Tag Archives: ILMA BARAYUGA-DOHERTY

LEARN TO DO GOOD Poem Devotional

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April 12________________________________________
Learn to do good. Seek Justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. – Isaiah 1:17(NLT)
LEARN TO DO GOOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
We are summoned to always do the right thing
It protects us from the enemy and from sin
Seek justice, comfort the poor and help the oppressed
Defend those who are lost and confused; help them find rest.
Learn to do good always by obeying God’s commands
He equipped us to be able to cope with life’s demands
Fight for the right of widows and take care of them
It is the only way we can be free and cleansed.
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Man is naturally inclined to do wrong. Notice how effortless it is for us be bad. It seems automatic to do so. It didn’t use to be this way until Adam and Eve sinned and made it easy for us to be sinful. It usually takes effort and help from God to be able to do good. When we raise a child, we want him or her to be able to function well in society and do good in life. We show them slowly how to be able to learn things in the different stages of their early development up until they are grown enough to live by themselves. The bible wants us to learn to do good always, seek justice and care for orphans and widows.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to always do and choose the good.
REFLECTION
How can we have a conscious awareness to do good instead of evil?
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

SPIRIT POWERED Poem Devotional

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April 11________________________________________
I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources, he will empower you with inner strength though his Spirit. – Ephesian 3:16(NLT)
SPIRIT POWERED
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you able to face all of life’s challenges?
God has much glorious unlimited resources
If you believe and seek him, he will empower you
He cares and loves you; he wants you changed and renewed.
There is a way man can be powered by God’s Spirit
It is by believing him that you will receive it
He will endow you with inner strength to face life
He will lead you to do what is God’s will and right.
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Have you ever experienced and felt the Holy Spirit in your life? I lived a very difficult and painful life yet somehow, there is a power inside me that kept me going, held my head up high and made me press on with life. I wasn’t sure what it was until I was baptized by the Spirit in my late twenties. That is when I was able to realize that God never left me and despite all the disobedience and rebellion, he still looked after me. It was powerful to keep on living amidst all the circumstances I have experienced.
The bible tells us that God has glorious unlimited resources and that heh empowers us with inner strength through his Spirit. We are Spirit powered when we commit to him faithfully.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for living in my heart.
REFLECTION
Do you have a relationship with God’s Spirit? How well do you know him?
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

GREED: ROBBER OF LIFE Poem Devotional

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April 10________________________________________
These people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life. – Proverbs 1:18-19(NLT)
GREED: ROBBER OF LIFE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you being robbed of your life?
Do you always stay in God’s light?
When you are greedy, you set traps for yourself
Such appetite doesn’t bring you much help.
Selfishness and greed is the key to all evil
It opens your heart’s door to the devil
Give up covetousness and you’ll be blessed
Be generous and God will do the rest.
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I have observed many greedy and selfish people in my life. I lived with some of these covetous persons and it really was a challenge to watch their lives robbed of peace, joy and contentment. They become so obsessed with hoarding things, wealth, money and other possessions. They work and toil so hard to get what they want and never want to share these things they have. All they do is boast about them and use it to gain power and control of many aspects of their lives. They have no idea that they are being robbed of time, relationships and fellowship with others. They are constantly suspicious of others motives because they think they will be robbed of their material possession. What they don’t realize is that the enemy has stolen their peace and joy.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be generous.
REFLECTION
How can greed be removed in man’s heart?
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

WHERE YOUR HEART IS Poem Devotional

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northbayfallvisit2013 002April 6________________________________________
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. – Luke 12:34(NLT)
WHERE YOUR HEART IS
A poem and essay by ILMA
What occupies your mind these days?
Do you think of pursuing God’s ways?
What is in your heart lately?
Is it pure or is it worldly?
Watch out what is in your mind and heart
It’s your treasure that you won’t want to depart
Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be
Seek the Lord first and you will always be free.
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Here is a quote the Pursuit of Happiness article:
Optimism is a trait that should become more common, judging by Winston Churchill’s famous quote that “a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Optimism has been proven to improve the immune system, prevent chronic disease, and help people cope with unfortunate news. Gratitude is associated with optimism and has been determined that grateful people are happier, receive more social support, are less stressed, and are less depressed. Recent research indicates that optimists and pessimists approach problems differently, and their ability to cope successfully with adversity differs as a result.
The bible tells us that wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. If we pursue God daily, we will learn what he wants for us, we can have joy. If we chase the world’s standards, we won’t be free.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to dwell on the spiritual riches and not material wealth.
REFLECTION
How can gratitude help us to gather spiritual wealth?
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

REJOICE AND BE GLAD Poem Devotional

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April 5________________________________________
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24(NLT)
REJOICE AND BE GLAD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you grateful for all the things you have?
God provides for our needs; so rejoice and be glad
He brings us the sunshine so we can be warm
He gave us the rain to grow crops in our farm.
He brought people to love us so we can feel special
He wants us to know that he will always be loyal
Rejoice and be glad that he gave us this day
Enjoy and live it to the fullest everyday
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I have been with so many people who do not know how to enjoy their lives. Their pessimism can affect others around them and I admit that I became joyless for many years. Somehow, the Holy Spirit took hold of my heart early when I was in my teens and whispered to me to enjoy life despite all the pain I was going through. This led me to become hungry for knowledge. I learned to channel all my energies to sports, the performing arts and reading books. I discovered that pursuing and training myself with things that interests me took my mind off all the suffering. I began to enjoy life from all that God gave me. So I learned to rejoice and be glad.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for each day, help me enjoy it and rejoice.
REFLECTION
How can you maintain joy in our lives on a regular basis?
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

THIRST FOR GOD Poem Devotional

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April 4________________________________________
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O god. I thirst for God, the living God. – Psalm 42:1-2(NLT)
THIRST FOR GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Each morning, I pray that I can connect with you
I long to hear you and have my heart renewed
O God, I thirst for your wisdom and protection
I know that you’re always faithful to give provision.
As the deer longs for streams of water, so do I
Without your presence, I will surely die
You are the living God that quenches my thirst
Help me to always make sure that you are my first.
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I read an article that says that when there is a waterhole, there will be plenty of deer that will get attracted to it. They long for streams of water. They say that we humans can probably survive without food for a week, but studies say that we will perish without water in three days. This is how important water is in our physical lives.
The psalmist in Psalm 42 likens the deer to God’s people who thirst for God just as deer would thirst for streams of water. Our bodies need water to survive but we also need the water that gives life for our spirits, the living water that comes from God’s word. It quenches our thirst for knowing him and seeking his will in our lives.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your living water.
REFLECTION
How often do you drink from the living water that God provides?
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

VICTORY FROM FOLLOWING CHRIST Poem Devotional

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April 3________________________________________
Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. – John 16:33(NLT)
VICTORY FROM FOLLOWING CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
The world we live in is full of trials and sorrows
Don’t worry for there is always hope for tomorrow
Christ died for us on the cross so we can have victory
He wants us to follow his example so we can live life boldly.
You will never go wrong if you follow Jesus Christ
He showed us how to overcome this temporary life
Look up to the cross and you will never be crushed
If you do it out of love, it won’t ever feel like a task.
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For a very long time, I believed human effort will save me. So I always performed and please others to get approval. The world wants us to believe that we have to earn our salvation. It is one of the lies that the enemy generates in the hearts of many. Because I came from a third world country, it became almost normal to complain. Somehow, we Filipinos thought that we deserve to whine because we have been through a lot of calamities and suffering and much poverty. Honestly, I think it is an entitlement mentality that people think this way.
The bible says that here on earth, trials and sorrows are inevitable, but Christ overcame sin so we too, can.
PRAYER
Lord, help me learn from your victory over sin.
REFLECTION
How can a believer overcome the world? Is it possible to be victorious on your own effort?
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

SWEET TO THE SOUL Poem Devotional

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April 2________________________________________
Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
– Proverbs 16:24(NLT)
SWEET TO THE SOUL
A poem and essay by ILMA
When kind words are said, it is like honey
It refreshes the soul and makes us happy
The right words spoken in a timely way
Brings comfort and eases the pain away.
Kind words are sweet to the soul
They encourage others and bring joy
They are healthy for the mind and body
They bring hope and ease our worries.
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There is so much need in our society today for kind words. With so much access to information and communication, people have taken for granted the importance of choosing the right words to say at the right time. I grew up in an environment of criticisms and judgment. It was such a novelty for me to hear kind words. I remember when I was with my best friend and her family. I couldn’t believe how every member of her family always had some gentle and encouraging word for each other. I really felt special and respected each time I went to have dinners with them or sleep over. I felt safe and forgot feeling fearful.
The bible says that kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. If we are surrounded by people who say unkind words to us, our bodies and mind will be compromised as well.
PRAYER
Lord, let only kind words come out of my mouth.
REFLECTION
How can unkind words literally make us sick?
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

WORK ADDICTION Poem Devotional

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April 1________________________________________
Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now? It is all so meaningless and depressing. – Ecclesiastes 4:8(NLT)
WORK ADDICTION
A poem and essay by ILMA
When people toil morning till night
They lose relationships and joy in this life
Those who aim for more comfort and wealth
They’ll reap emptiness and compromise their health.
Work addiction results in isolation and brokenness
It draws us away from God’s love and righteousness
Working too much blocks all kinds of relationships
It hinders growth and interrupts all kinds of friendships.
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For many decades, I was a work addict. From age twenty up until my fifties, I was trying to prove to myself and others that I was hardworking and excellent in what I do. What I didn’t realized was that it was taking so much toll in my body. I was putting up art shows in 10 straight years, sometimes 5-6 exhibits in a year. Simultaneous to my painting career was teaching full time, single parenting, photographing, theater acting and stage managing. It wasn’t a surprise when I would constantly have migraines and all kinds of illnesses. One day, God taught me a really good lesson. I got so sick for three straight months to a point where I can’t even raise my fingers or go to the bathroom on my own.
It was all meaningless because I didn’t have much time for the Lord.
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from too much compulsion to work.
REFLECTION
How can working too much become harmful to people?
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

INSIGHTS FOR LIVING Poem Devotional

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March 30________________________________________
The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. – Psalm 19:8 (NLT)
INSIGHTS FOR LIVING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you find joy and peace in your life regularly?
Are you following the commands of God daily?
All the truth in Scriptures bring joy to the heart
If you abide in him, you will have a good start.
If you want a full life, follow God’s insight for living
He gives you all the guidelines so you can have blessings
He is very detailed and clear about how to be holy
If you follow his Spirit, you will live confidently and boldly.
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There is a Christian program on the radio that have “Insights for Living.” They focus on giving vignettes of God’s word and teachings. When I arrived here in Canada and discovered that there is a Christian radio station that advocates for Christ’s teachings and guide believers how to live righteous and holy lives. What a blessing it was for me to hear it daily because you can actually hear practical ways to live your Christian live victoriously.
The bible says that the commandments of the Lord are right and bring joy to the hearts of believers. God is very clear and detailed about his instructions in the book of life. It is a clear map so we can traverse life joyfully.
PRAYER
Lord, bless my life so I can have joy.
REFLECTION
How often do you get insights for living from God’s words?
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