Topic: Pray Often [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Thursday May 24, 2018]

Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving. — Colossians 4:2

Don’t put off praying until a more convenient time. Pray at all times, in every season, with all kinds of prayer (see Ephesians 6:18).

Prayer need not be long to be effective. It is the greatest privilege we have, and it releases the greatest power on earth.

We all need God’s help, and we get it by asking for it. Pray your way through the day.

Prayer Starter: I thank You, Father, that You are always listening. Help me to form a habit of talking to You throughout my day—asking, praising, and even listening for Your words of comfort. I love you so much. In Jesus Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

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Topic: God’s Tattoo [Teens Open Heavens 24, May 2018]

Memorise: Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16

Read: Isaiah 49:13-16 (KJV)

13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 11-13, John 9:1-23

MESSAGE:

Is there any earthly father who so loves his children that he stays awake to watch over them every night? Is there a man who so loves his wife to the extent of not sleeping, just keeping vigil every night, looking at her face? I do not know of any. But we have a Father who keeps watch over us day and night. Hence, David could say, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). If you are a child of God, you need not be afraid to sleep at night. God is not limited to the day, His excellent security services cover both day and night.

Our God can also never forget us. Isaiah 49:15 says even when a nursing mother forgets her baby, God will not forget him/her. This is because He has engraved you upon the palms of His hands. You are God’s tattoo! He sees and remembers you every second of the day, and He is always available and willing to help you, just call on Him.

Action Point: Thank God for tattooing you on the palm of His hands. Thank Him that He can never forget you.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Teen Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor Adeboye’’

Hymn 10:

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a Friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer!

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield You;
You wilt find a solace there.

Daily Devotional for Teen’s guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

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Topic: You are the Builder of Your Home (3)

Dear Reader,

It is a wonderful thing to be in God’s presence today! You are most welcome to this week’s teaching. For the past few weeks now, I have been teaching on the above subject and I have been able to make you understand that you are the builder of your home. Also, I gave you one of the vital ingredients for building a sweet home – Praise.

This week, we are going to examine two other ingredients that make for a glorious and sweet marital life. I refer to them as the nuggets for Christians who desire to reap all the blessings of the marriage covenant. These ingredients are: LOVE and EXCITEMENT

Love is a potent force in the quest for a sweet home. It is the magnetic force that binds couples together. It is a vital force for sweet relationship. No wonder Mother Theresa (Late), a noble peace prize winner, when asked, “What is the solution for world peace?” She answered, “Let everyone go home and love their families.” Love is the solution to every marital crisis! The Word of God says, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always, trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

The above scripture enumerates the characteristics of love. You can’t claim to love your spouse or family members when any of these is missing in your life.

The opposite of love is selfishness. This is a plague that has destroyed many homes and rendered many innocent children homeless in the society today. It is an abnormal affection for self and pursuit of selfish desires at the expense of your spouse or other members of your family.

Selfishness is one of the traps of the devil. So, if you desire a sweet home, you must not give room to it. Maintain a standard of self-control and discipline in your home, by running your home in accordance with the Word of God.

Another plague that prevents love from flourishing in most Christian homes is anger. It carries very costly consequences. It has ruined the destiny of most homes. It steals the seeds of love from homes, and replaces it with the seeds of discord, hatred and strife. Watch it! Stop it before it rubs you of a sweet home!

God’s remedy for anger is,Let every man be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to be angry (James 1:5).You should, therefore, encourage your family members to love one another so that you can escape every trap of the enemy and enjoy the blessings of God as a family.

Excitement

Joy and excitement are the spices of life. Unfortunately, however, they are the major things lacking in most homes today. Some couples even find it difficult to smile at one another. But the Word of God says, Rejoice, and again I say rejoice (Philippians 4:4). The home is not meant for silence and dull atmosphere, resulting from cold wars between husband and wife or lack of love between family members. The home is meant to be a place of excitement.

Look at this testimony:

“I have been married for over 12 years, but what I am enjoying now, I’ve never enjoyed since I got married. I thank God for His Word to me through you. You taught … and laid emphasis on wives being submissive to their husbands in everything, just like the church submits to Christ. My understanding opened and I told God, “Lord, from this day, I know that obedience is the key”. And ever since that day I have been enjoying what all my fasting, binding and all couldn’t deliver to me. I thank God that now it’s like I am wedded anew. And just yesterday morning, to confirm God’s faithfulness in my home, my husband gave me a cheque for one hundred thousand Naira, which I cashed this morning. I now enjoy peace, love and harmony.Adebayo, L

The Word of God say, If I make you sad, who is going to make me happy? You are the ones to do it, and how can you if I cause you pain?” (2 Corinthians 2:2TLB). God created the family in such a way that the joy and pain of each member affects the other family members. You are the one to create excitement in your home. Instead of being a problem to your family, why not create an excitement? Don’t give room to sadness in your home.

You need to give your life to Jesus to give it all it takes for building a sweet home.If, peradventure, you are not born again and you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored)

“Please click to read other inspiring articles by Pastor Faith Oyedepo”

Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.

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Topic: The Power Of Thanksgiving

Many believers are grounded because they take God for granted. When you are not appreciated for the favour you showed to someone, you are constrained to from doing any further favour towards such person; this is natural. ‘Thank you’ is what qualifies you for the next act of favour. Many people whose great times turned to gloomy days were those who did not acknowledge the source of the great times. When you become addicted to thanksgiving, destiny opens up to you on its own accord. May God not turn His back on you due to your ingratitude in the name of Jesus!

Psalm 92:1-2 – It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

Thanksgiving envelopes you in God and that makes you unmolest-able, unkillable and indestructible. The divine presence of God covers you when you are a thanks giver. God does not need your money or material things. The only thing God cannot give to Himself is Thanksgiving. The only thing HE cannot do for Himself is to praise Himself. That is why God is always around those who praise and give HIM thanks all the time.

Nothing is more valuable than divine presence in the race of life because if God be for you, who can be against you? Thanksgiving is not just something that should happen when you feel like it; it is a debt you owe God which must be paid or the source of supplies will be cut.

Rom. 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Thanksgiving and praise qualify you to carry divine presence and that is all you need to have a triumphant ride in life.

Psalm 22:3 – But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

God will not be with you because you are crying; HE will be with you because you are praising HIM. When you give in to praise, you qualify for divine presence and when you carry divine presence, it makes all the difference in life. Therefore, develop the heart of thanksgiving and praise, and the presence of the Lord will never depart from you.

God bless you

The post The Power Of Thanksgiving by David Ibiyeomie appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Tossing and Turning [Our Daily Bread 24 Thursday May, 2018]

Read: Psalm 4, Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 22–24; John 8:28–59

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

What keeps you awake at night? Lately I’ve been losing sleep, tossing and turning on my bed, trying to work out a solution to an issue. Eventually I begin fretting about not getting enough rest to handle the challenges of the next day!

Sound familiar? Troubled relationships, an uncertain future, whatever it is—we all give in to worry at one point or another.

King David was clearly in distress when he penned Psalm 4. People were ruining his reputation with groundless accusations (v. 2). And some were questioning his competency to rule (v. 6). David probably felt angry for being treated so unfairly. Surely he could have spent nights stewing about it. Yet we read these remarkable words: “In peace I will lie down and sleep” (v. 8).

Charles Spurgeon explains verse 8 beautifully: “In thus lying down, . . . [David] resigned himself into the hands of another; he did so completely, for in the absence of all care, he slept; there was here a perfect trust.” What inspired this trust? From the start, David was confident that God would answer his prayers (v. 3). And he was sure that since God had chosen to love him, He would lovingly meet his needs.

May God help us to rest in His power and presence when worries threaten. In His sovereign and loving arms, we can “lie down and sleep.”

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for hearing me when I call. I surrender my worries to You and rest in Your power and presence.

We can entrust our cares to a wholly trustworthy God.

Insight:

David’s confident assurance of God’s care was the source of his ability to rest, and this theme of rest winds its way throughout the psalms. In Psalm 46:10 the psalmist says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The phrase be still can be translated “relax.” It’s as if God is counseling the psalmist, “I’ve got this. Take it easy.” In the shepherd’s psalm, David reminds us, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (Psalm 23:2). What a wonderful picture of rest—and the source of that rest is the God in whom we confidently trust. This enabled one psalmist to share: “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you” (Psalm 116:7). Our ability to rest is directly related to our confidence in the Father’s love, care, and concern for us. So in times of anxiety and stress the child of God can look to the Father and know He’s got this. We can be at rest!

What can you entrust to God’s care? Bill Crowder

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Poh Fang Chia [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

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Topic: Believe And Receive [TREM Devotional Thursday May 24, 2018]

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

Revelation 21:8 says “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”. Topping the list of these bad guys are the fearful. Have you been fearful before? Have you ever been unbelieving? So, if the unbelieving would go to hell, you are going. The fearful, the unbelieving, the liars; they will find themselves in the lake of fire.

But look at John 20:19. “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” So, all the disciples should go to hell because they were afraid. They didn’t believe. Thomas didn’t believe. But when Jesus came, what did He give them? He gave them peace. He gave them peace because He is for us.

He has paid for and freely given us all things. God is for you. Is there anything you need? Whatever is a thing, there is an anointing to receive it, as long as it’s a thing. He who spared not His Own Son….

Beloved, He gave Him to us! Therefore, we are entitled to free things. That thing that is difficult is free. I tell you to remove all stops and speed breakers. Release your faith and believe. It could be a health challenge; it could be a financial challenge, a ministry challenge or a marital challenge. It could be emotional or academic! Whatever it is! It is available in Christ. We should not struggle for a lot of things we struggle for. We should not! All we have to do is to believe and receive it.

Further reading: Romans 8:31-39

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 1 Chronicles 22-24; Evening- John 8:28-59

“If you missed yesterday devotional click HERE to read “TREM’s Daily Devotional by Dr. Mike Okonkwo’’

Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.

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Topic: Sure to Win in Him [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Thursday May 24, 2018]

Wherefore remember, that…at that time ye were without Christ…having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. – Ephesians 2:11-13

Have you ever really thought about what it truly means to be in Christ Jesus? Have you ever gotten a clear revelation of that? Once you do, it will revolutionize your life.

You see, it’s in Him that we’re raised up from our sins. It’s in Him that we’re made to sit in heavenly places so that God can show us the exceeding riches of His grace. It’s in Him that we’re made the righteousness of God!

If you want that revelation to explode in you, start searching out scriptures that refer to being in Christ. Watch for the words in Him, with Him, through Him or in whom. Mark those and meditate on them until the truth of them gets down into your spirit man. They’ll give you some powerful ammunition against the attacks of Satan.

When he tries to tell you, for instance, that you’re just a sinner and God doesn’t want to be bothered with your problems, you’ll know he is lying. You’ll be able to answer him boldly and say, “Thank God, I was a sinner, but now I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I’ve been raised up to sit with Him in heavenly places. Now I’m in Him and you can’t touch me at all!”

Be prepared the next time Satan comes at you with doubt, unbelief and condemnation. Be ready to fight back with the scriptures about who you are in Jesus. You’re sure to win once you truly know you’re in Him!

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:1-14

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s Daily Devotional Here’’

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

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Topic: The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit [Andrew Wommack Thursday May 24, 2018]

Mark 8:12, “And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.”

Text: Mark 8:11-13

The Greek word used here for “sighed deeply” means an intense grieving, inaudible prayer, or groan. This is intercession of the Holy Spirit, with groanings that cannot be uttered. Some Spirit-filled Christians believe this means groanings that cannot be uttered in normal speech and that this refers to speaking in tongues. However, this actually refers to a type of intercession different than speaking in tongues.

In John 11:33 and 38, Jesus groaned in the Spirit twice, and in those cases there were no words uttered. It was exactly as the Scripture states, a groaning in the Spirit. Everyone who has the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has or will have this happen to them. Paul was referring to this in Galatians 4:19 when he spoke of travailing in birth for the Galatians. This groaning of the Holy Spirit is not just a grief but a groan of anger and resistance against Satan’s devices in our lives. Many times, Christians don’t discern this because they think it is just their own grief over the situation. But, this is the Holy Spirit desiring to intercede with us against our problems.

Jesus drew on this ministry of the Holy Spirit. John 11:33 and 38 says, that Jesus groaned in the Spirit twice when He raised Lazarus from the dead. What infirmity did Jesus have that He needed this ministry of the Holy Spirit? Jesus had no sin, but He did have an infirmity. It was His physical mind.

Even a sinless human mind could not comprehend raising a man from the grave after four days. If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to help Him when He didn’t know how to pray, then this should certainly be an important ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Andrew Wommack’s Daily Devotional HERE

This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).

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Topic: Count Your Blessings [Billy Graham’s Devotional Thursday May 24, 2018]

. . . when troubles come . . . sing his praises with much joy. — Psalm 27:5,6 (TLB)

Christians are not altogether immune from depression. The fact is: the trend of events and the mounting tide of evil are enough to give one sobering thoughts—Christian or not. David, the sweet singer of Israel, was not always on top of his depression. Sometimes his glad song was turned to a depressive mourning. “My tears have been my meat day and night, while continually they say unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me?” I find that the cure for depression is praise. In other words: be so busy counting your blessings, that thoughts of gloom and despair will be crowded out.

Prayer for the day: Thank You, heavenly Father, for the Psalms which help me see that even in the depths David talked with You. Whatever my circumstances, I will learn to praise You.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional HERE

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

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