Month: January 2025

God may include delays as part of His perfect answer to our prayers.

Luke 18:1-8

We like to keep things uncomplicated: Follow a few steps and reach the preferred result. Prayer, however, cannot be reduced to such an easy formula. It isn’t some transactional activity where repeating certain words brings the desired solution. It’s ongoing communication with the heavenly Father and involves listening, speaking, and acting on what we hear from Him.

God has promised to answer His children’s prayers, but He often waits before responding. He does so for many reasons:

Preparation. Sometimes God has to make us ready for what He wants to give us. We may have attitudes or behaviors that aren’t aligned with His will (James 4:3).

Spiritual growth. The Lord may use delays to test our faith or deepen our relationship with Him.

Timing. God’s timetable often doesn’t match ours. He knows what He wants to accomplish in and through us.

God includes delays as part of the believer’s prayer life. In certain situations, we—like the persevering widow in Luke 18:1-8—have to keep knocking before the Lord gives us His answer.

Jesus calls us to a lifestyle of “asking, seeking, and knocking”—a lifestyle of trust in the Father’s promise to answer His children.

Jesus’ work on the cross banishes fear and guarantees our future.

1 Peter 1:3-5

The city of Corinth was characterized by many forms of ungodliness. Believers there had once been like their fellow citizens—filled with greed, envy, wickedness, deceit, and anger. But now they were new creations, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and adopted into the family of God. The “Corinthian lifestyle” no longer matched who they’d become in Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Paul was reminding the believers not to be influenced by their culture or old patterns of thinking. The apostle was not warning them that they might miss out on the kingdom. Rather, he was encouraging them to abandon their old ways and behave as who they really were—children of God.

We, too, can trust that salvation is permanent. We could never redeem and heal ourselves, so Jesus willingly did the work on our behalf (John 10:11-18). Then, God raised Jesus back to life and brought Him to heaven. Now our Savior reigns there at His Father’s right hand (Mark 16:19). It’s important to understand that the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross is the basis for our salvation. This awareness banishes fear and fills us with hope.

What God has accomplished—pardoning our sins, giving us a new nature, and adopting us into His family—no one can undo. That gives us a living hope to sustain us all our days.

Through faith in Jesus, we can live forever in the presence of God.

Titus 2:11-14

People have different opinions about who goes to heaven. Some believe good behavior will bring automatic admittance. Others, while acknowledging they have bad habits and tendencies, hope traits like generosity or helpfulness will gain them entry.

However, Scripture tells us character and deeds do not determine our eternal state (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, it’s our sinful nature that forms a barrier between us and a holy God. As Romans 5:12 teaches, Adam and Eve’s sin caused all mankind to begin physical life dead in our sins. No amount of good works or moral behavior can change our unholy nature. Nor do bad choices make our nature worse.

Without direct help from God, we would be a people without hope—we’d find the entrance to heaven closed and would face everlasting separation from the Lord. But our loving Father sent His Son as our willing substitute: Jesus took our sins on Himself and received the punishment we deserved. What we were helpless to do, He accomplished for us. Through faith in the Savior, we have assurance that we will live in the presence of God forever.

Knowing we’re heaven bound gives hope and meaning to our life. Let’s tell others about Jesus, the source of our hope.

Make it a habit to notice the many reasons you have for loving the Lord.

Psalms 103:1-22

Do you ever wonder why you exist? Day-to-day activities and worries pull us in so many directions that most of us seldom think about the goal of life. But our Creator made us with a purpose: to glorify Him (Isaiah 43:7).

In His Word, God tells us to testify to His faithfulness and His mighty works. Jesus considered this important as well—when teaching His disciples how to communicate with God, He began His prayer with adoration of His Father (Matthew 6:9).

That is why we should give as much attention to praising the Lord as we do to making petitions. It can be challenging to prioritize worship when we sit down to pray. In fact, doing so might even feel awkward now and then. Yet Psalm 103:2 tells us to remember God’s benefits so we will glorify Him. This psalm also shows us how to lift the Father up with our words—specifically, we should praise God for His character and His work (vv. 2-8, 19).

When’s the last time you simply praised the Lord? Observe how the Father is exalted in the Psalms and throughout the Scriptures. Then worship Him with praise as you spend time basking in His presence.

God blesses His children by giving them opportunities to help others know Him.

Psalms 67:1-7

It is God’s nature to bless. However, His purpose for doing so is greater than we may realize. It’s never the Lord’s intention for His blessings to end with us. Rather, He wants them to flow to others.

As we see in today’s psalm, the Lord blesses us so that His salvation, His ways, and His justice may be known by every nation and people group around the globe (vv. 3-4, 7). He’s always acting with this larger picture in mind.

This should fill us with an awesome—yet humbling—sense of significance. Every believer has a part in helping others know and understand God. Each blessing that benefits us personally is also intended to help further His plans for the kingdom. On the other hand, we sometimes may not receive things we want because they don’t contribute to God’s higher purpose. But if we fit our requests into the Lord’s greater plans, we position ourselves to be used mightily by Him.

When the Lord blesses you, He’s not only doing something for you; He’s also doing something in and through you to affect the lives of others. Don’t let the pleasures and comforts of His blessings make you lose sight of their intended purpose. As we enter into this new year, ask God how you can use His kindnesses to point people to Him.

God sees and rewards us every time we choose to obey Him—even when the decision seems insignificant.

Luke 5:1-11

Yesterday we learned that obeying God in small matters is essential to receiving His rewards. What He asks us to do is never insignificant—though we may not always recognize the importance of saying yes. Peter couldn’t have imagined the impact a simple boat trip would have in his life. But his obedience opened the door for God to bless him with a revolutionary ministry.

When we do what the Lord asks, He is pleased. But when we disobey, it costs us. God loves His children unconditionally and has a perfect plan for each one. Obeying Him ultimately will never prove disappointing, because when we do, our hearts open wide to let His power pour in.

As believers, we should ask what God wants us to do in daily situations (Matthew 6:11-12). We must learn to listen and be sensitive to His voice throughout the day. By keeping our mind attuned to Him, we’ll begin to understand the significance of some decisions we might otherwise barely notice. This awareness leads to a lifestyle of walking with the Lord and receiving His best for us.

Hindsight can help us recognize God’s blessings. Looking at the past year, can you see His wisdom in leading you to make right decisions? Make 2025 a year of obedience. Choose to trust Him, and receive the blessings He wants to give you.

If you long for God to speak to you, make time in His Word a habit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

In biblical times, God spoke in many dramatic ways. Although He still speaks today, some of His methods have changed. He doesn’t speak with an audible voice or send an angel every time He has something to say to us.

The primary way our Father speaks to us today is through His written Word. His Holy Spirit breathed divine truth upon the minds of certain men and inspired them perfectly to write it down (2 Tim. 3:16). Not a single thing is missing.

The Bible is God’s way of speaking to our pressing needs, concerns, heartaches, and worries. So often when trouble strikes, we turn to other sources, perhaps talking to a friend or counselor. All of that is well and good, and the Father does indeed speak through godly men and women. But the first resource we should consult is His Word. If you pick up the Bible only when you have a question or emergency in your life, you’ll never get the big picture of what God wants to say to you.

Scripture is a treasure trove of God’s thoughts. Spend time there every day—starting today—mining it for new truths and insights.