You Have the Advantage

 

“…His favor is for a lifetime…” (Psalm 30:5, AMP)   You Have the Advantage One definition of the word “favor” is an advantage for success. When you put God first, when you obey His commands, you open the door for His favor—you have the advantage for success! Even if someone may have wronged you and it looks like they have the upper hand, even if it looks like things are never going to change, you need to keep reminding yourself, “I have an advantage. God is in control of my destiny. He’s fighting my battles for me. He is my vindicator, and it’s just a matter of time before things change in my favor.”There’s a scripture in Hebrews that says, “Don’t cast away your confidence.” One translation says, “Payday is coming.” In the difficult times, you have to remind yourself that payday is on its way. God is a faithful God. If you’ll keep doing the right thing, honoring Him and expecting His favor, God has promised He will pay you back. He will restore everything in your life that the enemy has stolen so you can live the abundant life He has in store for you! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for Your grace, mercy and everlasting favor. I open my heart and mind to You and receive every blessing You have for me. Thank You for favor, the advantage for success, in every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Second chance

If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more.  If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.

– Oprah Winfrey

The Father: God the Father

Dear Lord God, 

Today is a fresh start! 

Thank you for your unending mercy and new beginnings. 

Lord I need your help to live in the present. 

Time is so precious, yet I find myself looking through my phone, consumed with social media, with TV and many other diversions that pull me away from time that could be spent with You and with others. 

Whatever the habit is that distracts me from being present, I pray that I will live more intentionally. 

That I will decide to choose time with a friend or eating dinner with my family over these addicting distractions.

You created me to live in community and I want to start investing more deeply in my community. 

Thank you for all you have blessed me with and today.

I want to start being a better steward of my time today. 

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead). Galatians 1:1

God the Father is equal in nature to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Because God is three Persons—the Trinity—each Person is separate from the others, yet God has one nature. Each Person in the Godhead is all wise, all-powerful and equally present everywhere. Each Person is totally holy, completely loving and innately good. So, you must worship each Person of the Godhead with all your heart. “God the Father” is a title of relationship to His beloved Son and to the Holy Spirit. Just as there is a loving relationship between the members of the Godhead, so you can have a loving relationship with others who belong to God. When you were born again, you became a child of God; you became a member of God’s family. Now you shall love others as the Father loves you.

Father, I praise You for Your powerful acts of creation and Your love for me. Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins. Holy Spirit, I am grateful for Your transforming power in my conversion.

“God the Father” is a favorite name used by Paul. His readers were mostly idol worshipers before conversion, so they believed in a deity. But they didn’t know God as their Father until Paul taught them who He was. Paul exhorted them to know God the Father in a personal relationship.

O God my Father, You are first among equals in the Trinity. You are first in my life without equal. I exalt You to the throne of my life. Let me know You better. Amen.

Go Deeper: Galatians 1:1-12

God is the Father whom you can know intimately.

Tomorrow…Jesus: The Lamb of God

365 Ways to Know God © 2004 Elmer L. Towns

Rejection

You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings.

–         Pearl S. Buck

Enter His Rest

“For we who have believed do enter that rest…”
(Hebrews 4:3, NKJV)

 

Enter His Rest

God promises that there are set times in our future, but He doesn’t tell us when they will be. Your set time may be tomorrow morning at 9:47. You’ll get the phone call you’ve been waiting for. Your set time may be two years from now. You’ll get a good break and that will thrust you to a new level. My question is, “Do you trust God enough to believe that your set times are coming?” Are you willing to wait with a good attitude? Are you willing to get a new perspective? Remember, that set time is already in your future. Don’t let the negative thoughts talk you out of it. The way you know that you’re really believing is that you have rest on the inside. You’re at peace. You know the answer is on the way. You trust that God is working things out. Today put your faith and trust in Him and enter into rest. Know that He is good, and He is for you! Your set time of favor is on the way!

A Prayer for Today

“Father, today I choose to enter into rest. I choose to trust You. I choose to put my faith and hope in You knowing that You are good and that You have good things in store for my future in Jesus’ name! Amen.”

On the Way to Your Yes

 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NASB)   On the Way to Your Yes Sometimes, people get discouraged in life because things didn’t turn out the way they hoped. Maybe they put energy into a relationship, but it didn’t work out. They tried a new business venture, but they are still struggling with their finances. Now they think it’s never going to happen. But one thing we have to learn is that God honors perseverance. On the way to your “yes,” you may encounter some “no’s.” You may encounter some closed doors, but that doesn’t mean it’s the final answer. It just means “keep going.” Remember, if God promised it, He’s going to bring it to pass. Scripture tells us that through faith and patience, we inherit God’s promises. This is where patience comes in; this is where perseverance comes in. This is where trust comes in. Just because you don’t see things happen right away doesn’t mean you should quit. No, instead, rise up and press forward. Keep believing, keep hoping, keep enduring and keep asking because our God is always faithful to His Word! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. I choose today to believe Your Word. I choose to trust Your promises. I choose to keep standing, keep believing and keep asking because I will receive in Jesus’ name! Amen!”

Jesus: The True Vine

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Your ways are better than my ways.

I come to you this morning with peace, knowing that you go before me. 

You go before me in my workplace and with my family. 

I know you are with me in my pain and in my most joyous moments. 

Thank you Lord for going before me and for being present in my life. 

I shall not fear because I know you are with me every step of the way. 

I pray now for those who do not know your love and grace. 

Let my life be a living testimony that shines your light, encouraging others to embrace the love of Jesus Christ. 

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. John 15:1

Jesus is the True Vine. In the Old Testament, Israel was called God’s vine, but the nation was an unfaithful vine (Isaiah 5:1-7). In contrast, Jesus is the True Vine. Israel was disobedient to the Father, but Jesus was true to the Father’s mission for Him. Jesus was truthful in character and speech. On the night before He was arrested, He said, “I am the true vine” (John 15:1). Just as a vine gives life and energy through its fruit, so Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe Him. Just as a vine gives satisfying drink, so Jesus gives joy and contentment to those who follow Him. Just as a vine gives shade to the weary traveler, so Jesus gives shelter from the burning sun of opposition and trouble. What do you need from Jesus?

Lord Jesus, You are true. You have kept every promise concerning forgiveness, eternal life, happiness and protection. You are the True Vine who keeps Your word.

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). Looking at a vine, you can’t tell which is the original stem and which is a branch.This is what Jesus meant when He said, “You in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20). We must stay connected to Him because “the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine” (John 15:4).

Lord Jesus, You are the Vine; let Your energy flow through me. You are the Source of Life; let Your fruitfulness grow through me. You are the Vine; I am the branches. Amen.

Go Deeper: Isaiah 5:1-7; John 15:1-7

365 Ways to Know God © 2004 Elmer L. Towns

Jesus: Propitiation

Dear Lord Jesus 

There are rocky relationships and arguments that I am holding on to.  

I have let some of these issues grow into resentment and bitterness and my heart has become hard in these areas. 

I look to you, how you gave your life on the cross, forgiving me of my sins. 

Thank you Lord, for your ultimate and perfect sacrifice. 

Please forgive me for my unwillingness to forgive others. 

I ask that you would soften my heart towards those who have wronged me. 

Your word tells me to, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 

Lord, I want to be more like you. 

Please help me to live by Your Word and to follow Your example. 

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

Jesus is the Propitiation—His title that means “full satisfaction.” Idol worshipers use the word “propitiation” when offering sacrifices to their idols to appease their supposed wrath. Jesus is your Propitiation—the full satisfaction—to satisfy God’s punishment of your sins.

Lord, thank You for paying the price to satisfy my sin debt. But You paid not just for my sin; You died for the whole world.

Jesus is your Propitiation, meaning your sins are fully forgiven. “He [God] loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Now when the Lord looks at you, He doesn’t see your sin; He sees the ledger marked “Paid in full.” Because Jesus has satisfied your debt, you are now free in Christ. The word “propitiation” is also translated “mercy seat,” which is the lid on the Ark of the Covenant. The mercy seat was the place of propitiation—satisfaction—where the blood was sprinkled for forgiveness. The mercy seat also was the place where the presence of God came to rest in the Tabernacle. God does not have a throne on Earth; He sits on the mercy seat. Because blood is sprinkled there, it is a seat of mercy. Now, because of propitiation, Jesus can come to you, and His presence can abide with you.

Lord, thank You for forgiving all my sin debt and satisfying the indictments against me. Help me enjoy Your forgiveness; I need Your presence in my life this day. Come. Amen.

Go Deeper: 1 John 2:1-11

Jesus has satisfied every debt you owe because of sin.

 

365 Ways to Know God © 2004 Elmer L. Towns

Jesus: The Word

Dear Father God, 

Thank you for this beautiful day. 

I come before you and humbly ask that you will create in me a clean heart, and forgive me of my sins and failures. 

Breathe new life within me; I want to feel the joy that Your salvation brings. 

I desire a childlike wonder. 

I ask this that you may be glorified, that my life may be a testimony to others, that others may see your merciful hand and be drawn to you, and that I may have a clean and happy heart. 

Thank you, O wonderful Creator. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray, amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Jesus is called the Word because He expressed the true idea of the Father, just as a written word represents the ideas of an author. Jesus is also called the Wordbecause He is the One who communicated the Father’s desires to the people, just as a written word communicates an author’s intent. Jesus is also the Wordbecause He interprets the Father to the world, just as a human author interprets a theme to readers. Words are symbols of meaning, and Jesus is the symbol that showed the world what God was like in the flesh.

Jesus, I look to You to show me what God is like. I will study the Word of God to better understand God and know what He expects of me.

Jesus was the powerful Word who lived in the flesh. Jesus’ spoken words were also powerful, for His words raised the dead, calmed the storms and comforted the hurting. And the written Word of Christ is just as powerful as His spoken words. The written Word can save, heal, cast out demons and become the basis for answered prayer (Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12). Jesus elevated His words to a supernatural level when He said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life”(John 6:63). Peter agreed with Him: “You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Lord, I love Your Word, because You tell me about the Father. I love Your words because they are spirit and life. Amen.

Go Deeper: John 1:1-14

365 Ways to Know God © 2004 Elmer L. Towns 

Be Joyful in Hope

 

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, NIV)     Be Joyful in Hope God has given you everything you need in order to enjoy your life. Think about that for a minute. What is keeping you from living life to the full? You may not be in the home you want. You may not have the exact job you would like. Maybe you’re single and really want to be married. If you focus on these temporary things, it opens the door to comparison and frustration. It’s good to have big dreams. It’s good to want to increase. But if you start comparing yourself to others, it will steal your joy. If you don’t learn to be happy where you are, you’ll never get to where you want to be. But if you’ll choose to be happy, refuse self-pity and refuse to complain, then you are sowing good seeds for God to take you where you want to be in your future. Today, realize that God is directing your steps. You have a future and a hope. Take joy in knowing that He is working all things together for your good according to His divine plan. Stay in faith, focus on Him and obey His commands. Soon, you’ll see those new doors open so you can walk boldly into the place of blessing God has in store for you! A Prayer for Today “Father, today I choose to put my hope and trust in You. I know that You are working all things together for my good. I refuse self-pity. I refuse to compare. I choose joy and the divine plan You have prepared for me in Jesus’ name! Amen.”