Follow His Steps

               For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an                                           example, that you should follow His steps - 1 Peter 2:21.

Be holy as He is holy                             

But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct - 1 Peter 1:15. 

Be gentle and lowly in heart

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls - Matthew 11:28,29.

Walk just as He walked

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked - 1 John 2:6. 

Take His cross and follow Him

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me - Matthew 10:38.      

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” - Matthew 16:24. 

Hear his voice

My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me - John 10:27.

Walk in light

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” - John 8:12.

You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him - Deuteronomy 13:4.

Forgive one another just as Christ forgave us

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you  - Ephesians 4:32.

Have the same mind of Christ

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross - Philippians 2:3-8.

Set your mind on Christ and heavenly things

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God - Colossians 3:1-3.

Meditate on Godly things

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things - Philippians 4:8.

Be an example to the believers 

Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity - 1 Timothy 4:12.

                                                                                                     

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us follow Your steps and be an example for others just as You left us an example. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.  

Great And Awesome God

Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God - Deuteronomy 7:21.  

             Our God is great above all gods. For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods - Psalm 95:3. He is a great King over all the earth - Psalm 47:2. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite - Psalm 147:5. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe - Deuteronomy 10:17. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ - Titus 2:13.

                   Our God is awesome in holiness, majesty and glory. Holy and awesome is His name - Psalm 111:9. With God is awesome majesty - Job 37:22. Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? - Exodus 15:11. For the Lord Most High is awesome - Psalm 47:2. O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! - Psalm 68:35. 

              Our great and awesome God had done great and awesome things in our life. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever - Psalm 136:4. He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number - Job 9:10. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen - Deuteronomy 10:27. How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power - Psalm 66:3.

                Let us thank our great and awesome God who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments. O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments - Daniel 9:4. Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments - Nehemiah 1:5. Now therefore, our God, The great, the mighty, and awesome God, Who keeps covenant and mercy - Nehemiah 9:32.                

              Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! - Psalm 99:3.

                                                       

Dear Lord, You are the great and awesome God. We thank You for doing great and awesome things in our life. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Peace

                                    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,                                                      longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control -  Galatians 5:22.

Seek peace and pursue it – 1 Peter 3:11.

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord - Hebrews 12:14.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone - Romans 12:18. 

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace - Ephesians 4:3. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God - Matthew 5:9.

Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace - James 3:18.

Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble - Psalm 119:165.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You - Isaiah 26:3.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:6-7.    

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world - John 16:33.

Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless - 2 Peter 3:14.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful - Colossians 3:15.

My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places - Isaiah 32:18.

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed - Isaiah 53:5.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid - John 14:27.

Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river - Isaiah 66:12. 

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones - Proverbs 14:30.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful - Colossians 3:15. 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace - Numbers 6:24-26.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all - 2 Thessalonians 3:16.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You - Isaiah 26:3.

The Lord will bless His people with peace - Psalm 29:11. 

                                                 

   
PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let Your peace rule our hearts. Help us to be peaceful and to pursue peace with all people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do Not Be Unbelieving But Believing

Do not be unbelieving, but believing - John 20:27.

                        Thomas had unbelief as he told that unless he sees the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and put his hands where His nails were, he will not believe when other disciples told that they saw Jesus. Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” - John 20:25-27.

                           Jesus told Thomas to not be unbelieving but believing as blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:28,29. Everything is possible for one who believes - Mark 9:23. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned - Mark 16:16.

                   Let us not be unbelieving but believing as an unbelieving heart is sinful and turns us away from God. See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness - Hebrews 3:12,13. 

                                                                                                 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us not be unbelieving but believing. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 

Not My Will But Yours Be Done

Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done - Luke 22:42.

Jesus did the will of God

               Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane for the will of Father to be done in His life. He came down to earth and did the will of Father who sent Him. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me - John 6:38. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work - John 4:34.        

Do the will of God   

             God wants us to do His will to enter the kingdom of heaven. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven - Mathew 7:21. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God - Psalm 143:10. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us - 1John 5:14,15. Make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen - Hebrews 13:21.  

                Let us give ourselves to God and pray for His will to be done in our life. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will - Romans 12:1,2.                                                                            

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We give ourselves to You. Let your will be done in our life and not ours. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Prayer & Fasting

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting - Matthew 17:20,21.

Jesus healed a demon-possessed boy

           And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour - Matthew 17:14-19. 

Except by prayer and fasting

           Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”. So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” - Matthew 17:20,21.

Prayer

         Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful - Colossians 4:2. Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests - Ephesians 6:18. Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know - Jeremiah 33:3. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me - Psalm 50:15. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you - Jeremiah 29:12. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth - Psalm 145:18.

Fasting

               I humbled myself with fasting - Psalm 35:13. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes - Daniel 9:3. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly - Mathew 6:17, 18. 

                                                                                         

                                                                      

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us devote ourselves to prayer and fasting. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 

Never Be Lazy But Work Hard And Serve The Lord Enthusiastically

 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically  - Romans 12:11. 

Never be lazy

Poverty

Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth - Proverbs 10:4. The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich - Proverbs 13:4. I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.  When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man - Proverbs 24:30-34. Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks - Ecclesiastes 10:18. 

Learn from ant

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,  Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest - Proverbs 6:6-8. Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer - Proverbs 20:25.

Rise from sleep

Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare - Proverbs 20:13. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man - Proverbs 6:9-11. The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed. The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly - Proverbs 26:13-16. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry - Proverbs 19:15.  

                                                                              Work hard

Work with your own hands

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living - 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing - 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12.

Do the best

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might - Ecclesiastes 9:10. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men - Colossians 3:23. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established - Proverbs 16:3. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him - Colossians 3:17. Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor - Proverbs 12:24. 

                                                                                   Serve the Lord enthusiastically

Serve the Lord enthusiastically 

Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing - Psalm 100:3. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain - 1 Corinthians 15:58.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised - Hebrews 6:12.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us not be lazy but work hard and do our best in all we do and serve You  enthusiastically. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.