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Open My Eyes!

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  Open My Eyes! Scripture: 2 Kings 6:16–17 “’ Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ” (NIV) We are in a spiritual battle. Seemingly insurmountable circumstances perplex us, frighten us, and unsettle us. Life seems like a planned obstacle course intended to test us and strengthen our faith. In today’s passage, Elisha’s servant was afraid when they were surrounded by the Syrian army. Elisha reminded him not to be afraid since “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha asked the Lord to open the eyes of the servant so he could see this was the case. The world we see is in tremendous conflict and turmoil. In many ways it is the outward manifestation of the unseen battles that are taking place in the spiritual...
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Prosper in the Difficulty!

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  This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.” Jeremiah 29:4–5, NIV Prosper in the Difficulty Today’s Scripture was spoken to Israelites who were taken into captivity in Babylon. God was telling them, “I’m not going to return you to your homes for a long time, but you don’t have to live defeated while you’re here. You don’t have to give up on your dreams. My plans are to prosper you while you’re in these difficult times.” We all have times when what we’re hoping for is not happening as fast as we would like. We’re believing for a breakthrough, to meet the right person, to see our family restored, but it’s been a long time. It’s tempting to get sour and lose our passion. But while you’re waiting, instead of dragging through the day, start being productive, building houses so to speak, pursuing dreams, using your gifts. The situation around ...
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Fix It With Philippians 4:6!

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  Fix It With Philippians 4:6 Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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. ” (NIV) One time I heard a person say, “Fix it with Philippians 4:6.” We experience a lot of turmoil and challenges we need help to overcome. Philippians 4:6-7 gives us a formula to cope successfully with these episodes. The key to overcoming challenges is learning how to pray. Everything good thing is sourced in God, and all of God’s promises have their “yes” or fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. This in itself should help relieve the anxiety or worry that the flesh wants to control us. With an attitude of thankfulness that God will hear our prayers and requests, we are to make our needs known to him. The promise is that the peace of God will, indeed, guard our hearts and m...
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Nehemiah 9:6-14!

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  Nehemiah 9:6–14: For the next three days we will read Israel’s prayer of confession. The entire prayer summarizes God’s dealings with the people of Israel. Today’s reading focuses on creation, the promise to Abraham, the exodus from Egypt, and the giving of God’s laws at Mount Sinai. Today’s Key Verse: Nehemiah 9:6a GNT The people of Israel prayed this prayer: “You, LORD, you alone are LORD; you made the heavens and the stars of the sky.” Read 6  And then the people of Israel prayed this prayer: “You, Lord, you alone are Lord; you made the heavens and the stars of the sky. You made land and sea and everything in them; you gave life to all. The heavenly powers bow down and worship you. 7  You, Lord God, chose Abram and led him out of Ur in Babylonia; you changed his name to Abraham. 8  You found that he was faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him. You promised to give him the land of the Canaanites, the land of the Hittites and the Amorites, the land of th...
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Root Your Zeal in the Knowledge of God!

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  Root Your Zeal in the Knowledge of God Scripture: Romans 10:2-4, NIV “ For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. ” (Romans 10:2-4, NIV) What a huge red flag for us to heed in these verses from Romans! Indeed, zeal is a wonderful attribute to have in doing the Lord’s work. However, we must be sure our zeal is based on the right knowledge of Christ. We do not want to have a zeal that is unproductive. Instead, we need to be fueled by the Spirit of God. The religious establishment of Jesus’s day had a zeal for God, but it was based on the law, self-effort, works, and self-justification rather than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus was in this world, zeal for his Father’s house consumed his lif...
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Nehemiah 9:1-5!

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  Introduction Nehemiah 9:1–5: The people gather to fast to show sorrow for their sins. The Law is read to them, and the people confess their sins and worship the LORD. Today’s Key Verse: Nehemiah 9:5b GNT [The Levites said:] “Stand up and praise the LORD your God; praise him forever and ever!” Read 9  1-2  On the twenty-fourth day of the same month the people of Israel gathered to fast in order to show sorrow for their sins. They had already separated themselves from all foreigners. They wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads as signs of grief. Then they stood and began to confess the sins that they and their ancestors had committed.  3  For about three hours the Law of the Lord their God was read to them, and for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. 4  There was a platform for the Levites, and on it stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They prayed aloud to the Lord the...
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Soaking in the Word of God!

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  Soaking in the Word of God Scripture: Luke 2:19 “ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ” (Luke 2:19, NIV) Can you imagine Mary’s reaction when the shepherds told her about the supernatural events they experienced when Jesus was born? We learn an important lesson from Mary in this passage.  She treasured and pondered these things in her heart.  When we treasure things in our heart, they are special and we think of them often. They are the “go-to things” we reflect upon. These thoughts help us develop convictions that impact our behavior. In Kingdom of God , we believe in  soaking our heart in the Word of God. The heart absorbs whatever it is soaking in, so a cursory reading of the Word of God is not enough. We must treasure its content and ponder what it is saying to us. Scripture is living and powerful; it impacts how we think, feel, and act. The supernatural exposure the shepherds experienced to the Word, as expressed by the heave...
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