October 24

Standing Firm - Breastplate of Righteousness 24 by SGLY Ministry

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; Malachi 4:2

Jesus is the Breastplate of Righteousness “For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.” Isaiah 59:17 NKJV.

As a breastplate covers from neck to waist protecting the heart and internal vital organs, so Jesus Christ protects believers. He covers us with His robe of righteousness “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 NKJV

He covers our sins “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” Romans 4:7 KJV

Prayer: Dear God thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to be our Savior, Intercessor and Advocate. Thank You that He covers us with His righteousness so that our sins are forgiven, blotted out from Your sight forever. Thank You that I am protected with Jesus as my Armor and if somehow one of the enemy’s fiery darts gets through I can know to call upon Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness who has healing in His wings to heal, renew, and restore me for as 1 Peter 2:24 says: “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” I am blessed to be able to be covered with Jesus daily and I pray that I never forget that. Thank You God. Amen.

Today: Give thanks that you are covered by the Breastplate of Righteousness who is Jesus Christ Himself–Savior, Intercessor, Advocate, Healer and Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT says: “Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.” therefore rejoice and stand firm in His covering.

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Our Daily Bread

Jesus in Disguise

Read: Matthew 25:31–40

Whatever you did for one of the least of these . . . you did for me. Matthew 25:40

When a friend cared for her housebound mother-in-law, she asked her what she longed for the most. Her mother-in-law said, “For my feet to be washed.” My friend admitted, “How I hated that job! Each time she asked me to do it I was resentful, and would ask God to hide my feelings from her.”

But one day her grumbling attitude changed in a flash. As she got out the bowl and towel and knelt at her mother-in-law’s feet, she said, “I looked up, and for a moment I felt like I was washing the feet of Jesus Himself. She was Jesus in disguise!” After that, she felt honored to wash her mother-in-law’s feet.

When I heard this moving account, I thought of Jesus’s story about the end of time that He taught on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. The King welcomes into His kingdom His sons and daughters, saying that when they visited the sick or fed the hungry, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40). We too serve Jesus Himself when we visit those in prison or give clothes to the needy.

Today, might you echo my friend, who now wonders when she meets someone new, “Are you Jesus in disguise?” — Amy Boucher Pye

Lord Jesus Christ, You can transform the most mundane of tasks. Help me to love others in Your name.

When we serve others, we serve Jesus.

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Find Balance

SINCE ALL this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away. —Hebrews 2:1

When Satan finds people out of balance, he has an inroad to destroy their lives. There are people who get out of balance in everything: from not sleeping, to sleeping too much; from not cleaning their house, to trying to keep it so clean that nobody can move in it.

Find balance; balance keeps your day going right. Satan doesn’t much care if you don’t do enough of something, or if you do too much of it, as long as you don’t stay balanced. Take time to examine yourself prayerfully, and ask God to show you how to remain balanced.

From the book Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer.

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One Power

God is the one presence and power in my life.

We may turn to others when making important decisions, trusting that their wisdom and experience will help guide us in making the right choices. We may also make a choice based on fear or indecision rather than sound judgment.

Whatever is before me today, this I know: God is the one presence and one power that I can trust absolutely. God is my light, my wisdom, my source of inspiration and guidance. Even in the darkest moments of my life, God is with me, holding my hand and leading me to my highest good.

I no longer give control to things or other people: God is the one presence and power in my life.

My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.—1 Corinthians 2:4

Daily Word

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His plans are laid for each one of His children

Lord, thou preservest man and beast. Psalm 36:6

It was a glorious day, and my family was gathered at my parents’ house for a visit with my grandparents. My six-year-old son Harrison and my three-year-old niece Abby were playing in a pile of leaves in the front yard. I watched Harrison frolicking, and a dark cloud of worry fell over me. How can I possibly give him everything he needs? Will he survive being shuffled from my house to his mom’s? Is he doing all right?

“Big Dad,” Harrison asked my father, “why are the leaves still sticking to that tree?” All the other trees, except one, had lost their leaves.

“That’s a red oak,” my grandfather interjected. “We used to say that God made red oaks for the squirrels.”

“Why?” Harrison shot back.

“In the autumn the squirrels make their nests from leaves, but when the cold winds come, sometimes parts of their nests blow away. If you watch, you’ll see squirrels coming to the red oak to gather new leaves throughout the winter when all the other leaves have disappeared.”

“Hey, Abby,” Harrison yelled as he ran toward the red oak, “come over here and look at this tree! God made it specially ’cause He loves squirrels so much!”

I looked up at the blue sky and thanked God for this great note of reassurance. If He had planned ahead for the squirrels, then I was confident His plans were laid for Harrison and me and each one of His children. With a great “Whoopee!” I grabbed Harrison and made a dash for the leaf pile.

Father, let me live in the reality of Your love, which reaches out far beyond my knowing.

By Brock Kidd

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Minister to Your Emotions

Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself. - Psalm 16:1

God gave us feelings, and it is all right to minister to your emotions or to the emotions of other people. Do something kind for yourself to keep your emotions healthy; just don’t be ruled by them.

Treat yourself to a hot bath or a walk in the fresh air. Do what you need to do to get emotional release. If yesterday wore you out, get refreshed spiritually and emotionally before starting a new day. Find some time alone with God, listen to teaching or music tapes, and refill your heart with an awareness of God’s presence.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

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Appreciate Your Calling

So we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah) and individually we are parts one of another [mutually dependent on one another]. —Romans 12:5

Learn to appreciate the call of God on your life. He has a different call for everybody. None of us are called to do all the work that needs to be done, but we can each enjoy the assignments we are given. We can also enjoy the work God does through others.

Today holds an opportunity to mature in the knowledge of God and to enjoy whatever God has called you to do. Your part is needed. Ask God early in the day to show you where to use your gifts to help others.

From the book Starting Your Day Right

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The Silly Monkey

"Fight! Fight!" shouted several children, and Keaton and Steve did just that. The scuffle didn't last long, though. They exchanged only a few punches before they were separated by Mrs. Hansen, their Sunday school teacher. "I'm very surprised at you boys," she said as she took them aside.

"Steve called me clumsy and stupid and . . . and a bunch of other bad names," complained Keaton.

"That's because you kicked me," retorted Steve angrily.

"I couldn't help it that your big feet got in my way," grumbled Keaton.

"And you called me Big Foot, too," Steve accused Keaton.

Mrs. Hansen frowned. "You boys know Joey Baker, don't you?" she asked.

Steve nodded. "The Bakers are missionaries in Brazil," he said.

"That's right," said Mrs. Hansen. "Did Joey ever tell you about the time he saw a monkey sitting on a log, cracking nuts with a stone?"

The boys laughed. "Yeah, and when the monkey noticed Joey watching him, he missed the nut and hit his tail with the stone," said Keaton. "I guess he blamed Joey for that."

Steve nodded. "And it made the monkey so mad that he threw the stone at Joey."

"Yes, and aren't you boys acting like the monkey-each blaming the other for something that was as much your own fault as anyone's?" asked Mrs. Hansen. Neither boy offered an answer. "What does God say you should do if somebody treats you wrongly?" continued their teacher. "Think about the memory verse we had a few weeks ago." Again, neither boy replied, so Mrs. Hansen quoted the verse. "It was Colossians 3:13. 'If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.' How does Christ forgive? Keaton?"

"Ah-h-h . . . He forgives the minute we ask Him," said Keaton slowly. "But Steve didn't ask me to . . ." He stopped and looked at Steve. "Whoa!" he added with a small grin. "I didn't ask him, either. Sorry, Steve. Forgive me?"

"I . . . well . . . okay," replied Steve, "and you'll forgive me, too, won't you?"

Mrs. Hansen smiled. "Good," she approved. "It's nice to see you acting like Jesus rather than like a silly monkey."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you get angry and blame someone else when things go wrong? Maybe that person isn't at fault at all. Instead of finding someone to blame, admit it when you're the one at fault. Even if someone else is to blame, follow Christ's example. He freely forgives when you ask Him to do so, and He never holds a grudge. Do as He did. Forgive and don't hold grudges.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:13
Key for Kids Devotion

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Welcome to Verse of the Day!

Today's Bible Verse: Psalm 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love ... (ESV)

Today's Inspiring Thought: Hope in His Steadfast Love

Sometimes it helps me to keep my eyes on the Lord when I remember that his eyes are also on me. His gaze is constantly upon me because he loves me! As I hope in his steadfast love, his eyes stay trained on me!

What a beautiful picture of the deep and intimate relationship that exists between me and the Lord.

My hope is not based on what I think or feel. It's based on the Lord, the One to whom I look for help. He is my hope. He is my strength, my comfort, my joy, and my faithful friend. His love for me will never fail. And my hope is inextricably tied to his love for me.

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No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. — 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

Through Disappointments by Joyce Meyer

People will disappoint you. Life will disappoint you. Things will happen that you did not expect to happen, and you have to believe in the power of God and be able to say, "I can do whatever I need to do through Christ Who strengthens me." God will never allow more to come to us than we can bear. We don't always understand why, but we know God has His reasons, and we can get through it.

Nobody can keep you unhappy if you don't want to be unhappy. Stop giving somebody else the responsibility for your joy. If you'll start to do what you can do and stop worrying about what you can't do, God can get involved and make some miraculous things happen in your life. I know that hurts are deep and painful, but we have to be very careful about just sitting in our boat and nursing our wounds for too long. There's a time to grieve, and there's a time you have to move on.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, my joy is found in You, and I can't rely upon others or life to bring me happiness. Help me to live in the strength You give, amen.

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Bible Verses

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. —2 Timothy 1:7

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Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

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Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

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I take joy in doing Your will, my God, for Your instructions are written on my heart.” Psalm 40:8

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2 Timothy 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

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"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)

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Prayers

Praise and Thanks this Morning

Hallelujah! The sun has risen again and it is morning! And I have awoken into it, alive, breathing, thinking, knowing that the Son will rise again and I will be saved. What did I do to deserve this day? It is a gift from you. Glory and praise to you, my God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for filling me with life to live another day, for it is you who made me and not me myself.

I resolve to spend this day in the presence of the Holy Spirit, filled with his joy and energy, that I might accomplish your will, my God, and do what I can to deserve the joys of the day, for I know my time here is short. Be with me, oh Holy Spirit, to fill me with the energy and positivity and comfort that only you can bring. In Christ's name I pray that thy will be done, Amen.

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For Faithfulness in the Use of this World's Goods

Almighty God, whose loving hand has given me all that I possess; Grant me grace that I may honor you with my substance, and remembering the account which I must one day give, may be a faithful steward of your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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To Treat Others with Love and Understanding

Heavenly Lord, you have commanded us to love one another, but sometimes even when I am pleasant to another person it is not sincere. Help me, I pray, to be sincere in choosing good over evil. Let my love and concern for others not be a sham. When I work for you, fill me with your Holy Spirit, that I might be committed and enthusiastic in your service. Let me live in your presence, and not get so wrapped up in my life that I forget about you.

And may I be patient when difficulties arise and not give way to frustration and anger, knowing always that the result belongs to you. Let me not take offense at others, let me not be thin-skinned, but shielded by the power of your Spirit, let me shrug off insults, whether real, or unintentional, or perceived. In Christ's name, I pray this. Amen.

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Finally, let me go forth in thanks for the victory I have been given through our Lord Jesus Christ. May I be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and always remembering that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. Amen.

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Deliverance

LORD, I cried out to you in my distress. You sent Your word and healed me, and delivered me from my destructions. I give You thanks for Your goodness, and for Your wonderful works to my children. I sacrifice the sacrifices of thanskgiving, and declare Your works with joyful singing in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 107:19-22

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Dear Lord, when I get out of harmony with You, I am out of harmony with myself! If I let this continue, it is likely to be reflected in my physical being. If I truly want to be whole, then let me seek to restore this inner harmony between us. ... Fill me with Your presence, and let the Holy Spirit guard me from yielding to any temptations to stray. Help me, Lord, to want to be what You know I can be. With Your help, I can be that person!

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

© 2000 by D. L. Hammond, Permission to copy granted for noncommercial use.

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My Father, teach me the value of the possessions that can neither be handled nor seen; and may I not take them away from others. Help me to keep thy commandment "Thou shalt not steal," and interpret it in all its relations to life. Amen.

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Above All, Through All, In All

Ephesians 4:5-7

Dear Father,

Thank you, Father, for the unity you have provided for us: the one body, the one Spirit, the one hope that belongs to our calling, the one Lord, the one faith, the one immersion - and the one God!

For you, our God, are the one and only God and Father of us all. You are above all and through all and in all!

Thank you, holy God, for the measure of grace that you have given to me that I should be part of your universal fellowship.

How gracious and good you are!

By Jesus' authority and in his name I boldly come to you, asking all this. Amen.

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Prayer for the Beginning of the Day

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace, help me in all things to rely upon your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by you. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray. And you, yourself, pray in me. Amen.

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Heavenly Father, Abiding God! Thank You Father for being near to all of us who call on You, and to all who call on You in Truth. We draw near to You, knowing that You are ever near to us. We confess the times when we doubted You were there, but we realize now that it was us who had moved away and not You. Please help us to pray more fervently, especially during the times when we do not hear an answer to out prayers. Help us to focus more on Your Word, and to trust You to deliver us from all doubts and fears. Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We Praise You! This we pray in Jesus' Precious name, Amen!

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Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to the beginning of this day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purposes; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

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“A Prayer For Those Following Christ”

Father, as we become one with Christ we become a new creation. The old order of things has passed away and all things become new because You are sanctifying our hearts and thus aligning our outlook to be a reflection of Yours. And furthermore we are issued the command to deny our own willful desires, take up our cross every day, and follow You wholeheartedly. May we be careful to make a checklist daily to see that we live in accordance to Your commands, that we might reach others for Christ and find reward in our daily obedience to You. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

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Dear Lord, please grant me peace so I can face the day with a clear mind and calm heart.

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Father, we thank you for a new day and new beginnings. Help us this day to realize that just as a deep wound takes time to heal, slanderous words also destroy ones character, and leave questions in the minds of others. How important it is to choose our words carefully, prayerfully, and with wisdom from you. Help us today to look to you with the desire to heal, and not hurt with our word and actions? May we seek you in all that we do, so that our words come from love and not justification or judgment.