Daily Devotional

Southside Church of God - GA

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Daily Devotional

How Much Prayer?

November 13, 2024

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How Much Prayer?

“One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles.”

Luke 6:12–13 NLT

Jesus had an important decision to make: Who would be His apostles? He knew the candidates and had spent time with them. We might assume He had enough information to make His choices. But Jesus did not decide until He had prayed. He did not just pray a short prayer. He spent all night praying to God! And He prayed until He had the answer He needed.

How many Christians make this kind of commitment to prayer? We may pray when we have decisions to make, but how intense is that prayer? How much do we pray? A few minutes? A few seconds?

Right now, search your heart and think about the issues that you face. Are you basing your decision on your own experience and understanding, or the opinions of people around you? Have you truly sought God about these matters? He is ready to give you His wisdom and guide you to make the right choices. Call on Him and seek Him through dedicated prayer.

The Bible reminds us to trust in the Lord and not depend on our own understanding. As we seek His will in all we do, we are to be confident that He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Seek God’s will and wisdom. Commit time to prayer. Seek God until you have the answers you need, however long it takes. He is ready to help you and give you His wisdom.

Reflection Question: Do you need to allocate more time for prayer?

Daily Devotional

November 23, 2024

Continual Investment “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:6 NASB How does a person become a world-class musician? Natural abilities are important, but many with ability fail to live up to their potential. Over and over, great musicians testify to the impact of the investment of time to practice. Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the great Polish pianist and statesman, once declared that “the very essence of success is practice.” Investing time is not optional for those wanting to be great. Describing his opportunity to be music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti recalled how he was challenged by the professionalism demonstrated by this orchestra. The players set a standard that caused him to always be prepared, ready, and excellent. This commitment to excellence helps separate the extraordinary from the ordinary. This is expressed in the principle of seedtime and harvest (Genesis 8:22); God rewards those who faithfully invest the time and resources they have been given. Realize that blessings flow when we plant seeds we have been given and when we invest in His Kingdom and the lives of others. This is a commitment that is repeated continually by those who are not content with the ordinary and want to achieve excellence. Ask yourself what you are doing with the resources God has given you. Are you content with the ordinary or looking to receive the abundant harvest God has prepared? Commit to sowing. Always invest your time and resources. Reflection Question: How are you using the resources and talents that God has given you?

Daily Devotional

November 22, 2024

God Promises Protection “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5, NKJV Never doubt that you are in the midst of a battle—a spiritual battle with Satan, who will do everything he can to discourage and defeat you. Never underestimate his determination or misunderstand his intentions. God wants to teach us how to defend ourselves against sin and Satan. Satan, the ultimate bully, attacks us at our weakest points and wants to defeat us so that we will not be effective for God. God offers spiritual “training” to build us up inside in much the same way that physical exercise can build us up on the outside. He has also provided all the resources we need to defend ourselves and keep Satan at bay. These include the Bible, prayer, faith, righteous living, and the Holy Spirit within us. But, like physical training, we must be diligent in their application. God has not promised to shield us from trouble, but He has promised to protect us in the midst of trouble. Most of all, never forget that because of Christ’s death and resurrection, Satan is already a defeated foe—and someday the war will be over. Hope for Today Satan loves to be underestimated. He would love for believers to view him as a harmless cartoon character. Scripture paints a very different picture. We must be on guard for the enemy who seeks to devour.

Daily Devotional

November 21, 2024

Alone “He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him.” Mark 3:13 NASB It was an important time in Jesus’ ministry. Multitudes followed Him. Many were healed. Others were delivered from unclean spirits. In this busy time, Jesus was conscious of His need for solitude. After this, He selected a special group to be His primary disciples. These were matters that required discernment and clarity. Here, for the first time in Mark’s Gospel, we see Jesus going to a mountain, where He could make important decisions. Jesus would return to the mountains on many occasions. We see how these mountains were special places where He could be alone with the Father. It was on a high mountain that Jesus was transfigured (Matthew 17:2). And it was on the Mount of Olives where Jesus delivered an important message just before His ascension. Jesus also used mountains as analogies to convey spiritual truths. Illustrating the principle of faith, Jesus said that if you speak to a mountain, believing and without doubt that it will move, “It will be granted [you]” (Mark 11:23). Mountains can be symbolic places for the followers of Jesus. These represent places of pilgrimage, places dedicated to prayer and study, and places where we can be more sensitive to God’s presence. Look for opportunities to spend time with God, freed from distractions. Pray, study, seek His help for the decisions you must make, and spend time alone with Him. Reflection Question: How can you make room in your schedule for time with your Father?