Happy Independence Day

[Judy Harder]

Daily New Life
     
Prayer ChangesThings and You
And everything—whatever you ask in prayer,
believing—you will receive.
Matthew 21:22

Is prayer an integral part of your daily life, or is it a hit-or miss habit? Do you "pray without ceasing," or is your prayer life an afterthought? Do you regularly pray in the solitude of the early morning darkness, or do you lower your head only when others are watching? The answer to these questions will determine the direction of your day—and your life.

So here's your challenge: during the next 100 days; make yourself a prayer warrior. Begin your prayers early in the morning and continue them throughout the day. And remember this: God does answer your prayers, but He's not likely to answer those prayers until you've prayed them.

You don't need fancy words or religious phrases. Just tell God the way it really is.
Jim Cymbala
100 Days of Prayer

We must pray literally without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives. You know I mean that prayer of the heart which is independent of place or situation, or which is, rather, a habit of lifting up the heart to God, as in a constant communication with Him.
Elizabeth Ann Seton

I need the spiritual revival that comes from spending quiet time alone with Jesus in prayer and in thoughtful meditation on His Word.
Anne Graham Lotz

Prayer moves the arm that moves the world.
Annie Armstrong

Today's Prayer
I pray to You, my Heavenly Father, because You desire it and because I need it. Prayer not only changes things; it changes me. Help me, Lord, never to face the demands of the day without first spending time with You. Amen

 

[Judy Harder]

Daily New Life
     
Asking for Directions
If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.
James 1:5 NLT

Genuine, heartfelt prayer produces powerful changes in us and in our world. When we lift our hearts to God, we open ourselves to a never-ending source of divine wisdom and infinite love. Jesus made it clear to His disciples: they should petition God to meet their needs. So should we. Do you have questions about your future that you simply can't answer? Do you have needs that you simply can't meet by yourself ? Do you sincerely seek to know God's unfolding plans for your life? If so, ask Him for direction, for protection, and for strength—and then keep asking Him every day that you live. Whatever your need, no matter how great or small, pray about it and have faith. God is not just near; He is here, and He's perfectly capable of answering your prayers. Now, it's up to you to ask. - 100 Days of Prayer

Notice that we must ask. And we will sometimes struggle to hear and struggle with what we hear. But personally, it's worth it. I'm after the path of life—and he alone knows it. - John Eldredge

God makes prayer as easy as possible for us. He's completely approachable and available, and He'll never mock or upbraid us for bringing our needs before Him. - Shirley Dobson

When will we realize that we're not troubling God with our questions and concerns? His heart is open to hear us—his touch nearer than our next thought—as if no one in the world existed but us. Our very personal God wants to hear from us personally. - Gigi Graham Tchividjian

Today's Prayer
Lord, when I have questions about my purpose in life, I will turn to You. When I am weak, I will seek Your strength. When I am discouraged, Father, I will be mindful of Your love and Your grace. I will ask You for the things I need, Father, and I will trust Your answers, today and forever. Amen

[Judy Harder]

Daily New Life
     
This Is His Day
This is the day the LORD has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 NLT

God gives us this day; He fills it to the brim with possibilities, and He challenges us to use it for His purposes. The 118th Psalm reminds us that today, like every other day, is a cause for celebration. The day is presented to us fresh and clean at midnight, free of charge, but we must beware: Today is a non-renewable resource—once it's gone, it's gone forever. Our responsibility, of course, is to use this day in the service of God's will and according to His commandments. Today, treasure the time that God has given you. Give Him the glory and the praise and the thanksgiving that He deserves. And search for the hidden possibilities that God has placed along your path. This day is a priceless gift from God, so use it joyfully and encourage others to do likewise. After all, this is the day the Lord has made . . . .

All our life is a celebration for us; we are convinced, in fact, that God is always everywhere. We sing while we work . . . we pray while we carry out all life's other occupations. - St. Clement of Alexandria, 100 Days of Prayer

The church is the last place on earth to be solemn . . . provided you have lived right. - Sam Jones

Some of us seem so anxious about avoiding hell that we forget to celebrate our journey toward heaven. - Philip Yancey

If you can forgive the person you were, accept the person you are, and believe in the person you will become, you are headed for joy. So celebrate your life. - Barbara Johnson

Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, You have given me so many blessings, and as a way of saying "Thank You," I will celebrate. I will be a joyful Christian, Lord, quick to smile and slow to frown. And, I will share my joy with my family, with my friends, and with my neighbors, this day and every day. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

Daily New Life
     
An Attitude of Gratitude
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence
and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8 HCSB

How will you direct your thoughts today? Will you obey the words of Philippians 4:8 by dwelling upon those things that are honorable, just, and commendable? Or will you allow your thoughts to be hijacked by the negativity that seems to dominate our troubled world? Are you fearful, angry, bored, or worried? Are you so preoccupied with the concerns of this day that you fail to thank God for the promise of eternity? Are you confused, bitter, or pessimistic? If so, God wants to have a little talk with you. God intends that you experience joy and abundance. So, today and every day hereafter, celebrate the life that God has given you by focusing your thoughts upon those things that are worthy of praise. Today, count your blessings instead of your hardships. And thank the Giver of all things good for gifts that are simply too numerous to count. - 100 Days of Prayer

The mind is like a clock that is constantly running down. It has to be wound up daily with good thoughts. - Fulton J. Sheen

"If the Lord will" is not just a statement on a believer's lips; it is the constant attitude of his heart. - Warren Wiersbe

[Judy Harder]

 Daily New Life
     
Discovering God's Plans
It is God who is at work in you,
both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13 NASB

If you seek to live in accordance with God's will for your life—and you should—then you will live in accordance with His commandments. You will study God's Word, and you will be watchful for His signs. You will associate with fellow Christians who will encourage your spiritual growth, and you will listen to that inner voice that speaks to you in the quiet moments of your daily devotionals.

God intends to use you in wonderful, unexpected ways if you let Him. The decision to seek God's plan and to follow it is yours and yours alone. The consequences of that decision have implications that are both profound and eternal, so choose carefully.

Every man's life is a plan of God. - Horace Bushnell, 100 Days of Prayer

God has a plan for the life of every Christian. Every circumstance, every turn of destiny, all things work together for your good and for His glory. - Billy Graham

If not a sparrow falls upon the ground without your Father, you have reason to see that the smallest events of your career and your life are arranged by him. - C. H. Spurgeon

God is preparing you as his chosen arrow. As yet your shaft is hidden in his quiver, in the shadows, but, at the precise moment, he will reach for you and launch you to that place of his appointment. - Charles Swindoll

Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, You created me for a reason. Give me the wisdom to follow Your direction for my life's journey. Let me do Your work here on earth by seeking Your will and living it, knowing that when I trust in You, Father, I am eternally blessed. Amen

[Judy Harder]

September 05, 2011     


Christ's Love Changes Everything
Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—
even though invisible to spectators—
is with Christ in God. He is your life.
Colossians 3:3 MSG

Christ's love is perfect and steadfast. Even though we are fallible and wayward, the Good Shepherd cares for us still. What does the love of Christ mean to His believers? It changes everything. Even though we have fallen far short of the Father's commandments, Christ loves us with a power and depth that is beyond our understanding. And, as we accept Christ's love and walk in Christ's footsteps, our lives bear testimony to His power and to His grace. Yes, Christ's love changes everything; may we invite Him into our hearts so it can then change everything in us. Jesus is all compassion. He never betrays us. - Catherine Marshall, 100 Days of Prayer

Live your lives in love, the same sort of love which Christ gives us, and which He perfectly expressed when He gave Himself as a sacrifice to God. - Corrie ten Boom

So Jesus came, stripping himself of everything as he came—omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence—everything except love. "He emptied himself " (Philippians 2:7), emptied himself of everything except love. Love—his only protection, his only weapon, his only method. - E. Stanley Jones

He loved us not because we're lovable, but because He is love. - C. S. Lewis

Today's Prayer
Dear Jesus, my life has been changed forever by Your love and sacrifice. Today I will praise You, I will honor You, and I will walk with You. Amen

[Judy Harder]

 

The Power of Prayer
The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.
James 5:16

Prayer is a powerful tool for communicating with our Creator; it is an opportunity to commune with the Giver of all things good. "The power of prayer": these words are so familiar, yet sometimes we forget what they mean. Prayer helps us find strength for today and hope for the future. Prayer is not a thing to be taken lightly or to be used infrequently. The quality of your spiritual life will be in direct proportion to the quality of your prayer life. Prayer changes things, and it changes you. Today, instead of turning things over in your mind, turn them over to God in prayer. Instead of worrying about your next decision, ask God to lead the way. Pray constantly about things great and small. God is listening, and He wants to hear from you now.

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? - Corrie ten Boom, 100 Days of Prayer

Prayer may not change things for you, but it for sure changes you for things. - Samuel M. Shoemaker

Prayer is the most important tool for your mission to the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers. - Rick Warren

Where there is much prayer, there will be much of the Spirit; where there is much of the Spirit, there will be ever-increasing power. - Andrew Murray

Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, let me raise my hopes and my dreams, my worries and my fears to You. Let me be a worthy example to family and friends, showing them the importance and the power of prayer. Let me take everything to You in prayer, Lord, and when I do, let me trust in Your answers. Amen

[Judy Harder]

Daily New Life
     
Not Enough Hours?
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises
to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love
in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.
Psalm 92:1-2 NLT

If you ever find that you're simply "too busy" for a daily chat with your Father in heaven, it's time to take a long, hard look at your priorities and your values. Each day has 1,440 minutes—do you value your relationship with God enough to spend a few of those minutes with Him? He deserves that much of your time and more—is He receiving it from you? Hopefully so.

As you consider your plans for the day ahead, here's a tip: organize your life around this simple principle: "God first." When you place your Creator where He belongs—at the very center of your day and your life—the rest of your priorities will fall into place.

A person with no devotional life generally struggles with faith and obedience. - Charles Stanley, 100 Days of Prayer

This day's bustle and hurly-burly would too often and too soon call us away from Jesus' feet. These distractions must be immediately dismissed, or we shall know only the "barrenness of busyness." - A. W. Tozer

The busier we are, the easier it is to worry, the greater the temptation to worry, the greater the need to be alone with God. - Charles Stanley

There is an enormous power in little things to distract our attention from God. - Oswald Chambers

Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, every day of my life is a journey with You. I will take time today to think, to pray, and to study Your Word. Guide my steps, Father, and keep me mindful that today offers yet another opportunity to celebrate Your blessings, Your love, and Your Son.
Amen

[Judy Harder]

Daily New Life
     
Taking Up the Cross
Then He said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me,
he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Luke 9:23 HCSB

When Jesus addressed His disciples, He warned them that each one must, "take up his cross daily, and follow me." Christ's message was clear: in order to follow Him, Christ's disciples must deny themselves and, instead, trust Him completely. Nothing has changed since then.

When we have been saved by Christ, we can, if we choose, become passive Christians. We can sit back, secure in our own salvation, and let other believers spread the healing message of Jesus. But to do so is wrong. Instead, we are commanded to become disciples of the One who has saved us.

Do you seek to fulfill God's purpose for your life? Then follow Christ. Follow Him by picking up His cross today and every day that you live. Then, you will quickly discover that Christ's love has the power to change everything, including you.

Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a person, our Lord Jesus Christ. - Oswald Chambers, 100 Days of Prayer

It is the secret of true discipleship to bear the cross, to acknowledge the death sentence that has been passed on self, and to deny any right that self has to rule over us. - Andrew Murray

There is not Christianity without a cross, for you cannot be a disciple of Jesus without taking up your cross. - Henry Blackaby

If we would be followers of Christ, indeed we must become personally and vitally involved in His death and resurrection. And this requires repentance, prayer, watchfulness, self-denial, detachment from the world, humility, obedience, and cross carrying. - A. W. Tozer

Today's Prayer
Help me, Lord, to understand what cross I am to bear this day. Give me the strength and the courage to carry that cross along the path of Your choosing so that I may be a worthy disciple of Your Son. Amen

[Judy Harder]

September 9 2011

Daily New Life
     
A Fresh Opportunity
When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared
his death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the wonderful power of the Father, we also can live a new life.
Romans 6:4 NCV

Each morning offers a fresh opportunity to invite Christ, yet once again, to rule over our hearts and our days. Each morning presents yet another opportunity to take up His cross and follow in His footsteps.

God's Word is clear: When we genuinely invite Him to reign over our hearts, and when we accept His transforming love, we are forever changed. When we welcome Christ into our hearts, an old life ends and a new way of living—along with a completely new way of viewing the world—begins.

Today, let us rejoice in the new life that is ours through Christ, and let us follow Him, step by step, on the path that He first walked.

When I met Christ, I felt that I had swallowed sunshine. - E. Stanley Jones, 100 Days of Prayer

No man is ever the same after God has laid His hand upon him. - A. W. Tozer

The transforming love of God has repositioned me for eternity. I am now a new man, forgiven, basking in the warm love of our living God, trusting His promises and provision, and enjoying life to the fullest. - Bill Bright

Turn your life over to Christ today, and your life will never be the same. - Billy Graham

Today's Prayer
Heavenly Father, renew in me the passion to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Make the experience of my conversion real and fresh so that I might be an effective witness for You. Amen