Nate's Daily Devotionals (old)

Prayer is necessary for salvation Not that it saves us but it is one of the surest marks of a true Christian You cannot feel your sins or love God or feel indebted to Christ without prayer Words said without engaging the heart are useless It is not a natural thing for someone to pray Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart Either prayer will consume sin or sin will choke out prayer Through Jesus we are able to engage with God and draw near to him with boldness and confidence We are weaklings when it comes to prayer, but the Holy Spirit is always ready to help us The power of prayer should encourage us to do so Spiritual greatness depends mostly on how we use the gifts and resources that God gives us The Lord gives us the means to become holy when we put our trust in him Prayer is the most effective remedy against the Devil and against persistent sins One of the main reasons for backsliding in your faith is a lack of prayer

Dear heavenly father, I'm sorry for all the times I've sinned against you in the past few weeks. Im sorry that I've disobeyed you and thought that I could live my life on my own without you. I'm sorry for trying to do everything on my own and being short sighted in not seeing your plan and trusting in your power. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the cross. Thank you that despite my sinfulness and constant disobedience you still love me and that I am still accepted in your eyes because of what Jesus endured on the cross. Please remind me of this truth daily. Would it fill my heart with not only joy but also gratitude. Please convict my heart to live my life purely as a response to this glorious truth, that I might live to glorify you alone God. I've been struggling at work and uni, and you know that Lord, please remind my heart that you are always with me and I don't need to fear the things of this world because my eternity is already secure with you in heaven....

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. for you are with me. Your rod and staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen

Day 27 Read: Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late (v7) Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful (v11) But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (v12) Reflect: We to be like a farmer waiting for the harvest of his fruit and crops - patient James talks about those who remain steadfast and patient are those who are blessed We are reminded that our God is a God who is merciful and compassionate James tells us that God always has a purpose for us Above all however, James tells us that we should not 'swear' or take an oath but ra...

Day 26 Key point Just as God made a spectacle of pharaoh with the plagues God made a spectacle of Satan on the cross No one challenges God, and he does not have an opposite -> if we are in Christ then we don't need to fear Satan We must remember that God is still infinitely more powerful than Satan All things in life works for the good of those who love God All things includes all moments and everything that we might think is bad it is a mistake to blame everything on Satan - because we don't need to be afraid We should be focusing on Jesus, the one we find comfort and or strength We resist Satan by focusing on Christ - keep your eyes on Christ

Day 25 key ideas: ' Misseries' are coming for the rich for their riches will have corrupted their soul the erosion of our possessions will be evidence against us living in this day for indulgence is just setting yourself up for death (v5) Application :. Material possessions don't add to my salvation. Being so concerned about them will only lead to destruction

Day 24 Thank you Lord for bearing my sin's on the cross. That you who was so high would humble yourself to not only come down to earth from heaven, but to die for me that I might be able to be righteous. Lord help me to be humble as I serve at church and especially as I learn to serve my brothers and sisters as well as Jess. Would you humble my heart to not want anything from them for personal gain, but instead seek to serve them with a genuine heart that responds to how Jesus served his disciples.

Day 23   Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;  do not be discouraged,  for the  Lord  your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 As I go through turmoil and uncertainty in life, would I be reminded that my salvation is one thing that can never be taken away. That my eternity isn't founded and achieved through my own performance - but instead on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Lord would you fill my heart with this truth daily, reflecting on the grace and mercy given to me. Would that allow me to respond to hardship and difficulties with calmness and confidence. I pray that you would continue to show me what it mean's to be strong and courageous in the workplace and to be show others what a spirit-filled and God-glorifying life looks like.