Psalm 66 bible reading and devotions.

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MaxLucado.com : Always Praying

Early Christians were urged by the apostle Paul to “pray without ceasing.” In Romans 12:12, Paul said: “always be prayerful. And in Ephesians 6:18, to “pray at all times and on every occasion.”

Unceasing prayer may sound complicated, but it needn’t be!

As you stand in line to register your car, think, “Thank you, Lord, for being here.”  In the grocery store as you shop. As you load the dishwasher, worship your Maker.

Brother Lawrence was a well-known saint who called himself the “lord of pots and pans.”  He wrote:  “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.”

Though a rookie in the League of Unceasing Prayer, I sure enjoy the result! I think you will too.

From Come Thirsty


Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2     Sing the glory of his name;
    make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
    they sing praise to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”[a]
5 Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
    his eyes watch the nations—
    let not the rebellious rise up against him.
8 Praise our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
    and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, God, tested us;
    you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
    and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
    and fulfill my vows to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God;
    let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
    and has heard my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!



Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Acts 20:16-24

16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19  serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21  testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by[a] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Hopes And Dreams

August 15, 2012 — by David C. McCasland

So that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. —Acts 20:24

In 1960, everyone in the high school I attended participated in Project TALENT. For several days, we took tests that surveyed our aptitudes in academic subjects. In addition, we were asked to express our plans, hopes, and dreams for the future. What we didn’t know was that we were among 400,000 participants from 1,300 schools in the largest study of high school students ever conducted in the US. None of us involved in the study could have imagined how our lives would turn out.

The same was true for Saul of Tarsus. As a young man, his goal was to destroy the followers of Jesus (Acts 7:58–8:3; Gal. 1:13). But after his conversion, he became the apostle Paul, whose mission was to multiply them. As he journeyed to Jerusalem, facing prison and hardship, Paul said, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24 niv).

When our goal is to honor the Lord, He guides and guards us each step of the way. Whatever our hopes and dreams may be, when we place them in God’s hands we know that everything, including setback or success, is under His control.

When we give our hopes and dreams to God
And then leave them in His hand,
We can trust His love and care for us
To fulfill what He has planned. —Sper
Live the Christian life in the same way you began it— by trusting Christ.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 15, 2012

The Evidence of the New Birth

You must be born again —John 3:7

The answer to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” is: Only when he is willing to die to everything in his life, including his rights, his virtues, and his religion, and becomes willing to receive into himself a new life that he has never before experienced (John 3:4). This new life exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness.

“But as many as received Him. . .” (John 1:12). Is my knowledge of Jesus the result of my own internal spiritual perception, or is it only what I have learned through listening to others? Is there something in my life that unites me with the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior? My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.

“. . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ” (John 3:3). Am I seeking only for the evidence of God’s kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? The new birth gives me a new power of vision by which I begin to discern God’s control. His sovereignty was there all the time, but with God being true to His nature, I could not see it until I received His very nature myself.

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin. . .” (1 John 3:9). Am I seeking to stop sinning or have I actually stopped? To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning. The Bible never asks, “Should a Christian sin?” The Bible emphatically states that a Christian must not sin. The work of the new birth is being effective in us when we do not commit sin. It is not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have actually stopped sinning. Yet 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin— it simply means that if we will obey the life of God in us, that we do not have to sin.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Stone Wall Heroes - #6678

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Where I grew up in the North, they call it the Civil War; where my wife grew up in the South, they call it the War Between the States. No matter what you call it, you'd have to admit that one of the war's greatest heroes was General Thomas Jackson.

You say, "Who's that?" Well, you probably know him better as Stonewall Jackson. He was General Lee's most valued General in the confederacy, and he died a premature death in the middle of the war. In fact, some historians say that's one of the big reasons for the confederate defeat. He got his nickname, actually, at Bull Run; the first battle of Bull Run. His brigade was facing overwhelming odds, but they formed a strong line and they held their ground. With soldiers retreating all around them, General Jackson stood his ground. And one General who was trying to rally his troops shouted, "There stands Jackson like a (you guessed it) stone wall! Let us determine to die here and we will conquer!" One stone wall person turned the tide. They still do.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Stone Wall Heroes."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Ephesians 6. Now, you've got here a classic description of spiritual warfare, and we are at war. There are battles daily for people's lives, and they end up either as the Devil's prisoners or Christ's followers. If you know Christ, you're in this war. Do you know what you're supposed to be doing?

Well, with the bullets flying, it might be good to know your assignment. Here it is in verse 11: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then."

Did you notice something that's repeated four times here? Your mission - stand! Apparently, the Devil's attack is concentrated on getting you to back down; to give up ground, to compromise a stand you've taken. How successful has he been with you? To move back morally, that's what he'd like for you to do, to cut back the vision God gave you, to push you back into that sin or that mediocrity that Christ has moved you out of. See, God is looking for stone wall heroes who will stand there like a stone wall even when others are retreating.

This passage shows the three forces that can cause you to lose ground. It's what you're standing against, and I'm guessing you're feeling one of them right now. The first is the Devil's schemes. Take your stand against those; his clever attacks on your weak spot. Maybe he's doing that right now. Secondly, it says, "Take your stand in the day of evil." That's those dark days that come into your life when sin looks especially good; when you are just surrounded by incoming from all sides. Have you had a few of those lately? That's when you have to "take your stand." And then, thirdly it says, "When you've done everything to stand." The third thing that can cause you to lose ground is battle fatigue; you're just tired of fighting.

The bottom line in all of this passage, "Don't ever go out without your armor on." At Stonewall Jackson's battle, the troops were ready to run, but one man standing gave others the courage to do the same. If you'll be that person, you can have that same kind of effect. You have to stand under the pressure, stand under the attack, you refuse to move, you refuse to compromise.

You can help turn the tide of the battle if you'll be one of God's stonewall heroes.