Devotions

Prayer Is Powerful

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“Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.  Is anyone one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well;  the Lord will raise them up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of the righteous one is powerful and effective.”

James 5:13-16

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 near the border between South Dakota and Minnesota)

His Love Endures Forever

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 on a lake near Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Commitment

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“Therefore, I urge you , brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2

(This photo was taken in August of 2015 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Be In Prayer

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Jesus said while speaking to his disciples…

“So I say to you:  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Luke 11:9-10

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 while driving the north shore of Maui)

Unity

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“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:2-6

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 while driving on the north shore of Maui)

When We Are Troubled

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

(This photo was taken in August of 2014 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Be Persistent

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Two very important aspects of faith are patience and persistence.  Patience to know that God is working in our lives according to His plan not our own ideas.  Persistence to seek guidance from God to understand His plan so that we work together for His glory and our salvation.  The verses below do not say you will get what ever you want or you will get the answers you desire or that every opportunity you want will come your way.  One of the hardest part of transformation is to read the verses of God’s Word from a God centered perspective and not a self-centered perspective.  May God’s peace be with you.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2012 while driving through northwestern Wisconsin)

A Prayer of Praise

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“Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.  Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.  You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.  Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.  Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.  Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.  In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.  All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.  For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.  Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.”

Psalm 86:1-13

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 and is a view from Pike’s Peak in southern Colorado)

Finding The Way

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We tend to get off course pretty easily in our everyday life…there is so much demanding our attention.  Spending time daily in the Word with our Lord is the best way to get instructions about life and our purpose.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling through Nebraska)