My thoughts and my life

My prayer for you for today is that God will give you complete knowledge of His will and that He will give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, in Jesus name. Colossians 1:9-10 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Spiritual wisdom. I think this is something we all need, and at that I mean wisdom. I have seen so many people make terrible mistakes out of a lack of wisdom. Spiritual wisdom is not self-gained wisdom but wisdom that comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Imagine the clarity that we will have in life if we are full of spiritual wisdom. But Paul ads on the word “Understanding” and this is so important, because knowing only is not enoug...

My prayer for you for today is that you will know there are no limitations in Jesus and that He will give you all the strength you need, in Jesus name. Philippians 4:4-5 and 13 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. I can do everything. My strength does not lie within my own body but my strength lies in Jesus and I will rejoice knowing that He provides me with enough to face each day and each situation. I will not be moved from my current course nor will I be distracted by the world for I am content with what the Lord has blessed me with and I am more than capable to face each day with all its glory and all its troubles. I will stand in the midst of stormy rain as it pours all over my life and I will rejoice, because my strength in in Jesus my anchor and my foundation. I will not look back and I wil...

My prayer for you for today is that you will take all your worries to God and that God’s peace will fill your heart and mind, in Jesus name. Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Peace. I think it is almost human nature to worry and sometimes we are overwhelmed by our concerns and problems that it makes us gasp for air as the grip of our problems tightens around our neck. We become scared and we don’t think rationally and we do stupid things. In the midst of all that could go wrong you must seek God and seek His peace. I have said it before and I say it again – pray! Take your worries to God in prayer and thank Him for what He has already done and then by placing your trust in Him you will receive His peace and you will ...

My prayer for you for today is that you will stay steadfast on your course to achieve perfection in Jesus for which He first possessed you, in Jesus name. Philippians 3:12-14 I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Prize. It is hard to be a Christian, at times it almost seems impossible to remain focused and calm amongst all the things that happens around us. I think for me it is my work that holds the most challenges on a day to day basis purely, because it is the one place I spend a large part of my day. I sometimes find myself complaining so easily abo...

My prayer for you for today is that you will realise the infinite value of knowing Jesus Christ, and that you will discard everything else to become one with Him, in Jesus name. Philippians 3:8-9 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. Everything else. In our daily lives we are constantly overwhelmed by books and ideas by people how to live a good life. There are writers with specific steps that you must follow on achieving greatness and then there are those considered great or successful that tells the story of their lives to teach you from their own experience how to achieve a similar greatness as th...

My prayer for you for today is that you will live a clean and innocent life so that you will be a light shining for God, in Jesus name. Philippians 2:14-17 Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Rejoice. Do you sometimes feel that the walls are crumbling around you and that your world is falling apart? Do feel that you are left alone in a dark world struggling for survival? Do you feel lost and hurt? When the going gets tough we are always first to complain and argue. I see i...

My prayer for you for today is that you will know to fear God and that you will be filled even more with the desire and power to do what pleases Him, in Jesus name. Philippians 2:12-13 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Fear. It is one thing to fear what we know of and what we can see, but it is so important that you must know to fear God. We must remember that our lives will determine the final judgement that God will put on us. Therefore it is so important that you live a life obeying God and fearing Him, but not only for His judgement but for whom He is. Paul writes that God is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. To me fear for God begins with knowing God and spending t...

My prayer for you for today is that you will be humble and that you will not only think of your own interests but also of those around you, in Jesus name. Philippians 2 (3-4) (5-8) (9-11) Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Humble. It is so easy to be self-centred and to have a blind eye for the needs of those around us and even when we see the need we are sometimes selfish in helping or even understanding. I see it daily in my life how people can be hard and selfish in that matter towards people around them.  It is so easy to be caught up in our own lives and our own problems that it consumes our will to see the need of other. How do you invest in the kingdom of God? Where does the majority of you money goes? God wants us to be humble and not try and impress other, but to be ready to give and help where we can. Paul...

My prayer for you for today is that you will remain standing on the Lord as the storms of life unfolds around you, in Jesus name. Philippians 1:29-30 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. Storms. We find ourselves in the midst of stormy weather as we journey through life. It is funny how these storms can just keep on hammering away at you, trying to destroy all your defences. It is sometimes like waves that just keep on coming and as the weather changes the waves either increase or decrease but they keep on coming. I love the way Paul puts it into words: “ You have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him.”  Paul writes here stating that we are aware of his struggles in the past, but that he is still in the mi...

My prayer for you for today is that your life will be a life for Christ and that you will continue to be bold for Him, in Jesus name. Philippians 1:20-21 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. Life. How short is life? For life is but a vapour, here today and gone tomorrow. The question is “What will happen when my life ends? Will my life bring honour to Christ?” We have the opportunity once more today to live for Christ and to be bold for Him. Death has no power over us anymore as we live a life for Christ. Death was defeated by Jesus as He gave up His life for us. We can live free from the fear of death, because death is just the final step. Paul says “Living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.”  Let us fac...

My prayer for you for today is that nothing will hold you back to be bold for Jesus, in Jesus Name. Ephesians 6:19-20 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for Him, as I should. Persevere.  “ I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador.” – I have this picture in my head of Paul in prison and in chains writing this letter of encouragement to the Ephesians. When we are going through difficult times or when we are not feeling very well, do we write messages of encouragement? Do we motivate the people around us when we are upset? Our first reaction when things are not well is to be miserable and upset and we tend to be miserable and moody towards everyone around us. It is easy for us to glorify God in the good t...

My prayer for you for today is that you will be strong in the Lord and His mighty power, in Jesus Name. Ephesians 6 (10-12) (13-17) (18) A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Warfare. When the enemy is defeated they have two options, they can surrender and submit to the victor or they can continue fighting until there is nothing left to fight with. Our fight is against the devil and his army, and he already lost the fight. When Jesus came to this earth and gave His life for us, he defeated the devil and destroyed him. He is a fallen enemy using everything he still has available to try and destroy as many life’s as possible. His tactics a...

My prayer for you for today is that you will give thanks to God for everything and in everything, in Jesus name. Ephesians 5:20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you. The words “Thank you” seems so small in comparison to what God does on a daily basis. It is almost as if it should have had more weight to it, but it doesn’t. It feels so inadequate when you are overwhelmed with God’s love. How do I make my “thank you” a more “thank you”?  When you are sad your words carry the emotions of your heart. They are combined with a deep sorrow that is carried out on words that can be read in your eyes and the pain is clearly visible in your face. When we are happy our words are happy, they are combined with laughs as you shine the feelings out from inside. I believe that thank you is not the word, but the feelings that is deep inside you carried by thousands of emotions travelling throughout the whole body and finally...

My prayer for you for today is that you will forgive just as God through Jesus has forgiven you, in Jesus name. Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Forgive. Funny how the world has changed, everything is always in such a rush. There is never enough time. Days go by faster than we realize, it still feels like yesterday when we had Christmas and we are already well on our way to April. That’s four months into 2012 and only eight months till the next Christmas. It is as if we are born into a river and we are caught in the flow and we just can’t stop it, and everyone and everything that is not in our stream gets to see our bad side more often than needed. We get angry so much easier, and we allow anger to control us. Paul writes here in Ephesians 4 “And don't sin by letting a...

My prayer for you for today is a prayer for renewal in your life, a new you with new thoughts and a new attitude with a new nature created to be like God, in Jesus name. Ephesians 4:21-24 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Sunrise. I love the way the African sun breaks through the darkness and brings light all over the land. As the warm sun rays touch the ground and embrace the plants, they start to lighten up and you can almost see how they rejoice in the sunlight warming them up, after a cool night. Even the animals come out of there shelter to bask in the morning sun warming up their bodies and almost being renewed for the new day ahead.  When Jesus brings light into your...

My prayer for you for today is that you will grow in your awareness of the importance of your role in the body of Christ and that you will slowly transform into the person God wants you to be, in Jesus Name. Ephesians 4:16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. You. Paul writes about the church compared to the body a few times and he makes it clear how the eyes need the ears and that each part cannot function on its own. This might be something that you know well and we have shared the importance of each part in previous messages, but what I want to remind you of today is the role that you play. How important you are in the whole process.  When you build something out of wood, you design and plan each part beforehand. You then slowly cut out each section as per your plan and then follows the process of putting it all togethe...

My prayer for you for today is that in each moment you will strive to be more like Jesus and not influenced by people but by God, in Jesus Name. Ephesians 4:14-15 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Decisions. It is so interesting taking my son to the toy store, we go there to buy a specific toy he wants, but in the end we come out with something completely different.  Watching him being influenced by the amount of toys and seeing how this influences his decision can be quite a challenge, because it could easily lead to confusion and he then can’t decide which one he wants. These are the days our visit to the toy shop takes a little longer. It then takes care...

My prayer for you for today is that your day will be a day filled with love and patience and that you will be humble and gentle in each encounter you have today, in Jesus Name. Ephesians 4:1-6 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. Unity. I love the quote “United we stand, divided we fall”. When I first read that Paul sees himself as a prisoner for serving the Lord, I thought it to be a little strange. How can you be a prisoner for ...

Ephesians 3:14-21 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Boundaries. When I read this is Ephesians I knew I just had to share it with you today. How awesome is our God, how great is His love for each on...

My prayer for you for today is that you will take your troubles to God and not to the world, in Jesus Name. Ephesians 3:12 Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence. Walkie-Talkie. Before the world domination of the cell phone there was two way radios, we called these hand held devices “Walkie-Talkie’s”. This was the first wireless communication instrument and quite large to carry around, almost like the first cell phones.  The amazing thing about this was the result, you could talk to someone over a distance and continued in your conversation even though you could not see them. It is not the device that made me think this morning, but the name “Walkie-Talkie”, meaning walking and talking. I believe that our relationship with God should be one of walking and talking. Jesus came and He broke the walls and laws that kept us from God’s presence and gave us direct access to Him. You can enter God’s presence at any give...

My prayer for you for today is that you will be renewed in Jesus knowing that you are God’s masterpiece, in Jesus name. Ephesians 2:8-10 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. For sale. I love sales people, they will give you all the best reasons why you need to buy this specific thing and they will make it sound so impressive that you can’t believe how you ever survived in today’s world without it. I used to work in sales and I must admit I loved it. Selling to fulfil a need is an awesome reward. To bring freedom to your client who has always been struggling with second rated products is just amazing. I loved the thrill of closing the deal and the rush of last minute calls to make t...

My prayer for you for today is that you will know that your freedom is already bought with the blood of Jesus and that He destroyed the hold sin has on us, in Jesus Name. Ephesians 1:6-8 So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. The Cross. He took your sin upon that cross, innocent, beaten, mocked and finally killed to bring freedom to you out of love and out of grace. Your sins are forgiven, stop letting the devil make you believe otherwise. The grip sin had on you is gone so you can live free from it, you don’t have to fall back into your old ways. No you are lifted up out of that darkness and temptation to a new place, a new life in Jesus. God paid an expensive price for you, don’t you forget that. In Jesus you now have a new...