The Daily Verse: Philippians 4:11,12

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Philippians 4:11,12

Don't allow your circumstances to determine your level of contentment. Rather, allow your contentment to influence your circumstances.

Source: The Daily Verse by Kat Davis

Boyd Bailey: Engaged To Marry…

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together she was found to be with child though the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18

Marriage engagement is an exciting and sobering time. It is exciting because of the anticipation of being together with the one you believe God has destined for you to live with for the rest of your life. It is sobering because of the responsibility to love and care for another person in an unselfish and giving way. Indeed, the engagement period is preparation for marriage. For example, use this window of time to pay off debt and heal any fractured relationships.

Wise young couples are not just infatuated with each other and the upcoming wedding, but they are also practical to prepare for marriage. They may enroll in classes on money management from a Biblical perspective, or invest time in completing and discussing a marriage assessment around everyday issues like parenting, spiritual leadership, finances, conflict resolution, decision-making, communication, and sex. Pre-marital instruction and application can save couples from unnecessary conflict down the marriage road.

Furthermore, wise couples pray for a mentor couple that can shepherd their relationship during this engagement time, meeting with them over dinner or coffee and listening to their lessons learned during their years of marriage and managing expectations. Be wise to spend much more time in marriage preparation than in wedding planning. One is an event that is over in a few hours, while the other is how you plan to spend the rest of your life together.

Lastly, Christ is the cornerstone of any engagement. Keep Him front and center in your conversations and decision-making. Ask Him for the grace to communicate with people who may have agendas different from your dream wedding. Make sure your wedding ceremony honors Jesus Christ by keeping the content grounded in Scripture, and that the look and the feel of the service honor the Lord. The marriage engagement time is God’s gift to prepare your heart, your mind, your soul, your relationships, your finances and your faith.

How can I best prepare my heart, mind and finances for marriage? Who is a mentor couple that can invest in us during our engagement and on into our marriage?

Related Readings: Genesis 19:14; Deuteronomy 20:7; 1 Corinthians 7:36; Hebrews 13:4

Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey

The Daily Verse: Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Look around you and be thankful. We want for so much, yet we have so much to be thankful for. Take the time to do that today, and allow your thanksgiving to magnify God in your thoughts, actions and witness.

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, The Daily Verse delivery will take a brief hiatus from your inbox and resume on Monday, November 30, 2009. Have a blessed and safe holiday!

Source: The Daily Verse by Kat Davis

Boyd Bailey: Thankful Prayers…

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:15-16

Do you often offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the saints of God who have great faith and lavish love? Who comes to mind when you think of those who have persevered with God through pain, sorrow, joy and abundance? Perhaps you think of career missionaries, ministers or a successful businessperson. Maybe your mind locks onto a loved one that has kept the faith in the middle of fiery trials or a complicated health condition. These are quality human beings you can honor by thanking God for them with powerful prayers.

God expects prayer for missionaries, however make it more personal by placing their picture in a prominent place in your home. When you walk by them or at a designated time, intercedeon their behalf to Almighty God. It is those with great faith who foster a flaming fire of faith within your soul. Thanking the Lord for His faithful followers bolsters your faith to be more like those with whom you are exceedingly grateful.

Your children need to hear you pray, thanking God for the faith of your forefathers and other living family members who love Jesus. It is this attitude of respect for committed Christians that builds commitment into your sons and daughters. Gratitude to God for those who are serious about their Savior Jesus, builds a generation of God followers.

Furthermore thank the Lord for their love, for as their faith grows love is not far behind. “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). Those with great faith love great!

Indeed pray for those with great faith and love to finish well. This is the testimony of those we admire the most, “All these people were still living by faith when they died…” (Hebrews 11:13a). Mature Christians still need encouragement and accountability to remain faithful. Your prayers for them compel them to move forward with Christ.

Who do I know who is solid in their faith, who I can thank God for often in prayer? Who is a missionary couple my family can pray for weekly?

Related Readings: 2 Chronicles 30:27; Nehemiah 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 11:39-40

Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey

The Daily Verse: Matthew 7:11

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

Sometimes we don't get what we ask for because we're barking up the wrong tree, per se. Assess your life and consider the source you're seeking provision from. If it's yourself, other people, your job, money or earthly things, then you're going to come up empty. If it's God, it may not look like what you expect, but you can rest assured you'll have what you need when you need it.

Source: The Daily Verse by Kat Davis

Boyd Bailey: Remember Thank You…

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” Luke 17:15-16

A culture of entitlement is slow to say thank you, but a grateful group is honored to express appreciation. Ungrateful people expect, even demand, good things with no gratitude in return. But grateful men and women are humbled and give God the glory for His blessings. The most gratitude comes from those who least expect the Lord’s lavish love. It is the mercy of God that heals our heart and causes us to exclaim Praise the Lord!

Is it your regular routine to sincerely thank God for His healing power? Do you bow at the feet of Jesus when the body of a friend or family was cured by God’s work through the miracle of modern medicine? Have you celebrated Christ’s blessing of keeping your body whole from a debilitating disease? Humility is a thank you waiting to happen.

Listen to David’s prayer for healing, “Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony” (Psalm 6:2). You can pray boldly for your physical healing. Pray depending on God and with great faith ask the Great Physician to bring to bear on your body His healing power. Your Creator understands how to bring wholeness to His creation. It is not a question of if He can, but if He will.

However, whether He heals in this life or in the life to come give Him thanks. “Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). Furthermore, gratitude to God expresses gratitude to people. Make it a goal write a thank you note before you cash the check. Look a friend in the eye and thank them for their friendship. Show your gratitude to your server with a generous gratuity. Appreciate others and you invite appreciation into your life and work.

Mostly, thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His death on the cross for your sin and salvation. Jesus came from living with sinners to die for sinners. “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23b-24).

Do I thank God often for His incredible gift of grace and forgiveness? Do I thank Him during the bad times as well as the good times? Am I quick to appreciate others?

Related Readings: Proverbs 3:8; 17:22; Romans 14:6; 1 Corinthians 15:57

Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey

40 days of prayer at work!

Father,
Please put each one of us in a posture that you need us to be in to receive from you. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart open to you and to one another. Forgive us again for our sin and cover us in a blanket of protection. Remove fear and replace it with freedom.

Heal what aches and restore us. Renew our minds and hearts in you today. Equip and prepare us as you go ahead of us to clear our path. Bring clarity, simplicity and faith in ways more meaningful than we have ever experienced.

We recognize it (our life, our work, our gifts, our light) is all yours – help us to serve you appropriately. Give us understanding to simplify the complex and rise above confusion. Give us wisdom to see the unseen and accomplish the unimaginable.

Show us how we may care for, serve, and encourage each other’s gifts and talents. Help us to serve and honor you in all of our choices in behavior and what comes from our mouth. Thank you for the privilege to serve. Thank you for handpicking us to serve you.

In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28