Category Archives: Devotion

PRAYER AND DEPENDENCE

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“Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.”       Genesis 24:21 NIV

 

The servant’s prayer is a key element of Genesis 24. From the beginning of his mission, he acknowledges that success depends entirely on the Lord’s guidance. His prayer at the well reflects his trust in the Lord’s ability to lead him to the right person, and his response of worship after the Lord answers his prayer underscores the importance of giving thanks to the Lord for His guidance: “Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, saying, ‘Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives’” (Genesis 24:26-27). These verses teach us so much about the importance of prayer, particularly in seeking the Lord’s will in major life decisions. The servant’s attitude of dependence on the Lord serves as an example of how we are called to trust God fully and to seek His guidance in all things. Proverbs 3:5-6, reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight”. What is our response after seeing our Lord’s hand at work in our lives and situations? Do we take time in giving thanks and acknowledging the Lord’s faithfulness? For our Lord is faithful and He does answer our prayers in ways we could never think of or imagine.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with thanksgiving for Your faithfulness.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, move in our hearts with thanksgiving to our Lord for His faithfulness and the wonderful ways in which He answers our prayers. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Romans 11:1-12

 

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THE LORD’S PROVIDENCE

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“Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.”        Genesis 24:15 NIV

 

The Lord’s providential care is evident throughout Genesis 24, as He orchestrates events to bring about His purposes. Rebekah’s appearance at the well is not a coincidence, but a direct answer to the servant’s prayer. The speed with which Rebekah appears, and her willingness to fulfil the sign that the servant had prayed for, demonstrate that the Lord is actively involved in the details of life and responds to the prayers of His people. The story emphasizes our Lord’s faithfulness to provide for His people, and He ensures that His covenant promises will continue through Isaac and Rebekah. The Lord’s orchestration of these events reminds us that He is in control of all circumstances. Can you recall on a time when the Lord orchestrated circumstances in your life in an unexpected way, demonstrating His providential care for you. All too often we get so caught up in the circumstances of our lives that we fail to see the Lord’s providential care and love for us. This is usually the result of us making decisions without seeking the Lord’s guidance. We are called to trust in His providence and recognize His hand at work in their lives, especially in moments of uncertainty or challenge. Let us be reassured again that our Lord is in control of the details of life and that He works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Why? Well, the faith of Abraham, and the example of Abraham’s servant should encourage us that the Lord has not changed. (Read Malachi 3:6)

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, as one Who does not change, we trust in Your providential care.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, as the one who answered the prayer of Abraham’s servant and guided him, You can do the same in our lives for You have not changed. Open our eyes to see Your care and love in our lives. Amen

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

John 11:38-44

 

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FAITH AND PROMISES

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He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living.”         Genesis 24:2,3 NIV

 

In finding a wife for Isaac we once again see Abraham’s faith in the Lord’s promises and his trust in His guidance. Abraham instructs his servant to return to his homeland to find a wife for Isaac, trusting that the Lord will direct the process. Abraham’s instructions demonstrate his faith in the Lord’s covenant promises and his desire for Isaac to marry someone who shares his faith in the one true LORD. The entire narrative hinges on divine guidance, as the servant prays for specific signs to confirm the woman who will be Isaac’s wife. The servant’s prayer reveals his faith in the Lord’s ability to lead him to the right person. We read in Genesis 24:12 “Then he prayed, ‘God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham’”. This prayer and the subsequent events highlight the importance of seeking the Lord’s will in decision-making, trusting that He will guide and provide for those who follow Him. The servant’s prayer gives us a model of faith and dependence upon the Lord. He asks for specific guidance, trusting that the Lord will direct him to the right woman for Isaac. The servant’s prayer and worship highlight the importance of living in dependence on God’s provision and direction. Through this we are encouraged to cultivate a prayerful and worshipful attitude, relying on the Lord’s faithfulness.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, teach us to be dependent upon the Lord for His guidance.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, teach us through the model of Abraham’s servant to see Your guidance and leading in all our decisions, for You are forever faithful. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

2 Samuel 5:1-5

 

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FAITH AND GUIDANCE

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“Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.”             Genesis 24:1 NIV

 

Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in the book of Genesis and focuses on a pivotal event in the life of Abraham’s family. Finding a wife for Isaac. Abraham, now advanced in age, sends his servant on a mission to his homeland to find a suitable wife for Isaac, who will continue the line of the covenant promises. The chapter focuses on themes of faith, divine guidance, prayer, and the Lord’s providential care. Abraham’s servant is divinely guided to Rebekah, a relative of Abraham, who agrees to marry Isaac. The servant’s faithfulness, Rebekah’s willingness, and Isaac’s acceptance of her all point to the Lord’s hand in orchestrating this union. The story reveals the Lord’s providence in continuing His promises to Abraham through Isaac, and it emphasizes the importance of prayer and seeking the Lord’s will in important decisions. All this occurs after the death of Sarah, and it focuses on ensuring the continuation of the Lord’s covenant promises through Isaac. In the ancient Near East, marriages were often arranged within family or kinship networks, and finding a suitable wife for Isaac was of paramount importance to Abraham. Abraham is trusting the Lord to provide a wife from among his own people. His servant plays a central role, and his actions highlight the importance of prayer and dependence on the Lord for success in fulfilling the mission. Genesis 24 teaches us to seek the Lord’s guidance in all decisions and trust that He will provide direction in accordance with His will. Let us pray for guidance and wait on the Lord’s timing.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, in all our decisions we seek Your guidance, trust in Your leading.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord in all our decision making, may we commit everything to You. Trusting You to guide us in Your ways which are always true to Your good and pleasing will. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

1 Samuel 23:7-20

 

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A MEMORIAL

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“Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan.”        Genesis 23:19 NIV

 

Abraham wanted a memorial place to remind his seed of the promises of the Lord. He had promised Abraham’s seed the land. The land was to be theirs by faith. They would need some place to help them keep their eyes upon the day when the Lord would give the land to them. Their father, Abraham, had believed; they too were expected to believe. Sarah was the Lord’s choice to be the mother of the promised seed, and she was the first mother to believe in the promised land. He wanted her faith always to be remembered. By her having a permanent burial site, her great faith in the Lord would always be remembered. And it has been so remembered. We are to bury our loved ones in faith and love. Our faith in the Lord is to be expressed, believing the wonderful promises of the Lord about the promised land of heaven. We are also to bury our loved ones in love. We show our love by giving them a permanent burial site and by declaring their faith in the great promised land of heaven. “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3) This is our promise, which we express in faith and love.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, we rejoice in the promises of a room prepared by You.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we rejoice in the promise that You have prepared a room for us and our loved one, and we live out this faith and love in our daily lives, to the glory of Your name. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

John 9:1-12

 

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FAITH AND LOVE IN GRIEF

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“Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan.”        Genesis 23:19 NIV

 

In facing the death of a loved one, we bury our loved ones in faith and love. Facing Sarah’s death and his own grief, Abraham expressed a great act of faith, an act of great princely faith. It involved far more than a mere business transaction. Abraham could have buried Sarah anyplace in the desert, just as any nomad would do. He could have even taken her back to their original home, Ur of the Chaldees, and buried her there. But three things kept him from doing this. Abraham believed the promises of God. God had promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, the land that is referred to as the promised land. Abraham believed that he and his seed, descendants, were to receive the land, that they were to be the permanent residents of the land. But the land was not yet his. Thus, when he sought a permanent burial ground for his family, he was acting in faith. He knew that he and his descendants would someday inherit the land and live there permanently. They would, therefore, need a permanent burial ground. In fact, several generations of Abraham’s family were to be buried at this site: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. Abraham and the other patriarchs looked for the land of Canaan to be given to them. This was their great hope. But behind this earthly hope was a heavenly hope that was far greater, the hope for a better land, a heavenly land that was eternal and perfect. (Hebrews 11:10) We too look forward to the same!

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, in our grief let us express faith and hope for our loved ones.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, as we process our grief through Your love for us, let us express great faith and love for our loved ones, as we surrender them to You. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Esther 7:1-10

 

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OUR TESTIMONY IN GRIEF

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The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”            Genesis 23:5,6 NIV

 

Our testimony in facing the death of a loved one is crucial. Here is a lengthy but interesting business transaction between Abraham and a man called Ephron. It gives us a clear picture into the customs of the day, as to how people went about handling business transactions. The courtesy is especially striking. Abraham went beyond the usual courtesy, paying far more for the land than what it was worth, and by so doing he gave a strong testimony for the Lord. Abraham had always had a strong testimony among his neighbours. They recognized him as a mighty prince among them. The Hebrew is actually a prince of the LORD. The people knew that Abraham was a man favoured and blessed by his Lord. Abraham had always borne a princely faith before his neighbours, and he was bearing a princely testimony to his faith now. Abraham bore a testimony of courtesy and appreciation. The Hittites offered Abraham a free tomb for Sarah. Abraham stood up and bowed. This was apparently the custom of the day, the way a person showed appreciation for an offer. Abraham bore a testimony of tact. He asked the city officials to intercede in securing a particular piece of land, the cave of Machpelah (verses 8-9). Abraham bore a testimony for being fair and just in his business transactions. Ephron offered to give the land to Abraham, but Abraham refused to accept the land as a gift. Abraham willingly paid an exorbitant price for the land, about twenty times its value.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, may we bear testimony to You, even in our grief.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, even in our grief, may the testimony of our faith in You shine through, as it did in the life of Abraham. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Esther 4:4-14

 

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CONFESSING FAITH

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He said, “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”            Genesis 23:4 NIV

 

We are called to confess our faith in facing the death of a loved one. Confessing we are but strangers and sojourners upon earth, believers whose hope is for a permanent home in the promised land of heaven. This is what Abraham confessed. His words are very significant. He confessed that he owned no land in Canaan, that he was only a stranger and a sojourner. A stranger is an alien, a foreigner who is passing through a country, not staying long enough to settle down or to rent a place. A sojourner is also a foreigner, but they are staying long enough to settle down and lease a house within a country. They are not a permanent resident; their home is elsewhere. When Abraham used these words, he was confessing his faith. Upon earth, he had lived only in tents, often moving about from here to there. He was only a stranger and a sojourner upon earth. But his hope and the longing of his heart was for a permanent home, a permanent home on this earth, yes; but more than that, he longed for a permanent home with the Lord. Briefly stated, Abraham’s home was not upon this earth, but with His Lord in heaven. How do we know this is what Abraham was confessing? Because Scripture tells us. (See Hebrews 11:8-10.) Down through history, Scripture and the people of our lord have always referred to themselves as strangers and sojourners upon earth. The Lord Himself called His people strangers and sojourners upon earth. We are passing through on our way to glory!

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, thank You that we are sojourners on our way to glory.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, You Yourself called us, Your people, strangers and sojourners upon earth. Thank You, that we are passing through on our way to glory. Amen

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Luke 15:11-32

 

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CHOOSING NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED

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“Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.”           Genesis 23:3 NIV

 

We can choose not to allow sorrow or grief to overwhelm us. We can choose to not sorrow as those who have no hope. We can choose not to be overwhelmed and crushed by sorrow. For we have hope, the greatest of hopes. We have the hope of being present with the Lord, of being immediately with him, when we die. “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8) We have the living hope of the Lord’s return and of being reunited with all our loved ones. We have the living hope of a far better life in the next world. “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” (Philippians 1:23) We have the living hope of being made just like Christ. We have the living hope of being where Christ is and of receiving a building, a home, a mansion of glory made by God Himself. “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Corinthians 5:1) We have the living hope of receiving a new and perfect body. We have the living hope of appearing in glory. We have the living hope of having all pain, sorrow, and tears wiped away forever. We have the living hope of receiving treasures. We have the living hope of having the heavens and the earth remade into a new and perfect heaven and earth. (Isaiah 65:17)

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, we are not overwhelmed for we have a living hope in You Jesus.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we choose not to be overwhelmed by our grief, as painful as it may be, for we have a living hope in You Jesus, our conquering Saviour and Lord. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Genesis 41:39-57

 

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NOT OVERWHELMED

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“Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.”          Genesis 23:3 NIV

 

How can we face the death of a loved one? By being responsible and not becoming overwhelmed with sorrow and grief. Abraham stood up and walked away from the side of his dead wife. He walked away on his own; no one had to help him. The point is this, Abraham did not allow himself to be overcome with sorrow. He was not overwhelmed with grief. In dealing with death, Abraham was not crushed, bewildered, defeated, confounded, destroyed, confused, demoralized, devastated. Abraham’s life was not wrecked because Sarah died. Yes, the pain pierced his heart, cut him so much that he sorrowed, mourned, and wept because he hurt so much. But after he wept, he acted responsibly. He got up and went about his affairs and daily duties. There was a reason why Abraham was not crushed with sorrow and grief. He knew that Sarah had followed the counsel of the Lord throughout her life; therefore, the Lord had taken her to glory. He knew that Sarah had gone to the heavenly country and heavenly city of our Lord. Very simply, Abraham did exactly what the New Testament teaches. He did not sorrow like others who sorrow, others who have no hope. But Abraham believed the Lord, believed His great promise that He would save those who followed Him, save them through the promised seed, the Saviour of the world. Abraham believed He would give the promised land to believers, a heavenly land that would last eternally. Hallelujah!

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, we do not grieve without hope, but in the reality of eternal life.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we do not grieve as those who sorrow without hope. We grieve with the reality of eternal life through Your Son, our risen, ascended and glorious Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Genesis 39:11-20

 

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