The Power of Faith..Craig Denison Ministries;

 The Power of Faith

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the undercurrent of everything we do as followers of Jesus. Without faith we lose all that Christ died to give us while here on earth. It is by faith we access the peace, joy, guidance, love, and purpose that comes from restored relationship with our heavenly Father. As we seek an increase in faith in response to God’s faithfulness this week, may you experience a greater depth of intimacy with your living, Almighty, and loving heavenly Father.

Scripture:“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30

Devotional:

The Holy Spirit loves to move with power in response to faith. Hebrews 11:30 tells us, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:32-33 says, “For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—Who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.” As we conclude this week on living by faith, I believe God would fill us with a fresh revelation of his power. Let’s open our hearts and minds to receive all that God would reveal to us about his power and invite him to work in our midst in faith today.

We serve the Creator of all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 says, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” And throughout Scripture we see God using his power in response to the faith of his people. Whether it be the walls of Jericho tumbling down into rubble or the lame man at the temple gate called Beautiful jumping to his feet, God clearly moves in powerful ways when his people live by faith.

Jesus even promises in Matthew 17:20, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” If we have the smallest amount of faith, Jesus says, “Nothing will be impossible” for us. The God who formed every mountain, valley, river, ocean, and person has told you that he will fight on your behalf in response to your faith.

David was an incredible example of a child of God filled with the faith and powerful work of God. David was constantly in need of God’s help. From stepping up to slay Goliath in faith to escaping pursuers, he exemplified what it was to live constantly in the power of faith. David wrote in Psalm 3:1-6, “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. But you, O 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. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” David knew of the power of God when he asked for God’s help. So great was his faith in God’s ability and desire to come to his aid that he found rest and security in the face of thousands of enemies.

You are the child of the Most High, all-powerful God. May your life be marked by the power of your faithful heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the power of faith.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30

“For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—Who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.” Hebrews 11:32-33

“For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

2. Where do you need the power of God in your life? Where do you need the help of your heavenly Father?

3. In faith ask God to move in mighty, specific ways. Come before your heavenly Father boldly and ask him to make his reality, power, and love known in your life.

There is no pride in living your life in line with God’s word. It isn’t haughty or selfish for you to have faith for God to work in your midst. God loves you and longs to help you. He has perfect plans to work in and through every circumstance in your life. Have faith in the love, mercy, and power of your God today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 3

The Call to Serve..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Call to Serve

Dr. Charles Stanley

Galatians 5:13

Jesus commanded that we serve one another, but obeying this mandate in humility is not natural for us. Sure, there are times we like to help others. But service that involves self-sacrifice--especially for someone we deem undeserving--much more difficult to do.

What does it mean to serve? Consider Christ's example. He gave up everything in heaven to live among us, subjecting Himself to dishonor and human frailty. And He loved even those who rejected Him. Think about how He humbled Himself and washed the disciples' feet at Passover. This was a disgusting, lowly task that a slave might be assigned--far from anything a king should do. He even knew these men were about to abandon Him but served them anyway.

Ultimately, Christ gave His life for us. And He did so while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). Serving others was His lifestyle--part of who He was and what He did. As His followers, we should strive to be like Him.

Therefore, service involves first dying to our selfish attitudes and motives. Only then can we live to glorify Christ. Jesus said that the greatest commandments are to love God wholeheartedly and to love others (Matt. 22:37-39). Ironically, it is only when we humbly serve others that we experience God's fullness in our own lives.

Many try to achieve happiness by striving after their own desires. The result? Tired, unsatisfied people. True contentment happens only when we walk closely with Jesus. He shows where we can humble ourselves and take care of others. These actions, done through His strength, will be blessed.

Rediscovering Closeness with God..Aaron D’Anthony Brown

 Rediscovering Closeness with God

By Aaron D’Anthony Brown

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Losing Closeness
The image of God given to us through Scripture illustrates an ever-pursuant and always-loving deity. If neither mortality, time nor sin can separate us from His love, then who or what possesses such an ability? The answer is nothing. Why do we find ourselves time and time questioning that love? We ask, “Where are you in this?” or “Why haven’t things changed?” because we genuinely feel abandoned. We feel separated from our father, much like the prodigal son was from his own.

Unfortunate circumstances, mistreatment by others, and sin can make us think we’ve been separated from God, but those thoughts are perspective, not reality. We fool ourselves into thinking if God loves us, that means an abundance of blessings. If God loves us, then bad things wouldn’t happen. People wouldn’t mistreat us. We wouldn’t be so stuck in sin. We fail to remember that God’s love is not contingent upon our circumstances. He loves us when others do not. He loves us when we don’t love ourselves. While we can lose closeness with God, we never lose His love. Once we recognize the distinction and learn to catch negative thoughts seeping in, we can make choices toward rediscovering - not His love - but closeness with God.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
There’s a pattern of losing closeness with God - something occurs, and our perspective changes. We focus more on something else than God, and our closeness with Him vanishes. So the solution is to develop a pattern of rediscovering closeness. There are at least four ways to accomplish that.

1. Keep Praying
Prayer is how we speak directly to God. Maintaining this line of communication ensures that we continue to nurture our relationship with and trust in the Lord. Unfortunately, we are often tempted to stop praying as circumstances don’t change, but neglecting to pray shifts our focus away from God and onto whatever is troubling us.

2. Keep Reading
In addition to prayer, we benefit when we make reading Scripture both a priority and a daily habit. Prayer is undoubtedly our way of communicating with God, but Scripture is undeniably God’s way of communicating with us. We can ask all the questions in the world, but we miss out on these answers when we neglect reading the Bible. Aside from Scripture giving us wisdom, we are reminded of God’s character. In seasons when we lack closeness with Him, we are sometimes tempted to think God has turned against us. Scripture helps us separate fact from fiction.

3. Keep Going to Church
Prayer and reading the Bible are activities we can do alone. Attending church is something we do alongside other believers. When we actively make ourselves a part of God’s body, we find reminders of His presence in other people. We see others facing challenges, reminding us we are not alone. We also discover reminders of how God blesses other people, reminding us we have a reason for hope.

4. Keep Good Habits 
When we feel like we’re at the end of our rope and have exhausted all possible resources, good habits keep us afloat. Good habits keep us doing what’s right even when we don’t feel right. Without them as our go-to option, we inevitably find ourselves mired in sin and lacking closeness with God. Good habits consist of any act of worship - showing honor to the Lord. Prayer, reading, church, connecting with people, serving, hobbies, all of these are good habits of worship. Rediscovering the closeness we lose is not easy, but it is always possible. So as you go about rekindling closeness with God today, meditate on these words and discern where you tend to go astray and how you can correct those character defects.

A Prayer for Closeness
Heavenly Father,
We long to be close to you, but we often find ourselves falling away. Situations, people, and even we are to blame. The exact moment is unclear, but we know the feeling of being apart. We recognize the loneliness and frustration of feeling alone, as if even You, Lord, are not on our side. Please help us to see reality. You never leave us. Please meet our desperate need for closeness, welcoming us back home like the prodigal son. Let us know we are always loved and forever welcome. Though we often fail You, Lord, You never fail us. Thank You. In His name, we pray. Amen.

Further Reading:

• Luke 15:11-31
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17
• Psalm 8:3-4

Jesus Is Praying for You..Lynette Kittle

 Jesus Is Praying for You

by Lynette Kittle

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” — Romans 8:34

Growing up it was comforting to know my grandparents and parents were praying for me. Many times their prayers were taken for granted but as they have passed away, I’ve become more aware of just how much their prayers meant to me.

Knowing they were daily interceding for me provided me with a strength, security, confidence, and support that God was leading in my life.

Just like their prayers encouraged me through life, I’ve realized there is another who is always praying for me, a risen Savior who is daily interceding on my behalf.

Hebrews 7:23-25 states, “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

If like me, you’ve experienced the loss of loved ones who you knew were interceding for you on a daily basis, or if you’ve felt alone at times thinking no one cares or is praying for you, realize that Jesus is at the right hand of God praying for you.

As 1Timothy 2:5 explains, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”

His ascension to Heaven did not stop His ministry to you. Along with paying the price for your sin, He is alive and serving as your advocate before the Father.

And why might you need an advocate? Because as 1 Peter 5:8 describes, you have an adversary, the devil, who is seeking to devour you.

Still you can rest knowing Jesus is pleading your case before the Father. 1 John 2:1 states, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

Furthermore, Hebrews 9:24 describes how, “Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”

Jesus has not taken His priestly duties lightly, but rather has carried His love, concern, and ministry to you to the very throne room of God.

A Prayer for Fathers Who Missed the Mark..Lynette Kittle

 A Prayer for Fathers Who Missed the Mark

By Lynette Kittle

“Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” - Colossians 3:21

Maybe you have a father who failed you? One who let you down wasn’t around or chased you away. Because God is our Father, He takes fatherhood seriously. It’s the role He created and lives out as our heavenly Father. Sadly, there are an estimated 24.7 million children under the age of 18 living without a father at home. 

There are a variety of reasons for this national fatherlessness. Culture isn’t offering many incentives for men to step up to be fathers, instead finding ways to discourage, displace, and devalue a father’s role in a child’s life. Sadly, some fathers walk away and turn their back on their kids, thinking they don’t matter or will never make a difference in their children’s lives. Some children grow up without a father because their mothers have shut them out of their kids’ lives. There are also women choosing single parenting over marriage by having babies via donors, and others creating homes with two moms. God doesn’t take this void lightly but fills it, caring deeply for the fatherless and encouraging them to look to Him as their Father to fulfill this role. As Psalm 68:5 describes, He becomes a Father to the fatherless. 

Failing Fathers
Adult children often struggle with unforgiveness, anger, and disappointment towards imperfect fathers, along with severe abandonment issues, abuse, and absentee fathers. Likewise, grown individuals often struggle to move past their dad’s failures, weaknesses, and life choices that deeply affected and wounded them growing up. Imperfections range from a father who didn’t show affection or offer verbal affirmation to a dad who missed his kids’ major life events like sporting events, graduations, and much more. Yet Matthew 6:14 encourages, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, Your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

Fathers Afraid to Come Back
Television shows like “Long Lost Family” work to reunite estranged family members and reveal stories of fathers who are reluctant to reach out to their families, bound by shame and regret for their actions. As a result, many believe they don’t deserve a second chance or will be rejected if they try to reconnect. Although their lack of effort in contacting and restoring relationships is often seen as not caring about their families, the opposite is usually true. Many care very deeply.

Focus on the Family’s Director of Family Formation Studies, Glenn Stanton, explains, “It’s quite likely your father is aware of how he’s hurt you over the years. However, it’s likely he doesn’t know how to face it with you.” As adult children, Stanton encourages sons and daughters to bring things up, not as accusations but as issues to discuss and forgive. “It will be something he will likely appreciate, and deeply so. He will also respect your strength and leadership in bringing it to the surface.” Doing so, Stanton believes, will do a great deal in strengthening your relationship with your father and could lead to other healing conversations.

Let’s pray:
Dear Father,
Millions of adult children have grown up fatherless, meaning millions of men have also failed as fathers. Lord, so many fall short of Your plan for fathers to walk in Your ways and teach their children to love You. Help me, Father, to forgive my father for his failures and shortcomings and how he hurt and disappointed me. I also ask You to help him to receive forgiveness for his falling short in my life. Soften his heart, Lord, to turn towards you and receive forgiveness. 

Let us both walk in the forgiveness You give to us. Help me forgive him for his failures in my life, and help my father to find forgiveness for how he failed me. Pour out your love over us, O Lord, to bring healing and reconciliation into our relationship. Help me to recover from the wounds of the past and to be willing to open my heart to forgive my dad for the past. Strengthen both of us to move forward to restore our broken relationship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.