devotions

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Give Your Burdens To Jesus

11th March

“Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” ”

Matthew 11:28-30 

So often, our burdens can hinder our walk with Jesus, our intimacy with the Father and our ability to listen to the Holy Spirit. Our burdens can become so burdensome that we even find it hard to even talk to God. It is only when you remove the burdens away from you eyes and heart that you can see and listen clearly.

Jesus encouraged His listeners to not hold onto their burdens, worries and struggles but rather lay them at His feet. He uses the imagery of a yoke to explain what carrying burdens are like. In Jesus’ time, a yoke was a hand carved piece of wood that would go around an oxen to ease the burden of pulling a plough or other heavy apparatus. It also helped the farmer control the direction of the oxen. Without the yoke there could be no submission or guidance.

The reality for us today is that we often try to lead ourselves and by doing so, create a weight that we cannot bear. We try to sort out our problems, plough our “own fields” and carry our own burdens when in truth, that is not what God intended for our lives. This is not to negate our responsibilities; moreover, it is to trust God instead of trying to do everything in our strength.

When we take on Jesus’ yoke, it’s like we are taking off our own burdensome chains and shackles and exchanging it for a new lightweight upgrade. We are no longer slaves in bondage but in childlike submission to a loving Father who wants to take our worries and stresses from us, we are set free. It is only when we stop carrying our own yokes that we will find rest for our souls and know true intimacy with the Father.

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God Knows What You Need!!

10th March

 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, FOR YOUR FATHER KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED EVEN BEFORE YOU ASK HIM! ”

Matthew 6:7-8

How wonderful it is to know, that the creator of the whole world, not only cares for us but knows exactly what our needs and desires are before we even ask. God could be so busy sorting out the needs and problems of the other 7 billion people in this world when you ask Him for something. Yet He purposefully chooses to want to know our personal needs, desires and prayers. God has named YOU, called YOU by name, and will personally provide for all YOUR needs. He is not some busy executive chairman in a highflying company who gets his PA to sort out his employees’ affairs. He personally attends to each one of His children’s needs.

When we come before our Maker and Creator, our standpoint should be this; God knows what we need before we ask Him. Simple. This is not to say that we should not ask Him if He already knows our needs. This is simply to say, that there is no fear, shame, embarrassment in asking God for what we want. Don’t mince your words and don’t babble on. Get to the point. God wants to know that you trust Him enough with your needs that you are willing to ask Him.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t use a far off, impersonal name for God. He uses Father. Why? Because God is our Father and wants to provide personally for us, His children.

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Intimate Moments With The Father

9th March

 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to you Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

Matthew 6:6

Some of the most wonderful, intimate times in the presence of the Father are spent alone with Him. No distractions, no one to perform to, just you and God.

Isn’t such a privilege and honour that we can spend time alone with the creator of the universe? God is never too busy for us. God is never engaged. We all can have a personal, private audience with our Father at exactly the same time. A profound statement yet it is so true. Yet the exciting thing is, is that God want a personal audience with you too. Jesus, (who was and is God) encouraged His disciples to go away, shut out any distractions and have personal and private time with the Father.

This wasn’t a far-fetched ideology. Jesus Himself did this when He first started His ministry. He went away into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, fasting and praying. Paul had 2 years of intimacy and study time with the Father before he started his ministry. Why? Because intimacy with God is essential for spiritual growth. If we are to be effective in our mission on earth, then we must first learn what it means to be intimate with the Father in private. Any relationship we have here on earth needs a measure of time invested into it. We can’t just expect to have an intimate relationship with someone we don’t spend time with. So it is with Jesus. Spend time with Him and your intimacy with Christ will grow.

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Empty Words – A Hypocrite’s Language

7-8th March Weekend Edition

“When you pray don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.”

Matthew 6:5

Corporate prayer, when done in the right way, can be so edifying, encouraging and uplifting. Yet there is a stark difference to praying as a united body and praying so everyone can hear your eloquent long speeches to God. The key to an effective prayer, as we talked about yesterday, is asking in faith, believing that you will be answered and be thankful for the response you will receive. An ineffective prayer, is a prayer that is prayed so others can hear what you are saying to make yourself look good and sound clever. This is exactly what Jesus was addressing here in today’s passage. The Pharisees and Scribes, often named as the hypocrites, tended to pray loud, long and wordy prayers, not to enhance their relationship with God but to show off their superior spirituality to others around them. However Jesus directly challenged this attitude and corruption of what prayer really is. He even adds that the only reward for their prayer would be the response they received from the people listening. It may seem harsh but praying in this manner is completely missing what prayer is. There is no use in praying, if you are praying so other people can enjoy your churchy jargon. Prayer is a heart to heart communication with God. Period. Again, that is not to say that praying out loud or corporately is wrong. On the contrary; when in the right context and in purity, honesty and sincerity, corporate prayer can be so powerful and strategic. The issue Jesus challenges is that of an insincere and self-edifying prayer. When you pray, whether corporately or privately, imagine that you are sitting at the very feet of Jesus and having a real conversation with Him and that He is the only one listening.

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Ask, Believe and Receive

6th March

 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7

Part of praying is believing that what you pray for will happen. That is called faith. Faith is not found in prayers of eloquent words or in prayers that have been prayed for long periods of times. Faith is quite simply knowing who it is I am praying too, and knowing that if I ask in His Name and in accordance with His will, it will be done.

Jesus reminds His disciples that an effective prayer is one that believes and receives. If you ask, receive what you are asking. If you are seeking, then you will find and if you are knocking, the right door will open for you. The key is simply believing and receiving in faith. God knows what you need even before you ask. That is why He has already prepared your answer, even before you pray. Yes there are sometimes, when God allows us to make our own decisions based on common sense and God living in us. Yet, when we need divine inspiration, healing, break through, guidance and wisdom, Jesus is at hand to answer our prayers of faith.

The good news is that no prayer is too big or small for our loving Heavenly Father to deal with. He wants what is best for us every time. All we need to do is believe and receive. Don’t lack because you haven’t asked for it. Trust God and He will provide. Trust God and He will guide you.

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Speak Lord, Your Servant Is Listening

5th March

“Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel”.” Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you”, Eli replied. “Go back to bed.””

1 Samuel 3:4-10

When God speaks do you listen? Can you recognise His voice?

We can rest assured that not everyone gets it the first time. Samuel eventually became one of the Old Testaments most prolific priests, honoured by men and by God. It was his anointing and commission that gave King David his priestly role. Yet if we rewind time to when he was just a boy, we see that it was not always like that.

Hannah, his mother, finally gave birth to a son after many years of tears and agony. She promised God that when she finally had a child she would dedicate him to God and for God’s service. This is where we pick up the story in 1 Samuel 3. Samuel was now living in the temple with Eli the priest. One night, the Lord spoke out to Samuel. Yet Samuel thought Eli was calling him. Again the Lord called Samuel, yet “Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before.”

It is so difficult to discern something you do not know or have not heard before. Samuel couldn’t recognise the voice of God because he had never heard it before. Do you sometimes feel like that? Yet just as much as God wanted to talk to Samuel, so He wants to talk to us. Our response should be the same as Samuels. “Speak, Your servant is listening!!” Part of listening to God, is practicing discerning His voice. Our response when we think we can hear God’s voice should be “I am listening”. God wants to talk to us. Our challenge is whether we take the time to listen and discern what He has to say.

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You Are Not Alone…!!

4th March

“And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain…. but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. ”

1 Kings 19:11-13 

There are very few people that were or are full of so much faith that can rival that of the Old Testament prophet, Elijah. What a man of God. Elijah saw some of the most miraculous events and wonders that were to ever take place in the Bible. Yet he found himself here in this passage running away from the call God had on his life, through the fear of an evil leader. This same Elijah had just been given supernatural strength to run faster than a chariot, was fed by ravens, made bread from a tiny bit of oil and flour, and called down fire to burn a water soaked altar. Yet this man feared a human being, the evil ruler, Jezebel.

So often in our lives we can witness God move in such powerful ways, yet as soon as a situation comes up where we feel tried, lonely and tested, we hide away and forgot the wonders God has done in our lives. However, it is often in the stillness of our storms, when we take time to sit in the presence of God, that we really hear His voice. Elijah, although he saw God move in great power through him, was fearful of death, fearful of Jezebel and Ahab and tried to hide from what God had called him to do. Yet God, in His loving, gentle, kindness embraces Elijah and meets him where he is at; not in the raging storms, earthquakes and fire, but in the still, small and peaceful voice.

If the storm is raging and you feel alone, know that God will meet you were you are and give you strength. Whatever the challenge, God is with you, it’s a promise!

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Have You The Heard The Voice Of God?

3rd March

 “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me.”

John 10:27-28 

What does the voice of God sound like? Have you ever heard it? The truth is, is that God speaks to us in so many different ways; through the still small voice in our minds, through creation, through His word and sometimes even audibly.

However, the underlying truth is this… We must all be able to discern and hear the voice of God. Why? Well, the obvious answer is, that if we are to engage in any type of relationship with God Himself, then we need to be able to have a conversation with Him. Any relationship is a two-way communication. Simply put, if you can’t hear from God, then it becomes a one-way conversation. God has so much to share with His sheep, so much to share with YOU! In hearing God’s voice, your identity in Him is secure. You know that you are His. You know that you can follow His voice and His guidance. There is richness and fullness of life in His words.

Yet so often, our minds are clogged up with so many others thoughts and voices that we find it hard to hear what God is saying. Even David, the friend of God, sometimes had moments in his life when he felt distant from God…”My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are You so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call You, my God, but You do not answer.” (Psalm 22:1-2) In fact Jesus Himself, repeated those words as He was hanging on the cross. Although the context of these two examples might be completely different from what we face, the fact of the matter is, is that sometimes things get in the way of us discerning and hearing God’s voice. Sometimes, we do feel far from Him. Sometimes, we do feel abandoned. Yet God is always there. He always wants to talk to us.

If we are to follow Him, then we need to remove any obstacles that hinder our walk with Him and be free to have a real, living and free relationship with our Master. Do you hear the voice of your Shepherd?

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The Gate To A Full Life

2nd March

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10 (NKJV) 

I recently came across this quote and it really challenged my perceptions of what life in its fullness really is.

 ‘I asked God for His blessings so I could enjoy life.

He gave me life so I could enjoy His blessings’

So often Christians are branded with a boring brush, living by long sets of rules and regulations, of do’s and don’ts. Yet the most fulfilled people on this earth, the people who live life to its fullest, should be those who have accepted Christ. Why? Because Jesus came to give us life. He came to give us life in its fullness. A life that is as the NLT version puts this verse, “rich and satisfying”.

Yet so often we look for God’s blessings in order to satisfy our desires to have a good life. We think we need money to have a better life, more friends, a bigger house and to be socially accepted. Yes, all those things are great, yet we can have all of those and still be living an empty, unfilled and lacking life. The fullness of life comes not in material possessions or in things that can be measured. It comes from the knowledge that you are loved by the Creator of the entire universe and everything in it. Life in its fullness is knowing that because of Jesus, you have hope in hopeless situations, joy where there seems no joy, peace in raging wars, and purpose where there seems no direction. It is the knowledge that you can have nothing, yet everything at the same time.

Life in abundance is enjoying life in Christ. It is knowing who you are in Him and all that that holds for your life.

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Nailing Sinful Passions To The Cross

28th Feb – 1st March

Weekend Edition

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.”

Galatians 5:24 

The cross forever stands as a reminder of the pain and suffering that our Lord Jesus went through when He took humanities sin on His shoulders and took our punishment for us. However, when looking at the cross, we should only see our place in God’s eyes. FORGIVEN!

If we are forgiven (continually forgiven) then our lifestyles should reflect the inward change and the regenerative work of salvation. So often we can slip up and go back to old habits, old lifestyles and even begin to think as you did before Christ lived in you. However, Paul’s encouragement for us today, is to nail our old habits, passions and desires to the cross. We no longer have to be slaves to sin. What Jesus did on the cross was eternal, for everyone and can never run out.

We can start again today. Grace, hope and love are no restricted to a once in a lifetime decision. You can have as much of Jesus’ grace, hope and love, as you want all the time. If we confess our sins (nailing them to the cross) then He will forgive us. It’s a promise. Today if you have wondered from God’s best for you, nail your sins to the cross, and have faith they are crucified with Christ and that because of His love for you, YOU ARE FORGIVEN…HOW AMAZING IS THAT!!

Go and Sin no more!!