Day 7 - The Purpose of Power

This devotional talks about speaking in tongues. I know a lot of people don't believe in it, but I do. I know a lot of people don't believe it's for today, but I do. I think it is a powerful, heavenly language.
The devotional is about Wigglesworth being baptized in the Spirit (many people believe that evidence of being baptized in the Spirit is speaking in tongues), but he wants to know why. He ends up having to cast out a demon and God reveals to Him that was why he was baptized in the Spirit.
I was 16 when I first spoke in tongues, and I have to admit, it is definitely weird. As soon as I started speaking in tongues, thoughts of doubt crept in. First of all, what was I saying? Second, am I doing it right? Third, this is too weird for me. It was almost too much of an effort to block out the thoughts of doubt, that I wanted to give up. I haven't spoken in tongues since, but it's definitely something I want to start doing again. I just feel the need for it in my life. I think more things happen when you speak in tongues, powerful things. I think it takes me to another level with God. With the way the world is today, I want to get on a higher level with God.
If you think I'm crazy for thinking tongues is for today, read Mark 16:15 - 18.

Day 6 - What Are You Focused On?

Of all days to miss reading, of course it is a good one. I have to be honest, I almost didn't read this one. I almost skipped it and when on to the next day's devotional (today). Thank God I didn't skip it! It was powerful! And honestly, I almost skipped it twice. As I began reading, I got lost. I couldn't understand what the author was saying. I almost put the book down, but I didn't. I started over, and I am glad I did.
The devotional was about this minister who came to Wigglesworth and told him the doctors gave his wife a day to live. Mr. Clark (the minister) was distraught and wanted Wigglesworth to pray. Wigglesworth told him all he needed to do was believe that Jesus could heal his wife. Mr. Clark said that he had no such confidence. Wigglesworth felt that if he called on another pastor and went and prayed for the woman and anointed her with oil like it says in James 5, that the woman would be healed. However, the man Wigglesworth called said he could not believe for this woman, but that Wigglesworth could go alone and the woman would be healed. Wigglesworth called on another man to go with him and this time, the man came.
When they got to the house, the man began to pray for the sick woman. However, instead of praying for healing, he prayed for comfort of Mr. Clark and the motherless children. This made Wigglesworth upset. After the man was finished praying, Wigglesworth asked Mr. Clark to pray and again he prayed for peace and comfort. By the end of his prayer, Wigglesworth was infuriated. He got up, practically dumped the oil on the woman, and began praying for healing. He saw Jesus over her bed with the sweetest smile and the woman got up, healed, and began walking around.
Wigglesworth emphasizes keeping our focus on God, not on the sickness at hand or what the world tells us. God can do the impossible, we just need to believe. I think a lot of the time, it's our faith that falls short, not God.
Several weeks ago I was watching Joseph Prince on TV. He was talking about where our focus was. He said that whatever our focus is, becomes our God. So if you're focusing on or constantly thinking about what you are doing this Friday night, that has become your God. If your focus is always on your boyfriend or girlfriend, your boyfriend or girlfriend has become your God. If we focused on God as much as we focus on other things of this world, we might come close to having the faith we need to perform miracles.

Wigglesworth leaves the devotion with this thought: You can never pray "the prayer of faith" if you look at the person who is needing it; there is only one place to look, and that is to Jesus.

As hard as I tried...

I missed a day. :( I knew this wasn't going to be easy. Yesterday was tough though. I was busy all day and just didn't get a chance to open my devotional book. I had a revelation in church though as I sat and thought about how mad I was at myself for missing. I realized that I was trying in my own humanly power to read every day, but that wasn't enough for me. I felt like I should pray and ask God to help me find the time and give me the motivation I need. So, I did and I have to day, I already feel better about the coming days. I do have to admit though, I've had this revelation before...many times before. Any time I've ever tried to do things in my own power and failed, I felt the need to ask God to help me succeed. I am successful every time, until I try and do it in my own power again. And then the cycle starts all over. :/
Anyway, I do plan on writing about day 6 and day 7 as I promised myself I wouldn't fall behind regardless if I skipped a day. Read on for more.

Day 5 - A New Faith

Oh my, where do I begin?! This devotional was goooooooooooood. I knew this devotional was going to be intense when it opened with "Paul spoke about two classes of Christians, the obedient and the disobedient." My literal thoughts were, "oh snap, here we go." Haha. I thought I was going to be challenged (and in a way I was), but God revealed a few things to me through this devotional instead. I feel like this 30 day challenge was confirmed. I knew I needed to do this challenge because I needed to build myself up before becoming a parent and part of that 'building up' was having more faith in God, knowing He heard my prayers and would not disappoint me. Wiggleworth writes: "There is a rest of faith that rests in the confidence of God. God's promises never fail. 'Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).'" This is why I wanted to do this challenge and God confirmed its purpose.

The other night at bible study (and I think I mentioned this in my earlier posts) someone mentioned asking God for big things. Her comment about praying big prayers stood out to me so much, that I just literally stared at her as I let it sink in (she must have thought I was crazy haha). The devotional for today talks about how sometimes we forget that God's supply is limitless and therefore we lose faith thinking our problems are too big for God. We need to remember Matt. 7:11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?" The thought that God wants us and challenges us to ask for big things keeps coming up. Am I short changing God these days? If He keeps reminding me of this, I probably am.

At the end of the devotional, Wigglesworth talks about being in a desperate place, when you feel like you can't battle, when all is lost, turn to the powerful Word of God which speaks life.

Amen!

The Power of Jesus' Words - Day 4

I'll be honest, it has been hard keeping up with this blog. My intentions are there, but the time is not. I am usually exhausted when I get home from work and with all the house work and preparing that needs to be done, the last thing I want to do is read. I have been forcing myself to read anyway, even if its late at night. I've committed to this 30 day challenge and I plan on sticking with it regardless if I have to stay up until 11:30 at night to get it done (which has happened already)! It is not easy to commit time to God EVERY day in this manner, but it is what we are called to do. I feel bad that I reluctantly pick up my devotional book when I know deep down its the best thing I could do for myself. In a way, the challenge is exciting, but difficult, too. It is only day 4, but I feel I need to take time and really dive deep into what I'm reading. Honestly, I haven't done that yet. My new goal is to not just get through this challenge, but to really get into it. I want it to be something I look forward to, instead of it being a chore. That is my prayer.

Yesterday, I read the devotional for February 24, but didn't get a chance to write about it like I wanted to, but here it goes. The devotional references Matthew 8 and talks about the centurion who came to Jesus and asked him to heal his servant. Jesus heals the centurion's servant because He is so impressed with his faith. The centurion says, "Only speak a word, and my servant will be healed." Only speak a word?! What surprises me is that the centurion did not say much, but he expressed great faith in Jesus by that simple sentence. I want faith like that!

Sometimes I find myself telling God over and over how much I trust Him, when deep down I don't necessarily believe my own words. It's usually when fear and worry have crept in and taken over simply because I've allowed it. The centurion must have said that simple sentence with such confidence because it stood out to Jesus. When we pray in faith and tell God we believe, do we truly believe what is coming out of our own mouths? Or are we saying it because it sounds good. I think sometimes, and I know I'm guilty, we have prayed prayers that simply sound good. It is so important to believe what we are saying when we pray.

This devotional was definitely neat because it says so much in only a few words. What really stood out to me is one verse Smith Wigglesworth references in the devotional that I have been seeing over and over again. Allow me to share a story first:

A few weeks ago, a fellow colleague came in with the same devotional book I am reading now. She told me about the book and talked about how awesome it was. Then, she read the day's devotional. It caught my attention and seemed really interesting (i.e. not your typical boring devotional book). She left the devotional book on the table in the teacher's lounge for a few days. I don't know if she left it there intentionally or accidentally, but it was there. A few days later, since I had been interested in the book, I decided to pick it up and read the day's devotional (I had a few minutes between classes). I opened the book to the day's devotional and started reading. I couldn't tell you what the devotional said, but I clearly remember the verse that went with it. It was Mark 11: 24 "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." At the time, it was exactly what I needed to here. Once I finished reading, I looked up at the date at the top of the page (there's a devotional for each day of the year). I had 'accidentally' read the wrong day. It was February 3, but I read February 4. I really don't believe this was an accident, but a 'God-thing.' I needed to read THAT devotional for that time. That's when I decided I needed to buy the book for myself.

Fast forward to yesterday, and there again on the page is Mark 11:24. I really felt like God was reminding me because I had forgotten about that verse and that day. Is God not awesome?

I will leave you with this thought for the day from Wigglesworth: "The living Word is able to destroy satanic forces. There is power in the words of Jesus."

Makes me think of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQo-F_hUyrs&feature=related

Come to Jesus - Day 3

Mark 1:28-45
This devotion talks about Jesus healing the leper. Lepers were considered unclean and were forbidden to be around people. However, this specific leper had heard this man named Jesus could heal him so he went looking for Him. When Jesus went into the town, he met the leper, touched him, and healed him.
If you read the surrounding story, Jesus had healed many, including those with diseases and those who were demon possessed. Nothing is impossible for God.
The devotion goes on to talk about how sometimes people do not ask much of God. Sometimes when we pray, we ask God for just a enough, instead of asking in abundance. Why do we ask for food for a day, when God is capable of giving us food for a year?!
Wigglesworth leaves the devotional with this: "You will never find Jesus missing an opportunity to do good."
God loves us, wants to bless us, fill us, and give us more than we ask for sometimes. Are we afraid to ask God for too much? Its funny, a woman at bible study tonight mentioned this same thing (about not praying big prayers or asking God to do big things when He is very capable). Her words stood out to me more than anyone elses. Interesting that today's devotional was about the same thing.

Changed by the power of Jesus - Day 2

This devotional is powerful (as are all the devotionals I read in this book). It talks about the power we have in Jesus' name. Smith Wigglesworth talks about how a man, on his way to kill his unfaithful wife, stops to listen to one of his sermons and can not take another step toward the direction of his wife. He is intrigued by the name of Jesus. He talks about another man who had palsy, was shaky all over, and could not walk, but was anointed with oil and healed by the power of Jesus.
Why don't we see more of this all the time? Why aren't these things happening in our own lives? Are we short changing God? Or do we not have the faith?
I imagine Smith Wigglesworth had great faith and believed the words he preached. Otherwise, the man on the way to killing his wife would have never stopped. When we talk about God, do we talk with confidence and faith? Do we believe the words that come out of our mouth? Or do we say things because it sounds good? It makes me think. "Out of the mouth comes life and death."
Wigglesworth leaves the devotion with this thought: "There is nothing our God cannot do. He will do everything if you dare to believe."
Don't short change God. We serve a big God. Let's have the faith to move mountains. Our world could sure use it.

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

So there are a ton of people on Facebook who are doing this 30 Day Challenge thing. Each day you post a picture of a different event or significant thing in your life. It's pretty cool, I must admit, but since I'm old and married, my 30 Day Challenge photos would probably be rather boring and uninteresting. So I decided to do a different 30 Day Challenge. I decided to make up my own challenge. Since I have a hard time staying consistent with reading my bible every day, I figured I would make a challenge where I had to read my new devotional book (which I love) for 30 days straight and write about it.
The devotional book (for those that are curious) is by Smith Wigglesworth. I bought the book after someone brought it to school one day. I read a few devotions from it (there's one every day) and just found it so empowering. The words and power this man spoke were amazing. I felt so 'built up' and encouraged every time I read one of the devotions. It was awesome. I was pretty consistent with reading it at first, but as with any book, I put it down one day and haven't picked it up in a while.
I feel strongly about reading the devotionals in this book and that's why I decided to create my own 30 Day Challenge. I feel like it will help me get through the next couple weeks before I go into labor and help calms any nerves that might creep in.
So here I go. The first devotional I read was yesterday (February 21, 2011). The title was "A Lame Man Healed" and the verse that went with it was from Acts 3 (Acts 3:6 to be exact). The devotion talks about Peter and John and how they were uneducated and poor, but they knew Jesus and had been with Him, and were therefore, powerful. They spoke miracles and healed the lame man sitting in front of the temple.

Peter and John had nothing, but they had faith and the Holy Spirit and essentially, God. Is there anything else we need in this world if we have those things? What it really comes down to is that we do not need the things of this world. They are temporary and will leave us feeling empty. I would rather have the Holy Spirit and know God the way these men did, then have all the money in the world because eventually that money would disappear, but God would not.

And how awesome is God that He would give these men such power? Especially when Peter denied Jesus three times?! God continually shows us His mercy. How often do we mess up, yet God continues to love us, bless us, and have mercy on us...even though we don't deserve it? God always amazes me.

Another thought came up when I read this devotional. If you saw Peter and John walking down the street, would you give them a second glance? My answer would be no. They would probably look a little 'messy.' Their clothes would have been torn and they may have smelled kind of funny. Their shoes would have probably been worn and they probably wouldn't have adorned the latest designer shades. Yet we highly regard these men when we read about them in the bible because they performed miracles. Just a thought.

Smith Wigglesworth leaves the devotional with this: "He will lead you into nothingness, but when you are in nothingness, you will be in power. He will lead you into weakness, but when you are in weakness, God will be with you in might. Everything that seems weak from a human perspective will be under the control of divine power."