August 31 ~ 1 Chronicles 16:36
LORD God of Israel, you deserve to be praised forever and ever." After David finished, the people shouted, "Amen! Praise the LORD!"
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Have you ever really thought about the word “Amen!”? Have you ever sat in a church service and listened to the pastor deliver a sermon, and all of a sudden, he/she said something and someone in the congregation shouted, “Amen!”? What did you think? Were you embarrassed, intimidated, in agreement? Did you have a desire to shout the same thing?
This is not about shouting “Amen!” in church. But we tend to be so timid in our faith, and when we see or hear things that recognize God’s glory and power, how often do we keep silent rather than adding to the chorus? When we go to a football game, we don’t hesitate to stand up, shout, clap our hands and shout, “Go Panthers,” or “Woo Pig Sooie!” But when someone honors God or cheers for Him, we sit on our hands and do or say nothing.
Listen closely… we serve a God who deserves to be praised forever and ever. No, our faith is not a “feeling,” but we do need to feel God’s presence so much more deeply than most of us do already. We need to be so overwhelmed by the love, grace, mercy and power of our Almighty God that we just cannot sit still. There need to be times when we can’t help but shout “Amen!” or raise our hands to the heavens or clap or move and sway! LORD God of Israel… He deserves our praise forever and ever – and we need to be shouting, “Amen! Praise the LORD!”
©2009 Debbie Robus
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August 30 ~ 1 Kings 1:36-37
Benaiah answered, "We will do it, Your Majesty. I pray that the LORD your God will let it happen. The LORD has always watched over you, and I pray that he will now watch over Solomon. May the LORD help Solomon to be an even greater king than you."
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
When you ask God to bless you and take care of you, do you also ask Him to bless others… your family, your friends… your enemies? In fact, do you ask God to bless and care for others even more than yourself? In this passage in 1 Kings, the verses just prior told of Bathsheba praying that Solomon would be an even greater king than her husband, David. Here, we see another person, Benaiah, praying the same thing.
It’s not that these people didn’t want God to bless David and his reign. But these people saw the wisdom in praying generously. When we consider the welfare of others above our own… when we are so in tune with God that we consider how He will care for others as much – or even more – than He cares for us… amazing things start to happen. Because in doing this, we show God several things: faith in Him to accomplish these things; unselfishness on our own part; and a deep caring for the needs and blessings of others. When we pray so unselfishly and unabashedly, God will indeed honor our requests. And believe it or not, God is able to answer the prayers and meet the needs of everyone… not just us! Remember, He numbers the hairs on our head… He cares for even the birds of the air and the fish of the sea!
We must not pray selfishly. We must not limit God with our prayers and believe that He is only able to do what has already been done. We must believe that God can do as much for others as He has already done for us… and much, much more! “I pray that the LORD your God will let it happen” – and that you will pray generously for others each day.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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August 29 ~ 1 Samuel 1:10-11
Hannah was brokenhearted and was crying as she prayed, "LORD All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I will give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut."
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
“Lord, if you will just help me out of this jam,”…”Father, just this once, if you will grant my wish,”… “God, I will go to church every Sunday if you will just do this one thing for me.” Many of us are continually bargaining with God… and as we see in this passage, bargaining with God is certainly nothing new! We promise God the moon when we pray… desperately trying to bargain with Him. The difference is that Hannah’s bargain was really not a bargain as much as a promise… a dedication. Promising never to cut her child’s hair was a sign that he would belong to God. God knew that Hannah meant what she said… that she would follow through with her promise…and He ultimately granted her a son.
God also knows when we mean what we are saying, and when we are just grasping at straws or playing. He knows in an instant if our prayers are sincere or merely the veiled promises and bargaining of someone who is desperate for a way out of a certain situation. He knew that Hannah was a faithful servant who prayed about everything. He can spot a phony a mile a way… and He knows who is in constant contact and who is a “drop-in” who prays when an emergency or crises arises.
God knows our heart, and He knows when we are sincere. When you have something on your heart that you really, truly want God to help you with, be sure you are in such close communication with Him that there is no question He hears your requests and acts in your best interest. The more you communicate with God and get to know him, the easier it will be for you to determine His plans for your life and whether what you are asking of Him lines up with those plans. Don’t play games with God and your prayer life. Be real…stay in constant contact with Him – both talking and listening to Him.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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