Hi Everyone

Hi Everyone, I have a new devotion for you all coming from Charles Stanley..I love reading his devotions and here is the one for today April 9/10 The Greatest Act of Love Romans 5:6-11 What do you think about when you see a depiction of Christ on the cross? Most of us are overwhelmed by the physical and emotional suffering that He endured—the scourging, beating, thorns, nails, mocking, and shame. We are horrified at the cruelty of the Romans and the hard hearts of the Jewish rulers. But during the crucifixion, far more was happening than the eye could see. God was carrying out His plan to rescue mankind, providing everything we need for salvation: 1. Redemption.Jesus paid the full price of the debt we owed for transgression: death. His payment set us free from bondage to sin. 2. Forgiveness. God could now release us from the punishment we deserved. 3. Propitiation. Christ’s payment satisfiedthe Father by fulfilling His demand for justice while letting Him forgive us. 4. Justification.On the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice, the Lord now declares believers not guilty. Although we will still sin in this earthly life, our standing before God is one of righteousness. This is a legal declaration that can never be reversed. 5. Reconciliation. The sin barrier that separated us from the Father was removed by Christ’s death on our behalf. We’re now God’s children—we have open access to Him and fellowship with Him. The crucifixion was the only way to rescue lost humanity. If there had been any other way, the cross would have been a grotesque display of divine cruelty. But because so much was at stake, it can truly be called the greatest act of love by both the Father and the Son. For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit http://www.intouch.org/.

Husbands Prayer Warrior

A Husband's Prayer Warrior

Sharon Jaynes

(In honor of Valentine's Day, Sharon's devotions will focus on marriage during the month of February.)

Today's Truth
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).

Friend To Friend
Of all the roles and responsibilities that God has given wives, the position of a prayer warrior or intercessor is perhaps the greatest of all. An intercessor is a person who intervenes or prays for another person. It was derived from the Greek word,enteuxis, which means to go before a King with a petition or plea on behalf of someone else. In essence, it means the same thing today. We go before the King of Kings with a petition or plea on someone's behalf. What we accomplish on our knees in the invisible realm will ultimately affect the strength of our marriage in the visible realm. There is no other person who is more called or more qualified to pray for your man than you.

In the Bible, God describes the marriage of a man and a woman as a visual example of the spiritual union between Jesus Christ and the church (all Christians). Believers are called "the bride of Christ" (Revelation 19:7). We are walking, talking, earthly examples of the heavenly relationship between God's Son and those who believe on His name. God instructs men, "Love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25).

There is someone who wants to destroy that living example, and his name is Satan. Jesus said, "The thief (Satan) comes to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). He desires to destroy the God-ordained and designed institution of marriage. He began with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and continues his destructive tactics even today. Satan is not very creative, but he's very effective, and he uses the same temptations and tactics today that he used in the first marriage on earth. Satan has proclaimed an all out assault on the family and he begins at the top - with the husband and wife.

So many times we fail to see the real enemy in our marital struggles. The writer of Ephesians explains, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). When I am having a conflict with my husband, I need to stop, take a deep breath, and think…who is the real enemy here? There is a spiritual battle raging all around us that we can't even see, but is very real. It is the greater reality. It is a battle that is not to be feared, but one that is to be recognized and fought in the only place where it can be won - in prayer.

Let's Pray:
Dear Lord, I pray for my husband, from head to toe.

• His Head -That he will look to You as Lord of his life. (1 Corinthians 11:3)
• His Mind - That he will have the mind of Christ and think as the Holy Spirit would lead him and not the flesh. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
• His Eyes -That You will keep his eyes from temptation and that he will turn his eyes from sin. (Matthew 6:13, Mark 9:47)
• His Ears - That he will hear Your still small voice instructing him. (1 Kings 19:12, Psalm 32:8)
• His Mouth - That his words will be pleasing to You. (Psalm 19:14)
• His Neck -That he will humble himself before You and be strong, courageous, and careful to do everything written in Your Word so that he will be prosperous and successful. (James 4:10, Joshua 1:8-9)
• His Heart-That he will love and trust You with his whole heart. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Proverbs 3:5)
• His Arms-That You will be his strength. (Psalm 73:26)
• His Hands-That he will enjoy the work of his hands and see it as a gift from You. (Ecclesiastes 3:13, 5:19)
• His feet - That You will order his steps and that he will walk in Your truth. (Proverbs 4:25, Psalm 26:3)

Now It's Your Turn

Consider asking your husband for some specific ways that you can pray for him today.

Look up each of the Scripture references above and make the prayer for your husband specific to his particular needs.

Find one friend with whom you can pray for your marriage. Commit to pray for each other's marriage on a regular basis.

I'd love to hear how you pray for your husband. Please visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes and share how you pray for your husband.

More From The Girlfriends
Praying for your husband is one of your most important roles as a wife. If you would like a more comprehensive list of Scriptural prayers to pray for your husband (over 100), you can find them in Becoming the Woman of His Dreams by Sharon Jaynes. Also, Sharon has the prayer above laminated on a prayer card that can be tucked in your Bible for easy reference. Just log ontohttp://www.sharonjaynes.com/ and click on books and audio. (Excerpted from Girlfriends In God)

No More Nagging

No More Nagging

Sharon Jaynes

(In honor of Valentine's Day, Sharon's February devotions are focused on marriage.)

Today's Truth

James 5:16 "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

Friend To Friend

There are some verses in the Bible that I wish God had just left out. Here are a few:

• "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping" (Proverbs 19:13).
• "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand" (Proverbs 27:15, 16).
• "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife" (Proverbs 21:19).
• "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife" (Proverbs 25:24).

OK, that's about all I can take right now. When I wrote the book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams, I surveyed and interviewed men about what they longed for in a wife. One thing that men repeatedly mentioned was their aversion to nagging. Drip, drip, drip. Webster defines nagging asto scold or find fault with repeatedly, to cause annoyance by scolding or repetition. Interestingly, a nag is also an inferior or aged horse. The best remedy to cure ourselves from being a nagging wife is to become a praying wife. Jesus invites us to stop nagging our husbands and begin nagging God!

Here's what Jesus had to say:

Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

"Then the one inside answers, `Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Luke 11:5-9).

In the Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the words ask, seek, and knock are present participle verbs. That means that the more accurate translation would read, ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. God invites us to be persistent in our prayers for our husbands. We can give our worries and cares to God and leave it up to Him to do the rest. "Cast all your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you" (Psalms 55:22). "Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Remember, you don't want to be your husband's mother…you want to be the wife of his dreams.

Let's Pray

Dear Lord, I confess that sometimes I nag my husband … alright, maybe more than sometimes. But Lord, I am determining in my heart to stop nagging my husband and start being consistent and persistent in prayer. My husband is Your workmanship, not mine. Forgive me when I try to yank the paint brush from Your hand and create brushstrokes of my own. I pray that I can be the woman that he needs in order for him to become the man that You desire.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

What do you think a nag sounds like?

Do you ever nag your husband? I know that is a silly question, but answer it any way. Confession is good for the soul J

If there are things that you tend to nag your husband about, try this. Write them down on a piece of paper, turn the list over to God, and then turn off the leaky faucet. Give it a try. You might be surprised!

I'd love to hear how God has used prayer in your marriage. Visit my Facebook page and let's chat. While you're there sign up! www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes

More From The Girlfriends

Nagging just seems to come natural for most of us girls. But God calls us to live super-naturally. For more on how to be the woman of your man's dreams, you'll want your own copy of Sharon's book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams: Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For. Visit her website to read an excerpt.

(Excerpt from Girlfriends to God)

Your Kindness

Your Kindness Quotient
by Max Lucado

How kind are you? What is your kindness quotient? When was the last time you did something kind for someone in your family—e.g., got a blanket, cleaned off the table, prepared the coffee—without being asked?

Think about your school or workplace. Which person is the most overlooked or avoided? A shy student? A grumpy employee? Maybe he doesn’t speak the language. Maybe she doesn’t fit in. Are you kind to this person?

Kind hearts are quietly kind. They let the car cut into traffic and the young mom with three kids move up in the checkout line. They pick up the neighbor’s trash can that rolled into the street. And they are especially kind at church. They understand that perhaps the neediest person they’ll meet all week is the one standing in the foyer or sitting on the row behind them in worship. Paul writes: “When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10).

And, here is a challenge—what about your enemies? With the boss who fired you or the wife who left you. Suppose you surprised them with kindness? Not easy? No, it’s not. But mercy is the deepest gesture of kindness. Paul equates the two. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32 NKJV). Jesus said:

Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you.… If you love only the people who love you, what praise should you get? … [L]ove your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy. (Luke 6:27-28, 32, 35-36)

Kindness at home. Kindness in public. Kindness at church and kindness with your enemies. Pretty well covers the gamut, don’t you think? Almost. Someone else needs your kindness. Who could that be? You.

Since he is so kind to us, can’t we be a little kinder to ourselves? Oh, but you don’t know me, Max. You don’t know my faults and my thoughts. You don’t know the gripes I grumble and the complaints I mumble. No, I don’t, but he does. He knows everything about you, yet he doesn’t hold back his kindness toward you. Has he, knowing all your secrets, retracted one promise or reclaimed one gift?

No, he is kind to you. Why don’t you be kind to yourself? He forgives your faults. Why don’t you do the same? He thinks tomorrow is worth living. Why don’t you agree? He believes in you enough to call you his ambassador, his follower, even his child. Why not take his cue and believe in yourself?

Be kind to yourself. God thinks you’re worth his kindness. And he’s a good judge of character.

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

The battles Within

The Battles Within

Marybeth Whalen

”What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James 4:1 (NIV)

Devotion:

Our verse for today gets to the root of why my husband and I get in arguments: the desires that battle within me. Desires I wish weren’t there. Desires that are ugly and selfish and petty. Desires that motivate me to seek my own way. Desires that battle within me, then spill over into my actions.

There is a battle raging within each of us. It is a battle between flesh and Spirit, between reaching out and focusing inward, between living for Christ and living for ourselves. How can we find victory in these battles without claiming more casualties? I have found there are several ways:

Praying: James 4:2 goes on to say, “You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.” James is telling us how to avoid fights. Take our unmet needs, desires, expectations and complaints to God. We don’t need to expect our husbands, children, neighbors, co-workers or friends to fulfill our every need.

Walking in truth: It’s easy to believe the lies of the enemy or our flesh: If you were only married to someone else, you’d have a better life. If he would clean up after himself, you wouldn’t have so much work to do. No one around here appreciates you. The lies escalate the battles. We spiral quickly into feelings of self-pity and anger. Instead we can learn to recognize those lies and refocus on Truth—God’s Truth. We can go to His Word and read what He has to say about the people we love and the position we are in. Psalm 26:2-3 says, “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind, for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.”

Taking each thought captive: 2 Corinthians 10:5b tells us that we are to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” There are two action verbs in this statement: take and make. These are strong words that indicate effort. It’s not something we can sit back and hope will happen. It’s something we have to be intentional and insistent about. When our thoughts start wandering down those dangerous “if only” paths, we can instead find a fork in the road and change direction, remembering who Christ is and how He lived His life on earth—as a loving, humble servant.

Being silent: I have often regretted my speech. In the heat of battles, I’ve found it is almost always better to walk away and pray. If I feel I have been wronged then I need to ask my Father to defend me. If I feel that battle still waging inside me then I know it’s time to ask Him to quiet my heart. Being silent is hard work! But I know that my silence is not as likely as my angry words to hurt the people I care about. Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”

When the battles rage within us, we can change the results and stop the arguments that ensue. It’s up to us to pause and choose a different reaction. I hope these things will help us today as we rise to the challenge!

Dear Lord, please help me to remember to pray, to walk in truth, to take each thought captive and to be silent. Help me honor You when the battles rage inside me. I don’t want to fight with the people I love and I need You to help me with that. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

How to bear anothers burdens

How to Bear Another’s Burden

Written by Dr. Charles Stanley

Please open your Bible and read Galatians 6:2-5.

Our quiet presence during someone else’s time of pain says much more than any words of advice. A grieving widow, for example, doesn’t need to hear our own tale of loss; she needs an arm around her shoulder so she realizes she is not alone.

Think about the times we bring our burdens to the Lord in prayer. Simply experiencing His presence lifts the weight off our own shoulders. God’s response to our pain is a clear demonstration of how important it is to make ourselves available and listen to our neighbors. No matter how inadequate we might feel, we all can share a burden by spending time with a friend who is enduring hardship.

The Holy Spirit will show us the right moment to speak, if words are necessary. That is our opportunity to share how God worked in our life during a painful period. When we give the Holy Spirit total control, He etches feelings deeply into our emotional system so we can genuinely minister to others. Hurting people grab onto kindred stories as if to a lifeline – it gives them hope to reason that since God shepherded one person through a valley of darkness, He will surely be faithful to shepherd another.

Our Spirit – developed compassion may require us to give our burdened neighbor other types of help – even material aid. It’s easy to pray for a friend or share our story with a church member, but we cannot limit ourselves to those things. If we are willing to be used by the Father, we must be open to His leading about how to offer assistance.

Question: Do you know someone that is carrying a heavy burden? How could you help, support, and encourage this person with God’s love?

About the Author Charles Stanley

God is with you

God Is With You

“In those days ten men from ever language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
Zechariah 8:23

God’s desire is to fill His people with His Spirit so that others recognize His powerful presence in them. The presence of the Lord in a believer’s life ought to be obvious. When the Spirit of Almighty God fills a believer, the believer cannot go on living as before. Others will see God.

God told His people through the prophet Zechariah that His presence ought to make a difference in their lives. If God’s people walked closely with Him, people from every language and every part of the world would hear that they were a people who knew God. People would come from every nation on earth to find the true God among His people. If the people saw a child of God, they would long to be with him or her because in so doing they would be with God. God gave the vivid picture of ten people clinging to one believer, hoping to find God.

Christ’s presence out to be so evident in your life that the people around you are drawn to you. They should want their children to be with your children because your children are being raised with a godly influence. Employers ought to want you in their workplace; people should seek you for their leader because they know you as someone of integrity before God. Your life and your home ought to be a magnet for people as they sense God’s presence with you and your family. The more you allow Christ to make His presence evident in your life, the more people will draw near you and find Him.

From: Experiencing God Day By Day, by Henry T. and Richard Blackaby

Learn to pray

Learning to pray

“The Spirit…makes intercession for us.”
Romans 8:26

Prayer isn’t natural to us. Our natural inclination is to depend on ourselves. Some of us haven’t learned how to pray. Others don’t pray enough to be comfortable with it. Still others don’t understand enough of God’s Word to pray biblically and get results. Whatever the case, we’ve no excuse not to pray. The Holy Spirit who lives within us can clarify, correct and change our prayer so that by the time it reaches God it’s all sorted out. The Bible says, “The Spirit also helps in our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us…Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:26-28). Who do “all things work together for good” for? Just anybody and everybody who believes? No, those who “love God.” And more importantly, those who have learned to allow the Holy Spirit within them to pray, because what He asks for will always be in line with God’s will.

Learning to pray is like learning a foreign language. The best way to learn it is to hang out in an environment where the language is spoken. So if you want to learn to pray you must (a) take the time to do it; (b) spend time with those who know how to do it; (c) allow the Holy Spirit to lead a guide you.

From The Word for You Today by Bobb Glass Ministries

Submit yourselves to God

Submit yourselves to God

“My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.”
-Psalm 62:5

James 4:7-8 gives the best advice on how to wage spiritual warfare: “Be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Come close to GOd and He will come close to you.”

When you humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, He will exalt you and lift you and make your life significant (see vv. 9-10). God will show you how to resist the devil. Spend time in God’s presence, and do whatever He tells you to do!

From Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer