30 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a complete satisfaction, a genreal designation of the dwelling place of the saved, a proof of spiritual rebirth, a strong will, abundance, acknolwedges their sin, be as a tree planted by the waters, behooves us to go out and share those blessings, being fortunate, blessed a certain characterisitic of someone who want to serve God, blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they that mourn, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, blessed is the man tha trusteth in the Lord, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love him like we do, comforted by the compassion of God, comforted in confession, courage, creativity, curse, delay the greenery of spring, divine grace, divine protection, experience a deep desire for personal rightousness, experience profound inner joy and spiritual well being, faith, favour, favoured by God, frost avisory warning, future possessors of earth, good freinds, good health, got a zeppo, gratitude for life's gifts, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he satisfieth the longing soul, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, how prideful foolish and unwise nakind can be, humbled by the grace og God, hunger and thirst for what only God can give, if God spares life, independent of circumstances, inherit the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, LOVE, mercy, mourn for human anguish, mourn for sin, negative word, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, promotion, salvation, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not see when heat comes, spiritual poverty, spreadeth out her roots by the river, supernatural wisdom, talent, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the kingdom Jesus preached is both in you and yet to moe, the opposite of the proud and haughty in spirit, the penultimate day of our work week, the presently installed rightful heirs, the Sermon on the Mount, their dependence on God to save them, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, they shall be comforted, they shall be filled, they shall inherit the earth, those who mourn for sin cahll be cmforted in, to possess divine favour, true blessings only come from sincere association with God, truth, ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth, wanting something but not willing to pay the price, whose hope the Lord is, wisdom
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, and are we ever looking forward to Friday and the weekend. But wait, am I seeing correctly? The computer is giving me a Frost advisory warning. Between the last day of April and the first day of May, we should expect frost… Let’s hope that isn’t true, for the young buds are just beginning to appear on the trees, and a frost cover would only inhibit their growth and thus further delay the greenery of spring that we’re all just dying to see, after a tough winter.
But yuh know what, we can handle anything that comes against us because we are children of the Most High God Jehovah and thus are blessed. And talking about being blessed, I read a scripture earlier this morning that talked about it, and afterward got a zeppo that we should check out some scriptures that deal with the subject. (smile) And there are several interesting ones in the Bible. But before we begin looking at scriptures about being blessed, it might be useful to first have a definition of what we mean by being blessed.
And this overview explains it thus: ‘”Be blessed” generally means to be favored by God, to possess divine favor, or to experience profound inner joy, peace, and spiritual well-being independent of circumstances. It signifies being fortunate, consecrated, or fortunate to have something. The term is used in both spiritual contexts (divine grace) and secular, everyday language (gratitude for life’s gifts).’
So, however we take it, blessed means to be rich or well-off in certain aspects of life. And the scripture I read earlier on certainly displays those sentiments. And it’s a scripture that we all know from the prophet Jeremiah, speaking on the Lord’s behalf ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8)
Wow! What a marvellous blessing! You’d think that all of us would then be running down such an awesome blessing by totally putting our trust in the Lord God Jehovah. But we’re not. However, we all want to be blessed like that tree. That just goes to show how prideful, foolish and unwise mankind can be; desperately wanting something but not willing to pay the price to get it. Yes friends, we all want to be blessed by the Lord, but we don’t want to live the way He desires, so foolishly we forego His many blessings.
And Jesus brought the message of blessing to the forefront by giving us the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the word ‘Blessed’ and talks about a certain characteristic of a person who wants to serve God, or who has been saved. Jesus begins with ‘Blessed are the poor in Spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:3) And the scholars explain that by saying: ‘The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence on God to save them. They will inherit the kingdom of heaven; is a general designation of the dwelling place of the saved.’
Then the next Beatitude says: ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ (Matt. 5:4) And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘Those that mourn … shall be comforted. The depth of the promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible. Those who mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion of God.’
Now here’s the next Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (land).’ (Matt, 5:5) Which the scholars say refers again to those who have been humbled before God and will not only inherit the blessedness of heaven, but also will ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth. Here in the opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount, is the balance between the physical and spiritual promise of the kingdom. The kingdom of which Jesus preached is both “in you” and is yet “to come.”
We then hear this awesome promise from our Lord and Saviour: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) And the scholars say that ‘These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:9)
Ah friends, I do hope we’ve gotten an understanding of the Beatitudes that we’ve covered so far, only halfway, because time and space are forcing us to stop for today. So tomorrow, if God spares life, then we’ll continue looking at the Beatitudes and some other scriptures that talk about being blessed. Now, let’s turn and declare our Thursday Blessings; undeserved blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…true blessings…only come from…sincere association with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bribe, a great family, a lack of passion, a spirit of power love and a sound mind, a time of dictatorship, abhor justice, baptizing them, bloodshed, both shall fall into the ditch, bounden duty, broken in the name of Jesus, buildwith bllod up Zion, cause calamity, Christ has led us out of darkness into the light, christianity, Christians, Christians have the tools and the numbers to make changes, Christians need to throw off their differences, christians willing to walk the christian talk, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, confused and conflicted, continue in this godless race of evil doing, courage, curse, destruction is sure if we keep being ungodly, disturbed the tne natural elements of the weather, divine protection, even unto the end of the world, faith, fallen out of its natural rhythm, favour, fear holds us back, find destruction at the hands of an angry God, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, go ye therefore and teach all nations, good freinds, good health, greedy power hungry inept evil doing leaders, heaps of ruins, holy spirit, I am with you always, if the blind lead the blind, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, is not the Lord among us, it behooves Christians to rise up and hange the story, it's not too late to turn things around, Jesus Christ, led of them that are destroyed, living in fear of total destruction, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, mercy, negative word, no evil can come upon us, no sense of God in the hearts of our leaders, no sense of true purpose, pervert all equity, promotion, prosper and succeed, resolve power into their own hands, riddim and rhyme, roiling around in uncahrted waters, salvation, self-control, self-disicipline, supernatural wisdom, take the bull by the horns, teaching them to observe all things, the BIBLE, the Great Commission, the heads thereof judge for a reward, the leaders of this people cause them to err, the priests teach for hire, the prohets divine thereof for money, the same quandary our world is in, the strength of heart, they be blind leaders of the blind, through our own foolish and evil desires, total corruption, truth, uncharted waters, wake up, wandering around lost and unguuided, wisdom
Matthew 28:19. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
And then it was Thursday; our penultimate day of the work week, but yet another rainy and foggy morning, which eventually turned into a cloud covered somewhat sunshiny day. (smile) Ah mih people, the weather these days is like us, confused and conflicted, don’t know whether it’s coming or going. Why? Because we have played with and disturbed the natural elements so much that God’s set weather pattern has been thrown completely out of whack. Consequently, it has fallen out of its natural rhythm and is just roiling around in uncharted waters, with no sense of true purpose, no sense of riddim or rime, just like so may of us human beings today are wandering around lost and unguided.
It’s like the prophet Isaiah declared so long ago about the nation of Israel: ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they are led of them that are destroyed.’ (Is. 9:16) And it’s the same sort of quandary our world is in today, with some of the most inept, greedy, power hungry, evil doing leaders that that world has seen in a long while. It seems like we are returning to a time of dictatorship, as so many current leaders are trying to resolve power into their own hands, so they can do as they please.
And it hearkens back to the cry of the prophet Micah on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes (rulers) of the house of Israel, that abhor judgement (justice), and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood (bloodshed), and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward (a bribe), and the priests thereof teach for hire (pay), and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say (saying), Is not the Lord among us? none evil (no harm) can come upon us.’ (Mic. 3:9-11)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly the kind of world we’re faced with today; one of total corruption, greed, evil doing and no sense of God in the hearts of our leaders. It’s like Jesus said of the Pharisees: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14) But friends, we’re not supposed to be blind because Jesus has come and led us out of darkness into the light, and if we have blind, godless leaders then we have to get up and do something about it.
For if we continue in this godless race of devilry, of evil doing, we will most likely end up just like the prophet Micah promised the Israelites, either by the hands of an angry and fed up God, or through our own foolish and evil desires. Listen up to Micah’s promise: ‘Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps (heaps of ruins), and the mountains of the house (the temple) as the high places (bare hills) of the forest.’ (Mic. 3:12)
Oh my people, if we keep on in the ungodly and evil way in which we’re going, destruction, in one way or another is certain to come upon us at some stage of the game. Now, is that what we truly desire for ourselves and our descendants? I doubt it very much. Therefore it behooves us Christians to rise up and change the story as much as we can, because none of the evil doers are going to do it. And it’s not like we don’t have the tools to do it, for we do, and we also have the numbers to do it too.
But what seems to be holding us back are things like fear, a lack of the necessary passion, and the strength of heart to even broach such a project, because we’re fearful that it will probably cause us much calamity. However, it will probably cause us even more calamity if we don’t get up and fight the good fight. And we cannot deny that’s already happening in this war torn, strife filled, selfish and greedy world of ours. But please, let’s remember these most important words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
So the only answer to the problem is for believers in Christ Jesus to first get together, throw off our differences and divisions, then stand up strong and do what Jesus desires of us; spread His gospel of peace and LOVE, of forgiveness and salvation, to all parts of the world, like He says in the Great Commission. ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
That’s our purpose right there my fellow believers. It’s loud and clear, nothing to misunderstand. However, because of our refusal to do like we were expected, our world has fallen even further in to the quicksand of godlessness and evil doing. And you cannot deny that if more of us supposed Christians had only risen up and lived like true Christians, our world would not be in the disastrous and chaotic state it’s currently in. But it’s not too late to turn things around. So please, for Christ’s sake, as well as our children’s, let’s wake up and take the bull by the horns and turn things around nuh! Aren’t you tired of living in fear of total destruction with the ungodly, evil, power hungry leaders we now have?
And our God is so good and generous that besides all the other stuff, He’s further bestowed on us undeserved blessings to help do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, to help others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only as Christians are willing to walk the Christian talk…will our world ever improve…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, accosted by the devil, all destinies lead to God, as a roaring lion, avenge not yourselves, be not overcome of evil, be sober be vigilant, be ye angry and sin not, bless them that curse you, cease from anger, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, commune seriously with God, curse, determine what's right for us, divine protection, do good to them that hate you, don't change for change sake, don't go overboard when you're angry, don't go to bed angry, duty bound, etenal life, face the battle mano a mano, favour, forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, generously share our blessings, get left behind, heap coals of fire on his head, heed its warning, holy spirit, I shall repay, if he thirst give him drink, if it's not broken don't fix it, if thine enemy hunger feed him, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, looking for an opportunity to disrupt our lives, lots of bark but no bite, LOVE, Love your enemies, make you immune from eivl, mercy, negative word, neither give place to the devil, not all walk the same path to get to God, overcome evil with good, pray for them which spitefully use you, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, self-control, self-didcipline, shaming our enemy with good treatement, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, the BIBLE, the Bible is our everyday guide to life, the devil is powerless if we stand strong in the Lord, the devil's a toothless lion, the indisputable truth, the joy of the Lord is our strength, time's moving forward very quickly, truth, undeserved blessings, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, wisdom, with God's help, your adversary the devil
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh brother! It couldn’t be Thursday already, the second to last day of our work week? But it surely is! That just goes to show how time is moving forward very quickly, and if we don’t heed its warning, we will get left behind, which is not a good feeling. But that doesn’t mean we have to change for the sake of change. The old cliché that if it isn’t broken don’t fix it, still stands as a reminder that a lot of things that are happening now are not really necessary and some of them can be bypassed. The difficult question though, is which ones should we bypass and which shouldn’t we?
I only wish I knew the answer. And unless you’re clairvoyant, the only way to find out is by each one of us facing the battle, mano a mano, and determining for ourselves, with God’s help, what is right for us. For although our destinies lead us all to the same place; salvation and eternal life with Jesus, not all of us walk the same path to get there. That’s why the Lord made us as individuals, with no two of us fully resembling each other in all aspects. He has a different path for each one of us to walk to get to Him, and only as we commune seriously with Him, will we find out the path He desires us to tread.
Consequently, that’s why He gave us His Word in the Bible as a guidebook for living this earthly life. And that’s why the psalmist so wisely declares: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And Cousin Sol elaborates on that in Proverbs by warning: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:20-23)
Yes my brethren, God’s Word is there to guide us and keep us safe, but we have to read and study it, then put it into action before it can do that. Just becoming a Christian doesn’t make you immune from the evil and ungodliness of this world. In fact, that will make the enemy try even harder to tempt you and make you miserable, because he doesn’t want you to enjoy the strength of the Lord which is our joy. (Neh. 8:10) Yuh see, even Jesus was tempted, and it was the Holy Spirit that led Him into the wilderness to be thus accosted by the devil. That means we will also have the wily snake hanging around us all the time, looking for an opportunity to disrupt our lives.
And as Peter warns: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet. 5:8) But he’s a toothless lion, lots of bark, but no bite. However, if we allow him, he can wreak much havoc in our lives. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote these words to the Ephesians. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26:-27)
Yes, when we get angry, we’re liable do foolish and ungodly stuff, that just gives the devil and opportunity to get into our lives. So, we must be careful when we get angry not to go overboard and react foolishly. Neither should we go to bed angry, because that just disturbs our sleep, and most likely we’ll wake up angry also, which is not a nice or sensible way to start our day.
Bruh David also warned about anger in Psalm 37, when he writes: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:8) And that’s the indisputable truth! For evil does nothing good for mankind, only brings pain, suffering, death and sorrow. And Bruh Paul said it thus to the Romans. ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:19-21)
Yes friends, we can become angry, but must be careful what we do in those times, don’t repay evil for evil, neither seek revenge, for that right belongs to the Lord. We’re suppose to treat our enemy with graciousness, feed and give him drink if necessary, thereby sought of shaming him. (smile) It’s as Jesus declared: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you.’ (Matt. 5:44)
Now, although that command is often difficult to put into action, we must do our best to follow our Saviour’s directives, and our God is such a wonderful God that in His goodness and wisdom He’s bestowed several undeserved blessings on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and generously use those blessings to help others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the devil is powerless…if we stand strong in the Lord…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a by product of our addiction to speed, abundance, addiction to speed, be of good courage, blessed are all they that wait for him, both hope and wait quietly, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, delight thyself also in the Lord, divine protection, duty bound, even the youths shall faint and be weary, excessive reliance on speed, eyes blazing, faith, favour, focus on today's tasks, fulfillment, give thee the desires of thine heart, good friends, good health, He giveth power to the faint, he may be gracious unto you, he may have mercy on you, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, I had fainted, I wait for the Lord, in his word do I hope, in the Lord's kingdom timing is everything, it is good that a man, it's hard to wait on the Lord's timing, Jesus Christ, let Israel hope in the Lord, LOVE, mercy, more than they that watch for the morning, mount up with wings as eagles, mouths salivating, my soul doth wait, my soul waiteth for the Lord, negative word, offering their morning sacrifices of praise, personal experience, promotion, prosper and succeed, run and not be weary, salvation, self-control, serenade the one who provides for them, talent, the BIBLE, the Lord has me in waiting mode, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the young men shall utterly fall, therefore will he be exalted, therefore will the Lord wait, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, thou shalt see it, times of total impatience, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, to the soul that seeketh him, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, undeserved blessings, unless I had believed, uplifting to hear them, use those blessings to help others, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wait on the Lord and keep his way, waiting on God and His timing, wake up to the sweet singing of birds, walk and not faint, when the time is right things will happen, when the wicked are cut off, wisdom, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy
Psalm 37:34. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.’
Oh friends, how wonderful it is to awaken to the sweet singing of the birds on a spring Thursday morning, or any morning for that matter! It’s certainly uplifting to hear them offering their morning sacrifices of praise to their Maker and Provider, in such a natural manner. They can’t think like we do, but they know that they must serenade the one who provides for them. Only wish that more of us would do like them.
And on this fairly warm but cloudy and drizzly penultimate day of our work week, instead of wishing that tomorrow and the weekend would hurry up and come, let’s focus instead on the many tasks we need to perform today, for some of us might not even be around to see tomorrow. That’s why I believe the Lord guided me to these scriptures for today on waiting on Him and His timing.
Listen to these wise words of Jeremiah from his Lamentations. ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) Yes my people, waiting on our God is most important, but sometimes extremely difficult to do especially in these times of total impatience and the excessive reliance on speed.
And waiting on God is so important that there are many scriptures that call for it. So let’s look at a few of them, so that we can renew our minds and spirits on the subject. (smile) Hear, as the prophet Isaiah, talks about God’s graciousness and mercy. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait. That he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18)
And we all know this next popular scripture from Isaiah. ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. ‘ (Is. 40:29-31)
Now all of us want to ‘mount up with wings as eagles,’ but we don’t want to do the waiting on the Lord. And not wanting to wait is a sad byproduct of this society’s addiction to speed, to have everything move faster and done more quickly. We’re regularly offered new devices, and in many cases they’re not really much better than the last one, but they are always faster, and that gets our eyes blazing and our mouths salivating for them.
Meanwhile in Psalm 130 – Hoping and Waiting for the Lord – the psalmist declares: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), And with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption.’ (Ps. 130: 5-7) Wow! What great reasons to wait on the Lord: abundant redemption and plenty mercy!
Then there are a couple of scriptures from Bruh David that we all know, but don’t necessarily action them. (smile) The first comes from Psalm 127 – My Heart Shall Not Fear. he writes: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:13 -14) Bruh David could not have put it any clearer or stronger than that my faithful brethren. And we all know his story, where although he made some bad mistakes, he waited on the Lord for most of his life, and he was successful as a king, a warrior, a poet and a musician.
And yes, it is hard to wait on the Lord’s timing. I can tell you that from personal experience, because I’ve been through it earlier on in life. When I didn’t wait, my projects were unsuccessful, but when I waited, they bore good fruit. Right now, I have several projects waiting in the wings, but not doing anything about them, either because I’m too lazy to jump start them, (smile) or the Lord has me in waiting mode. I’d like to think it’s the latter, but who knows,?
Anyway, I’ve learned from hard experience that when the time is right, things will happen. Therefore I’m doing as Bruh David says in Psalm 37 – Trust in the Lord – ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4) And do I ever have several desires of mine heart still left to be manifested, in the short time I have left! (smile)
And lastly, there’s this verse also from Psalm 37, where Bruh David advises us to: ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37:34) Yes my people, if we want to see the goodness and mercy of God, then we have to wait on His timing. That’s the living truth. Now, let’s declare and thus activate our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in the Lord’s kingdom…timing is everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foretaste of glory divine, a preview of the the eternal fellowship, alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, all is at rest, angels descending, ask God for knowledge, be thankful unto him, became her eyes, bless His name, blessed assurance, born of his spirit, bought with a price, bring from above, burst on my sight, caught up together with them in the clouds, Christ the faithful witness, co-heirs with Christ, comfort one another with these words, descend from heaven with a shout, divine protection, echoes of mercy, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, ever be with Lord, faith, Fanny Crosby, Fanny's grandmother Eunice, fellowship, fight the good fight for Jesus, for dying for our sins, get back into the rat race, glorify God in your body and spirit, God works in mysterious ways, God's amazing grace, heir of salvation, helped develop her descriptive abilities, him that loved us, holy spirit, in my Saviour am happy and blest, in times of tumultuous trials, inherit eternal life, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, mercy, no rhyme or reason, perfect delight, perfect rest, perfect submission, Phoebe Palmer Knapp, praising my saviour all the day long, purchase of God, ruler over kings of the earth, salvation, sing praises to God's name, support from ministering spirits, teaching her to pray, Thank you Jesus, thankful for all God's blessings, the dead in Christ shall rise first, the driving force behind Fanny's accomplishments, the first begotten of the dead, the Lord's Day, the rapture of Christ's church, the sacrificial blood of Christ, the trump of God, the voice of the archangel, this is my song, this is my story, troublesome temptations, truth, unwavering hope, visions of rapture, washed in his blood, washed us from our sins in his own blood, we belong to god, whispers of love, wisdom, ye are not your own, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost
1 Thessalonians 4:18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
And after our lazy-day Saturday comes Sunday, the Lord’s Day, this fifth Sunday of Lent and the first of spring 2026. Now that means, despite the rainy and cloudy situation, it’s time for all able-bodied believers to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and fellowship with joy and thanksgiving. How does Psalm 100 put it? ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’ (Ps. 100: 4)
Yes, that’s how it ought to be in the Lord’s sanctuary all over the world today; entering God’s presence with joy, acknowledging His awesome character, while offering lots of praise and thanksgiving and fellowshipping, that will strengthen us and enable us to get back into the rat race tomorrow and fight the good fight in Jesus’ holy name. And today’s song of worship is a hymn we all know and LOVE, TITLED ‘Blessed Assurance.’ It was written in 1873 by that marvellous, blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby, with music by Phoebe Knapp.
And this commentary extols the song thus: ‘Each and every day we sing praises to His name. We are thankful for all of the blessings that He bestows upon us. The lyrics of the classic hymn ‘Blessed Assurance’ is the perfect way to worship. And when you hear the story behind the hymn, you will be even more in awe of His amazing grace. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for our sins!’ Oh, are we indeed thankful for that divine sacrifice!
And the story goes that Fanny, born in New York in 1820, had an eye infection as a baby, which through poor treatment left her blind at a young age. Then, to make matters worse her father died not long thereafter, that meant her mother Mercy had to go out to work, and left Fanny to be raised by her grandmother, Eunice. And it appears that her grandmother was the driving force behind Fanny’s accomplishments. She became her eyes, which helped develop her descriptive abilities, also reading and carefully explaining the Bible to her, while teaching her to pray and ask God for knowledge.
Fanny entered the New York School for the Blind at twelve as a pupil, then became a teacher there for 23 years. In between, she married musician, Alexander van Alstine, a fellow student at the Institute, and one evening while her composer friend, Phoebe Palmer Knapp was visiting, she played a tune on the piano, then asked Fanny what it sounded like. Fanny responded, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!’ Then they went on to write the song together.’ Ah friends, that’s how many great songs have been born, with no rhyme or reason in or for the circumstances. It just signifies how our great God does work in mysterious, unexpected ways.
And having heard the story behind the song, let’s offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo, sincere and heartfelt version. Singing: ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.) Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Chorus…) Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long…. Praising my Savior all the day long)’
And the assurance we have in Jesus is more than just blessed, it’s also amazing and marvellous. And per ‘a foretaste of glory divine,’ one commentary explains it thus. ‘This remarkable stanza reflects a lovely reality in Scripture that gives believers unwavering hope in times of tumultuous trials and troublesome temptations: we fellowship with Jesus Christ now, but this is only a preview of the eternal fellowship that is yet to come.’ And it most certainly ought to be, if we are heirs of salvation.
Listen as the author of Hebrews, speaking of the angels, says: ‘Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.’ (Heb. 1:14) Yes my brethren, ‘we believers in Jesus Christ are destined to inherit eternal life, divine protection, and kingdom benefits, and thus are considered co-heirs with Christ, sharing in his ultimate glory and receiving support from ministering spirits (angels).’ Now it could not get any better than that!
And per ‘purchase of God,’ Bruh Paul puts it very plainly in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes my people, we have indeed been purchased by the sacrificial blood of Christ, and are also indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which means we now belong to God, our body is His temple.
And there are several scriptures that talk about being washed in the blood of Jesus, but we only have time and space for this one from Revelation. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (born) of the dead, and the prince of (ruler over) the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.’ (Rev. 1:5)Wow! What a tremendous accomplishment on our God’s behalf, and a most stupendous, though undeserved, development for our sinful souls
And in light of such a wonderful situation, we are thus enveloped in ‘perfect submission…perfect delight and perfect rest,’ expectantly looking forward to ‘visions of rapture,’ which will any day burst into sight. As Bruh Paul puts it to the Thessalonians: ‘For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:15-18)
Yes my faithful brethren, that is exactly what we need to do, today and every day; that’s comfort each other in the wonderful news of the eventual Rapture of Christ’s church! There’s nothing better to look forward to than that marvellous, faithfully promised occasion. Much LOVE!
…in Christ Jesus…we have a Lord, a Saviour, a King, an Advocate, High Priest and Friend…we therefore need no one else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a tough nut to crack, abundance, adversity, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, ascend up into heaven, at thy right hand, become intimate with God, behold thou art there, broken right now in the name of Jesus, Christian maturity, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, constantly be on the lookout, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, experience with adversity, faith, favour, feed on his faithfulness, foundational truth, good health, he shall bring it to pass, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, I will give thee rest, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in thy presence is fullness of joy, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, like a thief in the night, LOVE, make my bed in hell, Mellitus College, mercy, my presence shall go with thee, negative words, never escape the presence of God, omni-present, poverty wages, Prayer Through The, promotion, salvation, self-control, shew me the paths of life, so shall thou dwell in the land, take heed, take the wings of the morning, talent, teach me to wait with patience, the BIBLE, the penultimate day of our work week, the problem of trust, the unknown future, there are pleasures for ever more, thou art there, thou shalt be fed, thy right hand shall hold me, to go out and share those blessings, to know your presence, to prepare a place for me, to trust that you are with me, trust also in him, trust comes with experience, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, waiting with faith, walking by faith and not by sight, watch and pray, watch with alertness, we need to feel God's presence, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
And then we come to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. Wow! The week’s almost over! But please remember what Jesus said, don’t look forward too much to tomorrow, Friday, for Friday will present its own problems, (Matt. 6:34) let’s concentrate mostly on handling today’s challenges. (smile) Now, since God so generously spared our lives to see another day on His wonderful though currently chaotic planet earth, let’s keep our promise to continue looking at the prayer credited to Jane Williams, a professor at St. Mellitus College in London, England, founded in 2007, whose mission is to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world.
The prayer is found in the 2025 publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, titled ‘Prayers Through The Ages.’ And it’s short and sweet enough for us to pray it again. (smile) So please pray with me: ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence.’ What wonderful sentiments! And yesterday we looked at Jesus’ promise to go and prepare a place for us and then come back to take us with Him, (John 14:1-3) a foundational truth of our faith, as well as the request for God to teach us to wait with patience.
Now that waiting with patience is a tough nut to crack, because it only comes through lots of experience; waiting with faith and a good attitude despite the adversity we all go through. Likewise the other request from the prayer: ‘teach me to watch with alertness.’ That only comes through faith and experience. As we saw a few day ago, where Jesus warns us to ‘Take heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.’ (Mark 13:33)
Yes, we know that Jesus is coming back, but we don’t know when, and it could be anytime, like a thief in the night. That means we have to constantly be on the lookout and also be ready. For if He comes back and we’re not ready, then it’s hell fire and damnation for us. That’s why these words of His are so important. ‘And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.’ (Mark 13:37) And we cannot overestimate how important it is to watch and be ready for whenever Jesus returns.
Then there’s the problem of trust, which means walking by faith and not sight. (2 Cor. 5:7) Putting all our trust in Jesus is again not easy, and only comes with experience. The longer we live with Jesus, the more we see His absolute faithfulness and learn to trust Him. And again there are numerous scriptures that detail that requirement. And here are a couple of the most prominent verses. The first ones come from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Then there’s this from Bruh David from Psalm 37. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
And finally the prayer talks about knowing God’s presence. That’s another aspect that only comes with experience. But knowing and feeling God’s presence around us is of major importance, as it especially brings us comfort and lack of fear. And there are many scriptures that talk about the importance of feeling God’s presence in our daily lives. And I guess the first one ought to be Moses’ plea to God for grace and knowledge of Him, (Ex.33:13) while leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. ‘And he (God) said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ (Ex. 33;14)
Now that gave Moses the encouragement he needed, because he knew if the Lord wasn’t present with them, they would see lots of trouble. Then in Psalm 16, Bruh David encourages us with this titillating verse on the subject. He writes: ‘Thou wilt shew me the paths of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more.’ (Ps. 16:11) Yes friends, when we’re in the presence of God, our spirits are light and fanciful and there’s such joy that we cannot contain it.
And I believe Bruh David says it best in the remarkable Psalm 139 ‘Praise to the All-Knowing God.’ There, he expounds thus on God’s presence: ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139: 7-10)
Oh my people, that just goes to show that we can never escape the presence of God; for he’s Omi-present Wherever we go, He’s always around. And every time I read that scripture I’m reminded of the first time I heard it acted out so marvellously by Dr. Robert Schuller on the Hour of Power T.V. programme. The problem though with God’s presence is for us to feel it. He’s always there, but unless we feel it, it does us no good. And to do that we have to become very intimate with God, through prayer, His Word and the Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead, guide and comfort us.
Unfortunately friends, the whole Christian thing, growing in spiritual maturity, takes time and experience; going through adversity and failure, but not giving up because your faith and trust is strong. And every time you go through something negative; your faith gets stronger. As Cousin Sol says: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…’ (Prov. 24:16a) That’s the only way to grow!
Now, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, undeserved ones, so generously bestowed on us by God to do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…growing in Christian maturity…only comes through… sincere trust and faith in God…and experience with adversity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, and finding the lost one, be in the world not of the world, calls his friends and neighbours, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, christianity, Christians, curse, divine protection, divine victory, does not go and seek it, encouragement to overcome, faith, focus on today, getting to the end of the week, goes after that which was lost, good friends, great family, greater is he that is in you, have overcome them, heaven glories in repentant sinners, holy spirit, I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, I have found my sheep which was lost, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, Jesus came to save sinners, Jesus Christ, joy shall be in heaven over one repentant sinner, lays it on his shoulders rejoicing, leaving the ninety nine in the wilderness, LOVE, mercy, more than over ninety nine just persons, negative word, of whom I am the chief, our ways and beliefs are being promulgated, pray we will awaken tomorrow, prmortion, rejoice with me, salvation, self-discipline, strong in our faith walk, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, than he that's in the world, the BIBLE, the created can never be greater than the Creator, the Holy Spirit is mightier than any evil influence, the most important and dramatic moment of their lives, the parables of the lost sheep coin and son, the sick need a physician, the sinners are not influencing us, the strength of God against all challenges, the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus, this is a faithful saying, this man receiveth sinners, this man welcomes sinners and eats with them, those who are well don't need a physician, truth, what man of you having an hundred sheep and loses one, whatever Jesus says is truth, which need no repentance, wisdom, words of hope and confidence, worthy of all acceptance, ye are of God
1 Timothy 1:15. ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.’
We’re getting there slowly friends! Yes, we’re getting to the end of the week at the speed at which the Father designed it. And we’re now down to Thursday, the second to last day, so please, don’t go running towards Friday and looking forward to it more than you ought. For as Jesus says, we must focus on today, for tomorrow will take care of itself. (Matt. 6:34) And whatever Jesus says is the truth, so let’s keep our focus on today and do the best job we can in His holy name, and pray and have faith that we will awaken to face tomorrow. Amen!
And the Good Book opened today at the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son, and since I didn’t have anything else specifically to talk about, I figured that the Lord in His utmost wisdom desired us to deal with the scriptures on those things today. (smile) The Bible tells the story thus: ‘Then drew near unto him (Jesus) all the publicans (tax collectors) and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth (welcomes) sinners, and eateth with them.
And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repentneth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:1-7)
Oh my people, do you hear and understand that? There will be much joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, more so than over ninety nine others who have already repented. Yes, heaven glories in repentant sinners. And that’s a part of our job in living for Jesus; help to bring sinners to repentance and to true faith in Him. We can’t force them to believe, but through our words and our fitting behaviour to those words, we can get them interested in making the change, the most dramatic and important moment in their lives.
And it’s interesting how the Pharisees and scribes complain about Jesus welcoming sinners and eating with them. But what was His main job in coming to earth eh? To save sinners, as it says in several places in the word. Bruh Paul writes it thus to his protégé Timothy. ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.’ (1 Tim. 1:15)
Then, Jesus Himself says it in both the gospels of Matthew and Luke, when the Pharisees first complain to the disciples about their Master eating with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners, after Jesus called Matthew from his tax collectors post to become a disciple, then went to eat at his house. (Matt. 9:9-11) ‘But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole (are well) need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Matt. 9:12-13)
And he says the same thing in Luke 5:31-32. So tell me nuh, if Jesus came to save sinners, how could He do that if He did not interact with them eh? He couldn’t stay afar and convert them. Neither can we. We must mix and mingle with sinners if we hope to get them to turn to Christ, but we must also ensure that it’s our ways and beliefs that are being promulgated, and that the sinners ways and beliefs are not influencing us. Now that’s not always easy to do in this evil and ungodly world, but we have all the tools to do it, if we are strong and sure in our own faith walk.
That’s why Jesus specified that we are to BE IN the world, but NOT OF IT. That means to live in the world, but not like the world lives, rather like a child of God in the kingdom of heaven which has come to earth through Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection and ascension. And as we said earlier, that’s not easy to do when the evil doers and their boss Satan are always on our case, looking for an opportunity to cause us to sin, and consequently turn away from God, but let’s remember this powerful acclamation from John’s first epistle: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them (Satan and the anti-Christ): because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4)
Yes mih bredrin, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit is way stronger than Satan and the anti-Christ! And I like how this commentary describes that verse: ‘It’s a powerful affirmation, assuring believers that the Holy Spirit dwelling within them is mightier than any, evil, or worldly influence (Satan/anti-Christ) in the world. It signifies divine victory, encouragement to overcome, and the strength of God against all challenges.’
Wow! What marvellous words of hope and confidence to keep us strong in faith! And our God’s so great, that besides giving us the Holy Spirit, He also generously bestowed on us what we call our Thursday Blessings, underserved blessings to enable us to do His earthly work. So let’s now declare and thus activate them nuh!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…whosoever, or whatsoever is in the world….can never be greater than…the one who created the world and all therein…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, alive and kicking, all these things will I give thee, angels came and ministered unto him, appetite loss, bear thee up in their hands, below ground, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, cast thyself down, Chrisitanity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, fall down and worship me, favour, fulfillment, get thee hence Satan, give his angels charge over thee, God's granted us another day of life, good friends, good health, him only shalt thou serve, holy spirit, if thou be the Son of God, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus sat on the pinnacle of the temple, lack of sunshine, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone, LOVE, low energy, man shall not live by bread alone, mercy, negative word, preaching ministry, promotion, SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder, salvation, Satan is no match for us when we have Christ, Satan the usurper, Satan uses scripture deviously, self-control, self-discipline, share the blessings, sleep problkems, success, supernatural strength, talent, the BIBLE, the height of abusrdity, the Kidron Valley, the Messiah, the rightful King, the temptations of christ were real experiences, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, to build Jesus' faith, trample the young lion and serpent under thy feet, tread upon the lion and the adder, tries to bamboozle us, truth, undeserved blessings, wisdom
Matthew 4:10. Get thee hence, Satan (away with you): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Ah mih people, like the good Lord has given us another day of life on this wonderful planet Earth! And though we’ve spoiled it, so that life now is oftentimes tough, we’re still thankful to be here, alive and kicking, rather than unalive below ground. (smile) And thankfully too, there’s no more dangerous precipitation like we had yesterday; just a cold, somewhat cloudy day. And we can live with that.
There’s also one other thing we cannot complain about this year, that’s SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), when we suffer symptoms like low energy, sleep problems, appetite changes, and loss of interest because of a lack of sunshine. For this year we’ve gotten quite a lot of sunshine with the cold weather, so we can’t complain. (smile)
Now let’s get to our topic for today, the continuation of the importance of Jesus’ temptations. So, yesterday we saw where immediately after He was baptized by John the Baptist, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, fasting for forty days and nights, then the devil came and tempted Him. All of it to build His faith, mental and emotional strength for the rather difficult journey He was about to embark on in His preaching ministry.
We saw too that when Jesus was terribly hungry after fasting, the devil tempted Him in that supposedly weak area, by saying if He was the Son of God, He could make bread from the stones around Him. But Jesus rebuked him with that famous statement: ‘It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4)
But that did not deter the tempter. The Bible tells us: ‘Then the devil taketh him (Jesus) up into the holy city, and sitteth him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt (test) the Lord thy God.’ (Matt. 4:5-7)
Wow friends! The devil quoting scripture! Anyway, the scholars offer these explanation re those verses. ‘The second temptation took place in the holy city (Jerusalem) on the pinnacle of the temple, which towered above the Kidron Valley. Evidently Jesus was transported there by Satan’s power, and this time the devil quoted Scripture (out of context) in order to get Him to sin and ultimately shake His faith in the Word. Satan used Psalm 91:11-12 urging Jesus to cast thyself down. Again Jesus replied with Scripture (Deut. 6:16) that he was not to tempt God by such a presumptuous action. The very passage of scripture quoted by Satan actually goes on to promise God’s ultimate victory over him!’
So my brethren, we see that Satan also knows the Bible and can use it in devious ways to his advantage. That’s why we must know our scripture too, so when he tries to bamboozle us with it, we can quote like Jesus: ‘It is written.’ And here’s the scripture the scholars talk about that refers to victory over Satan in Ps. 91. ‘Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet.’ (Ps. 91:13. The serpent there refers to Satan.
And the verse that Jesus quotes in reply to Satan is that spoken by Moses to the Israelites: ‘Ye shall not tempt (test) the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.’ (Deut. 6:16) That’s when they were in the wilderness with no water and they complained against Moses and God, and God had Moses strike the rock and produce water. (Ex. 17:1-7)
Then we come to the last of the great temptations. The Bible says: ‘Again, the devil taketh him (Jesus) into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan (away with you): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.’ (Matt. 4:8-11)
But the boldfaceness of Satan! Imagine it nuh! He telling His Creator to bow down and worship Him, when it should be the other way around! But that should not surprise us, because it’s also the way some of us behave towards God, expecting Him to do as we desire instead of us doing His will.
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘The third temptation takes place on an exceeding high mountain. The mountain is clearly real in the text, though its exact location is unidentified. Despite the grandeur of this temptation, nothing in the passage itself indicates that these temptations were only in the mind of Christ. Clearly, they are depicted as real experiences that actually occurred in the human life of the Messiah. That Satan, the usurper, would attempt to give the kingdoms of the world to Jesus, the Messiah, the rightful King, is the height of absurdity!
For Christ to fall down and worship Satan would have been to acknowledge the Devil’s lordship over Him. In His direct rebuke, Get thee hence, Satan, Jesus clearly asserts His lordship over the old serpent whose head he will soon crush. Matthew’s statement that Satan leaveth him shows that his order of the temptations is the chronological one. (cf. Luke 4:1-13).’
And that reference to Luke’s gospel, simply shows he has the last two temptations in a different order. And for our information, the quote Jesus uses in that last temptation could come any number of verses, such as, Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Ex. 20:1-5. Now, with all of that wonderful information under our belt, let’s go home declaring and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to enable us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Satan is a wily one…but he’s no match for us…when Christ dwells within us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abraham believed God, abundance, announced good news before hand, believing means having faith, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, complete obedience to the law, concentrate on today, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, faith, faith in the Lord God Jehovah, favour, given all things into his hands, God so loved the world, good family, good freinds, have everlasting life, having faith means belieivng, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth not on the son shall not see life, he that believeth on the son hath everlasting life, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him, holy spirit, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, impossible for sinful man, in the sight of God, it was counted as righteousness, Jesus Christ, justify the heathen through faith, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no man is justified by the law, one day at a time, preached before the gospel, promotion, round four of our weekly work fight, salvation, salvation obtained by meritorious works, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-discipline, stop looking forward to tomorrow, subject to God's wrath and codemnation, success, supernatural strength, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, takes all those who believe to heaven, talent, the BIBLE, the doctrine of justification by faith, the just shall live by faith, the just shall live by his faith, the law is doing not of belieiving, the Mosaic Law, the power of God unto salvation, the power of the gospel, the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, the wrath of God abideth on him, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful abraham, to every one that believes, tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, truth, using the law to win divine approaval, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Then it was Thursday; round four of our weekly fight…only one more day to go! But remember, we must win today’s fight first, so stop looking forward to tomorrow and concentrate on today. And Jesus, after telling us our first act is to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (Matt. 6:33) warned us of that very fact. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of the itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
In other words, we’re not to worry about tomorrow, for as the scholars explain: ‘Each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ So let’s concentrate on dealing with today’s problems today, for who knows, we might not even be around tomorrow to deal with tomorrow’s problems. (smile) Remember that Lord only gives us one day at a time, and that’s more than enough for us to handle, no wonder we get all confused and muddled when we try to handle more.
That brings us to this interesting and most important principle of scripture from the prophet Habakkuk, where, talking about the battles between the Chaldeans of Babylon, and the Jews of Judah, he prophesies: ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’ (Hab. 2:4) Yes friends, Habakkuk is saying that although the Chaldeans would win the forthcoming battle, eventually though the victors would be the Jews because of their belief, of their faith in the Lord God Jehovah.
And the scholars explain that the words or principle, ‘the just shall live his faith’ is often quoted in the New Testament in support of the doctrine of justification by faith. Thus, this Old Testament prophecy anticipates the New Testament Gospel which shall ultimately conquer the nations and bring them to Christ.’
Now let’s look at a few of those New Testament references to that Old Testament Scripture. And the first one comes from the words of John the Baptist, where he informs a crowd of Jews that he is not the Christ; but one sent before Him to testify of Him. (John 3:27-34) And he ends his speech thus: ‘The Father LOVETH the son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:35-36)
And it’s exactly what Jesus said to Nicodemus the Jewish teacher who, for fear of reprisals from his fellow leaders, came to Jesus under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) It’s very plain and simple my people! Believe in Jesus Christ and you will have eternal life. Don’t believe in Him and you will not have eternal life but eternal death. It could not be said any clearer or more straightforward than that.
Then there are these words on the subject of the just living by faith from Bruh Paul to the Roman church. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentiles). For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.’ (Rom. 1:16-17) Oh my people, the power of God is so strong in the gospel of Christ that it takes those who believe all the way to heaven! There’s nothing else as powerful, or can accomplish that feat!
And to the Galatians Bruh Paul justified the principle of the just living by faith when he writes. ‘Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen (nations) through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful (believing) Abraham.
For as many as are under the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written: Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified (declared righteous) by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in (by) them.’ (Gal. 3:7-12)
And the scholars offer some interesting explanations on those verses. As per 3:7: They say; ‘The verse may be read: “Therefore recognize that those who believe, these only are Abraham’s sons.’ So if you don’t believe, you’re not a son of Abraham. 3:8: Preached before the gospel is better said, “announced good news beforehand.” Paul equates justify with being blessed. 3:9. This verse might be, “So then they who believe are blessed along with believing Abraham” – that is, they are justified.
3:10: As many as are of the works of the law refers to all who rely upon obedience to the Mosaic Law as the means of winning divine approval (salvation). To be under the curse is to be subject to God’s wrath and condemnation. Continueth is explained by to do, which means “to obey.” The recipient of divine wrath is every one who, believing salvation can be obtained by meritorious works, fails to obey the law perfectly. Complete obedience to the law is impossible for sinful man (Acts 15:10; James 2:10). All, then, who attempt to secure salvation by this route are doomed. 3:12: This verse declares that the law is a matter of performance, not of faith; it is a principle of doing, not of believing.’
And we know that the gospel of Christ is all about believing. So let’s stop merely trying to obey the law, but first believe Christ is whom He says He is, then use our undeserved Thursday Blessings to do the good works He prearranged for us to do when we first believed. And to activate those blessings, we need to declare them. So, with a strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And with that declaration, (yesss!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…having faith…means believing…and believing…means having faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong will, acknowledge God's sovereignty, adoration, adrift among the dead, as a man that hath no strength, as we forgive our debtors, ask and it shall be given you, ask and it shall be opened, babbling, be realistic, blessed with God's supernatural widom, christianity, cleanse our hearts before we go to God in prayer, clear direction for my life, come to know and love jesus like we do, communicate with our heavenly Father, conformity with the nature and purpose of God, counted with them that go down into the pit, counted with those who are dying, courage, creativity, cried out day and night before thee, curse, cut off from the land, deliver us from evil, divine protection, don't make empty meaningless prayers, don't make vain repetitious prayers, don't pray in a showmanship manner, don't try to impress men with your prayers, drive ourselves crazy, every one that asketh receiveth, faith, false prophets, favour, for thine is the kingdom, forgive those who wrong us, forgive us our debts, fulfillment, give us this day our daily bread, hallowed be thy name, he that seeketh findeth, holy spirit, if ye forgive men their trespasses, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, in Jesus' name, incline thine ear unto my cry, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, knock and it shall be opened unto you, lead us not into temptation, learnt to live with each day, let my prayer come before thee, like the slain that lie in the grave, listen to my cry, LOVE, man looks on the outward appearance, mercy, my life draweth nigh unto the grave, my soul is full of troubles, negative word, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses, on earth as it is in heaven, Our Father which art in heaven, prayer is an act of spiritual expression, promotion, prosper, reverence, salvation, seek and ye shall find, speaking without thinking, succeed, the BIBLE, the Lord looks on the heart, the Lord sees not as man sees, the penultimate day of our work week, the power and the glory for ever, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, to him that knocketh, truth, undeserved blessings, use those blessings to help others, we cannot fool God, whom you remember no more, wisdom, wishing for Friday and the weekend, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
Psalm 88:1-2. O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried (out) day and night before thee: Let my payer come before thee: incline thy ear unto my cry (listen to my cry);
Then it was Thursday, our penultimate day of the work week, and many of us just can’t wait for Thursday to be over and for Friday to show up. But we need to get real, be realistic; and learn to live with each day as it comes along, or else we’ll simply drive ourselves crazy wishing and hoping for Friday and the weekend. And the most important thing we can do each and every day is pray! Yes friends, prayer is super important, ever necessary, if we desire to communicate with our heavenly Father and Creator.
And I’m chuckling here, because I never expected to be still talking about prayer in a third message. I assumed it would be one message. But then I realized it needed at least two… And then I discovered that at least three were necessary, if I was to cover the subject thoroughly. So, we’re now on to message number three of the Bits on Prayer. (smile) And as we said earlier on in this series of messages, prayer can take any form, once it’s sincere, and not being made as a show for mankind. And the best examples of different kinds of prayer is found in the psalms, where the psalmists cry out to God for whatever reason.
It’s like Psalm 88, titled ‘A Trouble-Filled Soul’ from the Sons of Korah. ‘O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried (out) day and night before thee: Let my payer come before thee: incline thy ear unto my cry (listen to my cry); For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh (near) unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit (are dying): I am as a man that hath no strength. Free (adrift) among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from the land.’ (Ps. 88:1-5)
And that is one thing about the psalmists, they were not afraid to cry out to God, but we in this sinful and hypocritical society think it unbecoming to do so. But let’s remember these encouraging words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
And Jesus went as far as to give us an example of a simple but very effective prayer. He says: ‘After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt. 6:9-13)
There you have it friends; a basic example on which to build our prayers. First of all, there must be some acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty, before we ask for what we need. And most important is the need for us to forgive those who wrong us, for as Jesus later says: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15)
Now that says it loud and clear my brethren! Many of us go to the Father with unforgiveness in our hearts but expect Him to forgive us and answer our requests. But according to Jesus it doesn’t work like that, which means we have to cleanse our hearts before we go to Him in prayer. And let’s remember we cannot fool God, for He looks at the heart not our outward actions, as He so plainly told Samuel when He sent him to anoint a new king for Israel from the house of Jesse.
Samuel saw the good looks and physical excellence of the first son, Eliab, and concluded that he was the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7) And we all know which heart the Lord found most pleasing – that of Bruh David. So although prayer can take any form, there are a few basic do’s and don’ts. Like, do address God’s sovereignty in your prayers, with reverence and adoration, and approach Him with a clean and sincere heart. For if you are not forgiving, neither will He.
Meanwhile, do not let your prayer be mere showmanship, that is to impress others; neither make repetition a part of your prayers, for if the Lord is going to hear them, He will do so on the first uttering. That brings us back to the gospel of Matthew (6:7-8) where Jesus warned us against vain repetitions. The scholars tell us that denotes babbling or speaking without thinking, which the heathens do. And good examples of that can be found in the ecstatic babblings of the false prophets in the Old Testament and in the prophets of Baal who confronted Elijah on Mt. Carmel. (cf. 1 Kin. 18:26-29)
And we’ll end this series of messages on prayer with these very useful explanations from the scholars. They say that ‘Prayer is not man’s attempt to change the will of God. Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance to answer, but laying hold of His willingness to help. Prayer in the life of the true believer is an act of total confidence and assurance in the plan and purpose of God. And furthermore, the sample prayer that Jesus gave us which we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ is in reality a disciple’s prayer. In no way does the prayer itself embody all of Jesus’ teachings about prayer; and having just warned against vain repetition, He did not intend for this particular prayer to be merely recited with empty meaninglessness.’
Unfortunately though, many of us do just that. However, after delving deeply into the subject of prayer, I do hope we have a better understanding of it, and that our future prayers will be indeed better prayers, (smile) in reality, better communication with Almighty God. Now let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings that the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Prayer is an act of spiritual expression…that brings us into conformity…to the very nature and purpose of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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