Daily Devotion 1 2 2015

[Suzuki Johnny]

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” - Ecclesiastes 3:1
A Time for Everything

Has it ever seemed as though God has let you down? Perhaps it appeared that He didn’t come through for you in your hour of need or that He somehow forgot about you. Maybe you asked Him to do a certain thing, and He didn’t do it as quickly as you wanted Him to. He just seemed to be too late.
One reason we sometimes we feel that way is because we live on a human schedule. There is a time when we wake up. There is a time when we eat lunch. There is a time when we go to sleep. Our lives are governed by schedules.

We can waste a lot of time, however. In an average lifetime, Americans will spend six months sitting at traffic lights waiting for them to change, spend one year searching through desk clutter looking for misplaced objects, spend eight months opening junk mail, spend two years trying to call people who aren’t in, spend five years waiting in lines, and spend three years in meetings. (I guarantee that I’ve spent more than that.) And in one year, the average American will spend 1,700 hours watching television.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, this morning as we contemplate this new day, we ask you to help us and guide us. Let us be aware of your spirit leading us in the decisions we make, the conversations we have, and the work we do. We want to be more like you, as we relate to the people we meet today, friends or strangers. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, as we awaken to this new day, let us be filled with greater longing and desire to spend time in your presence. Help us to yearn for more of your wisdom, strength, and knowledge as we go forth to serve you.
May your light shine brightly for us and penetrate our hearts so that we open ourselves to it with joy, and worship. Bless us and give us your Spirit; without your Spirit we can do nothing. May we receive help from you every day. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

“In [Christ] you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” - 1 Peter 1:6-7

How to See Hope and Value in Your Suffering
The apostle Peter understood suffering from identifying with Jesus and his years serving the fledgling church. Sometimes his suffering was self-induced, caused by his own mistakes. The simple, rugged fisherman failed when he took his eyes off Jesus while walking on the water. Peter even denied Christ during the last few hours before the crucifixion. Despite all this, Jesus never forsook Peter, and God used these experiences to mold him.
When we endure pain, most of us doubt God’s love, or even question our salvation. Peter reminds us that suffering isn’t punishment from God. It is temporary. Even though God didn’t cause the pain, He will refine us through it.

If Job and Peter could find purpose in their pain, then there must be something to what they are saying. The mystery of suffering is never fully expressed. But it does seem that suffering leads us to pray more—whether out of anger, protest or petition. And thus, in the midst of tragedy, our relationship with God can improve.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, on this new day we thank you that in our times we may feel and see that you are at work. This is a joy and comfort to us and we take heart, although our life on earth sometimes brings us to many challenges. We find joy again because you are at work. You are carrying out your will, which includes your plan for our life and salvation. Grant that fruits may appear in our times, for our times are in your hands. Grant that many people from all nations may come to you. May they turn to you in their need and know the happiness of receiving your help. May your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Be with us as we go forth this day. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, let each of us say a prayer of thanks this day and every day we are blessed with. When we put our feet on the floor, we set our attitude. Let us make the conscious decision it’s going to be a good day. Father, thank you for this day. May we never disappoint you in the way we treat others.
Teach us to show love, patience, and acceptance to all who come to us; let us show peace of soul and firm conviction that your will governs all. We pray that others may see in us the qualities of character that can only be attributed to your presence in our life. Make our life a window for your light to shine through and a mirror to reflect your love to all we meet. To you be the glory and the honor, forever and ever.
In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day

Lord God, let us go forth this day and honor your ways even when they are bitter ways. We long for courage and strength to go about in life. Lord, help us to believe and trust in you. Grant faith to us a faith that overcomes everything through utmost self-denial. Let your light shine out to lead and guide us, and grant us peace. Remember each of us in all our concerns, and grant that the struggles of life may lead us to peace. If hard and bitter ways should be our lot, help us to remain steadfast, never complaining about our burdens even in the most difficult days, for through grief and trouble the way leads to you. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, as we awaken to this new day, let us not forget our prayers as we go out to face this day. We pray your Spirit be with us and we praise and honor you in every action and thought for the entire day. We thank you for the nights rest and your protection and blessings over us while we slept. Let us not wander into the hands of sin or shame but steer our inclinations towards goodness and charity as we go forth to serve you.
In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord God, as I rise this day, take from me idleness of spirit, which destroys time; and vanity of thought, which hinders Your presence and distracts me in this time in prayer. If, while in prayer, I turn away from You in my thoughts, help me to return to my purpose; so that I might not avert my heart from You, during these moments I dedicate to be with You.
Grant me this day, dear Lord, that You may never be completely out of my thoughts. Let me carry you as a voice to guide my every step as I slip down the path of this precious day, that I might always remember Your will, and lighten the world around me. Help me to make every moment of my day, every word from my mouth, a prayer, that I might live in Your presence. I pray this in Christ's name,
Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, you bring us to the morning of another day. Send us Your light and truth, to keep this day and all the days of our life. We pray that Your mighty hand protect us, and guide all my brothers and sisters who have joined me in prayer this day, blessing our homes and our lives and our families. We ask this in your name,
Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord, as we waken today teach us through your spirit to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Help us to do today the things that matter, not to waste the time we have.
The moments we all have are precious, Lord, see to it that we count them dear. Teach us to number our days aright. Fill us this day and all days with your kindness, that We all may be glad and rejoice all the days of our lives. Through Christ I pray,
Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, we lower our heads before you this day and we confess that we often forget that we are yours. We carry on our lives as if there was no God and we fall short of being a credible witness to You. For these things we ask your forgiveness, and we also ask for your strength. Give us clear minds and open hearts so we may witness to You in this world. Remind us to be who You would have us to be regardless of what we are doing or who we are with. Hold us to You and build our relationship with You and with those You have given us on earth. You are help, comfort, and life to us in everything we have to endure. We gather before you as poor, weak people, but you can make us rich and give us new life so that our lives prove we hold to your will and to the justice you bring on earth. May we be one in spirit through all we experience in our hearts, to the glory of your name. May the praise and thanks of many people ring out into all the world because you are help and deliverance from all evil. Be with us as we go forth to serve you. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. – John 16:7
Powerful Things the Holy Spirit Wants to Do for You

The Holy Spirit is a beautiful and powerful part of who God is. We need Him in our life as a conduit to become who God created us to be, and through His power we have aid in all situations. Without Him, we are powerless.

It’s not enough to exist with the belief that The Father and the Son are first and the Holy Spirit is secondary. They are equal and work in harmony with each other. The uniqueness of the Holy Spirit is His presence within us. Jesus said before he ascended to heaven that the Holy Spirit would come and dwell within us as a believer. With that, He empowers us to live victoriously for the cause of Christ and glory of the Father.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, as the night gives way to the light of this new day, let each of us put on the armor of light. We thank you that you are near to us and that we may feel and know we are in your hands with all that belongs to our earthly life, all our needs and temptations, all our efforts and pain. We come together to thank you, and our thanksgiving wins a victory over everything that makes life difficult for us. In this thanksgiving the harshness, crookedness, and injustice on earth cannot harm us. Protect us with your light, which gives us wisdom for all situations, and which lifts us above everything that is base and meaningless and must pass away. Be with us as we go forth today. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day

Lord God, we come in prayer before you as you usher in this new day untouched and ask that you renew each of us too.
Forgive the many errors, that we made yesterday, And let us try again to walk closer in Thy way.
We are well aware, we can't make it on our own. So take our hand and hold it and lead us forth, for we can't walk alone. We pray that this day the light of Christ pour from each of us like a sunbeam, to brighten every dark corner that we come upon. Let us not put our trust in the words of men, or the thoughts of our minds, but let us test everything having to do with faith against our only true teacher, Jesus Christ. Let us go forth with Faith, Hope and Love. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, we pray that your peace will keep guard over our hearts and our thoughts as we prepare for this new day.
Grant us your Spirit, that we may comprehend your peace. As we pray, help us to recognize what must come from you alone, for you are mighty and holy and your will is peace on earth. Your will is peace beyond all understanding, your peace in heaven and on earth and under the earth, your peace that opposes all sin and death and takes away every evil that can be named. We await you and know you will hear us. No matter how long the battle lasts, we hold out in patience, for we are your children. We shall never lose the faith that your name shall be honored and that all things shall come into harmony with your will of peace on earth, your peace. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Lord God, we gather together in your presence on this new day and ask you to let your light shine in our hearts to strengthen us in times of need and trouble. May we come to know that through all the storms and distress of the world, you are mighty in protecting and sheltering those who trust in you. May we realize the power of your kingdom. Even if all the kingdoms of the world rise in rebellion, you are with us. You are with those who have set their hope on your kingdom and who go on hoping that even in evil days something must happen through your great and holy rule.
As we go forth now into the world grant us peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, be with us as we gather in your presence. Let us go forth this day to walk in obedience, to love and serve you with all our heart and all our soul.
Through your Spirit let our hearts grow in understanding of how we can serve you rightly and live as you want us to live. Help us hold fast to all that is good. Free us more and more from everything that hinders us, from all that is evil. Show your loving-kindness to us and to our loved ones, wherever they may be. Hear every human heart that sighs to you, pleading that what is of heaven may overcome what is of earth.
In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, the daylight is upon us as we awaken to make ready for this new day. We pray that you give us strength today to be strong for You in this world full of temptations. Lord, You know that there are struggles we will go through today. We pray that you are with us as we go through them. Carry us when we are too weak, enlighten the darkness of our mind. Give us a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity, so that we may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. In Christ we pray, Amen.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Prayer For This Day
Lord God, we pray that your Holy Spirit may dwell with us in this coming day, to comfort us, to give us strength against temptation, and to guide us into the path of righteousness. Grant that our spirit may recognize your Spirit and your love, so that our lives cannot be swallowed up by passing concerns but are lifted to something higher. Help us hold fast to all the blessings you have allowed us to experience, the blessings you will certainly continue to give, even though new battles and new troubles are all around us. Send a great light to shine among the many people whose task is to lead the way so that your kingdom may come. Send light so that your name may be honored through our human deeds and you may be known as life for all. Lead us and be with us in all we are called to do.
In Christ we pray, Amen.