Tag Archives: prayer

February 21, 2018 · 5:45 AM

Stop And Look

Have you ever been sitting at a red light, or in traffic, and looked over and thought, “When did they build that?” It happens to me all the time. I take the same route to work each day, but sometimes the traffic patterns change. I’ll look over and see a building or something else and wonder how I missed it before. I’d driven by it a 100 times before, but somehow I’d never seen it. Was I too tired every other time? No. The difference is that this time I stopped and then looked around.

It makes me wonder how much of who God is, and what He says, that we miss because our prayers just us talking. I wonder how much He’s trying to show us, but our lives are too busy. He created us to be industrious. That’s a great trait that He put in us, but He also knew that it would mean we need to be reminded to stop and breathe every once in a while or we’d miss Him. We have a tendency to make everything so much about us, that we lose sight of our creator.

In Psalm 46:10 God said, “Be still, and know that I am God!” (NLT) When we learn to be still in His presence, in prayer and in life, we begin to notice things about Him that we’ve never seen. Society has taught us that growth and advancement come from being busy, but God teaches us that they come from being still. Today, make time to stop and be still so you can see things you’ve never seen. God is waiting and wanting to reveal Himself to you. Are you willing to slow down and notice?

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

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February 19, 2018 · 5:39 AM

The Power Of Agreement

Recently in our life group we were discussing prayer, when one of our pastors spoke up. He said, “Agreement is the seat of power when it comes to prayer. There is power when we agree with each other in prayer, and even more so when we agree with God.” I’ve found that if you have a body of believers around you, it’s fairly easy to find someone to agree with you in prayer regarding something. I’m called fairly often with a request to pray for something. It’s my honor to agree with someone in prayer. So much so, that I stop what I’m doing and we pray right then.

The harder agreement to be in is the one with God’s will. I don’t always know that, so I end up praying my will and hope it aligns with His. I’ve learned to pray like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane where I let God know my request, but then say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” That’s a hard prayer to pray if we’re honest, especially when we are praying over a loved one who is fighting for life. Praying for God’s will isn’t about trying to change the will of God, but rather praying for me to accept what God wants to do and to be in agreement with it.

Something I’ve done in my prayer life to help me pray the will of God, is to give him a blank page. I pray, “God, whatever it is that you want to write into my life according to your will, I give you permission. Do what you want, when you want. You know the things I’m praying for. Help me to know the things you want to do in my life and through me. I make myself available to your will.” Be careful praying this prayer. If you mean it, this will unlock the power of agreement with God in your life and things will happen.

In Matthew 18:19, Jesus said, “Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (AMP). Because agreement is the seat of power in prayer, make sure you’re bringing someone else along to pray with you on the things that matter most to you. Beyond that, leave room in your prayers for God’s will to take place in your life. When our will conforms to His, it’s a powerful thing.

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February 14, 2018 · 6:04 AM

Don’t Stop Knocking

Today marks 40 day’s until Easter. For many, it’s a time of fasting and prayer. I believe both of these should be a part of every believer’s life. Some churches encourage their members to do it these 40 days, and others do it the first month or so of the year. I’d like to encourage you to take the next 40 days to pray concentrated prayers over something you want God to do for you. You could be seeking God’s will for your life, an open door, healing, relationships or anything, but take a few minutes each day to petition Him for it.

Several years ago I read the book “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson. In it, he talks of drawing a circle on the floor and praying inside it, or walking a circle around what you’re asking God for as you pray. It’s simply saying, “God, I’m circling this because it’s important to me, and I’m asking you to move on my behalf.” I believe God answers prayers, especially the ones we keep asking Him for.

In Luke 11:5-13, Jesus told the parable of a man who had someone show up to his house at midnight. He didn’t have enough food to feed them, so he knocked on his neighbor’s door. The neighbor told him to come back in the morning because they were in bed. The Man kept knocking because it was important. The neighbor didn’t get up because they were friends. He got up and gave him food because he wouldn’t stop knocking.

What’s in your heart? What is it that you want God to do? Psalm 37:4 says, “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire” (GNT). Spend these next 40 days finding your happiness in the Lord instead of in other places, and ask Him daily for what you want most. Remember that we can approach God’s throne with boldness, bringing our heart’s desire to His attention. Don’t stop knocking until He answers or your desires are changed to be in line with His.

Photo by Olivia Snow on Unsplash

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January 24, 2018 · 5:57 AM

Faith To Believe

Several years ago, we were taking a team on a mission trip. It was going to cost each person around $1,300 to go. We decided to do a couple of fundraisers to help bring the cost down. Since we live in Texas, we decided to sell BBQ plates. After everyone had picked up their plates, we still had several whole briskets left over. I asked the pastor if we could sell it after church the next day. He agreed, so we wrapped it up and put them in the refrigerator.

The next morning, my wife and I went to cut the briskets up. We decided to cut them into chunks of several pounds each rather than to slice it all. As the counter filled up with all these chunks of wrapped meat, my wife looked at me and said, “I hope God honors your faith instead of mine!” I said, “Me too,” as we headed to the foyer to sell them. Within 10 minutes all the brisket was sold, and we raised more money off of it than all the plates combined.

I tell you that because faith is essential to every believer. We need faith to believe God exists, and that He’s forgiven us. Beyond that, we need faith for our prayers to be answered. We need to be able to see in our minds something that doesn’t exist in that moment when we pray if God is going to answer. Many of us are good at asking for what we need, but we’re not good at believing what we are asking for. To me, that’s a critical part of getting your prayers answered.

When Jesus healed people, He almost always told them that their answer depended on their faith. Matthew 9:29 is a typical response from Jesus when someone asked Him for something. It says, “Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, ‘Let it happen, then, just as you believe!’” (GNT) I believe that’s still His response today to whatever you’re praying for. As you pray, begin to see in your mind what you’re asking for, and tell yourself God will answer until you believe it. God answers our prayers according to our faith and belief.

To help you grow your faith, I’ve published a book called “A Devotional Guide to Stretching Your Faith”. You can get the pre-release now on Amazon by clicking here. I’ll officially launch it in the next couple of weeks, but wanted you to be the first to know about it. If you’d like to be on the launch team, email me at chris@devotionsbychris.com.

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January 15, 2018 · 5:45 AM

Wrestling With God

When Jacob and Esau were born, the Bible says that Jacob was holding onto Esau’s heel. His mom then gave him the name Jacob which meant “heel” or “deceiver”. People have asked, “What’s in a name?” Well, Jacob lived up to his. He was a heel to his brother and got him to trade his birthright for some food. Later, he deceived his own father in order to steal his brother’s blessing.

He was so afraid his brother was going to kill him over that last deception that he fled to the country of his ancestors. There he met his wives and stayed for twenty years. God spoke to him to return to the land He had given Abraham. He knew he had wronged his brother and was still afraid of him. On the night before they met, he was alone. An angel appeared and began to wrestle with him. Jacob held onto him the way he hung onto his brother’s heel. Finally, the angel gave up and blessed him, changing his name to Israel.

In Genesis 32:28 says, “‘Your name will no longer be Jacob,’ the man told him. ‘From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won’” (NLT). When his name changed, so did he. No longer was he the deceiver he had been. He was now a person that knew God and prayed to him often. He quit relying on his own wisdom and started trusting the God of his fathers.

Some of us wrestle with God trying to find out if He’s real. Some of us wrestle with Him in prayer over our loved ones. I love that it says, “He won.” If you’ve got something pressing in you, don’t let go of God until He answers. The more we wrestle with God, the more we are changed. God is not afraid to come to where you are. He wants to help you get to where you’re going and to become the person He’s called you to be. Don’t let go. Don’t give up in the struggle. Your blessing is waiting on the other side of the wrestling match.

Photo by Katerina Radvanska on Unsplash

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January 8, 2018 · 5:27 AM

Exceedingly And Abundantly

What’s the biggest or greatest thing you can ask God for? Think about that for just a minute. Seriously. For some of you, it might be the healing of a terminal illness. Others might need a financial miracle. For Abraham, it was an heir to leave all his belongings to. He was getting old, and he was already thinking about end of life details. He told God that his reward for his faithfulness was useless without a child.

Asking for an heir to be able to pass down his estate to was the biggest thing he could think of, and he asked God for it. In Genesis 15:5 it says, “The Lord took him outside and said, ‘Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that’” (GNT). All Abraham was asking for was one descendent, and God points to the countless stars and says, “That’s how many I’ll give you!”

No matter what you or I can think of or ask for, God can do exceedingly and abundantly more. Abraham thought that asking for one descendent was Impossible, and God blew his mind. I don’t know what your prayer is, but I want you to know that God is able. What seems impossible or too big in your mind is not even the beginning of what God can do. Every time you begin to doubt, look at the stars and remember that nothing is impossible for God.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

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January 1, 2018 · 5:24 AM

2018 New Year’s Prayer

Each year, I write a prayer of blessing over the coming year’ that you can pray. As you read this, let it become your prayer for 2018.

Heavenly Father,

I want to pause and give you thanks for how you moved and worked in my life over the past year. I know that you did so many things in my life where I failed to recognize it as your hand working things out for my good. You are a good Father who has provided for me in the past, and i know you’ll continue to in the future. I give you permission to continue to work out your good and perfect plan in my life in the coming year.

For 2018, I’m asking that you would awaken dreams I’ve let go of. Bring them back to life so you can fulfill them this year. I pray that the seeds I’ve sown will bear much fruit in 2018. Show me where to scatter seeds, and teach me to water them with prayers from your Word. Rebuke the devourer in Jesus’ name. Keep him away from all that you’ve given me and placed in my hand, and multiply my crops.

Help me to grow closer to you in 2018. I want to walk with you daily so that I know you more. Help me to hear your voice more clearly, and give me the courage to do what you say. I want to be known an as a person who obeys you. Use me to accomplish your plan in this world, and help me to love others the way you want me to. I want my life to be a life that leads others to you rather than one that pushes them away.

Grant my prayers this year like never before. Help me to delight myself in you. I pray that your hand of favor and blessing would rest on my life so that I can be a blessing to others. Continue to heal the hurts and wounds in my life and make me whole. Watch over me and those that I love. Block any and all attacks from the enemy that would come against me and try to prevent what you want to do in my life this year. I love you, Lord, and thank you in advance for all you’re going to do this year.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

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December 27, 2017 · 5:30 AM

How To Pray Eloquently

I’m counting down my most popular devotions of the year. This was my third most popular one written in 2017.

I was in need of prayer recently, and a friend came to visit me. We talked about everything going on and caught up on a few things. Before he left, he asked, “Do you mind if I pray for you before I leave?” I nodded. He then said, “My prayers aren’t that eloquent though.” I replied, “God listens more to our heart than our words.” After we prayed and he left, I began to think about that. How many of us hold back on prayers because we think it’s the eloquence of our prayers that cause God to reply?

God is not like us. He is not impressed by our mastery of language. He isn’t moved by flowery speech. He looks into our heart and sees our intent. We’ve grown so accustomed to having please and impress others with our words that we think we have to do it with God. Religiosity is the art of impressing others while making a show of our faith. God doesn’t respond to that because He doesn’t like it.

In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus said, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (NLT) God knew I was in need of prayer. He didn’t need an eloquent prayer that explained what was going on and what I needed. What He needed was our faith to trust Him with the problem.

Prayer is not about saying the right words the right way. It’s about trusting God with the things we can’t handle. My son often wants things (and he hints at it), but I always say, “Use your words.” I think our Father in Heaven does the same. He knows we need it, but He’s teaching us to communicate with Him through prayer. Your communication skills don’t have to be excellent either. Your heart is what matters. Initiate the conversation with Him and open up your heart. Those are the most eloquent prayers He ever heard.

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November 9, 2017 · 6:00 AM

Training For Godliness – Avoiding Injury

Each year, I take one week off from writing to help me refresh and reset. This is that week. To help you stay faithful to your daily devotional time, I’m bringing back a series I wrote a few years ago on disciplines we as Christians need to have. Enjoy and I’ll be back next week with all new devotions.

Avoiding Injury

The way to avoid or minimize injury in sports is to do all the right things. The same applies spiritually. One of the things you can do to prevent injury is stretching. When is the last time you stretched yourself spiritually? I’m not talking about a faith pledge financially. I’m talking about stepping out in faith and you really doing something positive for the Kingdom. It could be walking up to a stranger and just telling them, “God wanted me to tell you that He loves you.” It could be fasting for three days with water only to grow closer to God. It could be any number of things that you don’t think you can do for God.

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” The same thing applies spiritually. If you don’t stretch yourself and think you can do more than you are right now, you’re right. You will stunt your growth and never do more than what you’re doing today. God wants us to step out of the boat like Peter did. When he saw Jesus walking on the water and asked Jesus to call him out of the boat, I’m sure his mind told him that he couldn’t do it. Thankfully his faith in God told him that he could. Have you asked jesus to call you out of your boat? Which voice are you listening to? Stretch yourself.

Pre-Training

So before you begin your in depth training for Godliness you need to be able to do some things first. You need to be able to read God’s Word without interruption. How much you read isn’t important in the beginning. It’s not about reading a chapter a day or at a time. God can speak to you with just one verse, but you need to be where you can hear Him speak to you through it. Get away from all distractions and the noise in your life. Jesus went away from others to hear God. You should too.

You also need to be in the habit of praying and listening. Prayer is important. I think contemplative prayer is even more so. I’ll do a post on this soon because it’s more than just praying what comes to mind. It’s purposefully thinking through your prayers. That’s something you work up to though. Beyond just praying, you need to learn to quiet your mind and give God time to speak to you. We, like Elijah in I Kings 19:11-14, think that God speaks loudly all the time. We want Him to speak to us audibly. Elijah saw a windstorm that tore rocks loose from the mountains, but God’s voice wasn’t there. He saw an earthquake, but God’s voice wasn’t there. He even saw fire, but God’s voice wasn’t there either. After the fire, there was a gentle whisper of God’s voice. That’s how God speaks to us. We need to get to where we can hear His voice, then quiet our mind and listen for it.

Tomorrow I’ll wrap this series up with some final thoughts and encouragement to continue your training for Godliness.

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November 2, 2017 · 5:00 AM

Until Victory Is Won

Throwback Thursday is a new feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other writing ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.


My son always wants to help with whatever I’m doing. If I’m shopping in the store, he wants to be the one to get the item off the shelf. He says, “Here, let me help.” When I’m bringing in the groceries, he wants to carry a bag. Every once in a while he gets one that’s more than he can handle. He’ll say, “It’s too heavy. Help me, Dada.” I’ll reach down and carry the bulk of the weight, but still let him do his part. I’ve been in his shoes before. I’ve had baggage that was too heavy for me to carry on my own. I’ve just haven’t been as eager to ask for help as he has. I think there are many who are in the same boat.

In Exodus 17, the Israelites were traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land. On their way, they were attacked by the Amalekites. Moses had Joshua recruit some men to go fight the Amalekites while he stood on top of a hill holding the staff. As the battle raged on, Moses, Aaron and Hur noticed that as long as Moses had his hands raised, they were winning. When his arms were lowered, they were getting beat. They encouraged Moses to hold his hands up, but after a while he couldn’t do it anymore. He needed help.

It doesn’t say if Moses asked for help or not, but it does say that Aaron and Hur acted on his behalf. They saw a need and improvised to help him out. They grabbed a stone for him to sit on so they could hold up his arms. They stood there until the sun went down and the Amalekites were defeated. Moses named the place Yahweh Nissi which is God My Banner. God gave the victory, but it was won because two people saw another who needed help and lifted him up. They sacrificed their comfort for those who were engulfed in a battle. 

If you look around at the people God has placed in your life, there are those who are fighting battles and they’re growing tired. They can’t hold their hands up anymore. They’re struggling and losing the war. God is looking for people like Aaron and Hur who will go to those who need help, hold them up in prayer and sacrifice until their battle is won. By helping them, in turn you are helping others that they are holding up. When Aaron and Hur helped Moses, they had a direct affect on the army fighting below. We never know how far our help really goes.

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