GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO BELIEVERS Poem Devotional

Posted on April 17, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 18________________________________________
I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly. -Jeremiah 24:7(NLT)
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO BELIEVERS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you know how much God loves you?
Have you personally been changed and renewed?
God is faithful to all those who believe and give him laud
He will give them wisdom to recognize him as Lord
He will claim believers as his own people and will bless them
He will restore each one who believes in the one he has sent
He promises salvation to all who return to him wholeheartedly
They will experience countless favors, victory, power and authority.
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Wouldn’t you want a life of peace, joy and victory? What else is preventing you from surrendering your life to God? For many years, I lived dwelling in pain. I tried to compensate the hurt with over-achievements. As a result, I became focused on patting my back for a job well done which turned into idolatry. I idolized my abilities and used it to cover up the emptiness of being devalued and loved. It prevented me from recognizing the Lord as the source of all my gifts. It muted God’s voice in my heart. When I returned and re-committed to him wholeheartedly, he transformed me and gave me a new life.
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PRAYER
Lord, remove anything that would mute your voice in my life or distract me from praising you.
REFLECTION
Why is it necessary to give our whole life to Jesus?

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 UP YOUR HEART OF STONE Poem Devotional

Posted on April 17, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 17________________________________________
I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. -Ezekiel 36:26(NLT)
GIVE UP YOUR HEART OF STONE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you been garnering doubts and resentments?
Is stubbornness preventing you from making commitments?
Has your progress been hampered by un-forgiveness?
Accept Christ and you’ll experience peace and happiness.
Give up your heart of stone, let Jesus replace it with tenderness
Allow him to give you a new heart that is full of meekness
He promised that he will live in your heart if you believe
If you commit to Jesus, you will learn to give and to forgive.
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There were many decades of my life consumed by hurts and pains. I didn’t even realize that I had a hardened heart. It became a coping mechanism to cover up the pain through performance and proving to everyone that I had worth. I believed in the lies that I wasn’t good enough for anyone to love. It went on for so long because I opened the door for the enemy to use the painful experiences to keep me from growing spiritually. When I became a born-again Christian, God gave changed my stony, stubborn heart to a compassionate, generous, tender and forgiving heart. What a transformation! He gave me a new heart, new friends and new life.
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PRAYER
May all persons who cling to their hardened hearts experience your love.
REFLECTION
Why is it essential for a Christian to receive healing from hardened 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

PATIENCE IN TROUBLE Poem Devotional

Posted on April 16, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 16________________________________________
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying.
– Romans 12:12(NLT)
PATIENCE IN TROUBLE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever you encounter difficulties and trials
Run to God’s throne instead of being in denial
Be patient in trouble and keep on praying
He will guide you, keep on trusting.
Continue to rejoice and be hopeful
There’s no point in being doubtful
Expect the best despite all adversities
God will bring about favor and victory.
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When we are beset by troubles, our natural reaction is usually panic and worry. We analyze and problem solve instead of running to God for help. We like to think that we can do it on our own and as a result, we fail. Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It is not something we can work on. The dictionary definition of patience is “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” I think that this meaning is close to how the word of God meant it as well. The capacity to have this fruit of the Spirit is a favor or grace given to that person who believes and rely on God’s goodness. It is not something we can automatically do or work at. The more we believe, the more we will be hopeful. When we are expecting the best out of something, we receive the fruit of patience.
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PRAYER
Lord, grant me an unwavering faith so I can reap patience.
REFLECTION
How does impatience manifest in your daily 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

INNOCENT YET MATURE Poem Devotional

Posted on April 13, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 14________________________________________
Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. -1 Corinthians 14:20(NLT)
INNOCENT YET MATURE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you let no corrupt thoughts occupy your mind
You are guarding your heart and staying pure
When you feed on God’s word, you won’t be blind
You become aware of the enemy’s tactics to lure.
Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil
By staying pure, you protect yourself from corruption
Be watchful with all the tricks of the devil
By seeking God, you are going to receive His redemption.
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Ignorance is defined as lack of knowledge or information while innocence means being pure or uncorrupted. When it comes to civil laws, each citizen of a country will you be obliged to follow it, wouldn’t they? They can’t tell the cop that I didn’t know that the speed limit for that area was such. They will still be given a ticket if they go over the limit and have consequences on their driver’s license. Is ignorance of God’s law an excuse to be judged by the Lord? In 1 Corinthians 14:20m we are specifically instructed to be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but mature in understanding when it comes to God’s will and commands. Staying pure but hungering for knowing his desires and plan for us is the formula for salvation.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to stay focused on you and not on this world.
REFLECTION
How can you stay innocent yet mature in this corrupt world?
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

SPECIAL ABILITIES Poem Devotional

Posted on April 12, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 13________________________________________
Let love be your highest goal. But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives. -1 Corinthians 14:1(NLT)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
A poem and essay by ILMA
When God formed us in our mother’s womb
He gave us special abilities to use for good
He provided us a heart so we can love abundantly
He bestowed on us gifts to use them wisely.
Let love and not performance be your highest goal
By loving one another, we will make this a better world
Use the natural gifts you were given to serve the Lord
If you do it to prosper yourself, you are defying God’s word.
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It took me a while to find out the special gifts I had because of so much turmoil in my life. I believed so many lies that clouded these special abilities the Lord gave me. When I discovered some of these gifts, I hoarded them and glorified myself instead of thanking God for these blessings. I was fool to think that it was all mine. I didn’t know that they were supposed to be used for prospering God’s kingdom instead of consuming it for my own purpose. I think this is what is wrong with the world. We are all twisted to think that whatever we got is ours. The enemy wants us to focus on the “self” and blinds us to operate in fear and selfishness instead of love.
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PRAYER
Lord, protect me from selfishness so I can love fully.
REFLECTION
What roadblocks in your life prevent you from your highest goal which is “to love” ¬¬¬?

ACCOUNTABILITY Poem Devotional

Posted on April 12, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 12________________________________________
For we are all responsible for our own conduct. -Galatians 6:5(NLT)
ACCOUNTABILITY
A poem and essay by ILMA
The Lord created humans and gave him full authority
What do you do to exercise your own accountability?
Do you apply the laws of boundaries in your life?
Do you take ownership for mistakes or do you fight?
We are all responsible for our own demeanor
Do we admit whenever we chose wrong behavior?
Accountability is the first step to grow spiritually
It is a rousing from the Spirit that gives us humility.
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When I was a teacher, I took delight in those students who were very responsible, diligent and persistent. I remembered a few of those girls during my fifteen-year tenure as a Speech and Visual Arts teacher. These students gave me inspiration to grow personally and professionally. They taught me to persist despite the others who were always blaming someone or something with their shortcomings. I witnessed how God blessed and showered them with many favors.
I grew up surrounded by blamers and it was very easy for me to take on what I learned from authorities around me. It made it very difficult to deal with people who whines and blames. They spin you around as well.
The bible tells us that we are all responsible for our own conduct. We need to exercise humility when we make mistakes and confess it and be accountable for it.
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PRAYER
Lord, caution me when I tend to blame.
REFLECTION
How can we be more responsible for our own choices and actions?
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

AS LONG AS I HAVE BREATH Poem Devotional

Posted on April 11, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 11________________________________________
Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath. -Psalm 116:2 (NLT)
AS LONG AS I HAVE BREATH
A poem and essay by ILMA
When I wake up each morning, I will pray
I will thank the Lord for his favor each day
Because he bends down to listen to me
I will connect to him in order to be free.
I will pray to the Lord as long as I have breath
Because he is forever faithful, I will do my best
He gives me mercy and grace to overcome all evil
I will stay loyal and grateful to him forever.
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When people get married, they vow to love each other for as long as they live. In our society today, we find that many married people have breached these vows they made. Changes, circumstances and other factors come along the way that made them forget how much they loved each other. This is why it is always good to remind ourselves if we are married to renew these vows. The Lord has given us so many promises and stayed faithful to each of us, we also need to pray unceasingly to him. When we committed ourselves to Christ, we got married to him. We vowed to stay faithful and make him first in our lives. We sometimes forget that we made that promise to serve Him faithfully.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to remember the commitment I made to you daily.
REFLECTION
What can we do to stay faithful to the Lord for as long as we live?
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

DISHONESTY TEST Poem Devotional

Posted on April 9, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 10________________________________________
If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. – Luke 16:10(NLT)
DISHONESTY TEST
A poem and essay by ILMA
What occupies your heart and mind?
Do you feed on God’s word or are you blind?
Do you do good only when someone is watching?
Are you honest to always choose the right thing?
Your trustworthiness can be tested in little things
So does deceit show also in bigger responsibilities
Live a life full of integrity and you will thrive
Continue to live in lies and you will surely die.
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East Anglia research on honesty found that people’s honesty varies significantly between countries. The study examined whether people from different countries were more or less honest and how this related to a country’s economic development. More than 1500 participants from Brazil, China, Greece, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States, Argentina, Denmark, the United Kingdom, India, Portugal, South Africa, and South Korea – were chosen to provide a mix of regions, levels of development and levels of social trust. The four least honest countries resulting from their quiz were China, Japan, South Korea and India.
The bible tells us that the test for integrity is in little things. If one is honest in little things, they will also be honest in large ones and in bigger responsibilities.
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PRAYER
Lord, convict me when I compromise my integrity.
REFLECTION
Why do you think some people choose dishonesty over integrity?
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

DO WELL WHATEVER YOU DO Poem Devotional

Posted on April 9, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 9________________________________________
Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. -Ecclesiastes 9:10(NLT)
DO WELL WHATEVER YOU DO
A poem and essay by ILMA
God gave you abilities to use and hone
Use it! So you can press on to your growth
Whatever you do, give all you got to do it well
For your life may end, no one can tell.
There’ll be no work or planning on your grave
So when you face challenges, just be brave
When you do outstanding work, God can be praised!
Others will see his power and his amazing grace.
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I know of some people who like to settle for less because of their fear of criticism, rejection or not living up to other people’s expectations. What a waste it is when we have this kind of mentality. It places us in a box where we don’t really see our maximum capabilities. Being safe brings comfort to many people, but success is usually a by-product of taking risks, sacrificing comfort and not being afraid to fail. Most successful people didn’t achieve it in just one click. It is usually a result of repeated failures, learning from them and not giving up.
The bible tells us that we must do our best in anything we do because when we die, we won’t have the opportunities to excel and thrive.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to recognize it when I become mediocre.
REFLECTION
Why do you think the bible encourages us to be excellent in what we do?
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 ONLY WORK GOD REQUIRES Poem Devotional

Posted on April 6, 2017 by ilmaarts

April 6________________________________________
This is the only work God wants from you. Believe in the one he has sent. – John 6:29(NLT)
THE ONLY WORK GOD REQUIRES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you fully trust the Lord that he will deliver you from sin?
Do you do works of the flesh or go back and forth where you’ve been?
The only work God requires from you is to trust him completely
There is no need for performing, he grants us grace freely.
If you trust and believe in Jesus, you will surely receive
If you doubt and have little faith, you will live in fear
Believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and Savior
He will redeem you and give you blessings and favor.
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Work is defined as an activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something. It is a sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result. God gave us gifts and abilities so that we can contribute in the building of his kingdom. We are asked to love and care for others if we love God because that is the only way we can manifest our love for the Lord. When work becomes focused on self-gain, it becomes a form of idolatry. We were all designed for God’s purpose, not our own. The only work God really wants from you is to believe in the one he has sent.
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PRAYER
Lord, help us to work at strengthening our faith.
REFLECTION
How can “work” be considered an idol or a form of bondage?
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

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