September 8

Spiritual Vitamins–Day 8 by SGLY Ministry

SPIRITUAL VITAMIN D: DELIGHT

“Delight yourself also in the LORD…Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)

Today’s Thought:
How do we delight ourselves in the LORD?
Delight is something that gives us great pleasure.
It is something that we are highly pleased with.
It is something we rejoice in.

Today’s Action:
Today, let’s take our Spiritual Vitamin D, which is Delight.
Let’s just take great pleasure in the LORD for no other reason than that He is our LORD.

DELIGHT IN HIS WILL
“I delight to do Your will, O my God.” Psalm 40:8

DELIGHT IN HIS WORD
“I will delight myself in Your statutes” Psalm 119:16

DELIGHT IN HIS WAY
“Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways.” Isaiah 58:2

Let’s rejoice that we belong to Him!
Let’s tell Him we are highly pleased to be His child!
Let’s just delight ourselves in Him all day long!

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Relax to Gain Power.

One of my friends always seems to be at ease. He does everything efficiently and quietly. He told

me his secret: "I try to keep myself in tune with God. Every morning, after breakfast, my wife and I

go into the living room for a period of quietness. One of us reads aloud some inspirational piece to

get us into the mood for meditation. Following that, we sit quietly, each praying or meditating. Then,

together we affirm the thought that God is filling us with strength and quiet energy. This is a fifteen

-minute ritual we never miss."

No. 51 in a series of 100 Power Thoughts from The Power of Positive Thinking, the All-Time

inspirational Best-Selling Book by Norman Vincent Peale.

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Make Prayer A Priority

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 (NIV)

My day planner was bursting at the seams. Each small square on the calendar was crammed with conflicting responsibilities: children’s music lessons or play practice, church meetings, work deadlines. Even brief moments of social life required budgeting well in advance. I was so busy that I resented the time I had to spend sleeping. And in the midst of my overscheduled life, God continued to call me to spend daily quiet time with Him.

How could I fit in one more thing? Didn’t He understand how important all my activities were? The work of the day insisted on its own urgency, so I often rushed through a token devotion and hurried prayer.

Reading through the Gospels, I discovered that Scripture mentions many times how Jesus went away to pray—sometimes early in the morning, sometimes overnight.

When life is overwhelming, setting aside time for prayer feels counterintuitive. Surely diving into the work of the day will bring more progress than stepping aside for prayer. Jesus understood the pressure of time. His brief years of ministry were limited, and there were so many people who needed truth, forgiveness, healing. His disciples needed to be taught. The Father’s plan needed to be carried
out. Yet He made prayer a priority.

As busy as my life might be, I will never carry the weight of responsibility that Jesus did. He came to redeem the entire human race. Yet instead of frantic urgency, He consistently modeled a life of prayer, of retreat, of seeking a quiet place.

Martin Luther said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” That level of commitment, along with the consistent example of Jesus, inspires me to find my own solitary space and time each day to spend time in prayer.

Faith Step: If your day feels too full, take a risk and schedule some extra prayer first, trusting Jesus to provide what you need for all the other responsibilities.

—Sharon Hinck

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The Gift of Time

Thought for the Day

"You have been given the gift of time. No one knows how much has been given; however, the question is: how will you best use the time you have?"

Today's Word

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV)

Today's Prayer

Lord, let me learn to use the time I have been given to better myself and the world around me. Amen

The Whisper Of God

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Be Difficult to Offend

Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble - Psalm 119:165

People who want to live powerful lives must become experts at forgiving those who offend and hurt them. When someone hurts my feelings or is rude and insensitive to me, I find it helpful to quickly say, “I will not be offended.” I have to say those words quietly in my heart if the person is still in my presence, but later when the memory of what he or she did returns to haunt me, I repeat them aloud. When I say, “I will not be offended,” I always pray for God to help me, realizing that I can do nothing without Him.

My husband, Dave, has always been difficult to offend. When he is around people who could hurt him or in situations where he could be offended, he says, “I am not going to let negative people control my mood. They have problems and they are not going to give their problems to me.”

On the other hand, I spent many years getting my feelings hurt regularly and living in the agony of offense, but I am not willing to live that way any longer. I am busy getting a new mind-set. Are you willing to join me in becoming a person who is hard to offend? If so, you will open the door to more peace and joy than you have ever known before.

People are everywhere, and you never know what they might say or do. Why give the control of your day to other people? Being hurt and offended does not change the people, it only changes us. It makes us miserable and steals our peace and joy, so why not prepare ourselves mentally not to fall into Satan’s trap? Developing the mind-set that you are a person who is difficult to offend will make your life much more pleasant.

Trust in Him: Do you get your feelings hurt easily? Trust God to help you become a person who is difficult to offend.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

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A Time to Text, A Time to Talk by Arlene Pellicane

“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.” Luke 22:14 (NIV)

I decided to try an experiment. I would bring my phone to dinner and bury my head in it to see how my family would respond.

Our dining table is a phone-free zone. My husband James and I don’t bring our phones to meals, and our kids don’t own phones. I was certain they would comment within seconds: “That’s so rude to bring your phone to the table.”

But to my surprise, no one said a word.

We blessed the food, and everyone started eating. James asked the kids about school. I felt more and more embarrassed by my anti-social behavior, even though no one else seemed to care. I was ready for my family to reprimand me about my phone preoccupation — except no one was giving me any grief at all. My face got red hot.

I blurted out, “Hasn’t anyone noticed I’m on my phone when I shouldn’t be?!”

They calmly answered yes. James said, “I figured you had something important and time-sensitive to finish up.”

My family members weren’t the ones agitated about my phone use. I was! I felt cut off from the conversation. I was waiting to be chastised and brought back into the family discussion. I wanted someone to notice my absence.

My brief experiment showed me my family gave me the benefit of the doubt since it wasn’t my usual practice to use my phone at dinner.

It also taught me it doesn’t feel good to use a phone while eating with loved ones.

There are many times recorded in Scripture when Jesus ate with people. Granted, they didn’t have phones back then, but if they did, can you picture Jesus preoccupied with texting instead of talking? Me neither. Jesus reclined at the table with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15-17), lepers (Mark 14:3), Pharisees (Luke 7:36) and close friends (John 12:2).

Jesus communed with people, often by sharing meals with them. It was over the last Passover meal from our key verse in Luke when Jesus introduced what is now known as the Lord’s Supper. As Jesus took the cup and bread and gave thanks, His disciples were paying attention. Our key verse says, “When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table” (Luke 22:14). They weren’t distracted by taking photos of this pivotal moment in history (#LastSupper) or tweeting quotes from Jesus.

Drawing inspiration from the famous words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3, I wrote a poem about the need for discernment in this digital age:

There is a time for everything technological,

And a season for every activity under your roof:

A time to take photos and a time to refrain from taking photos,

A time to text and a time for long conversation,

A time to install apps and a time to uninstall apps,

A time to limit and a time to use,

A time to watch funny cat videos and a time to read thoughtfully in a corner,

A time to delay gratification and a time for lavish gifts,

A time to keep and a time to throw away,

A time for Facebook and a time to shut Facebook down,

A time for Skype and a time for getting on an airplane,

A time for digital advances and a time for silent retreat.

Friend, there is a time to text and a time to talk. May we have the wisdom to tell the difference.

Lord Jesus, forgive me for sometimes using my phone too much and my voice too little. Help me be fully present with people, especially when we gather around a meal. Create in me a desire to listen unhurriedly to the concerns of others. Show me if I need to make any changes to the way I use my phone and other devices. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.” (NIV)

REFLECT AND RESPOND: What is your usual practice with phones and screens at mealtimes? If they are banned from the table, carry on. If they are a regular part of the meal, try putting them away one day this next week, two days next week and so on — until you find yourself enjoying uninterrupted time with family, friends or colleagues. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but keep at it, and watch your relationships improve.

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Let’s go to the Lord

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Shall we heed to the call this morning? Let’s go to the Lord. Let’s take all our burdens to Him.

Coffee with Jesus

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Bible Verses

ISAIAH 40:31 NKJ 31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

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Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 5:10

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Romans 3:21-24 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

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I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2

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Exodus 34:21 21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

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Prayers

For the Spirit of Prayer

Almighty God, who pours out the spirit of grace and of supplication to all who ask for it; Deliver me, when I draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, so that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections, I may worship You in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Prayer To Do God's Will

Thy will be done. Dear God, I am full of the sound of my own voice, that lump of pride deep within me that will not go away, no matter how I try. Give me the strength through the power of your Holy Spirit to hear your voice and follow it, fighting the temptation to sin that bubbles up inside me whenever my mind strays from you.

Thy will be done. Thy will be done. Thy will be done.

You have commanded us to love one another, this I know without doubt. And yet all day I am filled with judgments, with resentments, with anger that sneaks in and grabs me when I am not paying attention to you. I pray dear God, that you will soften my heart to my fellow humans, no matter how sinfully they may act, and leave the judging to you, as you have commanded. Fill me with acceptance in place of judgment, sympathy in place of anger, faith in place of resentment. For my judgments and anger are the creatures of pride.

May I do thy will this day and for all the coming week, in the name of Christ I pray, Amen.

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Confession

Have mercy on me, Oh Lord, for I am a humble and miserable sinner. [At this point, pause to remember specific sins you have committed during the week and speak or think them.] I renounce all of these sins, heavenly Father, and repent of them, and I promise to make every effort not to repeat them.

Have mercy on me, pardon me for these offences and any I might have omitted from forgetfulness or ignorance; in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray for forgiveness. And I pray that your Holy Spirit may dwell with me in the coming day, to comfort me, to give me strength against temptation, and to guide me into the path of righteousness. Amen.

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(from St. Teresa of Avila)

May it please you, my good Lord, that there may come a day when I can repay a little of my great debt to you. O Jesus, strengthen my soul, you who are good above all good; and since you have inclined my soul in this way, show me how I may act for you, whatever it may cost, O Lord. Here is my life, my honor and my will; I have given them all to you and they are yours: use me to do whatever you want. Amen.

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Wisdom for Today

Father, I need You; I need Your wisdom as I walk through this day—at home and at work—in all my relationships. You caused Jesus to be made wisdom unto me. Holy Spirit, remind me that the fear of the Lord is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. I reverence You, my Lord, and depart from evil. Thank You for Your gift of wisdom that is from above. Help me remember that it is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Amen

Scripture Reading Job 28 James 3:17

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Almighty God, cause me to look out this morning, and open wide my eyes, that I may see what great preparation thou hast made that I might live. Amen.

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Lord, we know that each of us will experience difficulties of various kinds at different times in our lives. We pray for courage at those times, but we also pray for courage and strength to join others and be of support when they are in difficulty. Amen

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Father, we thank you for this new day and Your gift of life. We pray that You would visit every church congregation today with the gift of repentance and fear of the Lord. May the hearts of believers be stirred to repentance, confession and deliverance. Pour out your love upon us so that each believer will overflow with your love and be a witness to unbelievers around us. Give us wisdom and may Your will be done. Amen.

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Dear heavenly Father, thank you for blessing me and Lord, give me a greater heart to reach out and bless others. Lord, keep me from selfishness, greed, insecurity, lust, indifference and any other thing that would keep me from giving of the things You have given me. May I always be reminded that all I own belongs to You, and I am only a steward over it. Lord, I want to hear Your voice as to where I should give and how much I should give. Lord, I always want to be generous and kind and one who reaches out to the poor and needy. Help me to be sensitive to those who are hurting and deliver me from any hardness of heart that would cause me to turn a deaf ear to the needs of others. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.