Devotions

In Matthew 6, Jesus spoke about three personal disciplines that are part of every Christian’s life: giving, praying and fasting. Note that I said these three disciplines are part of every Christian’s life. How do we know they should be part of our lives? As Jesus spoke about them, he used an important word before each one.

Let’s look at prayer as an example. “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6, NKJV). Jesus started off each of the three disciplines with the word ‘when’, which assumes we are already practicing them. What’s more, if we pursue these disciplines without anybody’s knowledge, we will receive a reward and everyone will benefit; they will always go public, or “in the open,” in their effect.

Now go back and count the number of times Jesus used the words you or yours. This is the only verse in the whole Bible that has the singular personal pronoun in it this many times. Why is this important to note? Because Jesus was saying that you have a responsibility. You.

Here’s the beautiful part of it; this responsibility is never a waste of time because your Father will reward you. You. The word ‘reward’ means to clock in and get a paycheck. Jesus was saying that every time you pray, you clock in; you expect a paycheck. God pays his workers well. You will come out with way more than you put in.

When Mother Teresa was alive, many who visited her and her missionaries of Charity in Calcutta were surprised that every lunchtime they left their life-sustaining work in dispensaries and in the home for the dying. “Why do you go back so soon and not stay longer? Where do you go?”

Mother Teresa responded, “We go to pray. We have learned that to work without prayer is to achieve only what is humanly possible, and our desire is to be involved in divine possibilities.”

We get to be involved in divine possibilities when we give, when we pray, when we fast. Let’s show up today to our responsibilities. The pay-off is too good not to.

^{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.}

One of the most common phrases we hear in church is “God answers prayer!” That is only half the truth. The whole truth is “God over-answers prayer!”

Hosea prophesied to Israel, “You are backslidden, but you are still God’s people” (see Hosea 14:1). “Take words with you, and return to the Lord. Say to him ‘Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously’” (Hosea 14:2, NKJV).

Israel’s prayer was simple. All they asked of God was to take away their sin and receive them graciously. “Lord, have mercy! Cleanse us and receive us back into your grace.” God not only cleansed them and received them back graciously; he also added blessings beyond imagination.

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for my anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall be revived like grain, and grow like the vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon” (Hosea 14:4-7).

The dew of heaven is the presence of the Lord. Up to this point, there had been drought; everything was dying because God’s favor had been taken away. Now because of true repentance and a heartfelt prayer, God said he would cause life to spring up on all sides. Israel not only would be forgiven but revived as well. They would become well-rooted and spread out, and they would thrive.

All they asked for was mercy, forgiveness and acceptance. Instead, God opened the windows of heaven and poured on them blessings they dared not even hope for. God generously over-answered their prayer!

God has done the same for you. When you repented, all you asked God for was a clean heart, forgiveness and peace. Look at how he has over-answered you. He gave you a hungering heart and a thirst for more of Jesus. He gave you eyes to see and ears to hear. He has protected you from Satan and flooded your soul with hope, joy and gladness. You asked only to be saved and cleansed, but God has poured out blessing upon blessing to you. He has over-answered you!

One of the greatest lessons we can learn in life is that our battle is never with people. It isn’t with co-workers, neighbors or our loved ones. It is with God.

If you settle things with God, everything else has to fall into line. When you are right before him — sprinkled with Christ’s blood, having no sin in your life, prevailing in prayer — then all the demons in hell cannot make a dent in what God wants to do. He wants you to have that kind of holy strength.

Hosea said, “The Lord also brings a charge against Judah [his people]” (Hosea 12:2, NKJV). The controversy God has with his church is spiritual laziness. We want miracles, blessings, deliverance, but at no cost and with no effort.

Who among God’s people today prays all night, wrestling, fighting, weeping, crying out to God as Jacob did? Who wants holiness, purity and Christlikeness so much they are willing to shut themselves in with God until they break through? Who is so consumed with pleasing God that they are desperate to be delivered from their habits and lusts, and they cry out and wrestle with God until he breaks all chains?

Hear the words of the patriarchs of the faith! Hosea said to Israel, “All you want is prosperity and security. You are not willing to take a stand. You don’t want to live for Jehovah’s pleasure, but for your own” (see Hosea 12). Jacob was a fighter from the day he was born. He prevailed “by his strength” (see Genesis 25:26). Paul exhorted the Colossians to be “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (Colossians 1:11). He also encouraged the church at Ephesus that God is eager to strengthen us. “He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

The church of Jesus Christ is never going to see what God has for his body until he sees us seeking him in earnest. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). God wants you to lay hold of him because he loves you. He says, “Here it is. If you want it, come and get it!” He wants to make a strong soldier out of you, fit for his army.

“I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me” (Psalm 57:2, NKJV).

I believe in a God who performs,
Who can deliver my feet from falling
And sustain me through every calamity.
When I am afraid I will trust in him.
He will deliver my soul in peace
From the battle that is against me.

I will call on God
And he will save me.
He will bottle my tears
And mark my every step.
When I cry to him,
My enemies will be turned back
Because God is for me.
In him I put my trust.
I will not fear what man can do unto me;
My heart is fixed.
I will sing and give praise;
My soul shall be satisfied.

He will bring me through fire and flood
Into a desired haven.
He will cause his face to shine upon me
And daily load me with his benefits.
His face he will not hide,
But will hear me speedily.
He will never put me to confusion,
For he has given commandment to save me—
Because God is for me.

Here’s a reminder of God’s specific promises to his beloved children: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, or any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalms 23:4).

“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Jacob was in a crisis yet again, and he did not know what to do. The Bible says, “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there’ . . . And Jacob said . . . ‘Let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone’” (Genesis 35:1-3, NKJV).

Bethel is a place where we can go in our time of distress. The lesson for Israel and for us today is this: Whenever Jacob was in trouble, he knew where to go and what to do.

God was saying to Jacob, “You know where I will speak to you, where you will hear my voice. Go back to Bethel, to the altar where I met you. Get down on your face before me, and cleanse your house of idolatry.”

Jacob called his sons to bring forth all their idols, and he buried them under an oak tree. He then led his family to Bethel where he built an altar before God. God assured him again, “I am with you” (see Genesis 35:9-13). Scripture says, “The terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob” (Genesis 35:5). The surrounding cities were afraid of Jacob and his little Jewish clan because God had put a dread in them.

The Lord is still God of Bethel. He implores us, “Go to Bethel, and I will meet you there. Every time you are in trouble or distress, run to the altar. Cry out and get alone with me.” He is waiting for us to meet him in the secret closet of prayer.

Jacob knew where to go to get a clear word from Lord. He shut himself in with God in a secret place. I believe God speaks to us, but it happens in our alone time with him.

God is calling you today to get your eyes off of your circumstances. Do not judge anything by your present condition. Don’t try to figure it all out or let fear cast you down. God will meet you in prayer!