Tag Archives: Christian devotional

PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST’S BODY Poem Devotional

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November 4                                                                     The Power of God’s Word
I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the suffering of Christ that continue for his body, the church. – Colossians 1:24 (NLT)
PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST’S BODY
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you experience pain, remember Christ who died for you
Recall how much beatings and humiliation he endured
Reflect on how much betrayal and abuse he went through
He did it all to clear you of sin so you can have a breakthrough.
Be glad when you are in pain, you are partaking of his body
He wants you to look at it as an opportunity
He wants you to embrace suffering and rely on his grace
He will never forsake you that is what the bible says.
Suffering is defined by the dictionary as the state of undergoing pain, distress or hardship. On the other hand, the Hebrew definition of suffering is “nasa or nasah” meaning to lift, carry, take. Notice the difference in the worldly view definition against the Hebrew meaning. One connotes burden, while the other emphasizes the act of lifting or carrying. One is pessimistic, the other optimistic.
The bible tells us that we should be glad when we suffer because we are given an opportunity to participate in the body of Christ which is an ongoing journey.
PRAYER
Lord, remind me to take “suffering” as a chance to grow.
REFLECTION
What kinds of suffering have you experienced that made you a better Christian?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

WITNESSING FOR THE LORD Poem Devotional

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November 3                                                                             The Power of God’s Word
I will not die. Instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.
– Psalm 118:17(NLT)
WITNESSING FOR THE LORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Is your life geared to seek pleasure?
Do you consider God’s word as your treasure?
Have you given up your old life and put on the new?
Do you still struggle with troubles and rue?
The Lord created you to demonstrate his glory
Do you live up to his image and reveal his beauty?
Live your life telling others what the Lord has done
It is the only way you can emulate his one and only Son.
I went through many decades of my life trying to figure out what my purpose in life was. I wished someone would have witnessed for the Lord in my growing years and guided me to the truth instead of being swallowed up by the world’s system. God’s spirit was with me since I declared him as my friend and Father at age seven. He lived in me and guided me subtly without my conscious knowing that all that I was going through would be my testimony for his kingdom later in life. The bible tells us to not be consumed by the world but to live to tell others what the Lord has done. Has your life been a testimony to the Lord’s greatness?
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for all my experiences.
REFLECTION
Has your life been a testimony to the Lord’s greatness?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

GOD’S ENEMIES Poem Devotional

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November 2                                                                         The Power of God’s Word
This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. – Colossians 1:21 (NLT)
GOD’S ENEMIES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you a friend of God or his enemy?
How can you easily be an adversary?
When you don’t obey the heavenly Father
You are prone to cater to yourself instead of others.
The devil gains a foothold on rebels
He stamps them with thoughts that are evil
You become more lawless as you dwell in wickedness
When your actions defy God’s plan, you become one of his enemies.
What makes someone an enemy of God and an ally of the devil? Corruption, impurities, a life of compromises, succumbing to evil thoughts and actions, disobedience can all be leading to defying God’s plan in your life.
This is why the bible always cautions us to preserve a heart that isn’t tarnished by worldly ways and standards. When we turn our backs to God or become disobedient to his will, we are candidates to be his enemies. When we obey his will and feed on his word, we become his friend.
The bible also promises a way out when you become an enemy. You can repent of your sin and forgive others. God will take you back as his friend.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to obey you.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to repent and forgive to remain friends with God?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY Poem Devotional

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October 31                                                        The Power of God’s Word
God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
– 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT)
HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY
A poem and essay by ILMA
What do you put in and on your body?
Are they things that keep you healthy?
Are the clothes you put on maintaining your purity?
Are you distracting others by focusing on your outward beauty?
God bought you with a high price
Will you continue to listen to lies?
Honor God with what he gave you
His Son died so we can be renewed.
Do you respect the body that God has given you? Do you think that your body is entirely your property? It is sad to see that the world has corrupted people’s minds that we totally own our bodies and can do anything we want with it. This lie that the enemy has perpetuated in our worldly views has brought so much havoc in our lives. We cater to our own pleasures and ingest things that are not always good for our physical, emotional or spiritual well being.
The bible says that God bought us with a high price through the blood of his own Son, Jesus. He expects us to honor him with our bodies. It is like being stewards of a house that we are renting because it is not ours.
PRAYER
Lord, remind me constantly that you own everything.
REFLECTION
How can you honor God with your body?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH

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October 30                                                                           The Power of God’s Word
The message is very close at hand. It is on your lips and in your heart. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:8,9 (NLT)
CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
The message is very close at hand
It is on your lips; it need not be grand
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
You will be using the most powerful sword.
The word of God is a weapon against the enemy
If you use it regularly, you will have victory
Believe in your heart that God raise Christ from the dead
It will reap a harvest of peace and a life that is Spirit-led.
I was a believer for so long and yet I didn’t know the power of confessing with the mouth. Confession was a term in my former religion to go to a priest and tell him all about my sins. Until I studied the bible thoroughly, I got revelations from the Spirit that what I needed to confess was the truth from God’s word.
The bible says that the Message is close at hand. It is on our lips and in our hearts. It tells us the power of confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to memorize your words.
REFLECTION
Why is verse memory essential in a Christian’s life?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

LOVING OTHERS WITH ALL YOUR HEART Poem Devotional

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October 26                                                                       The Power of God’s Word
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. – 1 Peter 1:23 (NLT)
LOVING OTHERS WITH ALL YOUR HEART
A poem and essay by ILMA
As soon as you obeyed God’s truth, you are set free from sins
Leave your sinful nature and don’t look back where you’ve been
God is love and he created us to be like him
Walking in love is the surest way to be redeemed.
You are cleansed from sins if you believe that Jesus died for you
Love each other deeply with all your heart and you’ll reap the Spirit’s fruit
Show sincere love for your sisters and brothers in Christ
When you love others genuinely, you will gain wisdom and insight.
Perhaps the word “love” is the most misused and abused word in the human vocabulary. Love is viewed romantically and lustfully by many. The enemy has blinded everyone to think that love is about mushy feelings and physical attraction.
The bible tells us that God is love and that is why God sent us his only son to cleanse us from sin and be reconciled with him. He expects us to love others with all our hearts just as he loves us so much.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to walk in love always.
REFLECTION
How can you show love to difficult people?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

A GOD OF JUSTICE Poem Devotional

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October 25                                                                  The Power of God’s Word
For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing, I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.– Isaiah 61:8 (NLT)
A GOD OF JUSTICE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you experiencing pain and anguish?
Worry not for the Lord wants you to flourish
He is a God of justice and understanding
He is faithful to reward his people for their suffering.
Seek the Lord who is just and fair
He is always after your welfare
Don’t lose hope or succumb to desperation
He loves you and brings you hope and consolation.
Do you feel defeated by troubles in your life? The bible tells us that God is a god of justice. He will never allow you to suffer more than you can bear. When we encounter problems and difficulties in our lives, we need to lift it up to God so he can do what he is good at doing: taking care of you and making everything work out for your good.
The Lord hates robbery and wrongdoing. He faithfully rewards his people for their suffering and makes an everlasting covenant with them. Be at peace when you encounter trials and tribulations. God promised provision and protection for his own people. If you are faithful to him, he will be faithful to you.
PRAYER
I thank you Lord, for giving me comfort and protection.
REFLECTION
When did God give you justice?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

STUBBORNESS BLOCKS THE HOLY SPIRIT Poem Devotional

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October 24                                                                    The Power of God’s Word
You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? – Acts 7:51 (NLT)
STUBBORNESS BLOCKS THE HOLY SPIRIT
A poem and essay by ILMA
Being lawless and disobedient opens the door to the enemy
It makes one vulnerable to all kinds of sin and impurities
When you are stubborn, you cannot hear the Spirit’s revelations
It blocks your heart and makes it hard to receive Christ’s salvation.
Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit in your life?
Don’t you realize that obedience can bring you light?
Engaging in stubborn ways will make your life harder
Resisting God makes you vulnerable to sin and weaker.
Have you ever wondered why some people are happier and others are not? Observe carefully and you will discover that those who are unhappy are usually living in disobedience or defiance. I lived a life of rebellion up until my forties. It was a very difficult and hard life. I was a whiny perfectionist and an arrogant person. When I got very sick, God stripped me of my strength so I can rely on him.
The bible tells us that stubbornness blocks the Holy Spirit. It makes our hearts hard and makes us deaf to the truth. When we resist the Holy Spirit, we don’t reap the fruits God promised.
PRAYER
Lord, tame my heart and mind.
REFLECTION
What stubborn ways do you do to block the Holy Spirit?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS Poem Devotional

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October 23                                                                          The Power of God’s Word
And the good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it and then the end will come.
– Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you spread the good news of God’s kingdom?
Are you an advocate of peace and freedom?
God loves us so much that He sacrificed his son to free us
He wants us to follow Christ’s example to avoid sin and lust.
All believers must preach the good news throughout the world
Christians must proclaim God’s truth and seek his word
Let all nations hear it so that everyone will be ready
He longs for his people to be free from slavery.
How have you been spreading the good news? We don’t all have to become spiritual leaders to be preachers of the good news. God has given us different ministries to be responsible for. Your ministry could be your own family, friends, co-workers, even strangers in the grocery store, your children, etc. With the rise of information technology, we can reach to more people around the world nowadays.
The bible says that all believers have the responsibility to spread the good news about the kingdom of God throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it and be ready when the end comes.
PRAYER
Lord, show me who to tell the good news to.
REFLECTION
Who have you shared the good news with?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

DESIRES LEAD TO TEMPTATIONS Poem Devotional

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October 21                                                                       The Power of God’s Word
Remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. – James 1:13-14 (NLT)
DESIRES LEAD TO TEMPTATIONS
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are full of desires and forget to pray
You are an easy target for the enemy to prey
Temptation comes from your cravings and longings
Don’t blame God for your weakness to succumb to yearnings.
Whenever you are enticed to do wrong
Satan will use it to let you stay in sin for longing
Maintain a close relationship with the heavenly Father
Overcome temptation by following God and loving one another.
I hear a lot of people blame God for succumbing to temptation. They think that it was God who gave them the temptation. God will never test us to do wrong. The bible clearly tells us that temptation comes from our own desires which entice us and drag us away from God.
If you observe unbelievers or even Christians who live a compromised life, it is not hard to see that succumbing to their sinful nature usually come from their own wants. When you see an unhappy person, you will discover that the source of their unhappiness is a desire “to have.”
PRAYER
Lord, give me a desire only for you.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to seek God daily?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com