Every Day with Jesus (7 page)

March

March 1: Quality Prayer

Matthew 6:5-8

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:7

Some of the most effective prayers are the shortest prayers. Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and the wind and the waves ceased. (Mark 4:39.) He said, “Lazarus, come forth,” and Lazarus came back from the dead. (John 11:43,44.) On the other hand, today in many churches and prayer meetings, there is a new emphasis on the quantity of prayer instead of the quality of prayer. Jesus never advocated long prayers, and there are only a few instances where He prayed long prayers. This is not to say that communion with God is not important. It certainly is, but formal prayer is only one part of our communion with Him.

Many times we ask the Lord to speak to us, but He can’t get a word in edgewise! We are doing all the talking. It is interesting that in Psalm 5:1,2 the words prayer and meditation are interchangeable. That means keeping your mind stayed on the things of God throughout your day is prayer. There are also times when you need to be still and know that He is God. (Ps. 46:10.) This is prayer too.

It is not the length but your heartfelt faith makes your prayer a quality prayer. Today when you pray, understand that God is not hard of hearing. You don’t have to repeat something over and over to get His attention, and prayer is not a means for you to impress Him or anyone else. Simply communicate with Him according to His Word, and you will not only get answers but you will also grow up in Him.

March 2: Your Loving Father

Matthew 6:9-13

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:9

Although God was referred to as “our Father” thirteen times in the Old Testament, Jesus’ frequent use of this title brings a whole new understanding of our relationship with God. Jesus referred to God as His Father over 150 times, and He spoke of God as being “our Father” thirty times. This infuriated the religious Jews of Jesus’ day. They considered it blasphemy to call God their Father because they understood that to mean they were equal with God. (John 5:17,18.)

This title has become so common in the church today that many times we don’t perceive its real significance. The revelation that we are instructed to call God “our Father” reveals the kind, gentle, loving nature of our God. (1 John 4:8.) Paul amplifies this by using the term Abba Father (Rom. 8:15), which is an affectionate term that a young child would use for their father. Abba corresponds to our English word daddy.

Jesus tells us what our relationship with God is and that we are to praise Him for it. It’s a relationship that goes beyond any human relationship we could ever have on earth. It’s a relationship of belonging to a Father who loves us because we are His, no strings attached.

Today when things get tough or when you need someone to celebrate with you, run to your Father God. Drop all pretense and formality and call Him “Daddy.”

March 3: Your Treasure

Matthew 6:19-21

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:21

If we separate certain Scriptures from the rest of God’s Word, they could be interpreted as saying that having money or wealth is wrong. However, there are other Scriptures that speak of riches as a blessing. What we learn from these two apparently opposite positions is that money is neither good nor bad. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. (1 Tim. 6:10.) You can love money if you are rich or poor. Many people have committed the sin of loving money and they didn’t even have a dime!

The love of things (covetousness) is idolatry, and this is what Jesus is addressing. Because it is so easy to lust after money and the things it can provide, God established a system whereby prosperity is a byproduct of putting God first. As Matthew 6:33 states, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” We should no more reject the blessing of prosperity than we should covet it. Our treasure is Jesus, and as we love Him and serve Him only, all the material wealth we need will come to us.

The strength of a laser is that all the light is concentrated on one single point. Likewise, your strength as a Christian depends on how concentrated you are upon Jesus. You may know Him and also possess riches, but you can only serve one of them. You do not have the ability to faithfully serve both, and you will rely on one more than the other. Only one can have all of your heart and devotion.

The reason for not laying up treasures on this earth is so your heart will not draw away from Jesus and all He has for you. Today He is your treasure.

March 4: Don’t Say It!

Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:22-32

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Matthew 6:31

In this passage Jesus commands us not to worry or be anxious about our material needs being met. It would be impossible to have no thought whatsoever about our physical needs. Even Jesus thought about His need for money to pay taxes. (Matt. 17:24-27.) We are simply not to be preoccupied with riches or to spend our time worrying about the necessities of life. These things will be added unto us as we seek first the kingdom of God.

According to this verse, the way we take an anxious thought is by speaking it. Doubtful thoughts will come, but we do not sin until we entertain them and declare them. Speaking these thoughts is one way of entertaining them; therefore, don’t speak any anxious thought!

It is imperative that we watch what we say. Jesus exhorts us to speak words in faith that line up with His Word because positive results will follow. If we speak words of doubt, we will eventually believe them and have the negative things that these words declare. There are no such things as “idle” words that will not work for or against us. Death or life is in the power of every word we speak. (Prov. 18:21.) Our words can be our most powerful weapon to release the power of God and defeat the devil, or they can become a snare of the devil. (Prov. 6:2.)

Today, watch your words. Refuse to entertain any thoughts of fear, anxiety, or worry about any situation you are facing. Instead, make a conscious effort to speak words that express your faith, trust, and confidence in the Lord.

March 5: Righteous Judgment

Matthew 7:1-5

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Matthew 7:1

Although we often hear that we should not judge people, there are many examples of people judging others in the Bible. Paul prayed that our love would abound more and more in all judgment (Phil. 1:9), and Jesus and the disciples spoke of judging. So it is evident there must be a right way and a wrong way of judging.

In Luke 12:56-57, Jesus used the words discern and judge interchangeably. There is certainly nothing wrong with discerning or spiritually appraising a situation or person, and we are told to try the spirits. (1 John 4:1.) Judging as discernment is good. It is the condemning type of judgment that is wrong. We can defer passing a sentence on people to God, knowing only He can make a perfect judgment. (Rom. 2:2; Rev. 20:13.)

Jesus does not forbid judgment, but He warns us to be careful with how we judge someone else because we will be judged the same way. There are certain cases where we have to pass a condemning sentence, as Paul did or as a judge would do today. Pastors and elders are charged with rebuking and even disciplining church members, but it is not something to be done lightly. Judging is not aimed at the person but at the actions of that person. This warning constrains us to be certain that we have heard from God. We must not simply vent our own frustrations or personal biases.

Every Christian needs God’s wisdom in making judgments. You can be confident today that the Holy Spirit will help you to spiritually discern or judge situations and people and then give you the courage and compassion to act according to God’s Word.

March 6: God Answers Every Prayer

Matthew 7:6-8

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Matthew 7:7

Prayer that meets the requirements outlined in God’s Word is always answered. Many times we don’t perceive the answer because it always comes in the spiritual realm before it is manifested in the physical realm. If we waver from our confident faith, then we abort the manifestation of that answer (James 1:6,7; Heb. 10:35), but God did answer. Everyone who asks receives.

In Daniel 9, Daniel prayed and waited a relatively short period of time to see his answer. In less than three minutes the angel Gabriel appeared and answered all of his questions. In chapter 10, Daniel prayed another prayer, and this time it took three weeks before an angelic messenger answered. What was the difference?

Most people believe God answered one prayer in three minutes and the next prayer in three weeks, but Daniel 10:12 says, “From the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand…thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” We learn later that Satan had hindered the angel from reaching Daniel. God was not the variable. He answers every prayer.

This is confirmed in Matthew 7:8, which says that everyone who asks receives. God answers, but Satan can hinder our prayers. Unlike Daniel, in the New Covenant we have authority over the enemy in Jesus’ name, so we can bind the devil from hindering or stopping God’s answer from manifesting in the natural realm. The truths of these Scriptures encourage us that God always answers our prayers.

Today when you pray, bind the devil and loose the power of the Holy Spirit by speaking God’s Word into your situation. You can have full confidence and faith that God will answer your prayers. If you are waiting to see something manifest, don’t doubt God! Recognize you are fighting an enemy and must persevere. Stand on God’s Word until you see the answer.

March 7: Check the Fruit

Matthew 7:12-20

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 7:20

The way you can tell whether or not a person is genuine is by the fruit they produce. This fruit is their lifestyle. Jesus made the point that you don’t get bad fruit from a good tree, and you don’t get good fruit from a bad tree. Many people say one thing, but their actions speak the opposite so loudly that you really can’t hear what they are saying. If you are in doubt about receiving or following someone, look at the fruit they are producing.

In evaluating ministers and ministries, more attention should be given to the fruit they are producing. Fruit is the true test of ministers and ministries. If people are being saved, if lives are being changed, there is good fruit. Even though the minister may say something bad and make mistakes, the fruit is good. Therefore, you can say that the tree is good.

Every minister has shortcomings, just as every other member of the body of Christ does, but that doesn’t mean their ministry is bad. When they say all the right things and seem sincere, but the lives of the people around them are shattered, torn, and in confusion and distress, then the fruit is bad. You can judge the effectiveness of a person by the fruit they are producing in their life, and you can judge the effectiveness of a minister by the fruit they are producing in their ministry.

Today, always make sure the fruit produced from your life is good first. Do you make a positive impact on people’s lives? Do you turn people to the Lord or leave them hurt and confused? Examine your own fruit first, and then you will be able to properly examine the fruit of those who lead you in the church.

March 8: Healing Is God’s Will

Matthew 8:1-4

And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Matthew 8:2

This leper believed Jesus had the ability to heal him, but he was not certain He wanted to heal him. Jesus showed him His willingness to heal, and since He is no respecter of persons, He established a precedent for us. (Rom. 2:11.) This leper did not know God’s will concerning healing, but this is not the case with us. The Word of God is the will of God, and the Bible reveals it is always God’s will to heal.

When Isaiah wrote, “With his stripes we are healed,” in Isaiah 53:5, he was speaking of the physical healing of our bodies. Jesus provided for physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins. Many Scriptures mention the healing of our bodies in conjunction with the forgiveness of our sins. Healing is as much a part of our salvation as the forgiveness of our sins.

Nowhere do we find Jesus refusing to heal anyone. In light of His statement that He could do nothing of Himself but only what He saw the Father do (John 5:19; 8:28,29), His actions are proof enough that it is always God’s will to heal. There are certain things Jesus suffered for us that we should not suffer. He died for our sins so we would not have to pay for them. (Rom. 6:23.) He took our sicknesses and diseases so we could walk in health. (Matt. 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24.) He became poor so we might be rich. (2 Cor. 8:9.)

If Jesus did all this for you, then you have a great life ahead of you! He has made every provision for you to walk in all He has provided for you today. Don’t put it off a minute longer.

March 9: The Strength of Grace

Matthew 9:9-10; Mark 2:14-15; Luke 5:27-29

And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew 9:9

When we first come to Jesus, it is impossible to know everything that following Him will entail. We have no reason to be afraid of making a total commitment to Him because His undeniable love and care for us is fully evident every time we look at the Cross. We can forsake everything to follow Him! Once we make that decision, then He begins to live through us and we find a strength that is not our own and is equal to whatever test we may encounter. (Gal. 2:20.) It is called God’s grace.