Posted on by Angela

3 Tips for Spending an Hour in Prayer 

 I was privileged to lead the prayer ministry at our church several years ago. Our group learned much about prayer during that time and the principles will be with me for the rest of my life.  

To spend an hour in prayer, I think there are at least three key ingredients you need. These are simple ingredients that you probably already know. Yet they are vital to remaining focused during your hour in prayer when you commit to spending that time alone with God. In no order, you need a Bible with pen and paper or a journal, a prayer list, and a hymnal or listing of worship songs. Now let’s take a look at them in turn. 

Bible and Journal or Notebook

You need to have with your Bible and a pen and some paper. You can use a journal, a 3-ring binder, a spiral notebook, whatever suits your personality and budget. When you spend an hour in prayer, you will not be talking the entire time. You will want to have time when you need to listen. God will speak to you. He will impress things on your heart and mind. As he does, you need to be prepared to write things down.  Don’t assume you will be able to remember everything later. A journal or a notebook will help keep impressions and thoughts together.  

As you are praying, you will also find your mind wandering to all the things you need to do or random thoughts creeping into your mind. If they are important, write them down to deal with them later. If they are not important, acknowledge them then dismiss them and refocus on the task of prayer. Also, realize it is normal for your mind to wander. We are human after all, and our minds are constantly bombarded with thoughts. Some of us more than others. What is more, our enemy, the devil, is not at all eager for us to spend an hour in prayer. So, naturally, he will do everything to distract us and keep us from prayer. Being prepared to write down distractions can help us stay focused and win the battle in the moment. 

Prayer List

Another tool you will need is a prayer list. Don’t assume when you start to pray for an hour that you will remember everything you want to pray about. Our enemy will snatch away those requests by every distraction. Remember, he doesn’t want you to pray. So, write down your prayer list. Have things on your list like your family needs, your nation, your government, those that need salvation, missionaries, those that are sick, people you know that are in difficult situations, difficult situations you might be facing, and so on. Put these items in categories if you like. Put them in order of highest need if that is something you wish. If you remember something while you are praying, add it to your list.  

Prayer is not always asking. It is also about confession. Be sure to confess sins you need forgiveness for and maybe write down any ways you need to make them right if the sin is against another person. Or an action plan if the sin is a habit you need to stop doing.  You might want to start with confession before you begin with your list of needs. Make things right between you and God, then move to needs of self and others.  

Hymnal or Worship List

Another good tool to have during your hour is a hymnal or a listing of worship songs. You can have a playlist ready, but I don’t really recommend it. I prefer just voice during this time. It is easy to get off track with the music and spend far too long on music and not enough on prayer. Having a hymnal or list of worship songs you are very familiar with will limit how much time is spent on music and bring balance to your prayer time. Of course, if you desire to spend the entire time in worship, that is your option. However, we are talking about an hour in prayer, not singing. All you need is two to four songs/hymns at most that you can sing through in worship to get your heart and mind in the right place.  

You can use the hymnal/list at the beginning as a time of worship before you begin to pray and then at the end as another time of worship and thanksgiving. You might also want to come back to a time of worship if you notice your mind continually wandering. A short time of worship would realign your focus on the One you are there to spend time with.  

A lot of churches today use projectors during worship services and have a supply of hymnals no longer in use. You might talk to your pastor or worship leader or music director about how to acquire one if you would like a copy of a hymnal for devotion and worship during your prayer time. You might also be able to find one at a secondhand store or bookstore. Of course, you can always go to Amazon and buy a new copy of your choice there. I checked and there are several copies to choose from.  

Conclusion

So here we have three tips for praying for an hour. Your Bible with pen and paper, prayer list, and a hymnal or listing of worship songs. These are by no means exhaustive. Let me know others you think of or have tried. These three things will help with wandering mind and help you keep your focus on God and what He is saying to you and what you want to say to Him. They will help you with praise and worship and thanksgiving and help you remember that He is a holy God who wants to have fellowship with you.  

I challenge you to look at your calendar the coming week and schedule an hour that you can get alone with your God and relish in who He is and what He wants to say to you. The first try may be difficult like any new practice, it will take discipline but keep at it. You will find a power you never experienced as God numbers you as a prayer warrior. You will not leave the same.  

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: I Am Thine, O Lord

This week’s hymn is “I am Thine, O Lord.” It is one I can still hear my grandfather singing and one of many favorite Fanny Crosby songs. So, let’s explore the third verse,  

O, 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!  

 
There are four stanzas to the hymn, and each seems to have a different theme. However, when you come to the refrain (chorus) they are all bound together.  

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

They are all about being drawn closer to Christ. This particular stanza is about drawing deeper in prayer. What does prayer mean to you? How much time do you dedicate to prayer? Can you say you spend a single hour in prayer? I tend to relate more to the disciples when Jesus was in the garden, and He took the disciples with Him. He asked them to watch and pray. What did they do? They fell asleep. He came back and found them sleeping. His response? “Could you not keep watch for one hour?” (Mark 14:37) He asked the question to Simon Peter, but He might as well have asked me. I doubt I could have done much better. This account is found in Matthew 26 and Mark 14 if you need a refresher.  

Crosby calls it a “pure delight” to spend an hour in prayer. Some of us can barely manage fifteen minutes in prayer before our minds start to wander. So how can we spend an hour in prayer? I think it is a learned practice. It is something you build up to. It becomes a spiritual discipline. We begin to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4) and watch as His desires become our desires. At first distractions are everywhere then over time they come to a minimum as we learn to focus on Him and he becomes our heart’s desire.  

It is also important to remember that we are coming before the throne of Almighty God. We are not calling 1-800-I WANT NOW. We often need to change our attitude before we begin our prayer time. Our stanza talks about the delight of spending an hour before His throne. It is Him we are seeking. His presence. When we come with a list of Christmas wants, of course we can’t focus on much more than just those few things. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to commune with us. He wants us to want to commune with Him. Notice the last line, “as friend with friend.” You can’t say that when you meet with a friend you rush in with that friend and say something like, “I can only give fifteen minutes, so much to do, but here is what I need, by the way, I love you. You are my best friend. See you soon. Gotta run. Bye.” Before long that friend won’t want to meet with you and you can hardly call yourself friends. Friends talk and share. They listen to each other. They spend time together. They enjoy each other’s company. This is the relationship described in the hymn, “I commune as friend with friend.” 

I don’t know what your relationship with God is like. You may have a depth that others can only dream about. You may be more like the friend I just described. You may be somewhere in between. I hope wherever you are in your relationship you long to go deeper. You long for an ever-closer relationship with Him. I can say that with confidence because our God is so awesome in scope and power that just when we think we know Him He reveals another layer of His nature and character to us and we are blown away by Him and His greatness. 

I challenge you in this next week to change the way you think about your prayer life. Maybe you need to just begin to pray. So, five minutes is a challenge, and an hour is an eternity. So, start with the five minutes you do have. Maybe you are more like the friend I described earlier. Slow down and focus on Him who sits on the throne. He loves you and gave Himself for you. Leave your list and worship Him. Try something different. It is not too late to begin to draw nearer to God. In fact, He desires a relationship with you. Prayer is a conversation between you and God. He is waiting for you.  

 My prayer for all of us is that we would reach a place where our delight is a single hour in prayer talking with our God as friends.  

“Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord.” 

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Things on the Desk

The desk where I do my writing is actually a small dining table. I have it pushed against a wall. My house has an open floor plan, so I am central to living, kitchen and dining areas. It got me thinking though about the kinds of things we keep on our desk. If you have a desk, take a moment to look at what your desk holds.  

I don’t mean the normal desk things like staplers, pens and pencils, tape dispenser, and the like. Of course, even those things can disclose personality. What I am thinking of is what could a person gather about you with the things on your desk? My home desk looks different from my work desk, but there are similarities. Both have sticky notes on the monitor; things I don’t want to forget or want to have at hand. My home desk has paperweights, an electric pencil sharpener (I use colored pencils for Bible study, and I even have real pencils), I have a large glass candle holder full of pens and pencils and highlighters. There is a Bible and a hymnal. Several journals. I have a few fidget things and stress toys. Right now, I have a menu planner marked for the coming week. It is incomplete. I also have a spiral binder with tabs which contain projects taken from my notebooks or that need to be typed into various folders in my computer. Recipes, writings, etc. There are a few other things crammed in, but this is basically my home workspace. 

My point in this exercise is that who we are is sometimes identified by what we surround ourselves with. By looking at the contents of our desk we can see where our time and energy is focused. It gives us the opportunity to make adjustments to our priorities. If we look at our desk and see an overflow of bills, maybe we need to consider our spending habits or work on budgeting. Sometimes our desk reveals what we enjoy.  An abundance of cards, stamps and pens could reveal you send cards to those you are thinking of or those who are sick or struggling. A desk covered with everything, but desk related items could mean you don’t use a desk at all. It is only a piece of furniture that is now a catch -all for all the clutter you don’t know what to do with.  

What are you surrounding yourself with? When you look at your workspace, home, or work, what stands out as a priority? The Bible tells us the from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (see Matthew 12:34). I think this is true not only in our speech, which is a big clue to our heart, but also in our workspace. What is important to us is what we keep close. Pictures of family, bible verses, inspirational quotes, things that build us up and those which visit our space reveal what is inside, what is important. Obscene pictures, insulting language, divisive posters, etc. also reveal what is inside. We are talking about a heart issue more than an organizational problem.  

I know you are probably thinking it is only a workspace but take a moment to look at your space either at home or at work. See if what I am saying is true. What does that space reveal about you? What does your desk or workspace say about you? Does it reveal your identity in Christ? Or does it reveal a life lived for the flesh? Maybe somewhere in between?  

I am not here to condemn; that is not my job. I only want you to think about what you identify yourself with and how you want to align your life. We want to be individuals who give our all for one. Who give everything we have to God. This means we are a work in progress, and it involves every aspect of our life from the company we keep to the insignificant little things like what we keep on our desk at work or home. Everything we say or do reflects who we are in Jesus. The changes may be gradual, such as replacing one item that may be inappropriate with something that is encouraging and uplifting. Maybe your whole workspace needs an overhaul. You decide.   

Maybe the time has come for you to decide for Christ. It’s time to follow Him. Put the things of the world behind and accept His gift of salvation. He loves you so much He died on a cross for your sins, and he alone can change you from the inside out. His identity in you is the only way the things on the desk make any difference.  

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: The Old Rugged Cross

The cherished hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” was written by a Methodist Episcopal minister. He wrote the words in 1913, and it is his best-known hymn.  

For our purposes, we will look at verse three. The hymn is in the public domain, and you can find it as always at www.hymnary.org. Here is the third verse for reference.  

 In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, 
a wondrous beauty I see, 
for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, 
to pardon and sanctify me.  

There is a key word in this beautiful verse that I want us to focus on for a while. Sanctify. The word comes from Latin, and it means, “to make holy”, or “to set apart.” It is first used in the Bible in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 3 where God sanctified the seventh day. He set apart the seventh day and made it holy.  

Yet our hymnal verse is talking about us as being sanctified. Jesus died to “…sanctify me.” We have been sanctified. What does that mean? It means that once we have accepted Jesus’s gift of salvation, we too have been set apart. We have been made holy. When Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, He bought our redemption. So, when we give ourselves to Him, we are set apart from the rest of the world. We are His.  

The first thing we need to understand about sanctification is that it is the work of Christ in us. He is the one who sanctifies. Consider the following verses: 

Hebrews 13:12 

Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood. 

Hebrews 10:10 

By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. 

Hebrews 10:14 

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 

So, since the blood of Jesus sanctifies us by His sacrifice on the cross what is our response? Since salvation is by grace through faith and we are not saved by works, what are we now to do? We remember we are changed. We are set free from the entanglements of the world. We no longer are slaves to our old selves and the old habits. We have been set apart. The blood of Christ has made us holy. Yes, holy. We have been bought at a great price. The Son of God gave His life on a cross for our sins. The price could not have been greater. He paid that price for you and me. Our acceptance and belief in that singular act set us apart from the rest of the world. It sanctifies us.  

Now we live by new guidelines. The old way of thinking is gone. The old way of talking is gone. Sometimes the old friendships we had are gone. Here are some more verses to consider: 

Romans 6:22 

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 

2 Timothy 2:21 

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 

Romans 12: 1-2 

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Sometimes it happens quickly. Other times it happens slowly. But we begin to change. The way we conduct business changes. Our interaction with family changes. The way we talk changes. The way we dress might even change. Everything about us is new. We are set apart for God’s use. We represent Him to the world.  

Does that mean we always get it right? Of course not. Think about some who were set apart by God yet messed up terribly. Samson, David, Moses, the disciples, Israel, yes, the list could go on. Also add my name to the list, yours too. God set each of these apart for a special work. All of them had a different task. They all knew God and had witnessed his power and majesty. David was a man after God’s own heart. Moses had to wear a veil over his face after being in God’s presence. The disciples walked daily with Jesus for three years.  

It could be assumed that if anyone could get the idea of what God had in mind it would be these individuals, but some of the greatest failures came through them. David slept with Bathsheba and when he learned she was pregnant tried to cover it up, but when that didn’t work had her husband killed. Moses disobeyed God and did what had worked before, striking a rock instead of speaking to it. He didn’t enter the promised land as a result. The disciples were competitive and slow to understand Jesus’s teaching then fled when Jesus needed them most. One betrayed Him. One denied he even knew Him. Israel is still God’s chosen people, the apple of His eye even though they have rebelled time and time again.  

From this we understand once we have been sanctified, God does not rescind that covering. The above examples were still set apart despite their failures. There were consequences certainly. But they were still set apart for God’s purposes. And so are we.  

We have a responsibility once we realize the importance of what it means to be sanctified, to be set apart. We no longer can look like the rest of the world. We still live in the world, but we don’t look like the world. We are supposed to be different. We talk differently. We dress differently. God now convicts us about what we watch on television or at the movies or what we read. Put away the filthy language. Change your clothes. Change the channel. Put down the book. Remember, you are set apart. You are sanctified. Instead, “…cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown.” 

If you need a little more convincing, let me leave you with a few more scriptures that might help. 

1 Corinthians 6:11 

But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1 Peter 3:15 

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect 

Have you stumbled? Have you fallen? Look to the Father. He is waiting to restore you. Jesus died on the cross to pardon and sanctify us. Cling to Him. Remember the Old Rugged Cross today.  

All for One  

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: Just When I Need Him Most

People today carry great burdens. We carry the wandering of a child. The loss of a parent. The abuse of a spouse. We watch as addiction takes hold of our child or other family member and cannot do anything to help them. We long to break free from our own addiction and burdens but cannot seem to break the chains that tie us down.  

These burdens are sometimes invisible, and we carry them in secret never letting on they are there. But when we are alone, we give full vent to them. The result is high anxiety, high blood pressure, sometimes substance abuse and even worse when we cannot see the end, suicide. Let me assure you this is not what God ever intended for humans. If you are struggling with substance abuse or thoughts of suicide, there is help available. For free 24/7 help call 988 or visit  www.988lifeline.org.  

Our hymn today highlights that we do have Someone to turn to in those dark moments. It was written by a Methodist minister who wrote hymns as recreation. He was to have written over five hundred hymns. Here is the third verse of “Just When I Need Him Most,”   

Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong, 
Bearing my burdens all the day long; 
For all my sorrow giving a song, 
Just when I need Him most. 

https://hymnary.org/text/just_when_i_need_him_jesus_is_near_just

This verse is just as appropriate for us now as when it was written. It assures us that Jesus is strong and gives us a song for our sorrow. No matter what our circumstance or what we are going through Jesus is there waiting for us to come to Him.  

The Bible is replete with those who have gone before us who thought their life was done and there was no other option for them. Remember Jonah, after he preached to the Ninevites and they repented? What did he do? He found a shady leaf and sat under it and pouted. When the leaf was eaten by a worm, he was ready to die until God intervened. What about Elijah? Jezebel was determined to kill him. He was convinced he was the only prophet of God left until God revealed to him there was over 400 prophets who had never bowed the knee to Baal. David? After he sinned with Bathsheba, she gave birth to his child and the child became sick. He prayed for the child’s life and refused food and drink. So much so that his servants were afraid to tell him the child had died. We could continue with many other examples of those who walked in sorrow and grief until God stepped in and changed their thinking. 

Maybe you need some personal verses to get you through your day and situation. Here are a few, as always these are from the New American Standard Version,  

Psalm 46:1 

God is our refuge and strength, 
A very ready help in trouble. 

And, 

Psalm 68:19 

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. 

And still,

Psalm 55:22 

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; 
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. 

And again, 

1 Peter 5:7 

…cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. 

And lastly, 

Isaiah 46:4 

Even to your old age I will be the same, 
And even to your graying years I will carry you! 
I have done it, and I will bear you; 
And I will carry you and I will save you. 

No matter what your age or situation, Jesus is ready and more than able to meet you in the middle of your burden and carry you and bear your burden and give you peace. There are many other instances and verses to support this. The ones I have listed are only a few jumping off points. I encourage you to meditate on these and search out others to meditate on if your burden is heavy and your days are dark. Let me further and more importantly urge you to accept Jesus as your Savior. He paid the price for your sins and is ready to receive you; come to him today.  

Your situation will not immediately change. You will still have to walk through dark days and hard times, but you will have an inner peace and strength that only comes from knowing Jesus. He will bring you through whatever your situation. He is strong and wants to bear your burdens and in the middle of your trial he will give you a song for your sorrow, Just when you need him most.  

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Stuff We Accumulate

If you have ever moved from one home to another, you know we as humans accumulate stuff. In fact, we like our stuff. We build buildings to house our stuff when our houses aren’t big enough to keep our stuff. Then we decide we have too much stuff and we decide to get organized and toss the stuff out. We might sell it in our yard or garage for other people to buy and add to their stuff. But we feel better because the stuff is not in our house anymore.  

Others hold on to their stuff and keep adding increasingly till it overflows and takes over their home and lives. They need help to overcome this problem. Some sadly never overcome this problem. They feel secure with all their belongings around them. We call them hoarders and we pity them and we don’t understand them.  

(Image sourced from the Public Domain Image Archive / Internet Archive / University of Toronto Libraries) 

There are still those that have no stuff at all. They are the poor and destitute. They live among us but we don’t like to look at them. They remind us of all the stuff we have and how little they don’t have. Sure, every once in a while, usually around Christmas we will donate money to some charity or give away some of our stuff to make us feel better. Basically, though we slosh through our stuff content, we have done our part to make the world a better place.  

I am not here to judge or condemn. That is not my job or my point. Goodness knows I have enough stuff of my own. No, I am not here to make any of us feel guilty. We carry enough guilt. I do want us to be mindful of what we already have. We have been blessed in our lives. In our journey to live all for One, part of our understanding involves our possessions in relation to our God and Savior. We can take none of what we have with us when we pass from this life into the next. In fact, the Bible gives a story of a man who had plenty and wanted to hold on to what he had. Take a look. 

 But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.  And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’  And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’  But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’  Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”  Luke 12:15-21 NASB 

This man thought he had it figured out. The land had produced well for him. He had become prosperous. What was he to do with all the extra? He had more than enough for himself and his family. “I’ve got it.” He said with a snap of his fingers. I will tear down all my barns and build bigger barns. That will solve my problem. He forgot about the hungry people he passed from his fields to his home. He never paid attention to the poor who could have shared his wealth had he given away some of his prosperity. Instead, he tried to have as much as he could by building bigger and better barns to hold it all. To what end? God said he would die that very night. Then what would happen to all of his plans and wealth? Who then would reap the benefits? He wouldn’t take it with him. 

In 1922, Howard Carter made an extraordinary discovery. He opened an Egyptian tomb containing abundant wealth. The Egyptians had planned on everything the dead man might need in the next life. Of course, we know that the man was King Tut and all the wealth he was buried with is in a museum. Tourists can go to his tomb and view the painted walls. Archaeologists are still uncovering truths about this young king. All the riches buried with him, he never used. The only reason King Tut’s tomb was so remarkable was that grave robbers had not been able to find the tomb or break into the tomb. So, it sat for centuries untouched until Howard Carter saw “wonderful things” through a small opening.  

(Page  2023 Free-images.com. All images are Public Domain) 

We have the opportunity to see wonderful things as we move from looking at the things around us to the things above. Let us set our eyes on the things of Christ and His Kingdom. When He returns, the things we have saved and collected and hoarded will not matter at all. They are rust and dust compared to Him who sits on the throne. So, before you make the next purchase ask yourself why? Is it just one more thing that you will later toss into the donate box? Or is it something that you can use to help lead someone else on their journey to give their all for One. After all, isn’t that what it is all about? 

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

The Morning Meeting

Exodus 24:4 

And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he got up early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. (NASB) 

The response we have to the Bible indicates our response to God. After all, the Bible is His written word to us. If we neglect His word, it is an indication of neglect in our relationship with Him. If we are hostile to His word, then more than likely we are hostile to Him and do not know Him.  

In our verse, Moses is acting in response to the people. They had agreed that all that the Lord had said they would do. So, Moses wrote down the words of the Lord for the people, then he got up early in the morning and built an altar. The word of the Lord and his interaction with God moved him to worship. If you read chapter 24 of Exodus, which I challenge you to do, you will see that several others had been invited onto the mountain and had a holy experience with God. Here is what the Bible tells us they saw. “…they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.  Yet He did not reach out with His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:10-11 NASB.) 

What an experience! Afterward, Moses was asked to go higher on the mountain. I can’t help but think that He wants something similar with us.  Reading, praying, memorizing, studying, and even writing down His word are all ways we can draw closer into an experience with Him.  Our text says that Moses got up early in the morning and built an altar. We don’t need to build an altar because Jesus is our sacrifice, but we do need a place that is special so that every day we have a time set apart that is ready and waiting. A corner of a room. A desk, a special chair. Maybe your deck or back porch. Someplace that you know is your place to meet with God.  

The Bible talks about meeting with God early in the morning. Why do you think that is? I believe that it is because to meet with Him early in the day before the day begins sets the day. The trouble of the day hasn’t begun. The day is fresh. The work for the day hasn’t begun yet. It makes the ideal time to meet with God to make Him the priority of the day. But I also think that the time is less important than the meeting. Plan daily to meet with God.  

So, the question is where are you? Are you neglecting your Bible interaction and as a result your interaction with God? Does your interaction with God’s word lead you to worship? Or are you fumbling through your day?  

My hope is that we each will write down the word of the Lord and get up early in the morning to build an altar. So, we will interact with the word of the Lord in such a way that we can only worship Him who sits on the throne. 

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: Abide with Me

In John 15, Jesus admonishes His followers to abide in Him. In all things, we as his followers are to spend our lives abiding in Him. It is through this abiding that we find our strength and rest.  

The writer of our hymn “Abide With Me” takes a slightly different angle. Here the writer implores our Heavenly Father to abide with us. Or specifically, to abide with me. The Father has promised never to leave us or forsake us. So, why would we need to implore the Father to abide with us?  

The hymn contains four or five verses depending on which hymnal you are using. I will focus on verse three. The entire hymn speaks about the close of life.  Each of the verses contains a finality of life that would make it appropriate for the end of life. Verse three gives us four instances in our lives when we need to be reminded that we need our Father to abide with us.  

I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour; 
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r? 
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be? 
Thro’ cloud and sunshine, O abide with me! 
 

EVERY PASSING HOUR 

The writer stipulated that we need God’s presence every passing hour. Indeed, this is a true word. How many times have we tried to handle a situation on our own only to realize that it didn’t work out so well? Then we do what we should have done in the first place. We ask God to guide us through the problem and fill us with His presence. We truly need His presence every passing hour. Often, every passing minute, but I get the author’s point here. The line takes us back to John 15:5  

I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (NASB) (emphasis mine) 

We need His presence every hour because without Him we “can do nothing.” It doesn’t work. It is flat and lifeless and without color. But, when we rely on Him, the colors come alive and we can accomplish things we only dreamed of and more. We need His presence every passing hour.  

GRACE CAN FOIL THE TEMPTER’S POW’R 

If not for God’s grace, we would not be able to withstand the tempter. His grace gives us the strength we need to endure the temptation.  1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that in temptation there is a way out:  

No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NASB) 

Do you see where God’s grace lies? He provides a way of escape. Temptation comes to all of us.  Our temptations may be different for each of us, meaning what tempts you may not trouble me and what tempts me may not trouble you. The common denominator is that we are all tempted. We don’t have to give in to the temptation. When we give in to temptation, it is by choice. His grace foils the tempter’s power. We have a way out, by God’s grace as we abide in Him and He abides with us.  

MY GUIDE AND STAY 

He is our guide and stay. He leads us through dark places and light. He is with us when it feels like we are going nowhere. He is the one who tells us, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21 NASB) He also tells us, “Stop striving and know that I am God…” (Psalm46:10 NASB) We need to spend time in His word and in prayer so when He prompts us to move or to stay, we will understand. Remember John 15:5? We can do nothing apart from Him. Learning to let Him be our guide and stay is not easy, I will admit, but it is essential to abiding with Him and Him abiding with us. And I daresay it is a lifetime process. There is no one better able to lead us than our God and Savior. There is no one better able to stay with us in the dark times than Himself. Are you striving? Are you allowing Him to be your guide and stay? It isn’t too late to begin. Why not start now? 

THROUGH CLOUD AND SUNSHINE 

We tend to notice we need God more when it is cloudy, don’t we? The overcast skies get to us after a while, and we can’t seem to break free from the dreariness. But when the sun comes out suddenly, we are on top of the world and we put our hand up and say to God, “I got this.” Take a big step forward and… fall flat on our face. It is then that we realize we need Him in the clouds and the sunshine. The cloudy days and darkness may physically affect our mood, creating depression. We don’t think of it so much when the sun shines bright. Yet we need our Heavenly Father just as much in sunny days as in the cloudy. The writer of this hymn was wise to include the phrase “through cloud and sunshine.” It wasn’t a literary tactic because he needed his song to rhyme or needed to complete the meter.  I know we have all had days and seasons when the sun was shining but there seemed to be a dark cloud following us wherever we went. Anything we tried turned into dust. New ventures failed. Relationships soured. We felt we were a failure and our self-worth plummeted. It is in these dark days that we know we need God to be with us. The more we abide in Him, the more we know He is with us.  

WHERE ARE YOU? 

When Adam and Eve fell in the garden, they hid themselves from the Lord. It was, of course, a vain attempt. They knew the fellowship had been damaged by what they had done. So, when the Lord came in the cool of the day to walk with them as He always did, they hid. They failed to abide in what they knew of their Creator and believed the lies of the tempter. Since that day, we have all done much the same. We bear the curse of their actions. In fact, had we been in their place, I imagine the outcome would have been the same.  

But now there is hope. Jesus paid the price for what began in the garden when he gave His life on the cross for you and me and everyone who ever lived or ever will live. Now we have the hope of abiding in Him.  

So, where are you? Are you caught in the grip of the tempter’s power? Are you abiding in Him? Is He your guide and stay? Have you learned to lean on Him in cloud and sunshine? Do you understand that you need Him every hour?  

This hymn has so much truth to offer, so much hope. This one verse has given us so much to think about. Take some time today to meditate on the scriptures I have given us here and visit www.hymnary.org to hear and read Abide with Me. Let it be the beginning of something wondrous. 

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Love Like Jesus

As Christians, it is sometimes hard to like people much less love them. Yet that is exactly what we are called to do. We are given a blueprint for love in 1 John 4: 18-20.  

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (NASB) 

Did you see the key? The only way we can love others is to remember that He loved us first. His love in us enables us to love others. It is a love like Jesus had. Let’s think about how Jesus loved. 

Jesus loved those who misunderstood him 

Jesus loved people from all walks of life. He associated with the upper class and the lower class. He made time for seekers and outcasts. In doing so, He was often misunderstood. He made his home among everyone and accepted everyone. Yet He was not accepted by everyone. The religious leaders called Him a blasphemer. And a devil. He kept time with sinners so he must be a sinner.  

Have you ever been misunderstood because of your words or actions? Who is it that has misunderstood you? Did they misunderstand your words or actions? People may not always understand what God calls you to do. And that is ok. God doesn’t need their permission or yours for that matter. He calls you to follow him and to obey him. When you know for certain God has called you, follow him.  

Jesus loved those who hated him 

Jesus loved those who hated him. They mostly began with those who misunderstood him, and that misunderstanding deepened into hate. They seemed to follow him everywhere. In every town Jesus went to, they were there. Scribes, Pharisees, religious leaders just waiting to find fault, waiting to trip him up. Jesus still loved them. He still gave his life for them.  

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew someone hated you, and you found you could love them anyway? Have you done some wrong that you can make right? Or had they just taken a dislike to you? If you can make it right, then the ball is in your corner, so to speak. If not, then all you can do is love them anyway.  

Jesus loved those who betrayed him 

Jesus had been betrayed by those closest to him. We know about Judas. Judas sold him out for thirty pieces of silver. Jesus was not what he expected. Maybe he thought his betrayal could force Jesus’s hand. Instead, it led to the cross, which was not what he had in mind. Yet Jesus loved Judas anyway. Jesus knew what Judas was. Still, he called him to be his disciple. When Judas led the officials to the Mount of Olives, Jesus called him “friend.” Still, Jesus loved him.  

Judas wasn’t the only one who betrayed Jesus. If you think about it, Peter also betrayed Jesus. No, he didn’t sell him out for money. He didn’t hand him over to the religious leaders of the day. But he betrayed him just the same. He denied that he even knew Him. Not once, but three times. The difference between Judas and Peter? Peter immediately was sorrowful and showed repentance. Judas was sorrowful, but his sorrow did not lead to repentance.    

Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you? What was your reaction? Vengeance? Anger? Separation? Or was it forgiveness and reconciliation?  

 How have you betrayed Jesus? Have you kept quiet when you should have spoken? Did you go down a different aisle in the grocery rather than run into someone you rather not? In all truth, we are all guilty of betraying Jesus in some way. Yet, still, He loves us. He stands ready to forgive and restore us. Should we do any less for one who betrays us? 

As we conclude the holiday season this year, let’s focus on our love for others. We can love because He first loved us. Maybe we need to enter the New Year with the goal of practicing love for other people. Maybe we need to start with those who misunderstand us, hate us and betray us. Maybe we just need to start by showing love to someone today.  

I am glad you have been with All for One through my first few months.  They have been a learning experience for me, and I still have a lot to learn. I look forward to sharing next year with you as we continue to give our All for One. 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: Joy to the World

Joy to the World is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Yet it isn’t really about the birth of the baby in the manger. Advent points in celebration to the birth of the Messiah but also to the promise of the second coming of Jesus. We celebrate both comings of Jesus during this season. The first in celebration and the second in hopeful anticipation. This is what makes Joy to the World appropriate for the Christmas season.  

No more let sins and sorrows grow, 
Nor thorns infest the ground; 
He comes to make his blessings flow 
Far as the curse is found. 
 

Our focus is on the third verse and specifically on the curse brought on by Adam and Eve in the Garden. We go to the beginning of Creation to celebrate the end of all things. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. He created a wonderful garden and placed man and woman there and gave them the job to tend the garden. When we come to chapter three of Genesis, the serpent shows up and tempts Eve. Eve falls for the temptation and Adam with her. Judgment soon follows, and all receive punishment. To Adam, God tells him this in chapter 3: 17-19 

Cursed is the ground because of you; 
With hard labor you shall eat from it 
All the days of your life. 
Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; 
Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 
By the sweat of your face 
You shall eat bread, 
Until you return to the ground, 
Because from it you were taken; 
For you are dust, 
And to dust you shall return. 

Since that time, man has lived in sin and condemned to death. Isaac Watts, the writer of Joy to the World, reflected this in the third verse of our carol today.  Watts based his song on Psalm 98, the last verse of that psalm points to the coming Judge who will “judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with fairness.” (v9)  

Where are you this Christmas? Are you still gazing at the baby in the manger? Do you see the blood stained man on the cross who died for you? Are your eyes fixed on the return of that man who rose from the dead and is coming again?  

This Christmas season, let us sing joyfully this song of the Savior’s coming. The first and the second. Let us look back at the Child in the manger in awe and wonder that the God of all creation would humble himself to live among us as one of us to take our place on a cross for our sins. Let us also look ahead to the second coming of the Christ, no longer a child, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords coming to rule and judge in power and glory. We have much to celebrate this Christmas. Whatever our circumstances are this year, we can joyfully look ahead with peace and hope because he is coming again. Let us put our trust in Him and sing Joy to the World the Lord is Come. 

All for One 

Angela