Here are early morning devotion topics on key to effective prayer, spirit guides, compromise and compassion that would boost your day.
Key To Effective Prayer
We all want our prayers to be "effective," so much so that people like us can speak to the Creator of the universe is itself an amazing thing. Even more astounding is the fact that He hears us and acts on our behalf! The first thing we need to understand about effective prayer is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had to suffer and die on the cross to even make it possible for us to approach the throne of grace to worship and pray - Hebrews 10:19-25.
Although the Bible offers a great deal of guidance on how we can deepen our communication with the Creator, effective prayer has more to do with the one doing the praying than it does with "how" we are to pray. Indeed, Scripture says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" - James 5:16, and that the "eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer" - 1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 34:15, and, again, "the prayer of the upright pleases Him" - Proverbs 15:8. Prayer saved the righteous Daniel from the lion's den - Daniel 6:11, and in the wilderness, God's chosen people benefitted from Moses' right standing with God - Exodus 16-17. The barren Hannah's steadfast and humble prayers resulted in the prophet Samuel - 1 Samuel 1:20, and the apostle Paul's prayers even caused the earth to shake - Acts 16:25-26. Clearly, the passionate prayers of God's righteous children can accomplish much - Numbers 11:2.
We need to make sure that our prayers are in line with God's will. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us" - 1 John 5:14-15. Praying in accordance with God's will is essentially praying in accord with what He would want, and we can see God's revealed will throughout Scripture. And if we do not know what to pray for, Paul reminds us that as God's children, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for us, as "the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" - Romans 8:27. And since the Spirit of God knows the mind of God, the Spirit's prayer is always in keeping with the will of the Father.
Additionally, prayer is something believers should do "continually" - 1 Thessalonians 5:17. In Luke 18:1, for example, we are told to pray with persistence and "not give up." Also, when we present our requests to God, we are to pray with faith - James. 1:5; Mark 11:22-24, with thanksgiving - Philippians 4:6, with a spirit of forgiveness toward others - Mark 11:25, in Christ's name - John 14:13-14, and as stated above, with a heart that is right with God - James 5:16. It is the strength of our faith, not the length of our prayers that pleases Him to whom we pray, so we do not need to impress God with our eloquence or intelligence. After all, God knows what our needs are even before we ask - Matthew 6:8. The Significance of Blood Sacrifice in the Old and New Testament
Also, we should make sure we have no unconfessed sin in our hearts when we pray, as this would certainly be an impediment to effective prayer. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear" - Isaiah 59:2; Psalm. 66:18. Fortunately, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" - 1 John. 1:9.
Another barrier to effective communication with God is praying with selfish desires and wrong motives. "When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" - James 4:3. Rejecting God's call or ignoring His advice - Proverbs 1:24-28, worshipping idols - Jeremiah 11:11-14, or turning a deaf ear to the cry of the poor - Proverbs 21:13, serve as additional obstacles to effective prayer life.
Effective prayer is a way to strengthen our relationship with our Father in Heaven. When we study and obey His Word and seek to please Him, the same God who made the sun stand still upon the prayer of Joshua - Joshua 10:12-13, invites us to come boldly before the throne of grace and pray with confidence that He will extend His mercy and grace to help us in our time of need - Hebrews 4:16.
Spirit Guides
If you do an internet search for "spirit guides," you get a variety of responses, including statements like these:
"Spirit guides are incorporeal beings that are assigned to us before we are born that help nudges and guide us through life."
"Some may be highly ascended masters (such as Jesus) and others might be your average spirit who just happens to be a master in a certain area."
"An ancestral guide is one who can claim some sort of kinship with you, such as your dear Aunt Tillie who died when you were ten."
"A typical spirit guide is archetypical, symbolic or representative of something else."
"A true spirit guide is an evolved being who has agreed to support your spiritual evolution. Real spirit guides are wise, compassionate and often amusing."
The general idea is that there exist benevolent spirits who desire to help people, or "guide" them through life. Belief in spirit guides is commonly associated with New Age, pagan, and spiritualistic belief systems. The term "spirit guide" is not always used, as they are also called "ascended masters" or "unseen helpers." Automatic writing, dream states, hypnotism, and meditation are all practices related to spirit guides. Also, terms such as "magic circles," centring, iridology, crystals, self-actualization, and positive affirmation are often associated with spirit guides. The goal of contacting a spirit guide is usually to discover some secret wisdom and rise to a higher level of consciousness.
Despite the claims of New Age practitioners, spirit guides are anything but benevolent. They are not the spirits of dear, departed loved ones, nor are they ascended masters who have crossed over some mystical plane. They are what the Bible calls "familiar spirits" - Leviticus 20:27. They don't announce their evil nature but portray themselves as beneficial. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 says, "Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness." Satan's lies are most effective when they look and sound like the truth when they seem helpful. Spirit guides are actually demonic spirits who masquerade as helpers in order to trap and destroy people with false teachings and occult practices. Positive Thoughts about Life and Quotes on Mindset Transformation
According to spirit guides, man's purpose is to be transformed through spiritual awareness, realize his inner divinity, and connect with the cosmos. According to the Bible, man's purpose is to glorify God and be conformed to His image. Spiritualism teaches that man is inherently good, with unlimited potential for power and advancement. The Bible says that man is inherently sinful, and no one is truly good. Spirit guides assert that truth is relative and there are many paths to God. The Bible declares that God is truth, and Jesus Christ is the only way to a right relationship with Him. Spirit guides represent a worldview that is diametrically opposed to what the Bible says.
In the Bible, God warned His people repeatedly about the dangers of dabbling in the spirit world. says, "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them." Deuteronomy 18:11-12 says that those who consult with familiar spirits are an abomination to God. In 1 Chronicles 10:13 we read that King Saul died because he "asked counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; and enquired not of the Lord." We are told in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
How do you escape these spiritual enemies? By resisting them through faith in God - James 4:7. God is greater than any spirit - 1 John 4:4, and He alone is able to deliver them from their power. Jesus exercised authority over unclean spirits, commanding them to come out of people - Matthew 17:18; Mark. 5:8-9, and they had to obey. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10-18 that we must put on God's armour and use His strength to battle our spiritual enemies. This can only be done by someone who has received God's salvation through Jesus Christ. Confession and repentance is the starting point. "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.
Compromise
To compromise is to make concessions or accommodations for someone who does not agree with a prevalent set of standards or rules. The Bible makes it clear that God does not condone compromising His standards: "Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths. You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully" - Psalm 119:1-4. The word joyful or blessed describes people of righteousness, those who are totally subservient to God's will and wholeheartedly devoted in their relationship to Him. We do not compromise or deviate from His standards but "walk only in His path." We hear only God's voice - 1 Kings 18:21; John 8:47; John 10:27, and we do not yield to or permit any deviation from His Word - Deuteronomy 4:2; Psalm 119:128; Revelations 22:18-19. Not compromising requires our unswerving submission to Him and to Him only, regardless of the world's concession to godlessness - Joshua 24:15; Psalm 119:10; Psalm 119:15.
As believers, we must "see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" - Colossian 2:8; see also Hebrews 3:12. We are also commanded to be "prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you …" - 1 Peter 3:15. In other words, we are commanded not only to remain faithful to the Word but to defend it and correct those who are in opposition to it - 2 Timothy 2:24-25. God is serious about our not compromising His Word with the values of the world--the reason being that those outside of Christ may then "come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil …" - 2 Timothy 2:26. The Benefits of Being Devoted to the Truth and Why it is Important in Christianity
Then there are those who profess to be Christians, yet live lives not in keeping with the precepts of the Scripture, i.e., compromising their biblical beliefs by living like those in the world. For them, the things of the world and its sensual allurements take precedence over the Word of God - Acts 20:30; 1 John 2:16-19. Jesus referred to these people as "those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful" - Mark 4:18-19. These are the ones who, though professing to follow Christ, compromise their faith by craving worldly success and accolades from their fellow man. Jesus chastised such people who rationalized their questionable behaviour: "How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" - John 5:41-44. In other words, to compromise in one's total allegiance and devotion to God is to allow the allurements of this world, with its accompanying worries, to take precedence over Christ - Matthew 6:24. Some of the ways we compromise the Word of God include.
[1]. Failure to accept the Word: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" - 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
[2]. Placing our desires, and that of others, ahead of the Word of God: "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God" - Acts 5:4.
As true believers in Christ, we must accept God's Word as absolute, inerrant truth - 2 Timothy 3:16. We must be fully obedient to His Word - John 14:15; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6. And we must recognize that His Word is not to be compromised for any reason or for anyone - Deuteronomy 17:11; Proverbs 24:7; Revelations 3:15.
Compassion
Compassion in the Bible means "to have mercy, to feel sympathy and to have pity." One of the attributes of God according to the Bible is that God is "a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" Psalm 86:15. Like all of God's attributes, His compassion is infinite and eternal. His compassions never fail; they are new every morning - Lamentation 3:22-23.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, exemplified all of the Father's attributes, including His compassion. When Jesus saw His friends weeping at the grave of Lazarus, He felt compassion for them and wept alongside them - John 11:33-35. Moved with compassion for the suffering of others, Jesus healed the large crowds who came to Him - Matthew 14:14, as well as individuals who sought His healing - Mark 1:40-41. He stopped a procession to the graveyard and raised the widow of Nain's son - Luke 7:13. When He saw the large crowds as sheep without a shepherd, His compassion led Him to teach them the things the false shepherds of Israel had abandoned. The priests and scribes were proud and corrupt; they despised the common people and neglected them, but Jesus had compassion for them, and He taught and loved them.
When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus responded that it is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength. But He added that the second commandment "is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself'" - Matthew 22:34-40. The Pharisees had asked Him which single command of God is the greatest, but Jesus provided two, stating not only what we are to do, but also how to do it. To love our neighbour as ourselves is the natural result of our loving devotion toward God. Dominion Over Animals: Why did God give Man Power over all Creatures?
1 John 3:17 asks, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" Originally made in His image, man is to exemplify God's traits, including compassion. From this, it follows that "If anyone says, 'I love God' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen" - 1 John 4:20. The Bible is clear that compassion is an attribute of God and of God's people as well.
If we claim we are God's children and lack this attribute, we should question our salvation. He that is born of God commits no sin because the Spirit of God dwells in him - 1 John 3:9. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this, the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us - 1 John 4:7-12. God's compassion is for all whether Christians or not. It is without bounds. Selecting only your church members for compassion I feel is not in line with what the Scriptures teach about love which is provoked by compassion.
Eunuchs
The eunuchs of the Bible were usually castrated males or those incapable of reproduction due to a birth defect. A eunuch could also be someone who performed work typical of eunuchs, although he remained perfectly capable of having sex-i.e., "eunuch" in some cases was simply a title. The purpose of intentional castration was to induce impotence and remove sexuality. It was a common practice in ancient times for rulers to castrate some of their servants and/or advisers in order to subdue and pacify them. It was especially common to castrate men who tended the royal harem. Queen Esther's eunuchs are mentioned in Esther 4:4.
In Matthew 19:12, Jesus mentions eunuchs in the context of whether it is good to marry. He says, "There are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others--and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." Jesus identifies three types of "eunuchs" here: natural eunuchs ("born that way"), forced eunuchs ("made eunuchs by others"), and voluntary eunuchs ("those who choose"). How Does a Person Get Peace and How Does Peace Help the Believer
Natural eunuchs include those who are born with a physical defect, but they also comprise those who are born with no real desire for marriage or sex. Forced eunuchs are those who have been castrated for whatever reason. Voluntary eunuchs are those who, in order to better serve the Lord in some capacity, choose to forego marriage. God calls some people to remain single (and therefore celibate). Paul speaks of those who serve the Lord in their unmarried state in 1 Corinthians 7:7-9.
Some gay groups argue that Jesus was referring to homosexuals when He mentioned eunuchs who were "born that way." However, the Bible never uses the words homosexual and eunuch interchangeably. Furthermore, eunuchs are never referred to in Scripture as being in sin, while homosexuality is universally condemned in both the Old and New Testaments.
Pray without Ceasing
Paul's command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing," can be confusing. Obviously, it cannot mean we are to be in a head-bowed, eyes-closed posture all day long. Paul is not referring to non-stop talking, but rather an attitude of God-consciousness and God-surrender that we carry with us all the time. Every waking moment is to be lived in an awareness that God is with us and that He is actively involved and engaged in our thoughts and actions.
When our thoughts turn to worry, fear, discouragement, and anger, we are to consciously and quickly turn every thought into prayer and every prayer into thanksgiving. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul commands us to stop being anxious and instead, "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" - Philippians 4:6. He taught the believers at Colossae to devote themselves "to prayer, being watchful and thankful" - Colossians 4:2. Paul exhorted the Ephesian believers to see prayer as a weapon to use in fighting spiritual battles - Ephesians 6:18. As we go through the day, prayer should be our first response to every fearful situation, every anxious thought, and every undesired task that God commands. A lack of prayer will cause us to depend on ourselves instead of depending on God's grace. Unceasing prayer is, in essence, continual dependence upon and communion with the Father.
For Christians, prayer should be like breathing. You do not have to think to breathe because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and essentially forces you to breathe. That is why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when we are born into the family of God, we enter into a spiritual atmosphere where God's presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on our lives. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers, we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer. 15 Minute Family Devotions on the Art of Praying, Angels in the Bible and Cross-dressing
Unfortunately, many believers hold their "spiritual breath" for long periods, thinking brief moments with God are sufficient to allow them to survive. But such restricting of their spiritual intake is caused by sinful desires. The fact is that every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in His truths, to be fully functional.
It is easier for Christians to feel secure by presuming on"instead of depending on"God's grace. Too many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual ones. When programs, methods, and money produces impressive results, there is an inclination to confuse human success with divine blessing. When that happens, passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing. Continual, persistent, incessant prayer is an essential part of Christian living and flows out of humility and dependence on God.
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