Tag: #healthandlife

Do You Believe God Works?

Text:

Luke 9:37-42 (ESV)

37  On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.

38  And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.

39  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him.

40  And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

41  Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

42  While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

Observation:

In our focal passage for today we are presented with two truths that grip my heart.

The first is that we can’t but God can. We don’t know who the disciples were that could not help the son of the man who made his appeal to Jesus after the disciples of Jesus could not help the child.

But, the second thing that we see from this passage is that nothing is impossible when we put it in the hands of the Lord.

There is something that encourages my heart as I read, and reflect upon this passage. Jesus has provided the way for those of us who are His disciples to be His extended heart and hand in the healing and helping ministry.

There is something that we can do with every problem we face in this world. We can take it to the Lord in prayer. The key is to have faith in God.

Luke 9:41 (ESV)

41  Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, Oh how sweet it is to live in Your presence; to know You, and to know Your power.

Father, we pray that You will never have an occasion to look at us, and say, “O faithless and twisted generation”. Father, I pray that You would grant us the grace gift of sufficient faith in You so that we would be faithful to You all of the days of our life.

Father, make us mighty men and women of faith who have a pray first attitude; a people who are devoted to prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

The Pathway to Health and Life

 

Text:

Proverbs 4:20-23 (HCSB)

20  My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings.

21  Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.

22  For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.

23  Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

Observation:

A choice verse in our focal passage for today is verse twenty. When I think of first things, my one word goal this year is FIRST, this verse will be one that I will refer to often.

There is great reward in paying attention to the Word of God. Solomon encourages us to pay attention to words, listen closely to sayings, don’t lose sight of them, and to keep them within our heart.

Solomon’s father, David, the writer of the Psalms said this:

Psalm 119:11 (HCSB)

11  I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

There is great reward in keeping the word of God within our heart. Don’t ever forget that it is the source of life.

Proverbs 6:23 (HCSB)

23  For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.

However, hearing is not enough, we must obey the Word of God.

James 1:22-25 (HCSB)

22  But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

23  Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror.

24  For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25  But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does ?good? works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

Prayer:

Father, I pray that Your people will realize the surpassing value of spending time each day in the Word of God.

Father, I pray that in this New Year we will each dedicate ourselves to feasting on the Word of God.

Father, I pray that we might all agree with the Psalmist when he said in

“Psalm 119:11 (HCSB)

11  I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. ”

In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) 
11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry