Instant Devotion - Christian Daily Devotion Blog» God’s Message Today

Prayer Changes Everything

Edwin Joseph — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:34:58 +0000

Recently, as I was reading my bible on Isaiah 38, I realized that everything can be changed by prayers. The 38th chapter of Isaiah talks about King Hezekiah’s reign at the prime of his life but all of a sudden God told him that he’s going to die. Hezekiah is facing the most successful days of his reign however he became to ill and was at the point of death.

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Isaiah 38:1-5
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

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Here’s what’s interesting about this story. Isaiah is a prophet, and what he says came from God and it should come to pass. Suppose to be, there is nothing that can stop it from happening. However, the twist of this story starts when Hezekiah wept bitterly and prayed to God for his recovery.

Amazingly, verse 5 says, “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.”

It is very clear that God added fifteen more years to his life not because of what he did nor how faithful he is. God heard his prayers and saw his tears and it changes everything.

Now I understand why people do pray hardly when someone is dying. I can testify how my father had been active praying for sick people every time he visits a hospital. It seems pretty weird for me back then since I was too young in faith. This story tells me that everything can change in prayer. Imagine GOD extending a persons life 15 more years just because he prayed and wept.

Bible Devotion Conclusion:

Are you sick or in the point of death?

Are you asking God for extraordinary favor in your life?

Are you heavily burdened and struggling?

Is there any broken relationship you want to restore?

Are you in financial crisis?

Is there any person you want to be born again?

Always remember prayer changes everything. There is nothing too hard for God to solve. Our God is not far enough to give solutions to our worries and problems. The secret: PRAY HARD!

Consider God’s Rebuke

Edwin Joseph — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:14:57 +0000

I was attending a christian church since I was a child. I have been actively participating and sunday school programs. In fact, I do join youth camps yearly, non-stop! The problem with christians who grew up in church is that they can’t hardly differentiate what’s bad from good. You know why? Because they don’t really experience worst sins a man could do thus making them a bit self-righteous. I can say this because I have lots of friends who think that way.

However, there is a verse which I read about last week and still speaks to me up to know. In the eyes of the Lord, there is no small or big sin. SIN is a SIN in any way!

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Proverbs 29:1

A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
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The bible clearly tells us that we need to hid ourselves from sinning. We need to listen carefully to what the Word of God says. No matter how small the sin we commit, we need to understand that it’s important for us to consider God’s rebuke. The problem with most people is that they play deaf, as if they don’t hear God correcting them.

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

Be careful on every actions you take. Learn how to listen and follow what God’s wants you to do. He wanted you to transform your life to His likeness and not continue sinning the rest of your life. Your life can be ruined in an instant if you stop listening to God. Always remember, once God corrects you, obey because He want you to have a good life. If you stop listening, the next thing that might happen to you is disaster.

Ministry of Prayer

Edwin Joseph — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:17:13 +0000

It was so nice to attend the first congregational Dawn Watch held in our church. Honestly, it’s not normal for the youth to join prayer gatherings but I do believe that God called every believer to pray and intercede, even the youth. To my surprise, a lot of youth accepted the challenge to be part of the Dawn Watch which aims to pray for the restoration of our country (Philippines). We’ve been struggling for so many years mainly because of stubbornness, pride and idolatry.

I realized that for a very long time, most of the youth are deceived by the devil. The enemy keeps trying to put lies in our minds just for out to keep away from praying. Me for example, do not join prayer gatherings merely because I thought that it was for intercessors and skillful prayer warriors. I may sound weird but it’s true! And most of our youth have the same thing in mind. I constantly feed my mind with the thought that prayer is for matured intercessors.

However, God’s is moving us into a very different situation. God is breaking the chain of deception in our lives.

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1 Samuel 16:7 (English Standard Version)

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance,but the LORD looks on the heart.”
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The bible tells us clearly that whenever God anoints, He never look at the outward appearance that a man sees. He doesn’t even look at a man’s age. He looks at the HEART!

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

You are who you are. No matter how young or how old you are, God is calling you for service, especially in prayer. How He longs to hear you cry out for your country’s restoration. He wants you to plead for your love’s ones salvation. He wants to see you interceding for the lost souls.You don’t need to use wide vocabularies to make your prayer special. Always remember that God don’t play favorites. He hears all our prayers whether it’s long or short.

What God wants to hear is the prayer that comes from our hearts, not from our mouths!

Whole Duty Of Man

Edwin Joseph — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:17:09 +0000

I assume that you are very familiar with the bestselling book, “Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. This book occupied a lot of space in bookstores worldwide because people desperately want to know the purpose of their life. People are confused as to why they are born. Why do people need to come to birth then die in the end? Even famous and successful people around the world can’t answer the question, “what’s your life’s purpose?“

It is a sad truth that we already asked all the people about this and yet we forget to ask God (our creator)! And for some who started asking God, they tend to play deaf and not listen to what God is saying. Did you even try seeking God regarding your life’s purpose?

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Ecclesiastes 12:13 (New International Version)

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
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The book of Ecclesiastes talked about our purpose very clearly. Though it says that we can live our lives to the fullest, to the way we want it to be, but in the end it concludes that we still need to fear God and keep His commandments because it is the whole duty of man. As a christian I can directly say this to you that your goal in life should not to make yourself known and popular. Rather, it is to make God known based on how your live your life. Your life needs to serve its purpose!

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

Live a life setting good examples to the world. Fear God in every way and keep His commandments as you live your life daily. Pursue holiness and not sin. Check your life and remind yourself that your actions should always glorify God. Always remember that your main purpose is to follow God’s plan and not yours!

You can try reading a lot of self help books to know your purpose. In the end, I’m quite sure you will end up reading the bible because it is the only book who can tell you about your purpose.

A Time For Life And Death

Edwin Joseph — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:55:01 +0000

This month, two of my relatives died.

- The first one was my cousin, same age with me. We both grew together, played together. We spend our time on things which matters most to us. We had a lot of fun.

- The second was my auntie. She’s not an ordinary auntie to me because I treat her as my second mom. Since I was a child, I often go to her house to have my vacation. She was truly loving in nature. She does not boast of what she has but instead she freely gives everything and not even set aside for herself.

These two relatives of mine lived a very different lives. They have different set of friends, cousins, wisdom, assets, jobs even wealth. However, one thing holds them in common, both have the same creator! Their creator is the only one who knows when will they live and die.

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Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
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As I was reading the Book of Ecclesiastes, it says that we will all be facing death. No riches and wisdom can extend our life because we areo nly born to live at a certain specific period of time. The question here is, “Are you ready to face death?” Where will you be headed after death, heaven or hell?

People are too scary to talk about this matters not because they love their life here on earth but rather because they don’t know where they will be heading after death. It will be a tragedy to end up living in prosperity on earth while living an endless turmoil in hell.

All I want now is to ask you, are you ready to face death? Will you go to heaven or will you go to a place of suffering called hell? If you not sure of where your life will be after death. I have hear a 2 minute video which talks about your life’s salvation (How to be Saved).

Click Here To Know How You Will Be Assured Of Your Life

What is Salvation? (In 2 Minutes) – Paul Washer

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

You will only be assured of your life by giving up your life and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It will make you stop doubting about your salvation at the time you stop living a sinful life.

Living A Righteous Life

Edwin Joseph — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:34:57 +0000

Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,

for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.

The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.

Proverbs 3:31-33 (NIV)

The moment we became sons of God (christians), we should envy how Jesus lived His life in this world. He was born as a man yet He did not sin. He was tempted to sin however He choose to be righteous. He never lived a promising life but He did not aspire for riches.

It’s a bit weird because in today’s world, I’ve been hearing a lot of fellow christians who somehow envy a sinners life. I dig deeper to analyze their reasoning and it boiled down to “riches“. A lot of them say that a wicked person prosper so much. Here’s for example:

1.) Corrupt political officials becomes richer and richer. (They seldom get punished)

2.) Businessman who does not give their “tithes” still prosper than christian businessmen.

3.) Boss’s seldom promote a righteous man because it will correct him.

4.) Christian businessmen hardly get big projects unless they agree to falsify the receipts.

5.) Many more…

You may think just like them but always remember that the greatest test of your faith is when it comes to riches. I’ve seen people who where spiritual blinded by riches. Isn’t is what satan used to tempt Jesus Christ? But Jesus rejected the offer!

The bible clearly says that the Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked. Do not envy their riches because you can be assured that God (our father) has more riches than them. The Lord is not a liar. When He say something, it will always be true. If He says that He will bless the house of the righteous, it will always be fulfilled in any way.

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

God will always be true to His promises. However, do not merely focus on His blessings. Aspire more for His love and everything will follow next. Make it a goal to live how Jesus lived. Don’t envy how wicked persons live their lives. Be righteous and do what you think is right in front of God.

God’s Direction In Demand

Edwin Joseph — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:53:15 +0000

Christians normally pray “Lord, guide me” after they do all the planning on their own. It’s as if we decide what we believe is best for us, then all of a sudden we will ask God to guide us. Can we be guided by God if our minds is already fixed on doing something?

A sad truth is that we disregard God’s direction towards our life. Most of the time, we plan ahead. We think that we are too wise enough to decide which is best. Unfortunately, the moment we rely on our self, every problem starts to flood our way. Then all of a sudden, you will ask God in the end, “what went wrong Lord?”

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Psalms 25:4 says, Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths
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Here are 2 basic ways on how to ask God for direction:

1.) Prayer – prayer is one of the most basic tool on how we can get direction from God. It is through prayer that we ask God His directions on everything that will took place.

Note: Before you start your daily life, come to God in prayer. Talk to Him and ask Him which direction you need to take.

2.) Bible – Everything that comes from the bible is good for correction, guidance and direction. The bible will always direct us on doing good things not just for God, but for other people as well. The bible will direct us on how to face every problem and struggles that we are to face.

These days, most christians read their bibles at night, not in the morning. Isn’t it that the reason why we read our bibles is for us to gain direct for our daily life? How could our life be directed daily if we don’t read it before we start our day?

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

Praying and Meditating the word of God everyday is what we call “Time for Devotion“ or “Moment with God“. If either of this 2 will be neglected, our daily life will seem to be ruined. We can’t live our life without God’s direction. It is like living a life that you don’t know what will happens next. If you truly want to have a successful life, you should demand for God’s direction.

Religion by Computer

GuestPost — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:57:50 +0000

“Those who believe in the Son have eternal life.” John 3:36

Computerized Christianity. Push the right buttons, enter the right code, insert the correct data, and bingo, print out your own salvation.

You do your part and the Divine Computer does his. No need to pray (after all, you control the keyboard). No emotional attachment necessary (who wants to hug circuits?). And worship? Well, worship is a lab exercise—insert the rituals and see the results.

Religion by computer. That’s what happens when…

You replace the living God with a cold system;

You replace inestimable love with pro-forma budget;

You replace the ultimate sacrifice of Christ with the puny achievements of man.

By: Max Lucado

No related posts.

No Fear Of Bad News

Edwin Joseph — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:31:19 +0000

Is there any benefit being a righteous man?

When I was still schooling, 6 years ago, I came across a group of students who never in their lives thought of changing their lives. They already knew the consequences of what they are doing but still they say, “If it’s my time to die, I’ll die.” As if they don’t fear dying with their sins not forgiven.

I also met some groups which says that living a good life has no significance so why bother live right? They believed that living a worldly life is fun and it gives them freedom to do what they wanted. The bible however tells us that a righteous man has lots of benefits (You may read the whole chapter of Psalms 112).

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He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Psalms 112:7
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Now that everybody is facing a weakening society and economy, a righteous man can hold on to God, trust in Him, let Him move. No matter how bad the circumstances we are in, the bible clearly states that we should have no fear of bad news. God is the creator of everything. Isn’t it very easy for God to solve our simple problems?

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

Once you learn how to cling on to God. He will prove to you that trusting Him is the best thing you can do to survive in this world.

- NO PERSON can help you solve your problems.

- NO DOCTORS can heal your sick.

- NO JOB can provide you stable income.

- NO BUSINESS can give you success.

- NO SAFETY PRECAUTION can give you assurance for your life.

In the end, all you have is God. He can always create good things from bad news!

Everything You Need

GuestPost — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:09:49 +0000

“My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus
to give you everything you need.”
Philippians 4:19

May I meddle for a moment? What is the one thing separating you from joy? How do you fill in this blank: “I will be happy when_________________”? When I am healed. When I am promoted. When I am married. When I am single. When I am rich. How would you finish that statement?

Now, with your answer firmly in mind, answer this. If your ship never comes in, if your dream never comes true, if the situation never changes, could you be happy? If not, then you…need to know what you have in your Shepherd.

You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.

By Max Lucado

A Pasture for the Soul