God's Glory Church

“Pray in spirit with every prayer and supplication at all times.” — Ephesians 6:18

During a conference where I was one of the teachers, Temi gave me a card with a prayer written in her own hand. She explained that she read the biographies of all the teachers at the conference, wrote special prayers on each of the cards, prayed and gave them to us. I was amazed at the details of her personal message to me and thanked God for the encouragement from Temi. I prayed for her too. When I felt pain and fatigue during the conference, I took out the card and after rereading Tami’s message, I realized that God had restored my spirit.

The apostle Paul recognized the life-affirming influence of prayer for others. He urged the believers to prepare for the battle “against the heavenly spirits of malice” (Eph. 6:12). He encouraged constant and specific prayers, emphasizing the importance of intercessory prayer. Paul asked that they also pray for him courageously: “That the word may be given to me to open my mouth and boldly proclaim the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains” (vv. 19-20).

If we pray for one another, the Holy Spirit comforts us and strengthens our perseverance. He confirms that we need Him and each other. He assures us that He hears every prayer – silent, spoken or written on a prayer card – and answers according to His perfect will.

How has God helped you through the intercessory prayers of others? Who can you encourage today with a prayer card?

Dear God, please help me to come to You with confident prayers for myself and others.

Author: Sosheel Dixon

“And all of us have become like the unclean, and all our righteousness is like a stained… garment.” — Isaiah 64:6

Recently, my wife and I were cleaning the house before the arrival of guests. I noticed dark stains on the white kitchen tile on the floor; I had to kneel down to clean it.

A realization soon hit me: the longer I cleaned the floor, the more I noticed other stains. Each spot removed only made other spots more visible. The kitchen floor suddenly seemed incredibly dirty. With each step I realized, “No matter how hard I work, I will never clean the floor perfectly.”

Somewhat similar Scripture speaks of our unsuccessful efforts to deal with sin on our own. Observing the desperation of God’s people in an effort to experience His salvation (Is. 64:5), the prophet Isaiah wrote: “And we have all become like the unclean, and all our righteousness is like a stained… garment” (v. 6).

However, Isaiah knew that because of God’s goodness, there is always hope. Therefore, he prayed: “O Lord, You are our Father, we are clay, and You are our potter” (v. 8). The prophet Isaiah knew that only God can truly cleanse us until the largest stains become “white as snow” (Is. 1:18).

We are unable to cleanse our souls of the stains of sin. Fortunately, we can find salvation in Him Whose sacrifice completely cleanses us (1 John 1:7).

Why is it so difficult to accept God’s forgiveness? Why do you think you tend to try to deal with sin on your own?

Heavenly Father, help me to rely on Your forgiveness and not to try to earn what You have already given.

Author: Adam Holtz

“And life was in Him, and life was the Light of men.” — John 1:4

To reproduce the beauty of reflected light in landscapes, artist Armand Cabrera adheres to an important principle: “Reflected light will never be brighter than its source.” According to his observations, novice painters tend to oversaturate reflected light. He says, “Reflected light belongs to the shadow; it should support the lit parts of your painting, not compete with them.”

A similar opinion is recorded in the Bible regarding Jesus Christ, “the Light of the people” (Jn. 1:4). John the Baptist “came to witness to testify about the Light, so that all would believe through him” (v. 7). The author of the Gospel says the following about John the Baptist: “He was not that Light, but he had to testify about the Light” (v. 8).

We, like John, are chosen by God to reflect the light of Christ to those who live in the shadow of an unbelieving world. This is our role, because, as someone pointed out: “unbelievers are unable to endure the fullness of the bright glory of His light.”

Cabrera teaches his students: “Anything on which the light directly falls becomes a source of light.” Likewise with Jesus, “the true Light… [Which] enlightens every man” (v. 9), we shine as witnesses of His light. And let the world be amazed by His glory that shines through us.

How do you reflect the light of Christ? What dark areas of the world can you shine His light on?

Shine on me, wonderful Light of God. Please help to illuminate the dark areas of the unbelieving world with Your light.

Author: Patricia Raybon

“You will not be with the majority to do evil.” — Exodus 23:2

“One man is dead. The other’s life is in danger,” says the judge grimly in the classic 1957 film Twelve Angry Men. The evidence of the young man’s guilt seems convincing. However, during the discussion, one of the twelve jurors, namely number eight, declares that the suspect is “innocent.” The debate escalates and the juror is ridiculed as he points out discrepancies in the testimony. Emotional heat runs high, and the murderous tendencies and biases of the jury members become apparent. In the end, the jurors change their votes one by one, agreeing that the defendant is “not guilty.”

When God gave instructions to Israel, he called on them to show honest courage: “You shall not speak about a lawsuit, leaning to the majority, to bend the truth” (Ex. 23:2). It is interesting that the court should not “indulge the poor in his claim” (vv. 3, 6). God, the righteous Judge, wants us to be honest in all our dealings.

In the movie “Twelve Angry Men”, the second juror, after voting “not guilty”, said about the first: “It is not easy to stand up against the ridicule of others.” However, this is exactly what God requires. Juror number eight saw real evidence and humanity at trial. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can also stand up for God’s truth and defend the defenseless.

What tempts you to follow the crowd? In what way does God call you to stand up for truth and justice?

Heavenly Father, help us to show Your love to the world as we stand for Your truth.

Author: Tim Gustavson

“As the young man rejoices in his bride, so will your God rejoice in you.” — Isaiah 62:5

Brendan and Katie beamed as they looked at each other. Watching the genuine joy on their faces, you’d never guess that many of their wedding plans have been canceled due to the restrictions associated with COVID-19. Although only twenty-five family members were present at the wedding, the newlyweds radiated joy and peace as they said their vows, because they loved each other and were grateful for God’s love for them.

The image of the bridegroom and the bride rejoicing in each other is the image that the prophet Isaiah used to depict God’s joy and love for His people. In a beautiful poetic description of God’s promised salvation, Isaiah reminded readers that the salvation God offers brings comfort to the brokenhearted, joy to those who mourn, and provision for the needs of His people (Isa. 61:1-3). God will help the people, because He will “rejoice” with them, as the bridegroom and the bride rejoice in each other (Is. 62:5).

It is an amazing truth that God delights in us and wants to have a relationship with us. Even in spite of the difficulties we experience living in a sinful world, we have a God who loves us with an everlasting love (Ps. 135:1).

What images remind you of God’s love? How does His joyful love fill you with joy?

Loving God, thank you for delighting in me.

Author: Lisa Samra

“The Lord is with me – I am not afraid of anyone.” — Psalm 117:6

Many years ago, a friend told me how she was afraid to cross a street that had several other roads running through it. “I had never seen anything like it; the rules of crossing the street I had been taught didn’t seem effective. I was so scared that I just stood on the street corner, waited for the bus and asked the driver to help me cross the street. It took a long time before I learned how to successfully cross the street as a pedestrian and later as a driver.”

Coping with life’s difficulties is much more difficult than driving through a dangerous traffic junction. We do not know the life circumstances of the author of Psalm 117, but we understand that they were difficult and needed prayer. “I cried out to the Lord in my distress,” exclaimed the psalmist (v. 5). His confidence in God was unequivocal: “The Lord is with me – I am not afraid of anyone… The Lord is among those who help me” (vv. 6-7).

It is not surprising that we are afraid when we have to change jobs, schools or homes. Deteriorating health, problems in relationships and lack of money cause anxiety. However, these difficulties do not mean that God has abandoned us. If it is difficult for us, let us seek His presence in prayer.

What difficulties brought you closer to God? Who can you tell about how He has helped you?

Gracious Father, if I am struggling, please help me to trust You.

Author: Arthur Jackson

“This is written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” —John 20:31

When Doris Kearns Goodwin decided to write a book about Abraham Lincoln, she was frightened by the fact that about fourteen thousand books had already been written about America’s sixteenth president. What else could be said about the beloved leader? However, this did not stop Goodwin, and the result of her work was the book “A Team of Rivals: The Political Talent of Abraham Lincoln”. A fresh look at Lincoln’s leadership style made her book very popular.

Apostle John faced another problem when he wrote the story about the ministry and suffering of the Lord Jesus. In the final verse of the Gospel of John, it is said: “There are many other things that Jesus did. But I think that if I were to write about all that in particular about each one, the world itself would not contain the books that were written” (John 21:25). Ivan had more material than he could use!

Therefore, the strategy of the apostle John was to focus attention on only a few selected miracles (signs) that confirmed the statement of Jesus: “I am…”. This strategy also had an eternal purpose: “These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, believing, you may have life in His Name” (Jn. 20:31). Out of the multitude of evidences, John provided many reasons for believing in Jesus. Who can you tell about Him today?

What do you think of the biblical evidence for Jesus and His claims? What does believing in Him mean to you?

Heavenly Father, please strengthen my faith with strong evidence so that I can truly live for Jesus Christ.

Author: Bill Crowder

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, the first of whom is me.” — 1 Timothy 1:15

Recently, I was surprised to receive a gift from a friend. I didn’t think I deserved such a wonderful gift from her. She sent it when she found out I was stressed at work. Although she herself was under much more stress than I was, given the condition of her elderly parents, the difficult ages of her children, problems at work and a strained marital relationship. I just couldn’t believe that my friend thought more about me than about herself; her gift brought me to tears.

In reality, we are all recipients of a gift that we can never earn. Apostle Paul says: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first” (1 Tim. 1:15). Although he “was a blasphemer, and an oppressor, and an attacker… the grace of the Lord increased greatly in [him]” (vv. 13-14). The resurrected Jesus Christ gave Paul a deep understanding of the gift of grace. As a result, he learned what it means to be an undeserved recipient of this gift: he became a powerful instrument of God’s love and told many people about what God had done for him.

It is only through God’s grace that we receive love and not condemnation, mercy and not judgment. Let’s rejoice in the undeserved grace given by God and look for ways to show that grace to others.

How have you lost sight of the amazing gift of grace? How can grace motivate you again?

Dear God, help me to better understand what it means to show your gift of grace to others.

Author: Karen Pimpo

“He will say to the Lord: “My protection and my fortress, my God”, – I hope in Him.” — Psalm 90:2

One evening while jogging near a construction site in our area, I saw a thin and dirty kitten that purred piteously and ran after me to my house. Now Mickey is a healthy, beautiful adult cat who spends a comfortable life in our house. He is a favorite of our family. Every time I run down the road where I found the cat, I say, “Thank you, God. Mickey was saved from life on the streets. Now he has a home.”

In the 90th Psalm, it is said about those who “live under the protection of the Most High” (v. 1). The Hebrew term translated by the word “to live” means “to remain, to be constantly.” If we abide in God, He helps us to live with His wisdom and to love Him above all else (v. 14; John 15:10). God promises us the comfort of eternal life with Him and His constant presence with us in our difficulties of life. Despite any problems, we can rely on God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and love, and on His promises to protect and save us.

If God is our refuge, then we live “in the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 90:1). No calamity will touch us unless God, in His infinite wisdom and love, allows it. God is our safe home.

What does it mean to have a home in God? What will be your response to difficulties if you dwell in the shelter of the Most High?

Heavenly Father, thank you for the home I have in You.

Author: Karen Huang