Based on “Jesus Teaches Us How to Pray for Our Needs” by Pastor Mark Balmer;
6/23-24/12, Message #MB516; Daily Devotional #3 - “First Things First”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry. (Psalm 34:15) You must have heard some of the stories, often funny, of the lengths children sometimes go to in order to get their parent’s attention. Sometimes they deliberately break rules, ‘go beyond their boundaries,’ or even are extremely good just to get a bit of attention. What a joy it is to know that we always have our Heavenly Father’s attention. He loves to hear and talk to His children.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33-34) God wants us to always put Him first in our lives. His Sovereignty, Omnipotence and Splendor should humble us and daily bring us to our knees. Coming before God in adoration and acknowledging Him as Father and Lord helps us get our priorities right. When we focus on the character of God, His loving kindness and tender mercies, we can bring our petitions before Him in faith. Whoever comes before God must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him diligently (Hebrews 11:6). God wants us to trust and depend on Him for our daily provision. Planning for tomorrow is part of God’s plan for us, but worrying about tomorrow takes our focus away from God’s priorities and expanding His kingdom. Worry is one of Satan’s major strategies. Everyone has been faced with circumstances that can precipitate worry, but God guides us through His Word to avoid the ‘worry trap.’ The perfect antidote for worry is God’s Word, where we learn to cast our cares on the Lord because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Give ears to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my king and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (Psalm 5:1-3) There is nothing like the presence of God! Coming before God in prayer gives us the privilege of being in His presence. We can speak to Him; He always hears us and responds to us in different ways, but always for our good. Our timing can also be crucial. Always give God the best by going before Him in prayer, first thing in the morning. This affirms that He takes priority over everything in our life. He is greater than anything we might face during the day, and He will take care of our tomorrow. God holds the whole world in His hands, and His kingdom is forever. Amen.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Matthew 6:25-32
LO
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.