This devotional collection contains my short devotions, meditations, sermon notes, and bible notes over the years.
I woke up this morning with this thought in my head – what has been occupying my mind lately?
Jesus reminded me of this verse in Philippians 4.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9
‘Think of these things” or *dwell on these things.
Dwell on Jesus
The mind is a powerful thing. It affects your feelings, moods and behaviour. Heard of the phrase “garbage in garbage out”? It works on the mind too.
I want to do good. That’s the behaviour part. It starts with the mind. I want to feel good. That’s the feeling and mood part. It starts with the mind.
So, what are these things that are true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, of excellence and worthy of praise that my mind should dwell in?
I pray Lord Jesus to show me these things and that I dwell on them.
Actually, Jesus is true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, of excellence and worthy of praise. Agree?
Jesus is the Anchor of My Soul
The bible reading today is Hebrews 6:13-20.
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 6:13-20
This passage reminded me that God’s promises are sure.
- Abraham is an example of how God can be trusted to deliver on a promise.
- Swearing by His promise which is in human terms, an end to a dispute. God probably knows that I will second-guess His goodness and swore an oath to end any dispute I may have been having with myself
Grace is not for the deserving. There! I do not deserve God’s Glory and Fatness but I get it. Because Jesus has paid God to qualify me.
This sure and steadfast hope is like an anchor for the soul. Even when the storm tosses us around, we are immovable because of the anchor.
A hope that comes from within the veil, inside the holiest of holies, the place that God dwells. I am able to enter because Jesus has entered as my forerunner before me. He is a forerunner, it means He is expecting me to follow Him.
Therefore I will stand on the promises of God to crown me with His Glory and lead me to paths of fatness with Christ’s faith.
Lemon Juice + Jesus = Lemonade
The morning light streamed in from the window. I opened my eyes, rolled over and stared at the ceiling. The week has not gone well. Work has been difficult. I am not looking forward to the work day.
I whispered a complaint to the Lord, “I’m not happy, why are things so difficult this week?“
I can sense the Lord’s gentle smile and this question popped into my head, “what comes out of you when you are squeezed?”
I am definitely feeling sour and bitter. So, when I’m squeezed, I am oozing bitterness and sourness. But I am no ordinary person. I am a child of the Lord. I have the Holy Spirit with me. I shouldn’t be acting as if I do not have the greatest power living with me. If I am a lemon, when I am squeezed, I want sweet lemonade, not sour lemon juice.
I shared this thought with Mark and he said that if I am a lemon, then lemon juice is the natural result. On my own, I could never produce lemonade, only lemon juice. But I have Jesus and He is the sugar factor. He can turn my lemon juice into lemonade.
As if by magic, my outlook on my situation changes for the better. I’m positive reality will follow soon.
The Whole Point of Righteousness
The whole point of the gift of righteousness is that we can come boldly before Lord Jesus to fellowship and enjoy the blessings won by his sacrifice.
Grace is not a concept, it is a person.
Don’t stop at the truth about righteousness, use righteousness to access Jesus. That is the whole point of righteousness. God save us so that we can come near Him and enjoy fellowship with Him.
Sound simple yet profound.
I guess it was good for me because he gave me the answer to a question I have been asking in my heart for some time. God rained on me on Sunday, showed me a rainbow and filled my heart full of hope. Thank you!
Pictures of Prayer
What are some pictures that we typically use for prayer? An open receiving hand? Someone kneeling at the bedside with clasped hands, closed eyes and an earnest look?
I recently came across this one which I thought was so sweet.
But, however sweet, this image doesn’t help build my faith that Abba God will grant me my prayers.
The most common image of prayer of supplication is the open receiving hand. It is a symbol of attentiveness and of waiting. The hands is open and empty, waiting for God to fill it up.
Although it is true that answered prayers are given by God, is it possible to see prayer as being more pro-active? What other images could we use to describe or highlight prayer that is more active?
How about a storehouse?
Is it possible for me to enter God’s storehouse and take the blessings that He has prepared for me?
Abba God is happy when we take from Him. He is invigorated when He can provide for us. He was physically tired when he met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Yet when she received His message of salvation, He became so refreshed and told his disciples that he had food to eat that they know not of.
So, why can’t I be more pro-active and go take from Him. I close my eyes and imagine I have entered the storehouse of God Almighty. In it are rows and rows of blessings waiting for me. I stretched out my hands and take a box of blessings from the shelf and thank Abba God for it.
Why I Pray in The Spirit
I am not sure when the questioning started, perhaps at the beginning of this year. I had been asking myself how I can “improve” my time with the Lord. I realized that my prayers have been mostly about my needs and requests and it is getting formulaic. How often had I just simply enjoy the Lord’s presence? Sadly, not often enough.
But how should I go about changing this?
In the end, I decided that I need to simplify this by taking my “brain/mind” out of the picture. How? By praying in the Spirit.
I started praying in tongues when I woke up and in the shower. I prayed in the car while driving to work. I prayed in tongues under my breath when I caught myself idling in a queue. There is no pressure. As long as I remember, I pray in tongues. When I did something or say something I shouldn’t, I pray in tongues believing that God still love me and hear me. I don’t know what I am praying but I don’t care. I trust the Holy Spirit to pray on my behalf. I believe this is how I am activating and engaging the Holy Spirit that is indwelling me. By taking my brain out of the equation, I am taking out the part that I’m proud of. And because I am proud of my intellect, it becomes a stumbling block to my enjoyment of Abba God’s presence.
1 Corinthians 12 taught on spiritual gifts, that they are from the Holy Spirit, and they will flow when we are in the Spirit.
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12
Like a boat that needs water, a gift of the Holy Spirit needs the Spirit. What better way to do this than to pray in tongues?
When I realized what God has done for me, I am humbled and honoured that He remembered me.
Here is a short video excerpt of Pastor Prince’s preaching on spiritual gifts and speaking in tongues.
