Today's Verse

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Job 37:5
God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

— Job 37:5 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

How does God help us know his will? Clearly God has given us the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Scriptures. What about more subtle and less defined ways? Most of us have had a "cluster of divine coincidences" (several events in close proximity to prayer): a friend calls/writes at just the right time; we read an article or hear a sermon that has a comment or two directed at just the area of our concern or confusion; several songs in worship convict us in the area on which we are seeking the Lord's guidance; or we simply feel a pull on our conscience that helps us discern right from wrong in a difficult situation. God really means it when he says that if we will pray for wisdom without doubting he'll give it to us and that if we are truly seeking him we will find him. His voice does thunder in marvelous ways!

My Prayer...

Holy God, please help me discern your will about several important matters in my life. I don't want to make my decisions based on my limited human wisdom. Please lead me by your Spirit in the direction you want me to go and use me to bring you glory and praise. Thank you for caring about my life enough to show me your way more clearly. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

— Isaiah 44:3 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Growing up in West Texas in part of my early years, I certainly know what "thirsty land" truly is. The black dirt shrinks, leaving deep cracks in the ground. All the grass turns yellow, then brown, and then dies. A wisp of breeze stirs swirls of dust over the barren land. When the downpour finally comes, the "thirsty land" swallows voluminous amounts of water as the rain runs off the wet surface and finds its way into the deep cracks left from the drought. The ground swells, the grass comes back to life, and life is replenished. In a barren spiritual wasteland, God's Holy Spirit pours out his blessing, brings times of refreshment, and replenishes our thirsty hearts.

My Prayer...

Generous and loving Father, thank you for so many blessings you have poured into my life. Most of all, dear Father, thank you for the blessing of your presence, your strength, your grace, and your refreshment given to me through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I thank you. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

2 Corinthians 2:14
Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

— 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What do you smell like today? Is that question too personal? Not to God! Paul says we are warriors returning from conquest with the smell of victory incense permeating our presence. To those who see us and know us, this aroma points them to God and his victory over our wills and his victory for us over death. We are God's conquest and conquerors. Let's live surrendered to his will, displaying his grace and victory in our lives.

My Prayer...

Thank you, O LORD God Almighty, for your incredible victory over sin and death. Thank you also for conquering my rebellious heart and for blessing me with your incomparable grace. Despite the challenges, difficulties, and pains in life, dear LORD, please help me live my life as a victory march as I journey home to you. In Jesus' mighty and holy name I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

2 Timothy 1:3
I [Paul] thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you [Timothy] in my prayers.

— 2 Timothy 1:3 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Paul is near the end of his life, facing persecution in a horrible prison. Many of the young men whom he had mentored have left the faith or have turned against him. How can he give thanks? Paul speaks of his confidence in his own victorious future with Jesus and in his son in the faith, Timothy. What makes this special is that he communicates it to Timothy. He's not content to just give thanks to God in prayer! He also tells Timothy in this letter how precious he is and how the old apostle prays for his son in the faith, Timothy. When was the last time you sent a note of thanks to the people you appreciate, letting them know they give you reason to rejoice before the throne of God?

My Prayer...

Matchless Father of all grace, thank you! Thank you for every spiritual blessing I have in Christ. Thank you today for the special people who are such a blessing to me in my walk of faith ... (take a minute and just say their names before the Father). Help me grow in my ability to show my appreciation and approval of these precious people, so that they can know what a blessing they are to me. In Jesus' name I thank you. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Romans 8:37
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

— Romans 8:37 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Are we really conquerors despite the "trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword" that Paul mentioned two verses earlier? Yes! That is the ultimate Christian assurance. Nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ. The Evil One and his allies can ruin our finances, seek to destroy our relationships, wrack our bodies with pain, and even kill our bodies. However, the Evil One cannot have our hearts when they are surrendered to Jesus. And when our hearts and lives belong to Jesus, so does God's promised future! The empty tomb of Jesus assures us that our future with him is glorious, victorious, and unending.

My Prayer...

Give me eyes to see, O God, and a heart to believe that Jesus' victory over death is my victory, too! I don't want to be derailed from my hope, faith, and love by the difficulties of life. Instead, I want to be a living testimony to your power, victory, and grace. In Jesus' name, and for his glory, I live and pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

— 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When was the last time you found a new brother or sister in Christ and told that precious person all the things they were doing right? Don't you think that's too long, and that you should let them know today? Let's be more committed to encouraging and affirming others who are in Christ as well as giving thanks to God for them.

My Prayer...

Saving Shepherd of lost souls, thank you for the new Christians in our church and in my life. Bless them and protect them from the Evil One and use us, your children and their brothers and sisters, to be there to help and encourage them on their journey to perfection in Christ. In the holy name of Christ Jesus, my Lord. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Romans 15:1
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

— Romans 15:1 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Dear friend of Jesus, have patience with those around you who are not yet what God intends for them to be -- remembering also that we are not yet what God intends for us to be. In the process of "bearing with" their failings, you may just find that others are more patient with your failings and more thankful for your faithfulness. Of course, the goal of our being patient isn't to benefit ourselves. Instead, we do it to bless others, knowing that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are hanging on to their faith, hope, and love by the thinnest of threads. Let's never let them go and never cause them to stumble!

My Prayer...

Tender Shepherd, give me more patience with those who are struggling and who need your strength and my encouragement. Forgive me for not noticing their struggles the way that you do. Help me show them how patient you are as you perfect them in your holiness. Thank you, O Lord, for your help in this area of my heart as I seek to be a blessing to my brothers and sisters in grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Philippians 1:20
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

— Philippians 1:20 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Do you have ultimate goals by which you live? Paul certainly had at least these two: "I don't want to be ashamed but courageous" and "I want Christ to be exalted in my body, by life or by death." What are yours? Could you join Paul in his ultimate goals? How are these ultimate goals good for all of us? What makes it hard to live with these ultimate goals? They are good for us because they remind us that, even though the Spirit helps us, it takes courage to live for Jesus and for him to be exalted by the way we live or die, and it is hard to live a different type of life from most of those around us.

My Prayer...

Sacrificial and all-powerful God, forgive me for my sins, especially the sin of living with improper priorities. I want your grace and your loving-kindness to be seen in the way I conduct my life. In addition, please give me the courage to say what needs to be said to exalt you and to bring you praise. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

2 Timothy 1:12
I am suffering ... Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

— 2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

As Paul faced very difficult circumstances near the end of his life, many of those he had led to the Lord abandoned him. But he was confident that the Lord would not abandon him! He had committed his life to Jesus as Lord. That Lord would ensure that the investment Paul had made would not be wasted. His life, his future, and his eternal destiny were entrusted to the Lord. He was confident that they were also secure in the Lord. He believed with every fiber of his being that on a special day known only to God, Jesus will return and every knee will bow and Paul's faith in the Lord will be joyously validated.

My Prayer...

Almighty God, I believe, but please strengthen my faith so that no matter what I may endure, my confidence in you will remain firm and my hope may remain vibrant. I entrust to you all that I am and all that I hope to be, believing fully that you will bring me through whatever lies ahead and bring me into your glorious presence with great joy. In Jesus' glorious name I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Psalm 97:12
Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

— Psalm 97:12 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Joy! Rejoicing! When we think about the glory of God and the grace that he has shared with us to make us righteous, how can we not rejoice? God is gloriously holy and majestic. He is eternal and just. We, on the other hand, are flawed, mortal, limited, and sinful. Yet in his rich mercy, he has made us righteous by the sacrifice of Jesus so that we could share an eternal home with him. Our response must be praise!

My Prayer...

Holy and righteous Father, I praise your name and give thanks for your grace. You are indeed more marvelous than my mind can comprehend and more generous than I can understand. So I offer you my praise, hoping that my life reflects my deep appreciation for all that you are and all that you have done for me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Psalm 68:3
May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

— Psalm 68:3 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Let's join our hearts together today, tens of thousands of us, and let's pray for God to make us a joyful and happy people who live righteously to his glory. For those in difficulty, let's pray for our mighty God to give them reasons to rejoice. For those who have been bountifully blessed, let's pray he opens our eyes to see the glorious riches that he has already poured into our lives.

My Prayer...

Wondrous Father, LORD God Almighty, thank you so much for your generous blessings. O LORD, please make us a more joyful and happy people. For my Christian brothers and sisters in hardship, I pray for your deliverance, victory, and blessing. For those of us who have been richly blessed, I pray for us to have more appreciative and thankful hearts. Thank you for always hearing my prayers. In Jesus' name. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

— 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When was the last time you thought of yourself as "the righteousness of God"? What does that mean anyway? It means that we have the best of qualities, found in the best of beings! But we know we are not god-like! We know our fallibility and flaws! We know our imperfections and our inconsistencies! How can we be "the righteousness of God"? Jesus, the perfect and sinless Righteous One of God, became our sin for us so we could be his righteousness. More than grace, that's a miracle! And a miracle, dear friend of Jesus, is exactly what each one of us is!

My Prayer...

Thank you, gracious and loving Father, for saving me and making me perfect through your sacrificial gift of your Son. Please use me to communicate your grace and your salvation with someone around me who hasn't accepted your grace. In the name of Jesus, my older brother and Savior, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

— Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What's the secret of having a good day? How about waking up and recognizing that we begin each day just as we ended the previous one -- we are in the grip of God's unfailing love. That should make our hearts stir with love and our voices sing with joy. This song should stir God's Spirit within us and lead us to a deep and profound thanksgiving that gladdens all of our days. So rather than waking up tired, cranky, and dreading another day, let this day be a reminder of God's grace in our daily lives and a reminder of God's promises in our hearts. Then, I don't think we're going to have any problem singing the rest of the day!

My Prayer...

Glorious Master and Eternal Father, thank you for pouring your love and joy into my heart through your Holy Spirit. Fill my heart and satisfy my life with a sense of your abiding and unfailing love. In the name of my loving Savior, Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Romans 16:27
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

— Romans 16:27 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

All other gods are false, anemic, and dim. Only El Shaddai (the Lord God Almighty) who revealed himself as Yahweh (I Am, the God of the Covenant), deserves our praise. We praise him for his gift of Jesus to atone for our sins, his gift of mercy to perfect our failings, his gift of patience to help us straighten out our inconsistencies, and ultimately, his gift of love to provide our salvation.

My Prayer...

Only True and Living God, may your glory shine forever in the lives and faithfulness of your people. May your praises always be on my lips and in my heart. May people see your love for them in Christ Jesus, both now, and forevermore and use my life to influence others to bring you praise. In the name of Jesus I praise and proclaim your glorious majesty. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Today's Verse
By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

1 Thessalonians 5:16
Be joyful always.

— 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Now wait just a minute. I have some pretty sorry days! Things don't always go well for me! Some of my friends have abandoned me at my worst possible moments. How can I be joyful ALWAYS? "Simple, my child," the Father reminds me. "First, joy is more than always feeling happy, but is instead, a deep abiding sense of being in God's grace and purpose. Second, no matter where you are, no matter how hopeless things may seem, your life is bound for glory -- my glory!" In the light of these incredible truths, all other things seem bland, out of touch, and insignificant.

My Prayer...

O LORD, please give me a clearer sense of your glory and victory. Please empower my faith to trust the truth of your conquest over hell. Please fill me with your Spirit and bring forth your fruit in my life. Please fill my mouth with joyful praise for all that you have done for me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.