Feed Yourself First

Few people have learned to listen to God through His Word as well as George Muller. At age 35, Muller made a transforming discovery regarding his daily quiet time.

"I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished."

Before this discovery, Muller habitually had begun his morning devotions with prayer and would spend almost all of his time until breakfast in prayer. But what was the result? His mind often wandered for the first 15 to 30 minutes.

Then Muller discovered that the most important thing he had to do was to listen to God speak through the Word. He began each morning by asking the Lord's blessing upon His Word. Then he read and meditated, searching every verse for blessing-not for the sake of finding something to share with others, but for the sake of finding God's message to Him.

Muller observed that we are apt to read the Word thinking of others' needs rather than pondering it for ourselves. "Read the Word of God always with reference to your own heart, and when you have received the blessing in your own heart, you will be able to communicate it to others."

Muller turned the words into prayer for himself or others. As confession, thanksgiving or intercession mingled with his meditation, his inner man almost invariably was nourished. With rare exceptions, by breakfast time he was in a peaceful, if not happy, state of heart.

No doubt his feeding on the Word strengthened his faith to feed the 10,024 orphans in the orphanage he directed.

Dear Jesus, may food for myself be the object of my Bible reading.

"Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her" (Proverbs 3:13, 15 NLT).

Memory Verse for January  "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). 

Prayer Request
Please pray for those involved in preparing promotional materials for the conference.

Saying Only What He Gives

One morning I disagreed with someone. Although I wanted to state my disagreement, I could sense my words would not be spoken in love, so I fled to my Refuge by silently praying, "You're my Refuge, Lord. I hide in You. I won't say a word You don't provide."

I knew that meant I must trust Jesus to give me the words to say and to say only those words. I remembered the promise that if I abided in Him I would bear much fruit. That was my deep desire, so I trusted Him and said only what He gave me to say.

Another time I saw someone doing something I thought was wrong. I wanted to demand it be corrected, but I also sensed that wrong words would be worse than no words.

We were with other people so I couldn't go pray alone, so I began to pray silently. It was about twenty minutes before I reached the point of faith where I knew God had heard, that He was going to work and I wouldn't have to force my opinion. I released the situation to the Lord and felt free. I was trusting so the outcome was entirely God's. I had turned it over to Him.

We're prone to be like Peter who, wanting to protect Jesus when the soldiers came, lopped off an ear. (John 18:10) How often we want to defend God's cause and help others see truth, but in our protective zeal, we lop off ears. Instead of helping Jesus' cause, we cut off people's ability to hear Him.

Thank You, Jesus, that the fruit You give is much better than what I can produce with my own efforts.
    
"The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue" (2 Samuel 23:2).
"For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say" (John 12:49, 50).

Memory Verse for January  "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

Prayer That Is Better Than Counseling

Dutch Sheets told in his book Intercessory Prayer of a period when he was spending hours a day counseling several who were in difficult situations. Three of them were extremely suicidal and at times would call him saying they were going to take their lives right then.

During this stressful time, the Lord spoke to his heart: "If you spent a fraction of the time releasing My Holy Spirit to go and hover around them bringing life as you do talking to them, you would see many times the results."

Sheets began spending a couple hours every day praying for these people. He immediately saw remarkable results. Almost overnight, victories occurred in their lives.

Sheets was praying sincerely because he deeply cared about those he counseled. Our best intercession for others is done when we can sincerely pray, "Lord, help me."

The Canaanite woman came to Jesus begging Him to heal her daughter who was suffering terribly from demon possession. She cried, "Lord, help me," as though she were asking for a personal need. (Matthew 15:25)

She had soothed her daughter as she suffered the torment of the demon, trying to protect her in her outbursts, speaking comfortingly, and wiping her brow lovingly. Her daughter's needs had become her own needs.

Love causes us to pray as though we are interceding for a personal need.

Help me, Jesus, to care deeply for others so I can pray for them as though I am praying for myself.

"The desire of the righteous shall be granted" (Proverbs 10:24).
"I will not sacrifice to the Lord that which cost me nothing" (2 Samuel 24:24).

Memory Verse for January  "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). 

Prayer Request
Today is the final day of the Titus Council  meeting in Wilmore, Kentucky. Thank you for your prayers!

What Protected Their Marriage?

"Today is our 34th wedding anniversary!" wrote a friend. "As I was thanking the Lord this morning for keeping us together, I realized that it has been only by His grace and mercy that we have remained together. There were many times we would have walked away, many times we didn't feel love or loving, and many times we didn't want to see or talk with each other...Having four children added disagreements about care and discipline.

"One year when the children were young, we were having an especially bad time in our marriage. My parents saw it and covenanted together to pray for our marriage. About 18 months later, they were celebrating Christmas with us. We were all sharing things about the year that we were thankful for. I shared that I was thankful because it had been the best year of our marriage! 

"My mother got a sheepish grin on her face and then shared with us that they had never thought before to pray for our marriage. They had prayed for our work, our health, and our children. But that year and a half, they had prayed every day for our marriage, and the Lord had answered!"

Dear Lord, prompt me to pray the prayers that will provide the protections others most need.

"Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you" (1 Samuel 12:23).

Memory Verse for January  "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). 

Prayer Request
This week the Titus Council is meeting in Wilmore, Kentucky. Please pray that God will guide each decision.

How I Learned to Work for God

When I was a young mother I wanted God to use me. I went up to our bedroom one day, and knelt down and said, "God, let me work for You full-time." I didn't know if He would answer that but was just voicing the desire I found in my heart.

Some time later I read what Jesus said about how to work for God. The disciples asked in John 6 what must we do to do the work of God-the very question I had.

Jesus replied, "Believe...." That is our work. I also saw that Paul wrote, "God's work-which is by faith" (1 Timothy 1:4).

God asks us to believe
... that this moment He is with us.
... that He is working all things together for our good.
... that He loves us.
... that He is directing us, using us.
... that He continually gives the wisdom we need.
... that He answers our prayers.
... that He will provide in the future as He has in the past.
This was good news. My work for Him would be faith.
Thank You, Jesus, for counting our faith as righteousness.

"The righteous shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11).

Memory Verse for January  "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). 

Prayer Request
Next week Sunday evening through Wednesday the Titus Council meets in Wilmore, Kentucky. Please pray that God will guide each decision.