God is a Loving Father..Craig Denison Ministries

 God is a Loving Father

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

There is no better father than Creator God. He formed us and knows us. He provides for us, loves us unconditionally, and longs for real, life-giving relationship with us. He runs out to meet us in our sin, clothes us with new identity, and restores to us the abundant life he has always planned for us. As we spend time looking at the father heart of God, may a fresh revelation of his love for you guide you into greater depths of relationship with your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” >1 John 3:1

Devotional:

In Brennan Manning’s book, Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging, he writes,

But we cannot assume that [God] feels about us the way we feel about ourselves—unless we love ourselves compassionately, intensely, and freely. In human form Jesus revealed to us what God is like. He exposed our projections for the idolatry that they are and gave us the way to become free of them. It takes a profound conversion to accept that God is relentlessly tender and compassionate toward us just as we are—not in spite of our sins and faults (that would not be total acceptance), but with them. Though God does not condone or sanction evil, He does not withhold his love because there is evil in us.

May we experience the freedom that comes with a true revelation of God’s unceasing love for us.

God loves you with an unconditional love. To know God is to know love in its truest form, because he is love. Love isn’t just something he gives. It isn’t just something that he feels. It is who he is. God’s love for you is limitless and has the power to set you free from every wound, thought, sin, and broken relationship that causes you to live anything less than a joyful and content life.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Really take a minute today and allow the truth of God’s word to settle into your heart. While you were still a sinner, Christ gave his life that you might live. God demonstrated the depth of his love for you by sending Jesus to die while you were still a slave to sin. At your lowest point, God loved you with an everlasting love. There is no need to cleanse or fix yourself before you run into the arms of God. There is no need to fake happiness or holiness with your heavenly Father. God loved you prior to clothing you with Christ. He will love you in the midst of every mistake you make, and he will love you whether or not you ever love him back. His wrath was satisfied with the death of Jesus so that you could come to him just as you are and simply experience his love.

Titus 3:4-5 says, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Take time in guided prayer to allow the Holy Spirit to wash you with regeneration and renewal. Allow God to cast out any fear or reservation that is keeping you from experiencing the fullness of his love. Allow him to establish a new foundation of grace on which you live with unshakable joy and security in the affections of your heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the depth of God’s love for you. Allow the truth of his grace and mercy to settle in and change your perspectives.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” >Romans 5:8

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” >Isaiah 49:15-16

2. What keeps you from experiencing God’s love? What thought or wound holds you back from spending more time with your heavenly Father?

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” >1 John 4:18

3. Allow God’s love to renew within you a longing to spend more time with him. Rest in his presence. Receive a fresh revelation of his goodness. Spend time with your heavenly Father just letting him love you.

“The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” >Jeremiah 31:3

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” >1 John 3:1

It’s vital that as believers we are constantly checking the status of our mental and emotional health. A single lie planted in our mind has the power to steer us away from experiencing the fullness of God’s love. If you are having a hard time pursuing relationship with God, take some time to find out why. If you can’t seem to find joy, take time to do a mental and emotional inventory. May you experience freedom from whatever thought, belief, past or present event, worry, or doubt that is keeping you from the abundant life Jesus came to give you.

Extended Reading: Luke 15

Failing to Listen to God..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Failing to Listen to God

Dr. Charles Stanley

Genesis 3

Listening to God is not a onetime event. We must continually keep His Word before us, or we'll begin to listen to the wrong voices.

In Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord gave a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve began to listen to another voice and did not hold firmly to her Creator's words. All that Satan had to do was plant a single doubt about God's integrity and offer Eve one appealing advantage of doing things her own way—and she fell for it. He mentioned wisdom, but using her own reasoning, Eve added two more benefits to the temptation: the fruit is good for food and a delight to the eyes.

The schemes of the Enemy have not changed. He still whispers lies and twists truth to convince us that a) God cannot be trusted and b) His ways are not the best. In every temptation, there is a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way.

The world is filled with voices that vie for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Throughout the day, consider the messages that are sent your way through the media and people. Consciously begin to compare them to what Scripture says about God and His ways.

Remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation. Daily devotions won't protect us if they're quickly forgotten during the day. Follow Christ's example: be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes (Matt. 4:1-11).

The Power of Prayer to Deliver You from Fear..Lynette Kittle

 The Power of Prayer to Deliver You from Fear

by Lynette Kittle

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” - Psalm 34:4

A few years back, our family of six attended an out-of-town conference, staying in a large hotel in the greater Los Angeles, California area. Like Ezra fasted and prayed before embarking on a journey, we fasted and prayed beforehand for safe travels and protection over our luggage (Ezra 8:21).

With a packed hotel busy with conference attendees and our room located directly across from the elevator, it was an active area with people coming and going 24/7. Because it was such a high traffic location, I asked my husband and daughters to make sure to put items away in their suitcases each day before leaving for the conference. Besides not wanting items to get lost or broken in the cleaning process, I didn't want us to leave anything out that might tempt an employee or guest passing by to be dishonest.

Needless to say, after attending conference events all week long, along with traveling back and forth between the hotel and conference location, we were tired and dragging between the numerous sessions.

Rushing to leave our room on the final night of meetings, I found myself the last one out of our room. Later on in the evening while settling into my seat to listen to the speaker, a thought briefly crossed through my mind. Did I close the hotel door completely on my way out? Trying to go over my steps and actions in leaving the room, it wasn’t clear in my mind.

As fearful thoughts started to invade my mind, I resisted the urge to let my imagination run wild with possible scenarios of an open room full of open suitcases. In the midst of my processing, Psalm 119:114 calmed my anxious thoughts by reminding me that God is our refuge and shield.

So rather than let my thoughts run away with worry, I let God’s word assure me our possessions were under His watchful eye.

Realizing it was too late at that point to do anything about it, I was comforted in remembering how we had prayed at the beginning of our stay specifically for the protection of our suitcases.

Like Psalm 34:4 states, “I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

God delivered me so much so from all my fears that by the time we returned to the hotel later that night, I had completely forgotten about my earlier concerns. As we stepped off the elevator, all six of us stopped in our tracks in seeing our hotel room door unlocked and standing wide-open.

Walking into the room it looked like every piece of luggage had been left unlocked and on display throughout our room. For the four-plus hours we had been away, our possessions had been spread across an open hotel room and in full view of a busy hotel elevator. Yet it looked like everything was still there exactly the way we left it.

A Prayer for God to Move in My Life..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer for God to Move in My Life

By Tiffany Thibault

"But you, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy hill."  Psalm 3:3-4

Our society loves to give labels to people. Those labels tell us who that person is, while also indicating what that person believes and even how they will act. God is not exempt from those labels. God has been labeled as love, distant, fearful and generous to name a few. These labels of God are all based on our understanding of Him, our experience with Him and our perception of Him based on who or what has influenced us.

What is amazing about the Bible is that sometimes a verse will clearly tell us who God is and how He acts in our lives. We see these labels for God and it absolutely influences our understanding of who God is. This verse does exactly that. It tells us four things that the Lord does in our lives. He is a shield about me. He is my glory. He is the lifter of my head. He answers me.

God is a shield about me. No matter what we are going through, the Lord is on His holy hill. He knows and sees our heart, hopes, and dreams. He sees those around us who intend harm, who are trying to destroy our hope, focus, and dreams. He protects us from the arrows, those hurtful words and actions of our enemy. Those arrows will not destroy us. We are surrounded by God’s shield. 

He is my glory. The favor and applause of man is inconsistent and temporary. Placing our hope in man’s approval is volatile and without any guarantees, instead we can hold our heads high, knowing that we belong to God. He is the one we can find our significance in. In Him we can find the acceptance, the praise and the recognition that we need. 

He is the lifter of my head. God will move in every situation of our lives. God will move against our enemies. He will not let us drown in shame, discouragement, depression or hopelessness. He will be with us as we move away from the sadness and discouragement that our enemies cause us. He will rescue us from all the traps that our enemies are trying to set. He lifts our head to a life of peace, joy and hope. He will give us the victory.

He hears my prayers. This verse leaves us with such an amazing promise in its last words: I cried aloud to the Lord and He answered me. Our cries for help, our cries for deliverance, and every time we cry out to the Lord, He hears our prayers. Every prayer. He does not turn a deaf ear to our cries for help, healing, provision, wisdom or love. He hears every single prayer you offer. Not only does He hear, but He will answer each prayer in His perfect way and His perfect timing. 

These things that God is doing in your life are absolutely amazing. The more you turn your eyes to Him, the more you will begin to see Him protecting you and answering your prayers. Today can you cry out to Him for all the things you are going through, and wait and see how He will answer your prayer? He can be trusted to be your shield, your glory, the lifter of your head and to answer your prayers.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
Hear my cry! Protect me! Shield me from the arrows that my enemies send my way, rescue me from this struggle I am going through, deliver me from this sadness at the things in my life that break my heart. Hear my prayer. Answer my prayer. Be the lifter of my head. May my life reflect your love, joy and peace that all those around me see how great you are!
Amen.

The Depth of God’s Love for Us..Craig Denison Ministries

 The Depth of God’s Love for Us

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

We have a great High Priest who constantly intercedes on our behalf. The Son of God and Man loves you more deeply than you can fathom. He prays for you, that you might walk in the abundant life his death affords you. And in John 17 we get a glimpse into the fullness of his desire for all those who would believe in him. As we dive deeply into the riches of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer this week, may your heart be awakened and your life be transformed by the riches of God’s love.

Scripture:“O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”>John 17:25-26

Devotional:

There is no force more powerful than the love our heavenly Father has for us, his children. His love can move mountains, stop the roaring seas, heal broken bones and wounded hearts, transform lives, and set free those held captive by sin and shame. So great is his love for you and me that he sent his only Son to die that we might live through him. And in John 17:25-26, Jesus makes an unfathomable statement about how great the depth of God’s love is for us:

O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Do you know that God loves you the way he loves Jesus? His heart is full of affection for you. Jesus always prays perfectly in line with the will of the Father because they are one. So when Jesus prays for God to love us with the same love he has been given, his prayer is in perfect alignment with the heart of our Father.

Romans 8:37-39 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Through the death of Christ, the barrier between us and  relationship with God was torn in two. The wrath of God was satisfied with Jesus’ death, and now we can experience the full depth of his love. Through Christ, we have been made new so that we can finally walk in unhindered fellowship and oneness with a holy, perfect God.

God loves you simply because he loves you. You don’t have to work for his affection. You don’t have to set yourself straight before God can pour out his love over you. The father in the prodigal son story ran out to meet his son before anything had ever been set right. He didn’t know his son was there to apologize. He didn’t care. He simply wanted to love his child. Your heavenly Father feels the same way about you. He longs to love you right where you are, as you are. He longs to fill you with love to overflowing. He longs for us to experience this love and oneness just as Jesus did when he walked the earth.

As you enter into guided prayer, open up your heart and allow God’s grace to settle in. Allow him to free you from works-based religion and guide you to a lifestyle of relationship. God is not an angry taskmaster who shows affection only when you succeed. He is a loving Father who will always love you no matter what. Take time to receive the depth of his love for you today. Allow his love to heal you, transform you, free you, and lead you to the abundant life he has always longed to give.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the depth of God’s love for you.

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” >1 John 4:9-10

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” >Romans 8:37-39

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” >1 John 4:16

2. Where do you need a fresh revelation of God’s grace today? What’s keeping you from receiving the depth of God’s love? In what ways do you need him to show you how good of a Father he truly is?

3. Ask the Spirit to give you a revelation of God’s grace and love for you. Receive God’s presence and rest in his love. Meditate on and renew your mind to how deeply your heavenly Father loves you.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” >Hebrews 4:16

“So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” >Matthew 5:45

May the whole of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer be true in your life. May you come into the fullness of what Jesus died to give you. May your life be a wonderful reflection of his love. And may you experience the depth of his love for you in every season. You are a child of the Most High, loving God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. His love is powerful, real, and available. May your day be full of joy, peace, and purpose in light of God’s glorious grace.

Extended Reading: 1 John 4