Tag: Faith

With The Humble

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

“When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.”

~ Proverbs 11:2

Pride has been the arch nemesis of humanity since the dawn of man. It was pride that made Adam believe he could “be like God“. Sinful willful pride is a hinderance to our prayers and fellowship with God (Job 35:12). And, of course, pride is always the prerequisite for our fall into sin and leads to our ultimate destruction. But the path to true holiness and spiritual life is one of true humility. Godly wisdom is the fruit borne from a life given to God in deference, faith and love. The Lord saves the humble (Ps. 18:27). With pride, man foolishly strives to lift himself. But it is the Lord who lifts the humble. And it is only the humble who find God’s grace.

~ apl

Don’t Settle In Egypt!

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

“Now the Israelites settled in Egypt…”

~ Genesis 47:27

If Israel is representative of God’s people, certainly Egypt represents bondage, suffering and sin. For 400 years God’s people languished in Egypt under the heavy hand of Pharaoh’s rule. It was there God’s people began to worship evil idols and false gods. And it wasn’t until God sent His deliverer that His people were set free. May Christians today never settle in their sins. May we never grow comfortable in the chains of iniquity. But may we always look in faith to our freedom from sin in Jesus Christ, our hope and Deliverer.

~ apl

Worthy of the Gospel

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

~ Philippians 1:27

Prayer Life Pause: Heavenly Father, conform my conduct such that it is worthy of the Gospel of Christ, that I might stand fast in the Spirit and with a renewed heart and mind serve Jesus in the hope of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Tents & Houses

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.

~ Proverbs 14:11

God is faithful to both the wicked and the righteous. Sound strange? Think about it. His promises towards both are sure and certain. The Lord’s Word stands as true to one as it does the other. In our passage before us, we are told the house of the wicked will be overthrown. The meaning is all the wicked do, all they establish here on earth, any accumulation of power or prosperity, even they themselves, will one day come to nought. While the tent of the upright will be blessed, it will flourish and ultimately prosper under God’s faithful care.

Consider one other caveat from this text, notice the contrast between the house of the wicked and the tent of the upright. A house may appear more stable than a tent. The house may give the resident a greater sense of safety and security than the one dwelling in a tent. But in the Lord’s plans, the house will fall while the tent shall stand. Though the upright may do with less in this world, and live by humbler means than the wicked, God is faithful to both, and it is the upright who will flourish while the wicked are fully and finally overthrown.

~ apl

To The Glory & Praise of God

~ A Prayer Life ~ 4 Comments

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God”.

~ Philippians 1:9-11

Prayer Life Pause: Heavenly Father, may my love for You and my fellow man deepen everyday, may I seek those things which You deem most excellent, and may my faith be sincere and without offense so that the fruits of Thy righteousness would be manifest in me to the glory and praise of God. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For Your Good

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good…”

~ Genesis 50:20

The story of Joseph’s rise to prominence in Egypt is filled with unlikely twists and turns. It begins when Joseph receives the covenant blessing of Jacob indicating his rise as the leader of God’s people, Israel. But because of the jealously and hatred of his brothers again him, Joseph’s life would take an unexpected turn towards violence, suffering, slavery and attempted murder.

Though his brother’s sought Joseph’s demise, he remained faithful to the Lord, and as a result, God favored and blessed him, even in a foreign land. Joseph rose to great power in Egypt. So that after the death of their father, and during a terrible famine, Joseph’s brothers went up to Egypt to plead for Joseph’s help. And oddly enough, Joseph was in the perfect place to assist.

What Joseph’s brother meant for evil against their brother, God meant for good. Their jealousy drove them to want to kill Joseph, to drive him away, and to prevent him from taking his rightful place as their leader. Yet God preserved Joseph and used him mightily despite them. Joseph remained faithful to God through it all and the Lord blessed him for it.

Sometimes everything can seem to be working against you. It can feel like God has let you go and the world is winning. Still remember, even in our darkest hour, God can bring good out of it. He can bring good out of pain, sorrow, and affliction. Maybe today you are in the pit of life, and like Joseph, with little reason to hope. Yet, be faithful; trust in the Lord. For what others mean for evil against you, your good and faithful God can mean ultimately for your good.

~ apl

Prayer Life Pause: Heavenly Father, when I feel the evils of this world pressing in on me and I can’t seem to grasp the meaning of it all, help me to know with a blessed assurance I’m still in Your hand and my goodness is You goal. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Faithfulness

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

~ Galatians 5:22-23

The idea of the word faithfulness, as used here, seems to be that of fidelity. It denotes the believer who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit will be earnest and dependable in their words and promises. Our yea will be our yea, and our nea will be our nea. A Christian can be trusted and confided in. A closer relationship with God in Christ stirs up greater and greater faith. The Christian will grow in faith and show that faithfulness as a husband, wife, neighbor, and friend. Faithfulness in the life of Christ’s people shows our love and devotion to Him and our desire to be faithful as He is faithful to us.

~ apl

Prayer Life Pause: Heavenly Father, help me to be a faithful Christian; one others can confide in and depend on so that Jesus is glorified in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Peace

~ A Prayer Life ~ 6 Comments

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

~ Galatians 5:22-23

Like the other fruits of the Spirit, peace is not something we always experience outwardly, but it is something the follower of Jesus can cultivate inwardly. The kind of peace spoken of here is a result of ceasing the inner conflict in ourselves between sin and the Savior. There is always conflict when we are at odds with the Lord. And our peace comes when we yield to Christ and submit ourselves to His Word. Faithful obedience and grace-filled living leads to spiritual peace.

Prayer Life Pause: Lord Jesus, fill my heart with Your Word that it might chase out my sins and pour Your Holy Spirit in me that I might experience Your splendid peace. In Jesus, name, amen.