Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: daily devotional

Prepare To Worship

Encouragement, Faith

‘Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.’
Psalms 95:2

Do you love to worship? Spiritual worship is much more than just showing up for a church service. Worship requires participation. When we meet together for public worship we need to make sure we are do our part.

Our hearts need to be prepared in order to worship effectively. It’s almost impossible to receive the most out of a worship experience just by showing up and going through the motions half heartily. We need to prepare our hearts for what God is going to do during our time of worship.  

Spending time in prayer before it’s time to worship makes a difference. Before we worship we should confess our sins and humble ourselves before the Lord. This will open the door for a wonderful opportunity for God to speak to our hearts.

Our attitude makes all the difference. If you worship with a negative attitude you should expect nothing in return. But if you expect great things to happen during worship, God will show up and bless you tremendously. You don’t want to miss out on a great blessing. The author of Hebrews says, “Don’t forsake or neglect the assembling together” (Hebrews 10:25).  There are wonderful blessings for those who desire to worship the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, as I prepare my heart for worship, I thank You for being a great and awesome God.  Let my mind and heart be in tune with Yours. Speak to me, Lord.

Is God Seeking After You?

Salvation

‘Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”’
Genesis 3:9

God’s first words to Adam immediately after he sinned were, “Where are you?” Notice closely that God didn’t say, “I know what you’ve done.” God knew exactly what had happened and knew exactly where he was, but He was seeking after Adam.

God was not angry and He was not interrogating Adam and Eve. God’s heart was broken because there was a great gulf fixed between them and there must be a bridge built to connect man back together with God. The question was meant to make Adam realize that he was lost.

The question was also meant to encourage Adam to confess his sin. He could not plead the Fifth! He had to answer to God and give an account.

Satan’s goal is to cause separation between God and man. But God provides a perfect way for man to come back into fellowship with Him. Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6

Where are you? Where are you in your relationship and fellowship with God? Are you close or are you hiding? You cannot plead the Fifth.

Pray

Lord, thank You for creating me and desiring to be with me. Thank You for providing a way through Jesus for me to be with You. Today, I draw close to You.

What Does God’s Grace Mean To You?

Faith, Salvation

‘To me (Paul), though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ‘
Ephesians 3:8

Paul understood the grace of God. When he discovered that Jesus was the Messiah his eyes were opened to the grace of God. Despite his murderous past and hatred of Jesus, Paul was chosen by God to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

After his conversion, Paul was a total different person. He called himself “small Paul”. He was not one of the twelve disciples who followed Jesus, nor was he baptized by John unto repentance. Paul wasn’t among the men who received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost but God chose to use him greatly.

Because Paul was made new in Christ, he had a great understanding of salvation. He gives us understanding of God’s grace through his personal experience. It is not surprising that Paul could only refer to himself as the very least of all the saints.

More importantly, he referred to God’s grace as “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” For someone who deeply knows that he has been forgiven and freed of the bondage of sin, he can preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The moment we fully realize the fullness of God’s grace is the moment that we will bel sold-out for Christ.

Pray

Lord, I praise You for the unfathomable, unsearchable, boundless riches that I have received by grace through faith. I have every right to be condemned but instead You lifted me up into the courts of a heavenly royalty. Thank You for saving me from the depths of hell.