THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER!

Luke 6:27-28 – Devotional

Luke 6:27-28

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

It seems that God’s children have always had a question of how to pray. Jesus’ disciples asked Him how to pray, even though they had been in His presence and had personally heard many of His prayers. So how are we to pray — not simply memorized prayers, but meaningful prayers with power?

Most of us have experienced prayer services where the only prayer requests have been for a physical need. That is not to say that we are not to pray for physical afflictions, but we are banging our head against the wall if that is the extent of our prayers.

We are repeatedly told that we are to praise the Lord in our prayer times. In spite of that we usually launch into a laundry list of requests instead of magnifying and glorifying the Lord who has given us eternal life.

Besides praising the Lord, how should we be praying for others? In today’s Scripture, Jesus directs us to go beyond the scope of our normal prayer pattern. We are to pray for our enemies and those who despise us. We are to pray in love for those who are treating us with evil intent. Our prayer should show the same sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated to us. That is my prayer for each of you as you read this Daily-E-Votional!

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

PEACE IN THE STORM!

Luke 16:10 – Devotional

Luke 16:10

“Then said Jesus to them again, ‘Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.’”

It seems as if we are always facing a storm of one kind or another as we pass through the days of our existence here on earth. Many of us can immediately recall storms that surrounded us and even threatened our life. When the storm passed we breathed a sigh of relief and went back to life as normal.

How very sad. We should use the storms of life to remind us that those who have never received Jesus as their Lord and Savior are facing a storm that will last eternally.

Jesus gave a vivid account in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man based his eternal security on his wealth and position. Lazarus lacked the wealth of this world, but he had received Jesus as his Savior and possessed eternal peace and contentment.

We are not saved by being poor nor are we damned by being rich. It is a matter of claiming the greatest gift available to us, the offer of eternity with the Lord because of His shed blood. Receive and share the fantastic news that there is peace in the storm. Jesus is our PEACE IN THE STORM!

Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

LOST AND FOUND!

Luke 15:32​ –  Devotional

Luke 15:32

“It was right for us to make merry, and be glad: for your brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and has been found.”

Listen to Pastor Cecil’s Message of the Week & Prayer by clicking above on the play button.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

A SOMBER SABBATH!

Luke 23:56​ –  Devotional

Luke 23:56​

“And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.”

Listen to today’s Message of the Week & Prayer by Pastor Cecil by clicking above on the play button.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

CARRIED BY ANGELS!

Luke 16:22 – Devotional

Luke 16:22

“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.”

God has messengers that are referred to as angels in scripture. It seems that one of their assignments is to lovingly carry the spiritual bodies of the saints into the Paradise of God. Here in the Gospel of Luke it is described as Abraham’s bosom.

For those who are not born-again believers, they receive no such escort. Their remains are simply carried out and buried. But that is not the end is it? They are still very much aware of their surroundings. In Luke 16 the righteous beggar was now in the most glorious surroundings and his suffering had eternally ended. He would be with his Lord forever and ever.

The rich man also was still conscious of his surroundings — a place of suffering where he not only experienced pain, but observed that the beggar he had treated with such contempt on earth was experiencing eternal bliss.

We need to be aware that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Those around us are destined to one or the other. Now is the time to make every effort to snatch the perishing from that place of eternal suffering. Do it now!

God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

DRAW ME NEARER!

Luke 15:19-20 – Devotional

Luke 15:19-20

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

One of my most pleasurable jobs as a pastor is helping families restore broken relationships. I once was called upon to officiate at a funeral service. The son of the deceased told me that he had not spoken to his sister for years and wanted me to reconcile them before the service. Right! Just like that!

Less than an hour before the service I met with the two and their families. Each of them had children, spouses and others on their side. This son and his family were on one side of the aisle and his sister and her family on the other side. I had prayed for just the right words. I just started reading a Scripture. To this day cannot recall what I used. I had just finished reading when the brother stood and walked across the aisle and hugged his sister. The two families merged with great joy.

Fanny J. Crosby lived from 1820 to 1915. This remarkable lady never let problems keep her away from the Lord. Her blindness as an infant meant that she spent her entire life without physical sight, but was blessed with a keen spiritual sight.

When she was only eight years old she wrote the following poem: Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see! I am resolved that in this world contented I will be! How many blessings I enjoy that other people do not! So weep or sigh because I am blind, I cannot – nor I will not. The hymn, Draw Me Nearer expresses her desire to draw nearer to her blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Draw Me Nearer

1. I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith And be closer drawn to Thee.

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, And my will be lost in Thine.

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour, That before Thy throne I spend, When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend!

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know, Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach, Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

To access Draw Me Nearer, go to: https://gloryscapes.com/drawmenearer/

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.