Category: Daily Devotional

Scripture: Romans 15: 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Observation: My hope and joy should come from God, but I need to trust in Him first. God has put on my heart that I lack trust, even though He has been trustworthy. Why do I have such a difficult time in trusting?

Application: I need to realize God is everything. There is nothing that escapes Him. If I trust in Him and do what He desires me to do I will have that hope and joy so I will be able to fulfill the purpose He has given me.

Prayer: Dear Lord guide this servant and increase my faith that I will trust completely in you. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and make me this man you desire me to be.

Scripture: Romans 14: [10] You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Observation: Even when I’m in church I look around judging people on how they dress and act. I look at our new worship leader and in my mind criticize the way he leads worship and tell others how he doesn’t come close to our old one. Mary Jo is another person I judge. I say how phony and starved for attention she is, yet I’m so busy judging I run out of time for loving.

Application: I need to look at everyone as God’s creation. He created everyone in a different way and when I criticize someone I’m criticizing God. The only person I need to be concerned with, is me and how I represent God.

Prayer: Dear Lord give me the heart and eyes of Jesus. May I see each person today as your work, your masterpiece and as I stroll through your gallery that I would compliment you on your work.

Scripture: Romans 13: [14] Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Observation: Most of the time I’m preoccupied by this world and my sinful nature instead of God’s desires. I love the idea of clothing myself in Jesus. So Jesus covers me from head to toe so all I can feel is the touch of Jesus on my body, soul and mind. How stylish I could be. People would take notice if I would clothe myself with my Savior, something would be different and I can tell them about the tailor of my life.

Application:. Surround and wrap myself in Christ, read more and study and feel the touch of Jesus in my life. May I have Him on the inside and out where people would notice.

Prayer: Dear Lord fill me with the Holy Spirit and clothe me with your presence that I may live the life worthy of You.

Scripture: Romans 12: 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Observation: God has renewed my mind, yet I still fall back to the pattern of this world. Too much time spent worrying about finances, a nice home and the desire to get praise for my efforts. Until I focus on God and what He desires of me I will not find out what God has in store for me.

Application: Stop living this life as if this is all there is. My only purpose here is to do God’s will and to draw others near to Him. God has renewed my mind and I need to let Him take control.

Prayer: Dear Lord I freely give you this life as a living sacrifice, may it be holy and pleasing to You.

Scripture: Romans 11: 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Observation: God deserves the glory, my praise, love and obedience. I live my life as though it’s for me, yet I’m nothing. God created me and I should live for my creator. Before I act, talk or think, I need to ask myself will this glorify God?

Application: God deserves all of me, not just a few moments in the day when I think of Him. I need to wake up each morning, giving my Father the glory and praise He deserves. Then spend the rest of the day focused on Him and what He desires of me.

Prayer: Dear Father You deserve all the glory and praise. Take this selfish sinner and change my heart that I will glorify you with this life you’ve given me.

Scripture: Romans 10: [11] As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Observation: Why do I have such a hard time in trusting a God who has never let me down? Who is always there for me and proves Himself over and over again. It must be because of my hard heart that I have such a hard time trusting. I live my life in fear and doubt because I don’t trust in Him. Because I don’t trust I put myself to shame.

Application: I need to commit myself to trusting my heavenly Father no matter what is happening in my life. I need to lay the worry of this world and my life in His hands.

Prayer: Dear Lord increase my faith in you. I’m a sinner and still focused on me. Change me that I live this life for You.

Scripture: Romans 9: [20] But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why did you make me like this?’ ”

Observation: I know most of my life I hated myself and couldn’t figure out why God would make someone so imperfect as me. I remember the last time I tried to kill myself I told God He made a mistake by making me. I’m still imperfect yet with the love of God I can see how He can use me and why I was created the way I am. I was looking at myself through my eyes and not His.

Application: I need to know I am a creation of the Master and to focus on what He wants of me and not what I want. I’ll only be happy performing the duties I was created for and not trying to do the things I wasn’t.

Prayer: Dear Lord guide me each day to fulfill the purpose you have created in me in glory and honor to you.