Tag Archives: ILMA’s Poem Devotional

SYMPTOMS OF JEALOUSY Poem Devotional

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May 3________________________________________
For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. -James 3:16(NLT)
SYMPTOMS OF JEALOUSY
A poem and essay by ILMA
When there is insecurity in someone’s heart
That’s an opening for the enemy to start
Longing to have something others possess produces envy
It breeds contempt, anger, bitterness and folly.
Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition
There you will find disorder, chaos and division
Whenever there is discontent and comparison
There’ll be unkind and evil things beyond reason.
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Baker’s Evangelical dictionary defines “envy” as the sin of jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others, especially the spiritual advancement that is being done for God’s kingdom. Envy certainly leads to disorder and all kinds of evil, affecting one’s physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Unchecked, it slowly leads to a detrimental and regretful way of life ( Proverbs 27:4 ), and eventually, to estrangement from God ( Roman 1:28-32 ). Envy manifests the treacherousness of sin and human wickedness apart from God’s redeeming grace. If you are a believer, it is wise to avoid the company of such envious, godless people ( Proverbs 24:1 ). Envy is listed among the sins of the flesh that must be conquered through the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:1 ). Where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, you will find chaos, stagnation and proliferation of other sins.
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PRAYER
Lord, heal the hearts of those who are in bondage of the spirit of envy.
REFLECTION
Why do you think the bible instructs us to stay away from envious 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

JEALOUSY IS LIKE CANCER Poem Devotional

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May 2________________________________________
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.
-Proverbs 14:30(NLT)
JEALOUSY IS LIKE CANCER
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever your heart desires what others have
Be careful! That is not totally walking in love
When you fail to give the Lord thanksgiving
You are going to miss out on many blessings.
Jealousy is like cancer in the bones
Selfishness and Pride is where it comes from
If you think the world owes you something
You lose peace opens the door to continuously sin.
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Jealousy is defined as an unhappy or angry feeling of wanting to have what someone else has. Notice the presence of unhappiness and anger in the definition. The origin of jealousy dates back to our first parents, Adam and Eve. The fall of man was an offshoot of jealousy of Adam and Eve. They want to have the all-knowing character of God. Their desire to want to be like him led them to disobey his command not to eat from the fruit from the tree of good and evil. Prior to their sin, they had everything they could ever want. They were well provided for and had no need to toil. After the fall, all sins came about. The mother of all sins is pride. It centers on the “self” rather than others. A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body but jealousy is like cancer. It poisons and kills.
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PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from jealous people.
REFLECTION
How do you know that you or someone you know manifests jealousy or envy?
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

PRAISE TO A GREAT KING Poem Devotional

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April 30________________________________________
Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. -Psalm 95:1-3(NLT)
PRAISE TO A GREAT KING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Lift up your hands and shout joyfully to Jesus, our great king
Let us come with a humble heart and much thanksgiving
Let us sing psalms and hymns for he is worthy of all praise
He is faithful grant us forgiveness and constantly give us grace.
The Lord is a great God who looks after his own people
He grants us mercy and never wants us to be crippled
The Lord is all-powerful, all-knowing and full of wisdom
Praise to a great king, who redeems and grants us freedom.
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Praise means to express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing. It has seven Hebrew words for praise.
1. “Halal” means to rave or celebrate
2. “Yadah” means worshiping with extended hands
3. “Towdah” means acceptance
4. “Shabach” means to shout out
5. “Barak” means to kneel down
6. “Zamar” means to sing or pluck an instrument
7. “Tehillah” means to involve music and hymns
Doesn’t it amaze you how much depth of meaning is into this word? We are asked to praise a great king, Jesus Christ.
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PRAYER
Lord, I praise and glorify your most precious name.
REFLECTION
What is your preferred form of praising the Lord?
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

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING Poem Devotional

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April 27________________________________________
There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it and it will not be taken away from her. -Luke 10:42(NLT)
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
A poem and essay by ILMA
What things do you consider valuable in life?
Is it to be looked up to or to stay in God’s light?
Seeking and obeyin¬¬g Christ’s teaching is essential
Those who discover it, they will find it beneficial.
Only by depending on Jesus will we be victorious
It is by focusing on others that we become less oblivious
There is no other way but to follow Jesus
Come to the only one who is worthy and glorious.
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Many of us seem to be distracted by things that are not really that important. Sometimes we get caught up in the details and chaos in our lives and we miss out what is really valuable in life. I taught Art for many decades and one of the hardest things to do is to choose the subject you want to draw or paint. It may take awhile before one can decide which one to select. I usually give only a ten-minute time frame for my students to decide from a few choices. The more choices, the longer it takes to decide.
Just like in painting, we also need to make choices in life in order to grow. Following Jesus and obeying his teachings are essential to live a victorious life.
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PRAYER
Lord, keep me away from all sorts of distractions and focus only on you.
REFLECTION
Why is seeking God the most important thing in life?

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

TRUE WORSHIP Poem Devotional

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April 26________________________________________
Her sister, Mary, sat the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. -Luke 10:39-40(NLT)
TRUE WORSHIP
A poem and essay by ILMA
What is in your heart and mind today?
Do you have peace and joy each day?
Do you listen to Jesus when he teaches you?
Are you allowing your heart and mind to be renewed?
What distracts you from true worship and praise?
Is it your busy-ness that keeps you from being amazed?
True worship is quietly listening to what he is teaching
It is hearing what he is convicting you with and obeying it.
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The two sisters, Martha and Mary are examples of how true worship should be according to Christ. In Luke 10, we are given a picture of the differences of how people worship. Strong’s Hebrew definition of worship is “sagad” which means to bow down or fall down. In both Hebrew and Greek, there are two categories of words for worship. The first is about body language that demonstrates respect and submission; to bow down, to kneel, to prostrate oneself. The second is about doing something for God that demonstrates sacrifice and obedience; to offer, to serve. Martha was worshiping God with her service. She was very distracted by what is really more important which is what Mary did, to sit on Jesus’ feet and listening to his teachings. Worship is about focusing on Jesus, not on our works.
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PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from distractions that s top me from losing out on your teachings.
REFLECTION
How do you worship?
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

PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING TRUTH

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April 25________________________________________
Help me to understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. – Psalm 119:27(NLT)
PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING TRUTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Help me to understand the meaning of your word, Lord
Give me time to meditate on it to overcome this world
May your wisdom penetrate all human reasoning
May you give us discernment to have your understanding
May your truth pierce our hearts so we can be free
May we obey your commands so we will be able to see
May all our faculties seek you first in everything we do
May we remember to praise you and always seek the truth.
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So many confusing teachings have penetrated people’s thinking. The enemy does everything to keep us from knowing the truth. He distracts us either subtly or outright. How do we protect ourselves from such dangerous tactics? It took me a long time to finally seek the truth. I had a long journey because I believed so many lies perpetuated by the enemy. It kept me over four decades in captivity. Satan stole many years of understanding. How he did it was so clever. He gave me half-truths and prevented me from really knowing the real truth by many distractions.
The bible tells us to ask God for help so we can understand the meaning of his commands and meditate o his wonderful deeds.
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PRAYER
Lord, keep me focused on your truth.
REFLECTION
What are some of the half-truths that you were delivered from by God’s word?
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 STRAIGHT AND SAFE PATH Poem Devotional

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April 24________________________________________
Mark out a straight path for your feet: stay on the safe path. Don’t get side tracked. Keep your feet from following evil. – Proverbs 4:26-27(NLT)
A STRAIGHT AND SAFE PATH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever you choose the crooked path to life
You begin to divert and lose God’s light
Mark out a straight path for your feet
Stay with Jesus and you’ll be far from defeat.
Don’t get side tracked, keep away from evil
When you abide in Christ, it angers the devil
Fix your eyes on Jesus and you will be brave
Keep a pure heart and God will make you safe.
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Have you ever planned to go somewhere ahead of time? When going on a camping or a vacation, I usually plan ahead on the easiest route to take. With technology advancement, google maps and other navigation devices have made people’s travel easier. They may not always be foolproof but they can guide you to your destination. It is beneficial if you know the place you are going to rather than just relying on these devices’ direction. When we depend on these navigation technologies too much, it can divert us from relying on the Lord’s leading. Sometimes the world will tell us to choose a certain path that draws us away from what God is teaching us. Fixing your eyes Jesus will bring you to the straight and safe path to him.
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PRAYER
Lord, keep me safe in your truth.
REFLECTION
Why is total surrender to God the best way we can stay on track towards heaven?
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

FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS

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April 23________________________________________
Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies ahead before you. – Proverbs 4:25(NLT)
FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS
A poem and essay by ILMA
What is going on in your life these days?
Do they align with God’s commands and his ways?
Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on Jesus
Have a relationship with him and break being religious.
The Lord has great plans to prosper your life
Look straight on what lies ahead and stay in his light
Don’t allow delays and distractions to keep you going
These are the devil’s tactics to stop you from progressing.
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In Matthew 14:22-36, we are told of the story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter wanting to come to him and be able to do so too. In verse 27 Jesus tells Peter not to be afraid because he was there. Peter, being bold, asked Jesus to let him walk on the water and he was told to come and join him. He was already walking on the water until he got distracted by the strong winds and the waves. He began to sink because he didn’t fix his gaze on Jesus. He took of his eyes of him and looked around him. Just like Peter, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus so we can see what is ahead of us. We need not be distracted by our past and what is around us.
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PRAYER
Lord, let me keep my eyes fixed on you always.
REFLECTION
What distracts you from making Jesus your priority?
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

GIVE JESUS YOUR HEART Poem Devotional

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April 21________________________________________
O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
-Proverbs 23:26(NLT)
GIVE JESUS YOUR HEART
A poem and essay by ILMA
How many times have your heart been broken by someone?
Have you become callous as a result of being hurt by anyone?
Have you been discouraged by evil that is in this world?
Trust Jesus for he will cleanse you with his word.
Give your heart to Jesus and he will make you pure again
Seek his help and your prayers will not be in vain
Surrender yourself to the one who gave you life
He will transform you if you stay in his light.
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For many years, my heart was hardened because of the many painful experiences that I underwent. I wallowed in self-pity and lived in the city of regret. I complained about what I don’t have and compared myself with others. As a result, I became a very bitter and critical person. I didn’t realize that it was poisoning my whole being. My mind kept on thinking about all the painful events. It didn’t take long before the detrimental effects if such stinking thinking manifested in my life. I became very proud and relied heavily on myself. Independence and self-sufficiency became my coping mechanism. It completely closed my heart to reach out to God. When I gave my heart to Jesus, he changed it and made me hungry for him.
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PRAYER
Lord, give me a heart that desires you always.
REFLECTION
What do you think makes a person’s heart hardened?
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

AGREEING WITH THE LORD Poem Devotional

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April 19________________________________________
You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. -Isaiah 30:1(NLT)
AGREEING WITH THE LORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you know what God has planned for your life?
Are your plans contrary to his or do you live in his light?
If you totally agree with the Lord, there is much anointing
If you make alliances not directed by him, you’ll lose his blessings.
Agreeing with the Lord in everything you do will bring you success
If you defy his plans, you will not make any progress
Be sure to consult and make your plans according to his will
It will definitely bring you closer to him and farther from sin.
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I once lived with someone who was a high conflict person. He always contradicts anyone automatically, almost like a reflex. After a while, I couldn’t understand why I was always drained. He sucks the energy out of me. The more I respond, the bigger his reaction. When I realized that he will not stop, I learned to disengage and just be quiet. I started agreeing with him even though I don’t think he is right. The conflicts stopped and I had peace.
Agreeing with someone close to you is very important in a relationship. Discord and arguments destroy relationships and people. Living out of God’s plan is rebellion and leads to sin.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to live in your will always.
REFLECTION
What happens when you contradict God’s plans for 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