & Out

~ A Prayer Life ~ 6 Comments

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

~ Galatians 5:25

When we hear the phrase “down and out” it usually carries with it negative connotations of someone who’s having a hard time, down on their luck, or needing a break to begin a fresh start. But in this brief devotion today, I want to make a play on this well-known phrase. It is my hope and prayer that you, dear reader, will be blessed with a refreshing look at your own faith this day as we consider this passage from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

As Christians, we are called to live by and walk in, the Spirit of God. Understanding these two important aspects of our faith is vital to growing in our relationship to Christ, and in meaningfully applying our faith to all of life. It is in this sense, I want us to think about living “down and out”. Believers live by the faith that comes down to us from the Spirit, and we walk in the Spirit by living out our faith as a witness for Jesus Christ for all the world to see.

Notice how Paul unites these two characteristics of faith together in this text. True believers who receive their faith through the Holy Spirit will assuredly walk by that self-same faith. The gift of faith that comes down from God will be lived out by the believing person. Godly faith is always attended by godly living. What comes down to us, the Lord intends to by lived out by us.

Yet, applying this principle isn’t always easy. The reality is Christians struggle to put “feet on our faith”. Believers need a continual receiving of the Spirit’s loving and nurturing presence in us to help us consistently live out our faith. So let us pray for divine power. Let us petition our Lord and beneficent Father for sufficient grace and strength to always be living down and out.

~ apl

Prayer Life Pause: Heavenly Father, please continue to pour out Your Spirit in my life that the faith You sent down to me can and will be faithfully lived out in my life as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Saul vs. David

~ A Prayer Life ~ 1 Comment

“Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.”

~ 2 Samuel 3:1

What a fearful and awesome portrayal of the long war between the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman! Saul represents man’s tireless effort at self-righteous power, majesty and glory while the royal line of David represents the sovereign holy interests of Christ, our King. And though this spiritual battle which exists between these two ancient rivals presses on even today, Christ’s people can know, as with the narrative history between Saul’s and David’s houses which typifies this conflict, that Satan’s house will continue to grow weaker and weaker, while the Christ’s “house” will grow eternally stronger and stronger until the reign of Jesus is fulfilled for all time and in all things!

~ apl

Prayer Life Pause: Lord Jesus, continue to grant me Your strength that I might live today in the glory of Your wonderful might and power. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Full of Grace & Truth

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

~ John 1:1-14

Prayer Life Pause: Father, help me to receive and embrace Christ as my Light that He might shine through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God Will Answer

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“In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me”.

~ Psalm 86:7

A true believer can have the blessed assurance the Lord is there for them in times of trouble. One of the greatest comforts in Scripture is the idea that God provides for His people; that Jehovah Jireh, God Our Provider, furnishes the needs of those who will faithfully call upon Him in times of adversity, trouble or affliction.

Notice, in our verse today, the confidence the Psalmist displays is not because of himself. His assurance does not lie the astuteness of his prayer, or the correctness of his doctrine. The words of our prayers in times of trouble may not carry much eloquence or refinement of speech. But if they are issued with even the faith of a mustard seed, they can be lifted up with the same assurance of David when he declared, “You (God) will answer me”.

When we are faced with our own day of trouble is God the first place we turn for help? Is He a second choice, third choice, or even a last resort? Do you believe if you will but make God your refuge in times of adversity that you will find Him faithful, strong and true? May the troubled humbled heart take away from our passage today that if it will but call upon the Lord, He will be near you. God will answer.

~ apl

Healing The Heart

~ A Prayer Life ~ 6 Comments

“[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted…”

~ Psalm 147:3

My uncle used to have one of those gigantic tool boxes that affixed to the the bed of his pickup truck. That thing was stuffed full of every kind of tool you could ever think of. If you needed it, my uncle had it. In fact, he had an old saying. If you asked him if he had a hammer, saw, screwdriver or some odd tool you could borrow, he would smile and say, “I got a tool to fixed everything, but a broken heart”.

There are some things even the best made tools of man cannot fix. In Psalm 147, we see it is the Lord who is the divine repairer of broken hearts. He can and does heal us when we are sorrowful and in need of His loving grace. God is a source of supreme comfort and peace when all else fails. Though we might find some temporary solace in this world and through other “tools”, it is the Lord who promises, if we will but come to Him, He will heal our broken heart.

~ apl

Light Brings Life

~ A Prayer Life ~ 4 Comments

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”.

~ John 1:4

Light brings life. As each new day dawns, so does the vibrant moving, growing, bustling, and stirring of life everywhere. In many ways, it is the bright warmth of light that grants us the motivation, desire and inspiration to carry on with our day. The same is true of our spiritual life. In Christ is life, because He is the light of the His people which spurs us on towards greater faith and good works. Jesus is the source of all true, noble, righteous and principled deeds born in the Christian life. To the Light goes all the glory (Jn 8:12). Have you placed your faith and hope in the One who brought light into this dark world? Have you come out of darkness into Light? Does your life reflect the light of Jesus? Remember, it is light that brings life.

~ apl

His Precious Word

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“Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible. But I often spent a quarter of an hour to an hour on my knees struggling to pray while my mind wandered. Now I rarely have this problem. As my heart is nourished by the truth of the Word, I am brought into true fellowship with God. I speak to my Father and to my Friend (although I am unworthy) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.”

~ George Muller