Can you boldly proclaim that you have a deep knowledge of God? If the majority of our thoughts bring praise from the depths of our hearts for God, then we are true worshippers. Yes, our intimate love for God produces steadfast faith, trust, courage, and perseverance.
Sing songs daily, utter praise through prayer, and let God know how much you love Him! Study the Scriptures, which speak of our loving God who freely gives us abundant grace and mercy.
Prayer: God, we love You and praise you for all you have done. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in. From this time forth, and even forevermore. (Psalms 121:1-8 NKJV)
Prayer and Praise are indicators of our love relationship with God. We praise Him throughout our day and evening by having a heart filled with gratitude. And from our hearts and lips, we express thankfulness to our Father.
Some children have never heard their parents or caregivers say, I love you. Love is not only a state of being; love is readily expressed from the depths of our hearts through our words and actions. It is a disservice to others for us to never verbally express our love to them.
Even God tells us, “…Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you…” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Our love, when joyfully expressed, creates an unbreakable bond between God and ourselves. Praise and prayer reinforce our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. We were created to worship the Creator God, who receives honor and adoration from the angels. Yet, humanity who received redemption from the sacrifice of Jesus fails to give Him adoration.
Eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth will be the reward only for those who have loved and praised God with all of their [obedient] hearts, souls, and minds [and loved others]. Praises to our Heavenly Father now and forevermore. Amen!
Prayer: God, we love You. And we praise You because You deserve to be praised. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tremendous power is made available through a good man’s earnest prayer ( James 5:16, Phillips).
Sharing this excerpt by D. Winn
Prayer is entering into intimate fellowship with the most awesome Mind in the universe! It is our privilege to “think in His presence”–to work through any and every facet of our lives while consciously interfacing with God’s wisdom. It is accepting the accountability for how we live, fully awake to His guidance, without fear of condemnation.
Because we know that it is not His purpose to belittle or browbeat us. In communion with Him we are set free to look squarely at our lives, meeting the challenges with head held high. We are released from mediocrity–we are yoked with divinity! We are released from pettiness–our inspiration is infinity!
I believe that the tremendous power available in prayer is the power to live intelligently and reasonably. It is not a power attained by the waving of a magic wand; it is gained by being in the presence of One who is wonderfully reasonable and realistic. And our prayers are effectual because we ourselves are being made more effective through companionship with Him! D. Winn
Without diligent and daily prayer, we do not have a Spiritual connection to God.
Prayer: God, we thank You for the awesome privilege to humbly and boldly approach You through prayer. Thanks You, for loving us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Trusting God is investing our faith in Him. Pray and wait. God has promised if we take our measure of faith and invest our faith in Him that He will produce growth. We must endure the unknown if our faith is to increase. Is your faith increasing or decreasing?
Prayer: The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith” (Luke 17:5 NLT).
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4 NLT)
We are given a beautiful description of the New Heaven and the New Earth in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. Not only will restoration take place, but there will be no more sin, sickness, or sorrow. Yet marriage will cease to exist. “For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).
Still, the puzzling question remains, Will we know each other in heaven? Although heaven is a mystery, we do not have reason to believe that when Jesus comes, we will not recognize our loved ones who died in Christ [Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18].
Being raised from the dead: When Jesus raised Lazarus from death, certainly he knew his family, friends, and Jesus. The Old Testament records Elijah raising the widow of Zarephath’s son (1 Kings 17:21-22), in which we can safely assume the risen child recognized his mother. Jesus was human when He died; we know He did not have His memory wiped away when He arose from death.
For those who are alive when Jesus comes: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).
We can agree that throughout the Bible, God is consistent. From Creation, God stated, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26). Family is an established insitiution set in place by God. To not know one another is not included in the Apostle John’s description of the former things passing away.
Although this is a highly sensitive subject, the 4th verse of Revelation 21 promises we will have no more sorrow. Many parents and family members are grieving daily over their loved ones who have strayed from serving God. Yes, we desire everyone in our family to be saved, but accepting salvation is a free will choice. If God has promised us no more sorrow from the former things, for us not to have sorrow, it would not be possible to remember our lost loved ones.
Never forget that God will have allowed everyone to confess, repent, and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Throughout the Bible, Scriptures reveal that God established family to love each other providing mental, emotional, and spiritual support. When Jesus was born as a babe, He was raised by human parents and grew up with siblings. And 11 of the 12 disciples loved Jesus. In John chapter 17, read the three prayers Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples, and future disciples, including us. The importance of a loving relationship with family and friends is demonstrated in the Bible as a priority.
Again the question is: Will we know each other in Heaven?
The following quote is from the Author, Sister Ellen G. White.
If you are thinking that life is so great…read the benefits of eternal life. It will be worth it. God is preparing to give the faithful ones benefits beyond our wildest imaginations. [Jesus] died for us, and was raised for us, that we might come forth from the tomb to a glorious companionship with heavenly angels, to meet our loved ones and to recognize their faces, for the Christlikeness does not destroy their image, but transforms it into His glorious image. Every saint connected in family relationship here will know each other there. Heaven 39, Ellen G. White
“So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:5). Whether we are the only one saved in our family or we will have many loved ones in heaven, the Apostle Paul states that we are one body in Christ, which is why Jesus said, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).
Yes, the Apostle John says, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Remember, we will be one huge, happy, and loving family. With anticipation, we can look forward to seeing our redeemed family and friends and meeting countless individuals who are now one family in Christ. But, first and foremost, “We want to see Jesus!!! Amen.”
Always pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to give you discernment and understanding of God’s truth.
Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 13
Prayer: God, we prayerfully anticipate our heavenly home. Please teach us to love unconditionally on earth in preparation to love one another in Heaven. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
“Thou are ever on their lips, yet far from their hearts” (Jer. 12:2, N.E.B.).
Have you ever thought or expressed, “I feel so far from God?”
Today’s Christians place too much emphasis on the way they feel. The truth is our feelings have escalated to the point that we have an internal battle about whether or not we can really trust God. We place God on our level and have determined that His power and promises are severely limited. Our emotions have weakened our spiritual connection to God. How we think overrides our faith and trust in God and is an indicator of unbelief.
Historically, church services have consisted of prayer, praise and worship, and the sermon. But we have established churches where worship services are designed to elevate one’s based emotions by only singing. Yes, today’s culture is designed to feel good. And isn’t that what God wants us to be “happy”? The issue is that songs occasionally do not provide a spiritual foundation.
So, outside of the song experience, we have a mind full of conflict and uncertainty. Many are plagued by fear, doubt, and worries that have a vice grip on us, causing more profound unbelief in an Omnipotent God who says, “I change not, and Is there anything too hard for Me?”
“The point is that feelings and emotions are a very unstable basis for measuring one’s closeness to God.” D. Winn, His Healing Love
David did a self-analysis to call out his depression, “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, My Savior and my God” (Psalm 43:5).
“Jeremiah complained to his Father about the attitudes of his people toward God: “Thou are ever on their lips, yet far from their hearts” (Jer. 12:2, N.E.B.). Jeremiah knew that closeness to God was…measured rather by the alignment of the mind with the values of God’s kingdom.” D. Winn
Nike had a slogan, “Just do it.” We choose daily to rely on our limited abilities or to have total faith and trust in God. Make the declaration and commitment by speaking daily over your life, “My Feelings have nothing to do with my Faith in God. I will trust in the Power of God!!!”
Our faith obtains growth and strength by diligent prayer and knowledge of the Scriptures. We cannot be once-a-week Christians. Emotions are fed by the starvation of our spiritual connection with God. Our God parted the Red Sea and gave strength to the prophet Elijah to run past King Ahab’s chariot and horses. Has our Heavenly Father’s love, concern, and power ceased to exist?
We trust in ourselves and others who have good intentions.
Yet, God asks, “To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal says the Holy One? Have you not known? Have you not heard the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the Earth, neither faints nor is weary? His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no strength he increases strength” (Isaiah 40:25, 28-29).
You can’t get any promises from humans that compare to God’s promises. We are created in His image with a spiritual connection more powerful than a baby connected by the umbilical cord to its mother. Our Father God never severs our relationship to Him. In fact, Jesus calls us friends because we know His plans and power.
No, you can never be closer than that with anyone, can you?
Prayer: God, we need Your help with our vacillating emotions. We desire a foundation that is rock-solid strong, built on faith and trust. We speak victory over our emotions and our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Sharing an excerpt from the Devotional, “Will you Lay Down Your Life?”
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends….I have called you friends… —John 15:13, 15
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “…I have called you friends….” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
Prayer: God, we thank You for the priceless gift of Your Son, Jesus. Please give us strength in this world of corruption and unbelief. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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