May 19________________________________________
See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. – 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NLT)
DO GOOD TO ALL PEOPLE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Has anyone done you wrong lately?
Don’t retaliate, forgive quickly
Don’t pay back evil for evil
Or you will open doors for the devil.
The Lord wants us to do good always
It manifests our love and kindness
If you are a disciple of Jesus
You will easily grant forgiveness.________________________________________
In Exodus 21:24, we are told of the law “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.” In his book The End of the Law: Mosaic Covenant in the Pauline Theology, Jason Meyer explains that the concept of “an eye for eye,” sometimes called jus talionis or lex talionis, is part of the Mosaic Law used in the Israelites’ justice system. Justice should be equitable; excessive harshness and excessive leniency should be avoided. Meyer clearly states in his book that this law was for the judicial system and doesn’t apply to personal relationships.
In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches the opposite of this law when he said in verse 39 to offer your other cheek if someone slaps you. Paul reiterates Christ’s teaching about doing good and letting go of being wronged. He advises us to give back good for evil.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for teaching us how to forgive.
REFLECTION
Why do you think it’s difficult to do good to those who do you wrong?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
Tag Archives: Christian poem
A GOD WHO TRULY CARES Poem Devotional
May 18________________________________________
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. – 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
A GOD WHO TRULY CARES
A poem and essay by ILMA
What are you worrying about these days?
Is it a loved one who is going astray?
Are your finances stressing you out?
Do you pray for help or do you just pout?
Give all your worries and cares to God
With him around, nothing is too hard
He truly cares so much and wants you to prosper
Don’t be proud, run to him and he will deliver.
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How many times in the past did you dwell on a pity party? You have been praying for someone or something, that has never really happened for the longest time. You start worrying and thinking negatively about it. Then your body starts to give in from the stress and the toxic thinking. I have been guilty of this negative thought patterns for a good five decades of my life. When I became a born again Christian, God delivered me from this negative pattern and renewed my mind. I started replacing my worries and prayed instead. I didn’t realize that worrying was a sin until I got revelations. It also hinders our dreams to come true. I looked for truths from God’s word that would replace such toxic thoughts. I began memorizing bible verses and voila…God truly cares for me. He has answers for all my worries.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your unceasing love and care for me.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to focus on God’s faithfulness especially when discouraged?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
ENDURANCE LEADS TO SALVATION Poem Devotional

May 17________________________________________
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 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 24:13-14(NLT)
ENDURANCE LEADS TO SALVATION
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you encounter much trouble and suffering
Be thankful! Your faith will surely be growing
The one who endures to the end will be protected
Those who easily give up will not be included.
Endurance is a manifestation of being faithful
It also shows that you are diligent and hopeful
Jesus endured all kinds of violence and cruelty
He wants us to embrace challenges courageously.
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Endurance is defined as a noun as the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way. As an adjective, it is denoting or relating to a race or other sporting event that takes place over a long distance or otherwise demands great physical stamina. Endurance is an important ingredient in overcoming obstacles or winning a competition. James 1:2-3 tells us that the testing of our faith produces endurance. In other words, if we easily give up at the first trial or testing, we won’t finish the race to God’s kingdom. It is also a pre-requisite in order for us to be saved. When we endure and persevere, we show strength in our character.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to focus on you instead of the circumstance when my faith is being tested.
REFLECTION
How can we develop endurance in our character?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
SIN AND INDIFFERENCE Poem Devotional
May 16________________________________________
Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
– Matthew 24:12(NLT)
SIN AND INDIFFERENCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
The second coming of the Lord is near
War, conflicts and violence will be here
There will be earthquakes and many disasters
Much deception and lies will happen thereafter.
People will experience all kinds of tribulation
Many will grow cold and love isolation
Sin and indifference will be rampant everywhere
It will be a trap to keep people from going nowhere.
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Indifference in Hebrew is “adish” meaning “couldn’t care less. Some synonym to this words are: emotionless, apathy, passivity, negligence, carelessness, inattention, unconcern, unimportance. A lot of people think that the opposite of love is hate. It is actually indifference on the other side of love. Many of mental illnesses and crimes are usually a product of people who were victims of an indifferent parent or caregiver. This is why “negligence” is also as harmful as abuse. Being indifferent shows that you also don’t care for the Lord. It signifies selfishness.
Hebrew has words for “sin.” The word “pasha”, or “trespass”, means a sin done out of rebelliousness. The word “aveira” means “transgression”. And the word “avone”, or “iniquity”, means a sin done out of moral failing. My own definition of sin is to live out of God’s truth and to live for the “self.” Prevalence of sin and indifference are signs of end times.
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PRAYER
Lord, guard my heart from indifference and sin.
REFLECTION
What do we need to do to protect ourselves from being indifferent and sinful?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
EXAMINE SPIRITS Poem devotional
May 14________________________________________
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. – 1 John 4:1(NLT)
EXAMINE SPIRITS
A poem and essay by ILMA
As a follower of Christ, you need to examine spirits
Do not believe everyone who claims they are godly
Test them to see if they align with God’s truth
Some prophets’ teachings are not at all true.
Strengthen yourself with God’s word; meditate on it
It makes us win over the world’s corruption and defeat it
The Spirit that comes from God is full of love and peace
The one that is in the world is about selfishness and conflicts.
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The bible tells us to be watchful and examine spirits. Because we do not see the invisible realm, it can be challenging to detect what is really going on in the spirit. Since we are not omniscient and omnipotent like God, we can be a prey to the enemy. This is why we are instructed to meditate on God’s word and follow his will. When we are in relationship with God, we become aware of the spirit world. If we have developed an intimacy with him, we can hear what he says about things, persons and circumstances. He wants us to examine every spirit so we can discern false teachings.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your guidance and protection.
REFLECTION
What are some signs to spot a false teacher or a false teaching?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
A GOD OF ORDER
May 13________________________________________
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. -1 Corinthians 14:33(NLT)
A GOD OF ORDER
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you ever get overwhelmed with so much disorder?
Watch out because, it shows your mind’s clutter
When you constantly live a life of confusion
You are not living God’s vision but of illusion.
God is not a God of chaos but of peace
He wants us to live a life that is free
Give up disorder and you will feel better
Let go of un-forgiveness and don’t stay bitter.
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Whenever conflicts and confusion presents itself in our marriage, I know that we are being attacked by the enemy. The bible says that Satan’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy God’s people. I wish I could have known this truth four decades ago. There were many years of my life that was stolen from me. My childhood was snatched from me with generational sins and strongholds that have been passed by our parents to us unknowingly. It is very essential for a Christian to know that we are battling with unseen forces as the book of Ephesians clearly states. Since we do not see them, it can be a challenge to identify how we are being attacked.
The bible describes God as a god of peace, not of disorder. We must recognize the stealthy way the enemy can creep into our lives by creating confusion.
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PRAYER
Lord, protect me when confusion pops in my life.
REFLECTION
How do we defend ourselves from the enemy’s tactics?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
CHOICES Poem Devotional
May 11________________________________________
But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says! Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse for they are rebels. – Ezekiel 3:27 (NLT)
CHOICES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you exert conscious effort to make the right choices?
Are your choices bringing you closer to godliness?
Do you allow the Lord to lead you to make decisions?
Are your choices leaning towards God’s intervention?
Choose to listen to the Lord so your life will prosper
If you constantly defy him, you will continue to be a rebel
Allow the Lord to lead you to where he wants you to go
Let him lead you in all aspects of life so you may grow.
________________________________________Researchers Verplanken and Holland found that individuals only made choices consistent with their values if those values were ‘cognitively activated’. The research reveals that when we make values-based decisions we tend to feel more positive about them and they can actually lend themselves to our ongoing motivation.
The bible tells us to choose life instead of death. In other words, if we live in love, we are choosing life and God. If we live in darkness and the dictates of this world, we are choosing death and the Prince of this world, Satan. Which camp do you belong?
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PRAYER
Lord, help me never to turn my back on you.
REFLECTION
What choices have you made in the past that brought you where you are now?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
HOPE IN THE WORD Poem Devotional
May 9________________________________________
I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.
-Psalm 130:5(NLT)
HOPE IN THE WORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you feel overwhelmed by things in this world?
Distractions are everywhere to keep us out of God’s word
No wonder we feel lost, hopeless and always struggling
We don’t focus on God, yet we keep on demanding.
Seek the Lord and you will find comfort in his truth
Abide in his words, meditate on it so it can take root
Sow seeds of goodness for it will bear fruit
Expose the enemy’s lies and believe only what is true.
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Today, our world faces so much chaos and pain. Technology and social media has turned our lives into a world of many choices. We have become very distracted people. We lost our sense of priorities and value. We have focused on ourselves because we are enticed to acquire things and wealth so we can look better or feel powerful. It is such a sad thing to watch how people get blinded by what the world offers and discard what God promises. We get consumed by all these noise around us which diminishes our time to connect with God. We disconnect ourselves from God by choosing all the things the world offers. Run to his word and you’ll find hope. Don’t turn your back on the Lord.
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PRAYER
Lord, show me peace and wisdom to always choose you.
REFLECTION
When was the last time God’s word popped out of the pages to stir you?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
HUMILITY BRINGS HONOR Poem Devotional
May 8________________________________________
Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. – Proverbs 29:23(NLT)
HUMILITY BRINGS HONOR
A poem and essay by ILMA
When we acknowledge the source of our life
We are giving him honor and living in his light
When our heart is full of pride and haughtiness
We will end up in humiliation and become a mess.
The act of lowering yourself to your Maker
It is a manifestation of your love to your creator
Follow the example of Jesus so you can be humble
It will help you overcome temptation and not stumble.
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A while back I had an experience when my pride and arrogance had me fall flat on my face. It happened about seven years ago. I was a victim of a group of people who discriminated me and openly scolded me in public and twisted my intentions. The filters of complex traumas I experienced led me to think that they were rejecting me. My suspicion became real because I lived in that fear that they would reject me. Sure enough, my fears turned into reality. An envious administrator of that group, twisted my words because she was jealous of the attention that her husband was giving on my prominence in the art world. I was bold to expose that the group was more of a social club rather than helping marriages to survive. Because of my tactless judgment, they twisted my words and humiliated me publicly.
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PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from pride and haughtiness.
REFLECTION
How can an act of humility change you and others?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
REQUESTING GOD FAVORS Poem Devotional
May 7________________________________________
O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches. Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. -Proverbs 30:7-8(NLT)
REQUESTING GOD FAVORS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Lord, I plead you to grant me favors in my life
Bless and guide me to constantly walk in your light
Help me never to tell a lie or long for things
Give me wisdom so I can always avoid sin.
Grant me a pure heart and keep me away from poverty
Just provide for me what will satisfy all my needs
Show me a life full of joy, faithfulness and peace
Help me to walk in love and to enjoy being free.
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How often do you ask God for favors? I grew up thinking that God was a genie who can give me all that I want. I wasn’t taught how to ask though. I expected God to do miracles for me without me requesting it. As I reached puberty, I got discouraged and felt into a deep depression that made me turned my back to the Lord. When I became born again, I learned that never really asked, no wonder I wasn’t getting. Now, I want to request the Lord to keep me from lying and to give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
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PRAYER
Lord, please grant me favors that will keep me close to you.
REFLECTION
Why do you think we should ask for just enough to satisfy our needs? Why not more?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com







