Joseph Prince's Devotional

Do you sometimes feel like you are just a face in a crowd or a number in a system? You are identified by your social security number. Even when you see the doctor, you are called by your queue number. If you feel depersonalized and dehumanized, that is exactly how the devil wants you to feel - that you do not matter much to anyone, especially to God.
But you do matter to God! He calls you by name. He knows exactly what you are going through and where you are hurting. He sees you and cares for you, just as He cared for the people when He first walked on earth.
My friend, He will do for you what He did for the woman in Samaria. There was a shorter route from Judea to Galilee, but the Bible says that ‚"He needed to go through Samaria‚". (John 4:4) In other words, Jesus deliberately took a longer route, so that He could stop by Samaria to speak to the woman who had been searching for something in her life to satisfy her.
This woman had had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband. Clearly, things had not been going right in her life. She was probably looking for answers and fulfillment, and must have felt ashamed about her failed marriages and current lifestyle.
Yet, in spite of all this, she mattered to Jesus! He needed to go to her to minister to her. And indeed, after she met Jesus, the perfect Man, she was transformed. She was no longer ashamed, and went into the city to tell the people about Him. (John 4:28-29)
Beloved, Jesus came a long way from heaven for you. You certainly matter to Him. He came to give you life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) You are not just a face in a crowd or a number. No, He knows you by name and has a personal love for you. And in spite of the mess which you might be in, He wants to meet your every need and make your life beautiful!
Thought For The Day
You do matter to God! He knows what you are going through and wants to meet your every need.

Abundant life

Letter from the heart of God

Dearly beloved, I want you to prosper in all things and be in health, just as you soul prospers. I want you to experience the abundant life Jesus promised to you. I want your cup to overflow, and your joy to be full. It is My great pleasure to give you My kingdom

As your Father, I want you to know that I care about every part of your life. Therefore, I invite you to cast all your cares on Me. I always want the best for you, and I am able and always willing to supply all of your needs according to My riches in glory through Christ Jesus.

I want you to be able to find your delight in the abundance of My peace. Therefore, I ask you to seek first My kingdom and My righteousness, and, as you do so, you will soon discover that everything in your life will be taken care of.

My joy is your strength. My grace will always be sufficient for you. Remember that My divine power has already given you all things that pertain to both life and godliness through My Son, Jesus. My child, receive the inheritance I’ve provided for you, and enjoy the abundance I give every day of your life. Receive it by faith.

With abundant blessing,

God, your Father

Conversation with Father

We have been emphasizing how important it is to not just speak when you pray, but to listen - to hear what your Father wants to tell you as well. 

Then, and only then you can say that there is a relationship between you and God, when there is two way communication and you are having a conversation with your Lord! 

Can you remember what Solomon asked God after He said Solomon can ask anything he wants to? Most of us will answer wisdom… And that is exactly what God gave him, but Solomon did not directly ask for wisdom… 

1 Kings 3:9(NKJV)

⁹ Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 

The Amplified brings out the original Hebrew meaning of an understanding heart: 

1 Kings 3:9(AMP)

⁹So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people? 

Solomon asked for an understanding, hearing heart that will help him to discern between good and bad. And God gave him wisdom! 

This says allot – the ability to hear God… is seen by God, as wisdom! 

God was so impressed by Solomon’s decision that He not only gave him a hearing heart in the form of wisdom, but even honor and riches beyond his wildest imagination. 

What would you ask God if you could only ask Him one thing? The most precious thing you could ever ask from Him is a hearing heart! Ask Him today, and have a conversation with your Father!  

Shalom!

Anina

How do we get faith?

Yesterday we saw that we need to pray with faith and that faith and prayer is inseparable. But if you feel you have a deficit in the area of faith the Bible gives us a way to obtain more faith! 

Romans 10:17(NKJV)

¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

This is one of my favorite Scriptures in the Bible! Firstly, if it feels as if you don’t have any faith, there is good news: “faith comes…” If you don’t have faith it can come to you! 

Secondly it is not something difficult you have to do, faith comes quite easy through hearing. But not any kind of hearing. It comes by hearing the Word of God! 

It is quite interesting to know that most people, when they spend time with God separate their Bible reading time and prayer into separate categories. For me it is more of a conversation that I have with my Father: He speaks through His Word and I respond in prayer at the same time! In this way I pray God’s perfect will and faith is coming to me. 

I would keep on reading my daily passage until I feel God speaks to my heart. Then I would pray that Scripture and let it linger in my heart for a while and ask the Father if there is anything else He would like to reveal to me. 

In this way my time with God is dynamic and there is not one conversation that is boring or where God does not speak to me. If I don’t understand I tell Him and share my heart with Him. It is also important that when you receive a Scripture and you feel it is not applicable to you, to ask Him for who you are supposed to pray this Word. It is not always meant to be given to the person, sometimes you just need to pray that Scripture over that person’s life. 

In this way your faith will be growing and you will be exited to spend time with your Father! 

Shalom!

Anina

Praying with faith

We are still busy with the dynamic subject of prayer! 

This week I shared another requirement for prayer with our congregation: 

Hebrews 11:6(NKJV)

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 

It is impossible to pray without faith. Hebrew teaches us that faith is to first believe that God exists and that He also rewards each and every one who seeks Him diligently! 

If you show me a man of faith, I will without a doubt know that he is a man of prayer. And if you show me a man of prayer, I will know he is a man of faith! Prayer and faith is inseparable! 

But it is more than only to believe that God exists. It is to trust in His character – believing that He is good, reliable and faithful! That He is able to deliver on His promises and that He is ultimately in control.  

If you know His character in this way, you will be able to pray like Jesus in reverential submission: “Lord… not as I will, but as You will”. Because you will know that He is indeed good, that His will for your life is better that your own and that His plans are better than your own. 

If you have this kind of faith, you will receive what you pray for: 

Matthew 21:22(AMP)

²²And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive. 

Shalom!

Anina

The Power of Prayer

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident. Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated.

He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But, just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards."

At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone out in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said "No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone."

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day that this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

"On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?"

The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were - he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it.
--- Author Unknown --- Sent in by Patricia T. Love --- California

What is God’s will?

Yesterday we said that if you want to be heard when you pray, you need to pray in reverent submission and submit your will to God’s will! But how will we know what is God’s will? 

It is interesting to note that the Bible says that reverent submission is actually the first step to knowing God’s will. But it is not only an attitude. It starts with giving your body, your whole self over to God: 

Romans 12:1-2(NIV)

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

His good, pleasing and perfect will is not three levels of His will – it is one position in Him: a position of total submission. A position of saying: “Lord you know what I want, but I choose Your will above my own will. I belong to you, take my life as a living sacrifice!” 

The moment you say: “Lord Your will!” you offer your body as a living sacrifice to Him! 

There is a beautiful example of this attitude in Luke:

Luke 5:12(AMP) 

While He was in one of the towns, there came a man full of (covered with) leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cure me and make me clean

He fell on his face – reveal his humility and submission and his words reveal his heart: “if You are willing.” 

Jesus’ answer is very clear to an attitude like this:

Luke 5:13(AMP) 

And [Jesus] reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed! And immediately the leprosy left him. 

You see God gives grace to the humble. Grace is to receive something that you don’t necessarily deserve. Whether this leper deserved his healing or not, Jesus was willing to heal him because of his reverent submission! 

Shalom!

Anina