Skip to main content

Devotional for April 22, 2020

Prayer and Praise

 "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise." (James 5:13 NIV)

 Several of these devotionals have been about asking God for help, and emphasizing the need to pray in this kind of crisis. As well we certainly ought to. However, there is more to a relationship with God than simply asking for His help all the time: there is also remembering how good He is and how kind He is to us.

 In the midst of this crisis, how often have we paused to praise? How often have we stopped, in the midst of the "new normal" caused by the pandemic simply to thank God for what He has done for us, and what He has given us. How often have we taken time to remember how God has brought us through the last few weeks, and what He has given us in the meanwhile?

 What are you thankful to God for today? What has He done for you that you especially want to thank Him for? How has He blessed you in an unexpected way in the midst of this pandemic? How has He kept you going, and how has He kept your family and friends going? How has He shown you His love? How has He been present with you? Take time today to praise God and how good He is!

 Dear God, thank you for helping me, and thank you for being with me, blessing me, and sustaining me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotional for May 7, 2020

Pray at All Times "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:18 NIV) Today, and every day, we need prayer more than ever. Though there is talk of re-opening various state economies, even lifting restrictions on stay-at-home orders, progress continues to move slowly. While the increasing number of positive coronavirus results may simply indicate more testing, the coronavirus is still not going away. Our schools, and many other businesses, remain closed, and their future schedules and logistics remain uncertain. We need to turn to God in prayer for His help and deliverance more than ever today. There are many who are also on the front lines both of fighting the coronavirus, as well as those who continue to work even despite potential continued exposure to the coronavirus, who bravely and courageously continue to serve and even help heal and co...
Post a Comment
Read more

Devotional for March 28, 2020

Still Connected "These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God, under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy  and praise among the festive throng." (Psalm 42:4 NIV) One of the hardest adjustments many of us have had to make has been our churches closing. Worship services have stopped for at least the last couple of weeks all over the country, and this has affected both small and large churches. It has been hard having to stay home, seemingly disconnected from our friends and support at our churches, and having our worship routines seemingly disrupted. Yet the good news is that God is with us, any time, any where. He is not confined to one location, building, time of day, or day of the week. He is with us at every moment, and does not take a break from watching over us, because He is all-powerful. He is almighty and all-seeing, so He is able to be everywhere at once, and handle everything for every per...
Post a Comment
Read more

Devotional for March 31, 2020

Looking Forward to Next "I   am   with   you  and will watch over  you  wherever  you  go, and  I  will bring  you  back to this land.  I  will not leave  you  until  I  have done what  I  have promised  you .” (Genesis 28:15 NIV) By now, things have definitely changed. Things simply are not the same as they once were. We are having to stay home, families are having to homeschool children, many people who work in healthcare, childcare, and other "essential" jobs have extra workloads, and those who are working from home are still dealing with the realities of doing so. Stores still remain short of certain items. Many people have been laid off from their jobs, and are wondering about finding a new paycheck. The number of those infected increases exponentially, and the death toll continues to rise. The pandemic  has put us on a journey, which we do not exactly ho...
Post a Comment
Read more