Devotion.al

Feed Your Soul

  • Put Ahead

    Psalm 150, Mark 11:23-25, James 3:11-4:6

    “Let everything that breathes the Lord. HALLELUJAH!”

    Psalm 150:6 (NIV)

    “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.”

    Mark 11:25 (NIV)

    “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every practice.”

    James 3:16 (NIV)

    Without question, Psalm 150 is a song of praise and adoration, and it is often best to start with adoration. Some people have been taught to use during was ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Adoration, though is often too easy, and we skip to supplication, because confession and thanksgiving are harder. Confession is probably the hardest.

    In Mark and James, and James (respectively) about putting ourselves above , especially when it comes to prayer. Praying for others, especially those with whom we are in conflict, is essential to a functional Christian framily.

    Jesus ties forgiving others into our own forgiveness. This serves as a litmus test of sorts. You see, when we have fully accepted, embraced, and embodied the of forgiveness we’ve received through the cross, we are able to forgive others, and that can be very difficult. When we don’t forgive others, can we really say in hearts that we are forgiven? Forgiveness isn’t about those who hurt us, it is about us.

    James address a different, but similar heart issue in his letter. Envy and selfish ambition are signs of a heart that puts itself first, and not God, and certainly not others. In a framily, putting oneself ahead of others breaks the essential bond of framily.

    1) In your own words, why is forgiveness essential?

    2) Why do envy and selfish ambition create disorder?

    3) Agape is self-sacrificing love. How is agape love fulfilled in forgiveness, and the lack of envy and selfish ambition?

    KD) Supplication is a word that means for something. Why is that last in the order of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication?

  • Running Towards

    Running Towards

    Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 7:1–11; 1 Timothy 6:11–12 When we read Deuteronomy, we often evaluate it upon our understanding of life, nations, and ancestry. In many respects, Deuteronomy contains thinking that is alien to Western thinking. Part of this is tied into the relationship between peoples, their gods, and their places of habitation. There was a…

  • Messianic or Messiah

    Messianic or Messiah

    Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1–6; John 15:9–17 When we read the Scriptures, as has been written often in these devotions, we bring in our understanding of things. Those who have been indoctrinated (in a good way) into the faith and theology of orthodox Christianity will read into the Scriptures that which they have been taught.…

  • Sharpening Together

    Sharpening Together

    Psalm 98; Deuteronomy 32:44–47; Mark 10:42–45 What are your two pet sins? Or, what sin of others sets you off (lying, adultery, etc.)? And, what sin of yours do you just try to brush off as not being that significant? Most of us have these. It may be severe, and it may be mild. Regardless,…

  • And Now What?

    And Now What?

    Psalm 98; Isaiah 42:5–9; Acts 10:34–43 It is not, by far, unique to American Christianity to be tied to a country. God fought for England, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, and plenty of other places supposedly, as leaders quickly pulled God in their plans of military conquest (or defense). God, and in particular the…