Rob's Daily Devotional ~ The American Family Association...

Dear Readers, I don't often share other posts directly... word for word; but, Rob's Daily Devotional provided by the American Family Association is one of my go to supports and this week's was exceptional.

Sharing with you Rob's post ~ Your past can pull you back if you let it. Your friends can pull you back. If you let them. Your family can pull you back. If you listen to them. The world pulls at our lives from every angle. The world will hold you back. If you let it.

Nothing can snatch our life's calling from the will of God. Nothing, unless we let it!

Father God, give us the strength to fight back and not let our past, friends, family or this dark world, pull us back. Lord God, You gave us a new life when we came to You. Help us, Lord, to not make a 180 degree turn away from You. Help us to see the greatness ahead and forget about the sin we left behind. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT).

Do you want to do something without any selfish possibilities? By asking this, I'm thinking of the times that we do things for others with the thought in our minds that they will do something for us.

If we want to truly exhibit a selfless act, do something for someone that could never repay our action. Also, do it without others knowing that we did anything.

Lord God, help us to be more like You today. Help us to see the total selflessness that You exhibited on the cross. We must drop to our knees in praise and worship, for You Lord are our King, our Savior, and our God. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin" (Luke 17:1-2 NLT).

What are we doing that might cause someone to stumble back into an old sinful dependency? We all sin, that is fact. We all sin differently, that is fact. A sin in my life might be different from one in your life. We need to be conscious of our actions around others as they might cause someone to stumble back into that old addictive sin.

Thank You Lord God for loving us so much that You gave us forgiveness through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Let us relive Your mercy today. Amen.

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:12-13 NLT).

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our eternal freedom. Our soldiers sign their life away for the freedom of our nation, thus our individual freedom. Our first responders place their lives on the line in our communities, towns, and cities on a daily basis. They do their best to protect us from criminals, fires, and natural disasters. They transport us to emergency facilities when we can't get there under our own power. They are angels who live among us.

Thank you, God, for securing our eternal freedom through Jesus and for each man and woman who signs on the dotted line, to lay down their lives for our nation. I pray today for the safety of those who serve the citizens of our nation. May You Father, keep them in the mighty palm of Your amazing Hand. I ask and pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin (Luke 17:1-2 NLT).

What are we doing that might cause someone to stumble back into an old sinful dependency? We all sin, that is fact. We all sin differently, that is fact. A sin in my life might be different from one in your life. We need to be conscience to our actions around others. Our actions might cause someone to stumble back into that old addictive sin.

Thank You, Lord God, for loving us so much that You gave us forgiveness through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Let us relive Your mercy today. Amen.

As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” (Luke 8:23-25 NLT).

What is the current storm that you are going through? Are you thanking God in the midst of the storm? Are you trusting Him to bring you through this storm? Are you praising God in spite of the storm? Are you realizing that God is working in your life through this storm? Do you understand that God loves you no matter how bad the storm is raging?

It's not about the intensity of the storm but how you proceed through it.

It's not about the rain, it's how you dance in it.

It's not how big the storm is, it's how big our God is!

God will not leave you in the storm. He will deliver you by the storm, through the storm, or in the storm. When we have Jesus in our hearts, nothing can change His love, mercy, and grace for us.

Thank You, Lord! Your love endures forever! We praise and worship You, Lord God. It is by our faith and Your grace, we are saved. Praise God! No matter how big the storm is, You are with us. Amen.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time (1 Timothy 2:1-6 NLT).

Pray, pray, and pray some more. This is the foundation of worship. Jesus demonstrated the need for prayer, on many occasions. We should pray for ourselves, our nation, our friends, our family and for our enemies. Don't leave anyone out. Our Lord desires an intimate relationship with each of us and that all people be saved through the grace of Christ by our faith in Him.

Pray for the sick, needy, and injured. Consider yourself an intercessor.

We have an open prayer line of communication with God. He wants to hear our pleas and our needs...but don't forget to take time to listen for His response. He can speak to you in many ways, but mostly God will speak directly to your heart. Listen and obey and you will be blessed.

Lord God, thank You for the direct line of communication to Your throne. You are a mighty God of all creation and you want to hear from each of Your children. Praise be to You, our heavenly Father. Amen.

*Source ~  https://www.afa.net/the-stand/faith/2019/06/robs-daily-devotions-for-june-17-23/?fbclid=IwAR0YfrHqoE7_UAsbRIsgoFhr4ZyQBpCaX0ustitmQeQ7YjkfZfGTydiXvLM#