November 30: By the Grace of God I Am What I Am

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1130.html

Dear Jesus, Today's devotion in My Utmost has really got me thinking. Not only do we need to learn how to be humble in a way that pleases You and not society, we all need to plead with You to open our eyes and our minds to look at ALL things the way that You see them. For example, there were many very godly people in the 1800s who were slave owners, yet they did not think it was wrong to treat black people as vastly inferior because that was so acceptable to other Christians around them. Lord, help us to look at every aspect of our lives and ask You to shine the spotlight of the Holy Spirit into the deep recesses of our lives. I Corinthians 2:14 states the "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." But if we have Your Spirit, You have promised us in v. 16 that "we have the mind of Christ." Prod us to ask You the right questions and then give us the courage to listen and act upon Your answers.

All of the children of my heart are seekers; just like they cannot choose to no longer breathe, they are compelled to ponder the spiritual things of life. If they can find the unity of being of one mind with You, they will be at peace. So be it, Lord!

November 29: The Absoluteness of Jesus Christ

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1129.html

Dear Jesus, All my past prayers can be summarized in this one statement: May each one of the children of my heart develop a personal passionate devotion to You, the Person of Jesus Christ! Please help them sort out all of the thousands of motivations for religion in this world today and determine to aim toward the New Testament beacon that points us only to You! God forbid that we should ever be guilty of trying to dilute Your power by proclaiming You as an example, or a good man, or a pattern of how to live, or a figurehead of religious experience. Use the Holy Spirit to open our minds to the fathomless miracle of Your Sacrifice. Embody us with the shocking realization of what it cost You to willingly lay down Your life and take all our guilt when You were so guiltless. May we tremble as we fully grasp the power that You possess to snatch the keys of Death from the very bowels of Hell.

May we stand silent before You in worship!

November 28: The Bounty of the Destitute

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1128.html

Dear Jesus, I think it is amazing how you arrange circumstances so that we we repeatedly hear the lessons that You are trying to teach us. The chapter I am reading in J.I. Packer's Finding God is dealing with the exact same topic as today's devotion in My Utmost. As humans we resist thinking that we are really all that bad, or as Chambers calls it, "destitute." We rationalize, compare ourselves with others, and fight to remain in a state of denial about our abject sinfulness so that we can feel like we are in control of our own lives. Even Christians are sometimes largely unaffected by their sin because society's prevalent attitude is, "God will forgive....that's His job!"

Lord, I pray that the children of my heart and I will receive the great spiritual blessing of the knowledge that we are actually destitute and become totally stripped of pride. I pray that we will be hungry spiritually so that we can be filled with Your Holy Spirit and "lifted into the domain where You live."

Some of the children of my heart are going through desperate times right now. Help them to see through spritual eyes and realize that this is a blessing that can draw them closer to You if they will not resist. I know how scary it is to give up control of our lives, for no one resisted You more than I did in my youth. I was so afraid that if I surrendered to You that You wouldn't give me what I wanted. The truth is that in some cases You stripped me of my dreams, but what I could not imagine, was that what You gave in their place was better than anything I would have ever dreamed could be possible. Please give all the children of my heart the courage to let go of everything that they hold dear, even their very lives, and trust that You will only give them what is ultimately for their good.

November 27: The Consecration of Spiritual Energy

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1127.html

Dear Jesus, I pray that the children of my heart will "brood on the Cross of Christ." I know that according to this world's standards, even by many in the church, this sounds morbid, but I agree with Chambers that this will make them "dominantly concentrated on Your interests." Help them to understand that it is truly possible to live completely in the mainstream of the unbelievers of this world, tuning in to their needs and their hurts, and yet remain "inwardly disconnected" from all the garbage around them.

Help them to act upon this paradox, that greater spiritual energy is gained, not from storing it, but from using it up as quickly as possible! Although it is easier to live according the the standards of Your Word if we are isolated from temptation, there is no joy or fulfillment in that life. We are filled with joy as we join You in Your work, and that is always on the dirty and dangerous front lines. Help them to trust You that Your grace IS sufficient for them and that You will never let them be faced with a temptation that You have not already provided a way out of it. (I Corinthians 10:13)

Please remind all of us to "solve perplexing problems by asking...Is this the kind of thing in which Jesus Christ is interested?" If it is not, help us to realize it is not is our best interests to be interested in it either.

November 26: The Concentration of Spiritual Energy

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1126.html

Dear Jesus, I'm sorry that I'm so late praying today, but as You know, I've been busy taking care of sick family members. We've had 10 out of 24 infected with the stomach virus and five of those have had to have visitis to the emergency room. The medical staff said that this virus is a tough one and is moving rapidly. I pray for the health of the children of my heart. Help their immune systems be strong enough to fight it and please remind them to be smart and wash their hands, etc.

Lord, I've been thinking about the words of Oswald Chambers in today's reading and find that it is really very hard to do what he is so right in insisting that we do. Almost all the Christians that I know put more emphasis on the effects of salvation than on the message of the Cross. I've been asking myself just why I do that, and I think it is because I feel that it will be the best "sales pitch" to get people to come to You. After pondering this awhile, I am so ashamed to realize that to witnesss in this way is like trying to be God, somehow believing that if our words are charismatic enough, that the listener will become a believer. Forgive me Lord for trying to take the place of the Holy Spirit. Only You can bring someone to You!!!

Please help the children of my heart spend time contemplating the amazing sacrifice of the Cross and just what a miracle that Grace is! If we ever truly get a deep understanding of the Atonement, we will never be the same again!! All the temptations that seems to pull so strongly at us will lose their allure and their magnetic hold on us if we allow the illumination of Cross to overshadow everything else.

November 25: The Secret of Spiritual Coherence

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1125.html

November 24: Direction of Aspiration

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1124.html

Dear Jesus, Since today is Thanksgiving Day, the very first thing I must do is to shout THANK YOU!!! There are no more fortunate people in all the earth than those that know and serve You! Your Presence in my life is not only satisfying and protecting, it is also addictive! To have to walk even one day without You would be like falling into a void! Help all of us make an effort today to consciously bring to mind all the many things we have to thank You for. As we do so, we will automatically be connected to today's reading and become aware of our "entire reliance upon God."

There are so many things that can distract us from keeping our eyes on God, but, Jesus, please teach us to be grateful when You cause us to come to a sudden stop because of circumstances in our lives. At that time it is only natural in our confusion that we look up to You.

Lord, help us to learn from Hudson, Jana's cute little rescued dog. This puppy is so lovable and full of life, but he has to be constantly watched or else put in a cage because his curiosity is always getting him into trouble. When on walks, he rarely listens to our commands, but a sharp tug at his leash makes him look instantly into our eyes. Unfortunately, new smells or sounds quickly distract him again, and we have to repeat the discipline all over again. If he would just allow us to train him to channel his enthusiasm, then he could have so much more freedom. Any time I have watched a highly useful working dog, it has been amazing to watch the total focus that the dog has on the master. Help us to realize that we will not become very useful to this world until we also learn that lesson and keep our eyes focused on You.

Many of these loved ones will be traveling this weekend. I pray that You will protect them and keep them alert while on the road. May they use the quiet times there to reflect on You and to practice hearing Your voice.

November 23: Distraction of Antipathy

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1123.html

Dear Jesus, Chamber's words were exactly what I needed to hear today. Hopefully, they also ministered to the children of my heart. Please teach all of us to be the compassionate soldiers of the cross that You intend for us to be, striving to live according to Your instructions while helping others whenever we can, yet not becoming overwhelmed in that task. Without Your help, that is an impossible assignment.

Lately my "Christian temper" has definitely been "the enemy that penetrates right into the soul and distracts my mind from God." There are so many needs in my circle of family and friends right now that it becomes overwhelming at times. Please forcefully remind me when I start to obsess that You are the only one who can do anything to fix these problems, and that my job is simply to pray about them and then RELEASE them to You!!! Please teach all of us to "refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life!"

Especially teach us how to specifically pray for the loved ones who aren't completely sold out to You. Chambers really nails it when he says that it is easy to "allow the discernment to turn into criticism." Rebuke us if we judge, then restore us to a right relationship with You before we continue our intercessions.

November 22: Shallow and Profound

Today in My Utmost for His Highest: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1122.html

Dear Jesus, Today's reading reminds me of a fact that I have observed: the ones who can still find great pleasure in the simple things of life will never truly be old! Of course, bodies age without fail, but the spirits of people can remain eternally young if they let themselves frolick in the shallows of life. The contrast makes the moments of Your profound revelations even more meaningful to life!

I think that living this way also makes it easier to understand the wisdom in Paul's advice earlier in Chapter 10 of I Corinthians: "Some of you say: 'We can do whatever we want to!' But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. We should think about others and not about ourselves... When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God... I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved."

Lord, please help the children of my heart to carefully consider these verses when they make choices in their lives regarding entertainment, personal ambition, who they date, etc. It is so easy to rationalize our actions arguing about exactly what is or is not "sin." For example, they may all have different opinions about whether or not it is a sin to drink alcohol, but that is the wrong question. The right question is, "Does this honor God?" May they learn to live by this philosophy:
What's right or what's wrong, that's not my cue,
But rather it is, what's the WISE thing to do!!

November 21: It Is Finished

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1121.html

Dear Jesus, There are so many of the children of my heart who are going through some very difficult times right now. As I have called their names out to You, I have prayed for each specific problem. But I also want to pray for their spiritual strengthening. May You use this pain as a way to focus their lives on You, as a catalyst to create a longing inside of them to know more about who You are and how You think. If they read today's devotion from My Utmost, it is probably a bit confusing to many of them, because it is a different message than what we often hear. Different, but so absolutely true and so absolutely enlightening!!!

Help them to understand that in order to make sense of their present difficulties, they need to chew on Chamber's words until the meaning becomes digestable to their spirits: "Anything that belittles or obliterates the holiness of God by a false view of the love of God, is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ." Help us all to become more like You every day, hating the wrong in man, and comprehending that "Calvary is the estimate of Your hatred."

November 20: The Forgiveness of God

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1120.html

Dear Jesus, It is well known that the best way to truly comprehend a truth is to know it well enough to teach it. I pray that all the children of my heart will come to concretely grasp the truths that Chambers explains in today's devotion, because they will often be asked the question of why a loving God ever allows anyone to go to hell. This is one of the major roadblocks for non-believers.

Therefore, Lord, please settle firmly in all their minds that "the only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of Your death on the Cross; to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy!" Most Christians don't seem to even come close to understanding Your Holiness. Help us all, in spite of the limitations of our finite minds, to more fully absorb the fact that God Almighty simply is too holy to be in the presence of sin; that "He CANNOT forgive for He would contradict His nature if He did.... The only way we CAN be forgiven is by being brought back to God by the Atonement."

Satan will fight this revelation by throwing all kinds of arguments into their minds. Please, Jesus, let Your forces win this spiritual warfare and allow Your Truth to blast away all the lies so they shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set them free! When they possess this concept, it will be a joy to watch their sanctification, which "is simply the marvelous expression of the forgiveness of sins in a human life."

November 19: When He Is Come

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1119.html

Dear Jesus, Whenever I read Oswald Chamber's writing's I'm just amazed at how well he knew You and he was only in his early forty's when he died!! With some shame I admit that I'm just jealous! Lord, I want to learn how to deny myself and my selfishness to the point that I, too, can know You like that. And I pray this for the children of my heart as well. Teach us all to abandon everything else so that we can have a grasp of true reality. Most of mankind lives in state of false reality...we imagine that our sins are not so bad, and we usually don't comprehend the depravity of the human condition. Today's reading proves that Chambers suffered from no such delusions.

Forgive us, Lord, for not understanding that ALL sin is directly against You. Help us to be able to fathom a glimpse of the terrible cost of our redemption. It felt like someone slapped me when I read "It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love." Help us to not only understand that "the only ground on which You can forgive us is through the Cross" but that "forgiveness means that we are forgiven into a re-created relationship, into identification with God through You." Although it is so hard to really grasp this truth, I pray with all my heart that we will never be content until we find You have placed in us Your disposition. Make it so!!

November 18: Winning Into Freedom

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1118.html

Dear Jesus, This lesson really puts a load of responsibility on us, doesn't it. All my life I have heard people say, "That's just the way I am. I can't help it!" But Your Word is clear.... we are not let off the hook that easily!. And I thank You for that!! You love us enough to be stern with us, reminding us repeatedly that to choose the easy way is to choose despair. And yet, even though You are God Almighty, You never insist or force us to do anything. You stand with authority, Your still, small voice compelling, waiting for us to choose: "IF a man would come after Me, he must DENY himself, take up his cross and follow Me." Chambers is absolutely right -- we must "stop listening to the tyranny of our individuality and get emancipated out into personality"...which "always wants more and more" of God.

Lord, I pray that all the children of my heart will learn this truth and QUICKLY!!! Each of them are created with such special gifts that could rock this world if they were given totally to You. It is so very hard at first to give up one's individuality. I remember the process as though it were some sort of surgery! I felt as though I were an onion and that You were peeling away one layer of myself after another. Personal dream after dream was peeled off and cast away, and there seemed to be nothing left but the core. I remember calling out to You, "Lord, if you don't redress me soon, there will be nothing left!!!" Oh, but You did re-create me and I'm so much happier now than I ever imagined that my old dreams and ambitions could have made me. May You also re-create my loved ones and give them a joy unspeakable and full of glory!!!

Help them to fully understand the truth of John 8:31-34-6 when You said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the tuth will set you free.... I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a SLAVE to sin... If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

November 17: The Eternal Goal

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1117.html

Dear Jesus, "My goal is God Himself...At any cost, dear Lord, by any road." I wish I knew where that quote came from because I can think of no better prayer or creed for all of us. To adopt that philosophy of life automatically leads us to the place where we strive for instant obedience to Your will which places us smack dab in the middle of the road to happiness. So why, Lord, do we fight You so much over Your will for us?

I felt so ashamed as the truth of Chamber's words stabbed my heart: Your revelation of Yourself to me is determined by my character, not by Your character. Please clarify this reality to the children of my heart, also. There are two who are particularly unhappy right now and as I was praying for them this morning (even before I read "My Utmost") I realized that they are desperately seeking happiness by trying to fulfill their own desires. Suddenly, Your lesson of the Beautitudes flashed through my mind: HAPPY are the poor in spirit...those who mourn...the meek...those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...the merciful...the pure in heart....the peacemakers...the persecuted...the insulted...the accused. These two are not ready to believe the paradoxes of the Sermon on the Mount because they are not ready to step out in obedience to Your directives. Because of this they are miserable!!! Jesus, please help them come to the end of themselves SOON and try it Your way. I know that it makes no sense to them right now, but I have tasted the joys of stepping blindly through that door, and I want them to know that ecstasy, too.

Please teach all of us more about the sacrifice of obedience and remind us that each resulting joy is a direct result of our choice to obey. As we willfully prepare our hearts, make the Bible come alive to us as we read Your Word. Teach us the particulars of how to obey and how to walk our daily roads. Most importantly, teach us how to incorporate Your presence into every moment of our days. You are awesome, Jesus!!

November 16: Still Human!

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1116.html

Dear Jesus, The scripture reading for today's lesson in from I Corinthians 10:31. In my Bible I have a cloud drawn around it and a note that reads "MAN'S PURPOSE IN LIFE!" This verse sums up the reason that we were all created: "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God!"

Earlier in that chapter we are warned again not to make anything but You our idol of worship, to remain free from sexual immorality, to not put You to the test, to not complain, and to seek the good of others rather than our own good. Lord, we struggle so to do what is right, and I'm so thankful that You understand that about our natures. You even know how we rationalize our actions to You and in verse 23 anticipated our arguments that "Everything is permissable" to a child of God. You inspired Paul to stop that argument cold with the plain words that not everything is beneficial ... not everything is constructive.

Please help each of the children of my heart to be careful that they don't fall! Please let them keep the words of I Corinthians 10:13 fresh in their hearts to help them escape the clutches of temptations (I know that I have been rescued by these words multiple times): "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Thank You, Jesus, for this safety net that always surrounds us. It is like we all have this special Secret Service detail that is ready to whisk us away from danger IF we allow it. As always, though, You will not force us to do anything against our will. Please let none of us willfully choose to sin, but give us all the strength to resist the pull of the temptation.

November 15: What is That to Thee?

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1115.html

Dear Jesus, I cannot pray for others today until I first pray for myself. Please remove the log from my eye before I pray that the speck be removed from theirs. Forgive me for the many times that I am so upset by the pain in a person's life that I try to force them to change or I try to just remove the source of their pain myself. All of that is Your job; I am certainly not qualified to be God! Please stab my conscience when I start to do this and remind me that my job is to PRAY!

Please assure the children of my heart that each difficulty of their life is under Your administration and that You will never allow anything to happen that does not have the potential to make them stronger and closer to You. May the hardships of their lives impress upon them the critical need for prayer, both for themselves and for others.

Help us all to use our adversities to focus our lives on You so that we will "be so rightly related to You that Your discerment comes through us all the time for the blessing of another soul." Help us to reach the place where "we become so abandoned to God that the consciousness of being used never enters in," and we are only consciously dependent upon You!

November 14: Discovering Divine Designs

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1114.html

Dear Jesus, It is truly a worthy goal to be able to walk so close to You that we will be "so one with God that we do not continually need to ask for guidance." However, it takes a radical change in our natural point of veiw to be able to do this. Please teach the children of my heart to obey You instantly. I prefer that they learn to do this out of the desire of their hearts and their desire to follow the written instructions of Your Holy Word. That is what Proverbs calls wisdom!!! However, for those of us who are more strong-willed, please continue to bring trouble and even heartbreak if that is what it takes to get us to turn to You. Thank You that You care enough about us to discipline us so that we can ultimately have this joy and peace that is completely foreign to any who do not know You.

All of us have personal convictions, but if Your Word points out errors in our beliefs, please give us the strength to be loyal to You instead of our former opinions, no matter how important they are to us. Please quench our pride if following You means we must completely renounce our passionately held creeds. Teach us to daily give up our rights to You, knowing that You are a much better administrater of our lives.

And thank You so much for never giving up on us, no matter how much we fight the improvements You strive to make in our lives!

November 13: Faith and Experience

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1113.html

Dear Jesus, Forgive us for letting the cares and delights of this world take priority over You so often in our lives. Chambers is so right when he reminds us that You want our absolute abandon of devotion to Yourself. Although You certainly deserve that degree of loyalty because "our salvation is from hell and perdition," from the clues of Your character in scripture, I really believe that is not Your main motive in pushing us toward that kind of abandonment. You told us plainly in John 10:10 that You want to protect us from the deceptions of Satan, "the thief that comes only to steal and kill and destroy," and that the reason You condescended to come to this earth was so that we "might have life, and have it more abundantly." Only after striving to live this way can one come to glimpse the joys and peace that You have planned for Your children. My fervent prayer is that the children of my heart will give all of themselves to You, also.

What fears do these loved ones have? Only You know what doubts plague their souls. Please help them to understand that if they are Your child, then "all their fears are wicked, and they fear because they will not nourish themselves in their faith." We tend to want to blame others for our problems, but please allow the Holy Spirit to have access to own minds and shine the spotlight of truth upon our excuses. Help us to become completely identified with You!!!

I want to pray from I Corinthians 1:26-31. Lord, I think of my loved ones and what they were when You called them. Not many were wise by human standards, nor influential, nor of noble birth. But You choose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. You choose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. You choose the lowly things of the world and the despised things and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that none of us can boast before You. It is because of God's mercies that we are in You, Jesus, and You have become for us wisdom from God. You are our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Many of my loved ones do now have wordly successes. Please let them never forget that these abilities and achievement are directly a result of You working in their lives. Therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in You!"

November 12: The Transfigured Life

Yesterday's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1111/html. (Sorry, we were in Nashville on Thursday and Friday)

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1112/html.

Dear Jesus, Today I am feeling the urgency of the need for the children of my heart to get to know You better. Of course, that can best be done by spending some time in the manual, The Bible. A question was raised as I read Chambers query: "What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? For instance, can I stand in the light of I Corinthians 13, or do I have to shuffle?" Do all of these special people have enough knowledge of Your Word to be able to be bathed in its light? Do they even know that I Corinthians 13 gives a detailed description of what true love really is? How can they follow Your instructions for an abundant life if they don't know what those directions are? How can they ever begin to grasp the multi-dimensional aspects of Your personality if they haven't read the Old and New Testaments to understand Your character?

Lord, I know how busy they all are and that most of them believe that You are Almighty, but please reveal to them how vital it is that they make studying Your Word a priority. All of their other studies will go so much smoother, because by learning your Truth, they can have the mind of Christ. [I Corinthians 2:16] As a matter of fact, Jesus, I pray particularly that they will be able to set priorities in their lives according to the weight of importance that You put on things, not what society deems is important.

Also, Lord, I pray for their safety and Your protection on their lives. May You allow only the hardships that will make them stronger, protecting them from things that will cause them to rebel. Remind them that You will never allow anything to happen to them that they cannot handle in Your strength. And also, please remind them that they are truly loved!!!

November 10: Fellowship of the Gospel

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1110.html

Dear Jesus, Why is it that we humans want so desperately to be in control? Is it our fear nature or is it the fact that we really want to be the god of our own lives? Whatever the reason, I pray that we will choose to let go!! Although letting You be in charge seems at first to be drifting aimlessly in the middle of the ocean, remind us repeatedly that You are at the helm and will pilot us safely to the one place that is best for us to be.

These children of my heart are all special people with natural talents and gifts that You have bestowed upon them. It is only natural that they will feel restless just waiting to put those gifts into action, but help them to be content to wait for your nudge before they break out of the starting gate. Please let them focus their energies right now on just getting to know You, so that they will be completely tuned to Your voice when You change the direction of their path. Just last night I discovered how You have been doing just that in one of their lives and I thank You SOOO much for it!!!

Also, Lord, I want us to join in prayer for one of the children of my heart who lives in France. That country is in turmoil and he is new in seeking You. Quickly teach him to recognize Your voice and let him be instrumental in bringing peace to that place.

November 9: Sacramental Service

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1109.html

Dear Jesus, I have to admit to You that the scripture passage in today's reading, Colossians 1:24, is one of the most difficult in scripture for me to understand. I understand the part about the reality of being able to rejoice in our sufferings for You, but exactly what do You mean by "filling up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Your afflictions?" I feel as though there is some great truth that I am just missing here. I can't get past the language of "what is still lacking" (NIV) or "that which is behind of" (KJV). It's just that You suffered so much more than You deserved, so what could possibly be lacking? Does this mean that like You, we should willingly take upon ourselves discomfort and suffering to be able to spare others that kind of pain? Please reveal to us how this passage should take root in our actions, and then give us all the courage to live it!!

Also, Lord, I was struck by Chamber's words, "if we preach the effects of Redemption in human life instread of the revelation regarding Jesus, the result in those who listen is not new birth..." Forgive me, Jesus, for I know that I am guilty of doing that very thing. I want so bad for people to know the joys, that I often concentrate on that. Please help us all to realize that the joy, the peace, the sense of purpose, the power and the strength all are by-products of the main thing...KNOWING YOU AND GIVING OURSELVES TO YOU!!

I also want to pray a special prayer for the children of my heart based on the first part of this chapter, Col. 1:9-13. I call them by name as I pray....Jesus, since the day I heard about them, I have not stopped praying for them and asking You to fill them with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual widsom and understanding. I pray this in order that they may live lives worthy of You, Jesus, and may please You in every way. Enable them to bear fruit in every good work, nurishing them to grow in the knowledge of God. Strengthen them with all power according to You glorious might so the they may have great endurance and patience. Teach them to joyfully give You thanks because You have qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in Your kingdom. You have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into Your kindgom!! You are the Son of God, the Beloved, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of our sins!!! Praise You, Jesus!!

November 8: The Unrivaled Power of Prayer

Today's Reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1108.html

Dear Jesus, It still amazes me that You have made provision for us to have the Holy Spirit LIVE in us!! Never to be without the presence of God is such a marvelous gift!! Thank You so much!! That is why it is so important that we take to heart the instructions in Roman 8. My fervent prayer is that none of us will live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. It is so sobering to realize that the mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. Please bring to our minds regularly that we, both our minds and bodies, are the place where the Holy Spirit lives so that to do anything that would defile that holiness would make us sick to our stomachs.

Yes, we face temptations, but remind us forcefully that we are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit. Paul's words are strong, but so necessary for us to remember: "If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."

Teach us to remember that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Thank You so much that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and actually prays for us when we don't know how or don't know that we should. Wow!!

Please bless the children of my heart today, and may their lives be a radiant testimony of Your love and grace.

November 7: The Undetected Sacredness of Circumstances

Today's reading: http://www.myutmost.org/11/1107.html

Dear Jesus, First of all I want to thank You for that incredible promise of Romans 8:28. It is such a comfort to me to know that no matter how many miles separate my loved ones from me, that You are actively using the good and bad circumstances to make good in their lives . I fervently pray that these children of my heart will quickly learn to trust You with even the most difficult and unfair circumstances, believing that You are molding them into the people that You created them to be!!!

I also want to tell You how grateful I am that You have allowed me the privilege of having these special children in my life so that I can have the honor of praying for them. Please speak to them in Your strong, still, small Voice and teach them to utilize the common-sense circumstances that You place in their paths so that they, too, can intercede for others.

Forgive me for the times that I try to do the Holy Spirit's work for You, yet never let me grow tired of calling out the names of the ones that You have laid on my heart. Lord, let nothing hinder Your plans!!

The Frustration

I was so frustrated to be away from a computer during our trip to Vancouver because the lessons covered in "My Utmost for His Highest" were so powerful. Yet, as usual, God works all things according to the good..."

As I prayed for all of you, I realized something that the Lord has probably been trying to teach me for some time. The words leapt of the page as I read the November 4th lesson: "It is essential to give people a chance of acting on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual, you cannot act for him, it must be his own deliberate act..."

Please forgive me if I have seemed to be cramming ideas down your throats. Again, the words of Chambers in the November 2nd reading convicted me: "Our Lord never insists upon obedience....The Lord does not give me rules...." If the supreme Lord of the Universe doesn't bully you to accept the truth, then it is absurdly ridiculous for me to try to subtly do so.

Therefore, I will from this time forth simply write out my prayers for you. After all, that is all that I was going to do when I gave each of you these books. Also, I am going to attach a link to the "My Utmost" reading in case you have time at a computer without your copy of the book.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for being too overbearing. These people are so incredibly special and I love them so much. Bless them and draw them ever closer to You, so that their lives may be filled with peace and happiness and the wonderful satisfaction of knowing You!!

On the Road Again!!

Jerald and I leave again this morning for another trip, which is work for him and play for me. We are going to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, so I won't be able to post again until Sunday. Of course, I will still be praying for all of you, with a special emphasis on the "My Utmost" lessons. God bless you all!!

November 1: Ye Are Not Your Own

Oh, dear children of my heart, this is a really tough lesson, isn't it? Did you feel your hackles rise when you read "why shouldn't we go through heartbreaks?" Are you even close to the point where you can honestly pray, "If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then I thank You, God, for breaking my heart."

Dear Jesus, I know how long it took me to really grasp the reality of these abrasive words of Oswald Chambers. This is certainly not the message of most Christians today! But, Lord, I have found these words to be more true than I can ever express to anyone else!!! Please jar the hearts of my loved ones so that they can feel the certainty of these truths. Then, Lord, please give them the courage to begin to release their hurts, their fears, and the things they hold most dear into Your hands, even when to do so will bring certain heartbreak. Most of all, let them keep their eyes on You through their pain, resisting the urge to turn away from You, so that they can reap the benefits of such surrender!!!

No human can pen words that capture the state of peace that comes to one who fully trusts in You, especially in their pain. Only You can teach them how to not fight that pain, but to ride it like a raft on white water. And only a person who has gone through that experience can ever understand how embarking on that river becomes a Great Adventure. Those who trust You and truly know You become a separate people, yes, even a 'peculiar' people, as the scripture describes it. But we enjoy this life more than anyone else, by far!! Jesus, please give the children of my heart a deep hunger to follow You in this adventure!!