Devotions

According to researchers, people open their mouths an average of seven hundred times in a day. In those seven hundred times, you will use an average of eighteen thousands words a day. Those eighteen thousand words translate to about fifty-four printed pages. That means that in one year, an average person would fill sixty-six books of eight hundred pages each. Every year, you write with your words sixty-six volumes that are larger than Tom Clancy’s novels. 

That’s a lot of words! What makes it even more impressive is that each of those words matter. The Old Testament says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Proverbs 18:21, ESV). The Message version puts it this way: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”

Is it that big of a deal? Let’s see what Jesus said about it. “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34-37). 

You and I will be held accountable for every careless word we speak, so yes, we definitely need to take our eighteen thousand seriously. It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? God thinks our words are so important and can make such a difference in someone’s life that he holds us accountable for them. 

Proverbs 12:25 tells us, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” So here’s a challenge for you: give someone a good word today. Text it, say it, write it. Choose your words to bring life. 

Recently, my family and I were traveling. As we sat together on the last flight, I watched my youngest daughter write a five-sentence note of thanks to the flight attendant. She wanted to give life with her words. One good word can change anxiety into gladness. Your words have that capability. Do something useful with your eighteen thousand today!

^{After pastoring an inner-city congregation in Detroit for thirty years, Pastor Tim served at Brooklyn Tabernacle in NYC for five years and pastored in Lafayette, Louisiana, for five years. He became Senior Pastor of Times Square Church in May of 2020.}

Christ is the living Word of God. When you are shut in with him in prayer, the Holy Spirit will always lead you to God’s revealed Word. He will build up your faith by feeding you from the Bible, even while you are in the secret closet.

We are commanded, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. …Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. …and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:11, 13, 17, NKJV).

Often when you receive specific instructions from the Lord, his Spirit will whisper, “Now turn to—” and you will be directed to a passage of scripture. God’s Word will speak to you directly, telling you how to get through your crisis.

Many Christians reading this message simply must hear a word from the Lord. Nobody on earth can help them. The only way for them to get through their trial is by staying in Christ’s presence until he gives them direction. He must tell them the way through, what to do and when and how to act. His exclusive direction to them will not come one minute too early or too late. It will all be in the Holy Spirit’s timing!

Beloved, there is no need for you to worry about your trial. God is faithful to respond to your every need and request. Simply pray, “Lord, I come now not just to have my needs met, but I come also to meet your need.”

We were made for fellowship with him even in our heaviest times. Do you love to be with him? Let your heart cry out, “Jesus, you are my everything. You are my soul’s great pleasure, and I love your company!”

Father, help us to listen closely to your Spirit and put all our confidence in your revealed Word.

Most Christians don’t listen to God. They go to him only to talk! The scriptures reveal that any person who was ever used of God learned to remain in his presence until they heard from him.

Scripture makes it clear that the Lord wants to talk to every one of us. “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21, NKJV).

I heard of a little girl suffering from leukemia who was struggling with the thought of dying. One morning when her mother came into her room, the girl was all aglow and happy. “What has happened to you?” her mother asked.

The little girl answered, “An angel came to me and said I was going on a trip. God came and took my hand and walked with me through a beautiful garden. He told me, ‘You’re coming here tomorrow to be with me.’“

God spoke to that little child and took all the pain and fear from her heart. When she left to be with him the next day, she had total peace. 

When you are intimate with Jesus, do you receive direction from him? Does he tell you what to do and when or how to do it? Some Christians don’t believe God does this, but Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice…and they follow me” (John 10:27).

In your trial, get alone with Jesus and cry, “Lord, you’re the only one who can help me. Only you know the way through this trial, so I’m going to stay here ‘till you tell me what to do.”

This is the kind of praying that is pleasing to God. It means stopping all activity. Only then will you hear him speak clearly to your heart: “You must make things right with this person.” or “Just stand still till next week. Don’t get in a hurry. Sit in my presence and trust me.” He will give you clear directions.

“Praying through” is a term coined by the early pentecostals. To some, it meant simply staying on your knees until you were assured you had an answer from God. To others, it meant continually coming back to the Lord until you had the answer in hand. This was also called “persevering in prayer.” 

As a young boy in those early camp meetings, I heard people testify, “I’m going to lay hold of the horns of the altar, and I won’t let go until God answers!” However, I don’t believe that is the truest meaning of “praying through.”

You can be shut in with the Lord, delighting in his presence. You can spend quality hours, even days, with him, glorying in sweet communion. You can have all your needs met, and your heart can be totally satisfied. His presence can heal you, lift you, empower you and strengthen you.

What happens when you leave that hallowed place of intimate communion? You may rise up from your knees only to go back to a crushing situation that has not changed. You can see the devil waiting there for you, ready to throw the same problems and emptiness at you. What good is it to get the glory on the mountain if it won’t see you through your battle?

I believe “praying through” means simply this: The strength, power and encouragement you receive from the Lord while shut in with him must see you through the trials ahead. The victory you get in the secret closet has to give you victory on the battlefield.

What exactly do you get from your time of prayer if not something that can see you through the battle? “Praying through” means waiting for the total completion of your prayer. Many Christians see only half-answered prayers because they do not allow what they received from the Lord in prayer to carry them through their trial.

Beloved, prayer is not finished until it sees you through to the other side of your trial. We have not “prayed it through” until we have “lived it through” in our trials by the strength we received in God’s presence. 

The Holy Spirit directed me to the book of Nehemiah; and as I read chapter 2, I saw something I had not seen before. This chapter contains an encouraging story for all who come to the Lord with a heavy heart.

Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. He tasted the wines before they were brought to the king’s table to make sure they weren’t poisoned. Over time, Nehemiah became a trusted servant to the king.

Nehemiah received a report from his brother that Jerusalem was in ruins. The population had been decimated; the people were in terrible straits, and conditions were worsening daily. This tore at Nehemiah’s heart. He loved Judah and Jerusalem, and a deep sorrow began to grip him.

Scripture says, “And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.’” (Nehemiah 2:1-2, NKJV).

Understand that people were forbidden to come into the king’s presence with sadness, especially if they were court employees. Nehemiah knew that having a gloomy countenance could cost him his head, and he was terribly fearful.

When the king saw Nehemiah’s grief, he was moved with compassion. Scripture tells us that he gave his downcast servant a leave of absence. He also gave him a letter of credit, opening the royal treasury to him. After all that, Nehemiah received from the king the desire of his heart: permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city walls.

Here is my point. If Nehemiah could go into the presence of a pagan king with a sad countenance and yet find favor and blessings beyond imagination, how much more will King Jesus show compassion to each of us, his children, in our sadness. He is eager to lift our burden and supply our needs.