“For it is written, “Be Holy, for I Am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
Acknowledging that God exists is part of many individuals’ fundamental beliefs, yet, it doesn’t necessarily equate to living a holy life that represents Christ’s Righteousness.
What is the status of our relationship with Christ? Our clothing preferences reflect the true spiritual condition of our hearts and character. The converted heart loves God, and hates sin because sin is rebellion against God.
“…come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17). God commands us “to separate from the world’s ways, including its values, behaviors, and influences.”
The sanctified man and woman of God choose modest clothing because their hearts are pure, and filled with the Righteousness of Christ. Spiritual transformation begins in the heart and is reflected outwardly.
Tight revealing clothing entices unbelievers who assume that we are also unbelievers. God will never bless us with a man or woman of God to be our husband or wife when our hearts are impure.
Our earthly lives are the only opportunity we have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit who transforms our minds, characters, and personalities into the likeness of Christ’s Righteous Character.
Worshiping God in Spirit and Truth arises from our love and desire to obey His commands. We use our faith to reveal to a corrupt world that accepting Jesus changes our sinful habits into visible differences that honor Him, and reflect His glory.
We look forward to living in our Forever Home with Jesus because love, purity, and holiness will permeate the atmosphere like the aroma of sweet smelling incense. Yes and Amen!
Lord God, we love You, and ask You to teach us how to be holy. We ask this prayer in faith, and in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.
Life may be tough, but for the faithful and obedient believers, we are preparing every day for the blessed return of our Triumphant King.
The reward of forever establishes our priorities: “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26, NLT).
Jesus, we thank You for redeeming us from the penalty of sin. We ask for strength, guidance, wisdom, and discernment in our earthly journey. In Your Righteous Name, we pray, Amen.
“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” -John 14:2-3
Whether we are using our time wisely, or not to prepare for Kingdom Life, Jesus promised 3 times in Revelation 22 that He is coming again. Faithful obedience is revealed through a consecrated life of surrender and prayer, always seeking God’s will for the given day.
Earthly pleasures are distractions designed to satisfy our hearts desires, and separate us from God. Instead of wasting our precious gift of time to chase desires, we must redirect our focus on Christ by living a Faithful, Christ-centered life.
Romans 12 instructs us on how to live the sacrificial life required by God to prepare every day for that Great Day. Peace and Blessings.
Lord God, we ask you to teach us how to live a sanctified life that is focused on You. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray, Amen.
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:7, 14-15, NIV)
“Of all creatures the sheep is one of the most timid and helpless…still, the shepherd’s care for his flock is untiring and incessant.” The defenseless sheep know they must always depend on their shepherd to keep them safe.
“In ancient times there was minimal safety outside of walled towns. Marauders from the roving border tribes, or beasts of prey from their hiding places in the rocks, lay in wait to plunder the flocks. The shepherd watched… knowing that it was at the peril of his own life.” He was always prepared to fight and protect his sheep.
Spiritually, Jesus compares us to sheep who are helpless against Satan, the enemy. Without the Divine power and strength of Christ, our Shepherd, we cannot live righteously, or overcome the covert, and highly effective deceptions of the enemy.
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.” -Isaiah 53:6, NLT
Sadly, we think that attending weekly church service is the way to receive eternal life. Many believers refuse to live a surrendered, faithful, obedient, and consecrated life to God. But our self-reliance comes with a high price, we lose the safety of being led by our Shepherd which easily persuades us to embrace the enticements and deceptions of this world.
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” -Matthew 16:26
The decisions we make without spiritual guidance will always bring consequences to our lives. Maybe all is well right now but the mindset of self-reliance is one of disobedience which ultimately separates us from God. We believe that we can lead ourselves, so there is no need to pray for guidance.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” -Proverbs 16:12
From using our thoughts and inclinations to fulfill our desires, we exchange the hope of receiving the promise of eternal life for nothing but earthly treasures that will soon be destroyed when Jesus comes again.
The Christian Community has embraced many pagan practices in the attempt to gain Jesus’ gift of peace. Burning sage, Eastern meditation, yoga, the worship of Hindu deities, online gambling, CBD, secular music, pornography, living together without marriage, and friendships with unbelievers instead of living a sacrificial life dedicated to God.
We easily pursue our desires that are satisfied from hours of screen time, scrolling on social media, and seeking prosperity, pleasure, and political alliances. Without Divine power, we lose the internal battle against our heart’s desires, so we feel no need to be led by Christ.
“It is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can.”
“Christ came that He might re-create the image of God in man; and whoever turns men away from Christ is turning them away from the source of true development.”
The decision to follow Jesus, our Good Shepherd is a tough spiritual journey that requires us to let go of our desires and pursuits. Yes, our faith is tested everyday by temptations, and fiery trials but we are not left defenseless.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” -Hebrews 4:16
Prayer invites the Holy Spirit to intervene. To be under the loving care of Jesus is to live a life overflowing with hope, joy, and peace. We can live with the spirit of contentment when we choose Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ” -Hebrews 13:5, NIV
Use your faith to live courageously! Even in adversity, we know that Jesus will give us the victory! From dedicating ourselves to the Shepherd, He will lead us safely through our earthly journey.
As obedient sheep who always follow their Shepherd, we have the hope of receiving the reward of eternal life in a perfect and loving New Heaven and New Earth. Yes and Amen!
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Lord God, we thank you for being our Good Shepherd. Our desire is to return to Your loving arms. We ask forgiveness for leaving your safety by pursuing meaningless earthly practices and treasures. We pray for strength, wisdom, and an increase in faith, and ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:17, NIV
Yes, God desires for us to come to Him based on His loving character but He never violates our Free Will of choice. Our lifestyle reveals whom we serve. True heart conversion is spiritually deeper than attending church once a week. We cannot only be churchgoers but must have a deep abiding love for God, only then can we worship Him in spirit and truth.
Second hand knowledge as a result of not studying the Bible for oneself will not prepare us to stand with steadfast faith [in the power of Christ] when tempted, or in times of persecution. We cannot use our strength to overcome temptations designed to separate us from God.
It is the willingness to consecrate and commit ourselves to God demonstrated by daily personal worship that strengthens our relationship with Jesus Christ. Winning the war against sin and our desires requires consistent praying for the Holy Spirit to empower us with Christ’s wisdom and strength, only then can we live as Victorious Overcomers in Christ Jesus.
“…are we not all in danger, especially the longer we are here, of setting ‘aside the humble simplicity of Christ and his apostles’ for the pomp, power, accolades, and temptations of the world? If we think we’re not, we are fooling ourselves.” ssnet.org
Lord God, we pray for the desire to look beyond this present Earth, and its promises of prosperity and pleasures designed to separate us from You. We pray for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
Our Heavenly Father Cares Devotional – April 13, 2025
We often pray for things that we usually do not need. But I learned a couple of days ago when we pray differently, especially for obstacles that impact our mental and emotional health, God responds immediately to our prayers.
My prayer was simple, “God, please give me the things that I need to improve the quality of my life. I have an obstacle that is overwhelming, affecting my peace, and causing me stress that I cannot resolve. Jesus, I need your help. Thank you. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.”
God answered my prayer later that day. Peace and Blessings
Our Heavenly Father Cares Devotional – April 10, 2025
Luke 15:17-24, NLT. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “
During an intense and eye opening Bible study, a perplexing question came to mind: What is it on this Earth that is keeping us from surrendering daily to God through faithful obedience, engaging in personal worship with much prayer, studying the Bible, renouncing sin, and using our spiritual gifts to witness to others which is required to receive Eternal life?
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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
From a love that we cannot understand, God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ who willingly sacrificed His life to fulfill the Plan of Redemption to save us from the wages of sin which is death. Jesus died for our sins, so we do not have to die for our sins.
The natural disasters and perilous times described in Matthew 24 and 2 Timothy 3 are occurring now. “The Great Falling Away” indicating the End of Time which Jesus told His disciples about has not been fulfilled.
For many believers, sadly our priorities and lifestyles indicate that we are comfortable in our temporary existence on this Earth which Jesus says He will destroy [2 Peter 3:10] along with the wicked [Malachi 4].
“Be holy, for I am holy.” -1 Peter 1:16
Preparing for Christ’s Second Coming is not based on a scare tactic to incite fear into our hearts, it is based on a heart filled with love and the desire and determination to serve God.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” -Ezekiel 36:26
Jesus gave his life for us. Like the prodigal son, if we truly desire to live forever in the New Heaven and New Earth, we must come to our senses and return to living a sacrificial life fully dedicated to God. Yes and Amen!
Lord Jesus, we are returning to You, our First Love, and ask You to reveal through Your Holy Spirit all habits, behaviors, and pursuits that will prevent us from receiving our reward of the Crown of Life. Teach us how to live righteously, as we prepare one day at a time for Your soon coming. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.
Obedience Is Worship: “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” -Philippians 2:8
Yes, being aligned in God’s will gives us an abundance of peace, but we cannot expect to be in control of our lives. God is Sovereign! And God knows best! Because we love, honor, and reverence Him, we willingly pray and surrender daily to our Father’s plans.
There can only be one decision-maker. God is never against us, but if we choose our steps then we are against God. Human knowledge, strategies, and life experience are very limited. Truthfully, what appears to be perfect is not. We can never give ourselves the best or predict the outcome of our decisions.
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23). The believer who does not trust God participates in the Game of Chance. We cannot anticipate or reverse consequences. Regret is long lasting mental and emotional distress that can be avoided by placing our complete faith and trust in God.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
When we perceive God as a Loving Heavenly Father whose desire is to protect us from hidden danger, covert temptations, and people not meant to be in our lives, we will rely on His perfect decisions.
True peace is never having to worry about the outcome. With God, we always receive victory!
Lord God, thank you for loving us so much that You desire to protect us from emotional hurt, physical harm, and the regret from pursuing our rebellious inclinations. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.
Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional -January 21, 2025
“And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, ‘Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name, we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’ ” —2 Chronicles 14:11
The story of King Asa reveals the importance of worshiping God with faithful dedication and obedience. When facing the Ethiopian army, the King’s first response was to pray for God’s Divine help which ended in victory. God sent the prophet Oded to the King with this message, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:1).
“…In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” —2 Chronicles 16:9
Sadly, in 2 Chronicles, chapter 16, the King reveals a decision that indicated he was no longer seeking God through dutiful worship. God did not forsake King Asa by abandoning him. From the king’s decision to disobey God by making a treaty with the pagan king of Syria, he broke God’s covenant to keep Judah as “the land of rest—without war.”
Obedience is our highest form of worship: “Many theologians interpret these verses to mean that actively following God’s instructions is the truest expression of love and devotion to Him, surpassing mere outward acts of worship.”
True Believers do not awaken with a plan to commit premeditated sins. We can pray and consecrate ourselves in the morning and a few moments later fall hard into temptation. How does a believer transition from a life of dedication to one that excludes God? It’s an issue of the heart. Our heart’s desires often take precedence over our willingness to surrender and obey God. This is evidenced by a change in how we worship; we no longer ask for God’s will to be done, and self-reliance replaces dependency on God.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” —Proverbs 3:5-8
The failure to pray and ask God for His answer before decision-making reveals that we trust in our human wisdom. Without praying for Divine wisdom, at some point, we will fall either from Satan’s covert deception or the result of our strategies. The outcome of our choices reveals whether or not God was involved—Anything that Satan offers is not God’s will and always has a catch that leads to unforeseen consequences.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” —1 Peter 5:8
The enemy is creative, when we openly display or verbalize feelings of desperation in a given situation, it is an open door for him to use his various strategies. Satan uses coercion which is highly effective when we feel there are no options, and the bait-and-switch strategy which prompts us to fulfill our true desire instead of God’s choice. One of his most effective deceptions works on believers who react negatively to loneliness often driving them to seek a relationship or marriage not blessed by God.
Coercion: Your job search has been extended, bills are due, and finally a company has responded to your resume, the salary is great, but you have to decide now, the start date of the new job is tomorrow. Bait and Switch: You pray for a vehicle [within your budget], and receive God’s answer of yes, but at the dealership, you accept the salesperson’s invitation to test drive the luxury model and decide to purchase. Deception: You are preoccupied with feelings of loneliness. You try a Christian dating site that offers a free trial period and eventually meet someone you believe is a Godsend. However, when you invite the person to church, they make excuses for not attending. After two months, the truth is revealed, they think going to church is not necessary to serve God.
True Worship: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” —Psalm 63:1, NIV
The predicaments Christians find themselves in will never cease to amaze us. One thing is certain, we allowed Satan’s strategies have entrapped us. Make no mistake, following our thoughts and fulfilling our desires is extremely satisfying to our souls. Like King Asa, we easily rely on ourselves because we ceased worshiping God in spirit and truth. We can attend church, pray, and study the Bible, yet each day, we fail to pray, “God, not my will, but Your will be done in my life.”
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ” —1 John 4:10, NIV
So we excluded God and now, face unavoidable consequences. Our feelings of defeat and discouragement have escalated and our faith feels non-existent. How do we move forward? Our response determines whether or not we understand God’s love and the Plan of Redemption [God’s Agape Love, Confession, Receiving Forgiveness, Grace, and Mercies ].
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9
God’s love is Eternal! “He shall regard the prayer of the destitute. And shall not despise their prayer” (Psalm 102:17). We follow the plan of Redemption by praying an honest prayer of confession and repentance and asking God for directions to move forward. The journey ahead will require a spiritual change in your character and lifestyle. Pray for Divine strength.
Keep Loving God! Keep Praying! Keep Studying the Bible!
Stop remembering your mistakes! Moving ahead in our journey requires a different mindset, we must redirect our focus to Christ. God knew that we would make the wayward decision before we “fall down.” Our faith in God must supersede our feelings of defeat by focusing on His love. We pray and ask Him how to move forward—recovery from counterproductive decisions must be God-driven.
God’s answers will not coincide with our desires. We may have to continue on the unpleasant job until He blesses us with another one, the dealership may negotiate a deal to exchange the luxury vehicle for the affordable one of God’s original plan, and we will have to let go of the unbelieving believer who refuses to worship God as required for spiritual growth. If we obey then God will perform the miraculous!
Keep Moving Forward in the Strength of the Lord!
Pressing Toward the Goal: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 3:12-14
Prayer: God, we often find ourselves suffering the consequences of following our thoughts and plans and for this sin, we ask for forgiveness. We desire to follow Your will and ask You to reveal Your plans to move forward. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
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