Seeking Wealth in Heaven.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

Seeking Wealth in Heaven

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

The biblical concept of being poor in spirit is foundational to every aspect of the Christian life. Foundational to salvation is a heart-level acknowledgment of our need for a Savior. Foundational to experiencing God’s love is acknowledging our great need of love. Foundational to heavenly peace and joy is an acknowledgment that this world truly offers us neither. If we want all that God in his grace offers, we must pursue a lifestyle of being poor in spirit. May you experience more of the depth of God’s love this week as you discover God’s heart to minister to those desperate for him.

Scripture:“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Devotional:

To be poor in spirit is to seek wealth in heaven rather than in the things of the world. Jesus says in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We have no reason to be poor in spirit if we’re after the world. The world does not reward those who acknowledge their weaknesses. The world does not revere and honor those who are open and honest about their brokenness. But God says in Proverbs 29:23, “One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Seeking wealth in heaven and honor from the One, True God requires us to live in light of the fact that we are dust. God rewards only those who obey his command to be poor in spirit.

Scripture is clear that our actions here on earth affect our eternal life. Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-21, 24,

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. . . . No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

What Jesus is not saying in Matthew 6 is that we are not to have any form of money here on earth. God knows our needs, and in the very next section of Scripture he tells us not to fear for them because he promises to provide (Matthew 6:31-32). What he is saying is summed up in in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

To be poor in spirit on earth is to be rich in heaven. God honors and blesses those who live according to his commands rather than seeking pleasure in the world. Psalm 113:7-8 says, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.” When we seek earthly wealth, it dies with us. But when we live in truth, acknowledging that we are dust and that all the worldly pursuits are fleeting and folly, all that’s left is to give our heart to God.

Take time today to assess whether you are pursuing the things of the world or if your heart is solely devoted to God’s kingdom. Assess whether you are seeking fulfillment for your spiritual need or attempting to fill the voids in your life with earthly success. And commit your heart to the Lord alone that you might receive heavenly reward that will satisfy you for all eternity. God longs to bless his children. He longs to provide abundantly for all your needs both here on earth and in heaven. But the gateway to both is narrow and requires you to be poor in spirit. May your heart be entirely God’s today as you seek satisfaction and provision in him alone.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the value of seeking the kingdom of God above all else. Allow Scripture to inform the posture of your heart toward being poor in spirit.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

2. In what ways are you seeking the things of the world over the kingdom of God? In what ways are you attempting to appear spiritually rich rather than poor in spirit? In what ways are you seeking wealth here rather than in heaven?

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." Matthew 6:5

3. Take time to confess any pursuits of the world to God and receive his forgiveness. Ask him to show you how your work and relationships fit into seeking his kingdom first. Commit all your finances, friends, and family to him.

The Bible speaks so strongly about earthly wealth because it can be so tempting, and because it carries with it a false sense of satisfaction. It’s so easy for our hearts to become wrapped up in the things of this world when they’re readily available to us. Earthly success and wealth are so enticing. But if we make time to discover the wealth of affection, satisfaction, joy, peace, and purpose that are found in seeking God’s kingdom alone, the things of this world begin to come into a correct perspective. What is wealth here in comparison to eternal reward given to us by God himself? What is worldly pleasure in comparison to honor and blessing from the King of kings? Make space to simply enjoy God today in order that all other pursuits might fall into place in light of his unconditional love and desire to bless you.

Extended Reading: Matthew 6

Praying in Partnership With the Holy Spirit..KAREN WINGATE

 Praying in Partnership With the Holy Spirit

KAREN WINGATE

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Dear Lord, I prayed, peeking at my prayer journal in front of me, these ladies need You.

Pausing, I searched for my next words. They’ve walked away from You … they’re ignoring You … and they’ve forgotten that You really can fix the situations they’re facing. 

The facts laid out, I launched into my petition: Can You wake them up and —

I stopped. To my ears, this sounded judgmental and clumsy at best. I was making a mess of this “prayer” thing.

While I was once close with the women on my prayer list, I’d lost contact with them over the years, only hearing about their tough life situations from social media or friends and family members. My heart broke when I heard two of them had renounced their faith in God.

Prayer is now the greatest influence I can have in their lives. But how should I pray for them? Many times, I find myself just reciting the list of names, trusting that God knows what they need better than I do.

We all know prayer is a significant part of our faith journey. Yet one of the greatest hindrances to a healthy prayer life is the same one I face: “I don’t know the words to use,” I often hear new and not-so-new believers say. We feel clumsy, limited and so very human.

That’s why I love Paul’s encouraging words from Romans 8:26-27: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

How reassuring! God’s Holy Spirit lives within us. God knows our deepest thoughts, even the thoughts we can’t put into words. The Holy Spirit interprets our wordless groans and infuses our squeaky, one-word calls of “Help!” He translates our faulty theology and revises our rough-hewn grammar to align with His will and His plans for the person we’re praying for.

How does this happen? Perhaps you’ve had a taste of this in everyday life. You become so close to a friend or your spouse that you can complete each other’s sentences. When one person’s tongue gets tangled, the other — instead of correcting the mistake — says, “I knew what you meant.”

In time, like any other skill, our efforts at prayer will improve. We’ll crave to know how to pray more specifically. I find myself imploring the Lord, Show me how to pray for this person. Many times, sometimes even within that day, I’ll find out details about them that help me specify my prayers.

Yet even in my finest moments of verbal clarity or in my closest relationships, I have to admit God still knows the person and the situation better than I do, and the Holy Spirit is still doing His work of intercession on my behalf.

God knows us more intimately than the human beings closest to us. As we stutter over our prayers, God, in His grace, smiles and says, “I know what you mean.” Better yet, He’ll add, “I’m ready to help.”

Lord, thank You for Your partnership in my prayer life to fill in the gaps of my fragmented prayers for others. Help me grow in my communication skills with You, and in the meantime, thank You for Your grace and patience with my prayer life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Our Heavenly Father..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Our Heavenly Father

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 6:8-13

When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as "Our Father." They had previously heard Jesus say, "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who has been born again into the household of God have this same right.

Since our concepts of God are shaped by our earthly fathers, we all have different perceptions of Him, but Jesus is the only one who has a completely accurate understanding of the heavenly Father. Consider some of the ways He cares for His children:

• Loves: God's love is unconditional, since it's based on His nature rather than our performance (1 John 4:16).

• Listens: When we pray, He gives us His full attention (Ps. 55:16-17).

• Provides: The Father assumes responsibility for meeting all our needs (Phil. 4:19).

* Guides: He is the one who directs our path when we trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).

• Protects: The Lord shields us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, sifting every experience through His sovereign fingers. (Ps. 121:1-8).

• Stays: He's not an absentee parent, since He'll never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:8).

•  Disciplines: The Lord disciplines us
for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Heb. 12:5-11).

Though experiences with our earthly dads may have distorted our view of the heavenly Father, we can learn to see Him as He truly is. By viewing Him through the truth of Scripture instead of our preconceptions, we will see evidence of His loving care and discover a security we've never known before.

4 Things We Can Learn about Prayer from Elijah..Dena Johnson

 4 Things We Can Learn about Prayer from Elijah

By Dena Johnson

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” - James 5:17-18

Over the last few years, Elijah has become one of my favorite biblical characters. But as I read through the stories of his life yet again, I began to reflect on the biblical truth that Elijah was a man just like us. And yet, his life was so powerful!

What was it about Elijah that made his prayers, his life, so powerful and effective? What can we learn from the life of Elijah to help our own prayer lives?

Here are 4 things we can learn about prayer from Elijah:

1. Elijah learned to be completely dependent on God.

Elijah was in hiding from the evil King Ahab. He had no way to meet his own needs. He was completely at the mercy of God himself, doing his best to walk in obedience. And God, Jehovah Jireh, provided as only He can.

Even when the brook dried up, Elijah had no need to fear. His source of provision dried up, but His God’s faithfulness didn’t. He went to the widow of Zarephath, completely convinced of God’s faithfulness to provide for his needs. And, as before, God did what only He could do.

2. Elijah prayed boldly for God-sized miracles.

“Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!” 1 Kings 18:36, 38

Elijah was bold. He asked with incredible faith, believing that God was able. And, without fail, God answered those audacious prayers. He poured out His power repeatedly, giving Elijah opportunity to proclaim God’s greatness.

3. Elijah’s prayers pointed the world back to God.

O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 1 Kings 18:37

Yes, Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume the water and the sacrifices not for his own glory, but so others would know that Yahweh is God and there is no other God in heaven or earth. Elijah’s prayers were about pointing the world back to God.

4. Elijah prayed fervently until he saw the answer.

Elijah had prayed the drought into existence. Now, it was time for the drought to end. He began to petition the God of the universe for rain. Not a little rain, but enough rain to quench the thirst of the land. He asked. No response. He asked again. Still no response. Seven times he asked and sent his servant to look for an answer. He prayed expecting an answer.

Finally, after seven times, a small cloud began to form. Even just a small indication that God had heard his prayer was enough. He knew a small cloud indicated God was moving in response to his prayers. And, God did exactly what he asked. He ended the drought. He sent rain on the land.

Elijah prayed through until he received an answer.

We must remember that it is God’s faithfulness that we are calling on, his character. It’s about a God who longs to connect with us, to help us in our time of need. We must have faith that He is willing and able to do far more than we could ever ask or imagine.

We must remember prayer is about ordinary people calling on an Omnipotent God. Will you join Him?

A Prayer of Thanks to the Lord..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer of Thanks to the Lord

By Tiffany Thibault

"Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion." - Psalm 103:1-4 NKJV

Life is hard, struggles are real, but the Lord is still good. In our lives, in the midst of all our hard places, we can still find so much that we can be thankful for. God calls us to be a thankful people. True thankfulness stems from living in a place of praise, where we have our eyes, our heart and our souls completely focused on the Lord. In this place of praise, thankfulness can freely flow, changing our lives and the lives of those around us.

Psalm 103:1-4 NKJV says this: "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion."

It is through these words that the writer is telling himself what he should be doing, as he makes his life one of thanksgiving. 

• He tells his mind to determine to not forget the Lord’s benefits.
• He is telling his heart and emotions to trust that the sovereign God, who controls the wind and the waves of the ocean, has everything in control. 
• He is telling His lungs to breathe in and out the peace of God
• He is correcting his posture and actions, embracing where God has him physically and geographically.
• He is controlling his tongue to speak words of praise to God in the midst of every battle he is fighting.

The writer is encouraging us to praise the Lord and to not forget his benefits. Our Lord is a very generous Lord. He forgives all our sins. He died, taking all of our sin upon him, he was bruised for our transgressions, nailed to that tree, the weight of it crushing him, the sin on him so great that even God forsook him. All of that He did with perfect, complete love for you. You are forgiven. 

Another benefit we can praise Him for is that he heals all our diseases. It says that “by his stripes we are healed.” He endured whipping, a shredded back so that we can be healed. As we praise him through the dark moments, we can be so thankful that He is with us, that He will see us through the pain and that someday we will be healed. 

We can praise Him because He redeems our life from the pit. He has paid for your freedom. You are free from the darkness, the pit of depression, the stabbing pain of rejection. You are so loved, so important to the Lord that He redeemed you. As you praise the Lord, the darkness will dissipate, the chains will be loosened, and joy will fill you. 

As we praise the Lord with all our being, we will be crowned with love and compassion. To be crowned is a high honor, to be crowned with love and compassion is the greatest honor we can receive. Jesus was crowned with an earthly crown of thorns. It was shoved onto his head with words of mockery. He was crowned with pain and hatred. Jesus, though, crowns us with love and compassion. He loves you. He is there with you, he is guiding you, protecting you and making a way for you. He has compassion for you. He will never leave you or forsake you. 

So as you examine the things for which you are thankful, I challenge you to go deeper, to focus on reflecting these benefits that the Lord has given you. Praise the lord, praise his holy name, with all your being praise the Lord. We can not be truly thankful if we are not praising the Lord. He has given us everything that we need, he is our Shepherd, our Savior, our Redeemer, our hope, our anchor. For all He has done for us, we can praise him with a life of Thanksgiving. He is worthy of our praise, he is the reason we give thanks. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
I praise you for who you are. I praise you that you forgive my sins, heal my diseases, redeem my life from the pit, and crown my life with love and compassion. I am so thankful for who you are and for all that you have done in my life. I love you Lord.

In Your name I pray,
Amen

How to Show Your Thanksgiving This Thanksgiving..Aaron D’Anthony Brown

 How to Show Your Thanksgiving This Thanksgiving

By Aaron D’Anthony Brown

“Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

The Reason for Gratitude
Thanksgiving is the reason many of us are grateful for the month of November. Yet, while we may be preoccupied with stuffing our faces or talking to our kids about the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, we should strive to turn the feastful day into something representative of its name - a day where we express thanksgiving.

Gratitude is the cornerstone to experiencing a happy and fulfilling life. No empirical study is needed to reach this conclusion, though we can find plenty. No wise teacher needs to instruct us, though many certainly have. All we have to do is look inward - our happiest moments occur when we feel most grateful.

The birth of a baby, a new friendship, a promotion at work. Gratitude and happiness go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly, or turkey with gravy. And the shorter the gratitude, the more fleeting the happiness, while more sustained gratitude leads to longer happiness.

Without an appreciation for the things we have, we’re left in a state of dissatisfaction. No matter what comes our way, nothing is enough. Have you ever met someone who complains about everything and everyone? Such a person seemingly has not one grateful bone in their body, and their words, actions, and lives reveal that. Thus, they’re left unhappy and unfulfilled.

As Christians, we strive to live differently; in fact, we’re called to practice very intentional gratitude. Scripture helps us understand that gratitude achieves these three things.

Appreciation
Gratitude is the way we showcase our appreciation of God, of others, and the things we possess. We express gratitude through both our words and actions, indicating for others just how much value they bring to our lives. In effect, we treat God, people, and things, with a tender care that we otherwise would not.

Remembrance
According to Scripture, every single one of us is bound to encounter some form of tribulation in our lives (John 16:33). Moreover, many of us will at one point or another struggle with gratitude because of our suffering. However, maintaining gratitude aids us with remembering God and His blessings during those down seasons.

With gratitude we more easily maintain the perspective that God is good and that however we suffer, there is purpose in the pain, and at some point, the bad will come to an end.

Worship
Gratitude through prayer is one way to worship God, but certainly not the only. In fact, worshiping God whether at home, church, through song or dance, are all ways to bring Him honor. Scripture calls on us to express gratitude not because God needs our admiration, but in doing so we bring Him glory, bring others to Christ, and keep focused on what’s most important - God.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
This Thanksgiving holiday, find some practical ways to showcase your gratitude to family, friends, and more with these ideas:

Thank You Cards
Place them in someone’s mailbox, in their hands, or even more fun, hide them somewhere for the recipient to find!

Prayers of Gratitude
Thank God for His blessings, trials, mercy, etc. and once you finish, or before, thank God for how He’s been active in someone’s life too.

Worship Music
Sing and dance along to the tunes of worship music as you lift praise to the Lord.

Show Someone
For some people, actions speak louder than words. Consider buying someone a gift, fixing them a meal, or performing some other act of service. If you don’t know what to do for them, ask.

Tell Someone
Words can be a great way to show appreciation. Besides giving a simple “thank you,” explain to someone just how much you’re grateful, why, and what you hope for the future of your relationship.

Keep a Journal
God blesses us daily in more ways than we will ever know, understand, or appreciate. Though, where we can express gratitude, we should, and one way to do that is through a gratitude journal. Keep track of how God is working in your life, especially during those moments when life gets tough.

Gratitude is not always easy to maintain but having even just an ounce can make a world of difference in our lives.

Further Reading:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
• 1 Peter 1:3-7
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Ephesians 1:16