REMAIN IN GOD Poem Devotional

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May 10                                                                       The Power of God’s Word
Remain in me and I will remain in you, for a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
–John 15:4(NLT)
REMAIN IN GOD
A poem by ILMA
Do you think you can do anything on your own?
Do you realize that without God, you cannot grow?
Like the fruits to its vine, one cannot do without the other
Remain in God so you can mature and be a blessing to one another.
The fruits of the spirit will present itself if you remain in him
Discernment, knowledge and wisdom, God will bring
All God’s children will reap his promises
By abiding in him, you are granted peace and happiness.
It is sad to see a lot of people living in isolation from God or others. They want to be separate from anyone who would stop them from getting what they yearn for. The bible likens us to the vine and its branches. If we remain in God’s love, He will stay with us. By seeking him and abiding in his love, we produce fruits of the Spirit. Without the choice to seek him in our lives, it will be very difficult to reap these fruits such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Without God, these fruits will not be present.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me in your love.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to remain in God?

GOD ANSWERS Poem Devotional

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May 8 The Power of God’s Word
I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayer. –Isaiah 65:24(NLT)

A poem by ILMA
Pray whenever you have a need
It will be answered when you heed
Call upon the Lord when you are in pain
He will hear your prayers; it will not be in vain.
Even before you ask, he knows already what you’ll say
He loves you so much and he will always find a way
While you are still requesting in prayer
He has already granted and answered.
How often do you pray? The prophet Daniel is a perfect example of the power of prayer. In chapter 9:4-19, he confessed and pleaded God to forgive the sins of Israel. He used the word “we” even though he has not sinned. Unlike the Pharisees who prayed lifting themselves up and putting down other sinners in Luke 18:11, Daniel’s heart cried out for his people. He wasn’t righteous like the Pharisee. He interceded for Israel and believed that God will have mercy as he has shown the prophet Jeremiah. Daniel quoted scriptures and believed it.
The bible tells us that God answers prayer while we are still praying. Sometimes we don’t hear or see the answers because we don’t want the answers.
PRAYER
Lord, grant me a humble heart that prays always.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God wants us to pray?

BUILD OTHERS UP IN THE LORD Poem Devotional

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May 5                                                                                    The Power of God’s Word

We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.  –Romans 15:1-2(NLT)     

BUILD OTHERS UP IN THE LORD

A poem by ILMA

To think only of one’s own self is not pleasing to God

Catering to your flesh does not bring him laud

Christ wants us to help others do what is right

He expects us to build each other up to stay in the light.

Reflect a life in pursuit of righteousness

This will bring others to follow that goodness

It encourages hope, faith, joy and compassion

It clearly manifests a life full of love and passion.

A lot of believers have turned their backs to the church simply because they see so much conflict in how people live their lives and what they believe in. Somehow, some Christians have separated their beliefs from how they live. This is not how God wants us to be. James 1:22 says that we don’t just listen to God’s word, but must do what it says.

The bible talks more about others than self. It says that we must not just please ourselves but do what is right and build others up in the Lord. We are asked to encourage and build one another in God’s love and in following his commands.

PRAYER

Lord, help me be an example of love and righteousness.

REFLECTION

Why is it important to encourage one another in Christ?

 

 

THE ROOT OF CRAVINGS Poem Devotional

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May 2                                                                                    The Power of God’s Word
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. –1 John2:16 (NLT)

A poem by ILMA
Do you indulge yourself in pleasures?
Do you get consumed by worldly treasures?
Do you rely on your own efforts to reach ambitions?
Do you take pride in your achievements and possessions?
Be careful you don’t succumb to cravings of this world
They enslave you and give the enemy an opening and a foothold
Yearnings of the flesh are not godly and righteous
They come from this world that is evil and vicious.
Consumerism is defined as the belief that it is good for people to spend a lot of money on goods and services. We are bombarded by all forms of media marketing to consume either a product or a service. These companies pay huge amounts of money to ensure that they create a need for people to purchase their product. They think of all kinds of strategies to persuade us that a want is actually a need in order to make us buy.
The bible tells us that these cravings are not from God but from this world. The moment we boast of our achievements and possessions, we endanger ourselves.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to have humility.
REFLECTION
How can awareness of our cravings keep us humble?

REAP WHAT YOU SOW Poem Devotional

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April 30                                                                                The Power of God’s Word
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature, but those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. –Galatians 6:8(NLT)
REAP WHAT YOU SOW
A poem by ILMA
Those who want to satisfy their flesh
Their lives will be chaotic and a mess
To satisfy the sinful nature brings decay
It brings someone in a state of disarray.
People who live to please the Spirit
They will be in constant light and never adrift
Choose to follow God’s commands
This will make you surrender the world demands.
There are many people who live their lives according to the world’s standard. Sadly, some believers do not really live by the Spirit but by their own sinful nature. If a Christian have been raised by parents who never really followed godly standard and grew up surrounded by decay, it would probably be hard to live a life following the Spirit.
The bible tells us that we reap what we’ve sown. It is the most basic principle that life is founded on. If you live only to satisfy your own sinful nature, you will naturally reap death. If you live to please God, then you will harvest the fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self control.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to live for you.
REFLECTION
What’s the consequence of living for yourself?

JOYFUL HEARTS SEEK PEACE Poem Devotional

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April 29                                                                         The Power of God’s Word
Deceit fills the hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace.–Proverbs 12:20 (NLT)
JOYFUL HEARTS SEEK PEACE
A poem by ILMA
What is in your heart these days?
Does it seek God and all his ways?
Do you find joy in your daily life?
Do you choose truth and stay in the light?
Deceit fills the hearts that are plotting evil
They are prisoners of their own desires and of the devil
Joyful hearts dwell on peace and love
They constantly seek the father up above.
In a world of corruption, we can be deceived by its standards and dictates. No wonder we live in so much confusion and turmoil. It is a difficult feat to seek God amidst all the distractions and noise around us. How can we protect ourselves from all the challenges we face in our world today and stay pure for God? Sadly, many of us view this life as the meaning of our existence. Most of us believe the lie that we are made for this world and not for God.
The bible tells us that we can distinguish a heart that seeks God from a heart that seeks the world. Deceit fills the hearts that are plotting evil while joy fills the hearts of those who plan for peace. Peaceful hearts embrace love and joy.
PRAYER
Lord, guide me to constantly choose peace.
REFLECTION
Is your heart joyful or full of deception?

STEER CLEAR OF ANGER Poem devotional

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April 26 The Power of God’s Word
Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul. –Proverbs 22:24-25 (NLT)
A poem by ILMA
Do you associate with angry people?
Be wary for your spiritual progress will detour.
Steer clear of anger and quarrelsome beings
Your soul will be endangered by their bickering.
Have nothing to do with anyone who thrives on conflict
They will constantly keep you on edge and rob you of peace
Resentment, arrogance and judgment are all anger’s signs
They may be calm on the outside but imploding on the inside.
If I had known what the bible says about anger in my younger days, I would have steered away from it. It took me many years to realize that I was an angry person myself. Anger was something I absorbed from my own family and from someone I lived with. It was a stronghold in my family. The two types of anger are implosions and explosions. I was both exposed to the two types. For over 3 decades I was implosive and explosive for a couple of years. I can see through an angry person easily after being one for many years. The bible tells us to steer clear from anger and angry people or you will endanger your soul.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to stay away from conflicts.
REFLECTION
When does anger becomes sin? How can you avoid anger?

REMEDY FOR SADNESS &DISCOURAGEMENT Poem Devotional

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April 25 The Power of God’s Word

My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be. Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God. –Psalm 42:4, 5 (NLT)

A poem by ILMA
Is your heart broken and sad?
Pray to God so you will be glad
Allow him to hear your hurts and pain
Then praise him for his mighty name.
Put your hope in God despite adversities
Even if you can’t see a glimpse of hope in your difficulties
Don’t listen to the enemy’s lies and deception
Let your lips release God’s word to fight temptations.
Do you get days when you just feel sad, lonely or discouraged? Sometimes a situation or a medical condition can bring someone down. It could probably because you are not getting enough rest or nutrition. Maybe someone has let you down or didn’t live up to your expectations.
The psalmist in psalm 42 gives us a remedy to sadness and discouragement. He poured out his brokenness to the Lord and chose to put his hope in God. He also praised God and called his name as his Savior and God. Worship and praise remedies these feelings. We have the choice to choose to live beyond our feelings and praise God.
PRAYER
Lord, replace my negative feelings with your truth.
REFLECTION
Why do you think praise stops sadness?

CONSEQUENCE OF REFUSAL TO LOVE Poem Devotional

auries 2012 visit 306April 24 The Power of God’s Word
He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived and they will believe these lies. -2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 (NLT)
CONSEQUENCE OF REFUSAL TO LOVE
A poem by ILMA
The enemy hunts people who are unloving
He easily preys on those who are hurting
He would do anything to keep you from the truth
He wants you to stay in the dark and have no roots.
Be wary when you refuse to follow God’s commands
You are vulnerable to deception and cannot take reprimands
The moment you allow your hearts to harden and be corrupted
God will cause you to be greatly deceived and bewildered.
Have you ever been in a relationship with someone so angry and arrogant? They are very hard to deal with. It almost feels like walking on eggshells. You have to be very careful about everything you say or do or you might be the recipient of their wrath. No matter what they went through, they made a choice not to love or forgive. We are warned about the aftermath of unloving hearts. They eventually accept the lies of the enemy and live it. They live in deception and cannot decipher truth from lies.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to walk in love.
REFLECTION
How can refusal to love give a foothold to the devil?

THE LORD RESCUES THE RIGHTEOUS Poem Devotional

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April 23 The Power of God’s Word
The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken. –Psalm 34:19-20 (NLT)
THE LORD RESCUES THE RIGHTEOUS
A poem by ILMA
Those who obey the Lord isn’t trouble free
They learn and get strong through adversity
Their righteousness gives them a viewpoint that is godly
They find lessons in life and see things objectively.
The Lord rescues the righteous in times of difficulties
God ensures that they are intact and live life freely
He protects their bones and not one of them is broken
He promises them a life with him and his Son in heaven.
Some people think that when someone is godly and righteous, they are free from troubles. On the contrary, it is the opposite. The moment someone declares Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the more challenging it is for the enemy to attack and get us in his camp. God refines us by purifying and perfecting our faith. He readies each one to be part of his big plan.
The bible says that God doesn’t allow the righteous to be broken or crushed. The difference between an unbeliever and a Christian is God’s protection. When a believer is going through difficulties, God doesn’t abandon them. Instead, he rescues them.
PRAYER
Lord, allow whatever it is that will make me grow.
REFLECTION
How has God protected you during your troubles?