On the Couch With God - Daily Devotional

Prayer is a powerful, and sometimes, dangerous exercise to engage in. Many of you have attended a Freedom Immersion and can attest to the transforming reality of your prayer time. Consider a few questions that I have had to tangle with over the years as it pertains to prayer. Why keep praying when we don’t see results? Does God have all power? Think about this, for Him to release that power, do we need to pray? Have you ever contemplated questions like this as it pertains to prayer? Here are three things we need to understand about prayer that breaks through. If we understand these three points, we will become a person of deep heart-felt prayer. The Word of God tells us that the Lord has deposited His power in us. This point cannot be overstated. If you are in Christ Jesus, He has invested His power in you. Consider what Luke tells us: Luke 24:49, "And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high

We release the power of God through prayer. Imagine an owner in the front of their house lamenting the condition of their yard. The grass is brown and crackling under your feet. The plants are drooping just holding on for dear life. The yard just looks thirsty. If you were walking by this house and the man asked you what he should do. I would imagine you would tell him to turn on the faucet and water his lawn for an extended period of time and repeat the process every day. In a matter of a few days, that dry and thirsty land would become a revived emerald green. What is the condition of the yard of your life? Your friends, co-workers, family members. Do they need watering? Elijah prayed seven times for something God already said He was going to do because he was releasing what God wanted to do in His life. Daniel prayed and fasted for twenty-one days according to Daniel 10. Verse 12 says, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first daythat you set your heart to understand and humbled you

God has deposited His power in us. This is extremely important to understand. When you understand this about prayer, you will become a person of prayer. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”We receive invested power at salvation to be God’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. There are also more fillings of the Spirit that take place, not for an experiential moment of relief, but to be empowered to be a gospel carrier. In Ephesians, Paul expounds on the power that has been deposited in us. Ephesians 3:20–21 says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” It is amazing how the Holy Spirit structured this verse. He could have left out all three adverbs. The

Bible Reading: Matthew 21:22 When reading the news on your phone you will occasionally see the top 10 most beautiful places to live in the world. They are all places filled with exotic lagoons that you can swim with the turtles. You will also see the top 10 worst places to live. Currently, the top two worst places to live in the world are Damascus, Syria and Lagos, Nigeria. We all live in a physical location and a spiritual location. A thought bubbled up in my mind this week, “What is one of the worst places to live for a Christian?” A location that is one of the most dangerous, most vulnerable oppressed places to live. I believe one of the worst places for a Christian to live is the place called Prayerless. Prayerless is one of the most dangerous places to live. Prayerless is one of the most vulnerable places to live. Prayerless is one of the most disgruntled places to live. Prayerless is one of the most oppressed places to live. Prayerless Christians live knowing the truth but

One of the most powerful promises in the Scriptures is found in Psalm 1. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3). Everything you do will prosper. To meditate means to ruminate or to murmur to oneself. Biblical meditation is simply reading scripture, putting it in your heart, and pulling it back up at times throughout the day. If we meditate on the Word of God, everything will prosper. That is because the Word of God is the software our minds were created to run on. This is what the devil stole from us in Genesis 3. This is what he is wanting to block us from by building strongholds in our minds. The Word of God reprograms our brains. When you ar

Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials in search of a filament for the light bulb. When none worked satisfactorily, his assistant complained, “All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing.” Edison replied very confidently, “Oh, we have come a long way and we have learned a lot. We know that there are two thousand elements which we cannot use to make a good light bulb.” After 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb, Edison could have agreed with the negative thoughts and given up. We are all thankful that he had the mental strength to endure. In Philippians 4:8, Paul tells us, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about (meditate on) these things.” Paul is exhorting us to, “deliberate, evaluate, and compute over and over” what is good and pure. He knew that we are only as fre

Scripture Reading — Mark 16:1-8 We are looking towards Easter, Resurrection Sunday. It is the day when Christians everywhere exclaim with joy and authority, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” But if we were to put ourselves as characters into that first Easter story, what would our reaction be to finding an empty tomb and a stranger sitting there, telling us not to worry? Would we think it was a cruel practical joke or something very real, powerful, and life-changing? That’s what those first visitors to the tomb had to figure out. And everyone who has ever heard the story of Jesus must do the same. To believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus opens our lives to all the joy, power, freedom, and hope the resurrection has to offer. This is the gospel story. This is life-changing good news! Will you claim this good news? ON THE COUCH WITH GOD Dear Jesus, today we claim you, celebrate you, and proclaim you as the risen Lord. Today and every day, fill us with the h

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Over a month ago, the new year, was a time when many of us resolve to start living differently. We seek to break old habits, build new relationships, change our outlook on life. The gospel reveals that a truly new thing we experience in Christ is new life. The earliest Christians proclaimed this message again and again: "Christ is risen from the dead!" And because he conquered death and rose to new life, we can have new life in him. All who believe in Christ receive the promise of eternal life, and our new life begins right away, by the power of Christ's Spirit living in us. When we have faith in Jesus, our life here takes on a new character. We realize that what we do here in this life matters—and that the Spirit of Christ guides us to live God's way. Christ takes our faltering efforts and uses them to accomplish good, now and for eternity. We hope in Christ not simply to have a better way to live now. Because Jesus

Scripture Reading — John 20:1-10 Christians today join centuries of Christians when we stand in the faith that proclaims Jesus has risen. Easter is the day that changed everything. We celebrate the amazing truth that although Jesus was dead, he’s now alive forevermore. Christ Jesus rose victorious over death. He is risen. It’s interesting to notice how John, the gospel writer, anchors the event of the resurrection to a day, a time, and a witness. On a particular day in history, early in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene saw that the stone had been moved away from Jesus’ tomb. John wants to be clear. The resurrection of Jesus happened on earth’s soil, in our time, for the benefit of us humans whom God created and loves. Because Jesus is risen, life for us is forever anchored in good news. Christ’s resurrection gloriously demonstrates that God’s sovereign grace has the last word. As a powerful hymn puts it, “ No power of hell, no human plan, can ever pluck me f

Scripture Reading — Mark 16:1-16 Soon after that first resurrection day, followers of Jesus began greeting one another by saying, “Christ is risen; he is risen indeed!” The whole message of the gospel can be summed up in these few words: “Jesus is risen!” The world is filled with religions built on various philosophies or personalities. But only the Christian faith claims its founder was raised from the dead and is alive today. “He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” This is the heartbeat of the good news. The cross and the grave are not the end! Following Jesus is not a dead-end street. The angel seated at the tomb not only invited the women to see the empty tomb. He also gave instructions for a new way into the future. “ Go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you .’” Today, in all the world, Jesus the living God is on the move: in our churches and in our schools, in our workplaces and our

Scripture Reading — Matthew 28:1-10 The angel said to the women, “ Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said ” (Matthew 28:5-6). On the first Resurrection Sunday morning, two women were in for the surprise of their lives. Instead of finding a closed tomb, they found an open grave and an angel greeting them with the words " Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said ." For them and for every follower of the Lord Jesus, life would never be the same. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead changed the course of history. The resurrection is God's way of announcing that our life does not have to be a one-way journey to the cemetery. God is saying we don't have to be stuck in our past. The risen Saviour has hit the delete button on our sins. We don't have to wonder who's in charge, because this S

" After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb " (Revelation 7:9a) Read: Revelation 7 We see the thread of God’s love for His people in Scripture from cover to cover. God calls Abraham, promises to make him a great nation and to bless all people on earth through him (Genesis 12:3). Jesus prepares to return to heaven and commands his disciples to take his teachings and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). The Bible concludes with the prophecy that every nation, tribe, people and language will stand before Jesus’ throne in worship (Revelation 7:9a). God’s desire has always been to reach all people. Although God’s heart has always been for everybody, it took extraordinary circumstances to move the early church out of their comfort zone to reach people who were different from them. They left Jerusalem and spread the message

" Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers " (Galatians 6:10) Read: Galatians 6 The Apostle Paul tells the Galatian church to serve those in their community. It should come as no surprise Paul encourages them to pour themselves out for others. After all, Jesus himself came down to this earth and poured himself out for each of them. He gave his very life to serve and love them. This sacrifice of Christ has motivated Christians throughout history to serve heroically. Over the centuries, sacrificial service has been one of the most powerful forces drawing people to Christ. People are attracted to this type of service because sacrificial service is so close to the heart of God. Service draws people to Christ, but it also draws us towards one another. Serving is not a solo sport. We were created to be in relationships. When we serve, we build community. When we work with one another, we are

" Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another " (John 13:34b) Read: John 13:31-35 Jesus doesn’t have much time left. He knows he will be hanging on a Roman cross the next day. He gives those closest to him some important instructions. It couldn’t have been easy. He had been teaching them for three years. What should he say now? It has to be important whatever it is. He tells them, “ Love one another .” Jesus takes the advice of Ecclesiastes (travel together) and unleashes it upon his followers. Jesus’ strategy for growing, serving, comforting and encouraging his followers—is his followers. His strategy for changing the world was a community of people travelling together. Paul writes, “ From him, the whole body (the church), joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work .” The church grows and is built by love when we each do our part. We grow when others play their part,

" You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? " (1 Corinthians 3:3) Read: 1 Corinthians 3 The Corinthians had no knowledge of Christ when Paul arrived. He spends 18 months in this busy city teaching the gospel, then receives word after leaving Corinth that the church fractured. Rivalries, division and arguments wrack their community. Believers took sides and judged each other based on if they followed Paul, Apollos (an eloquent church leader mentioned in Acts 18:24-27) or the Apostle Peter. Paul issues a stern warning that they’re behaving like children of the world, not Spirit-led Jesus followers. In Corinthian culture, it was common to attach your name to a popular philosopher or eloquent orator. Culture dictated you pick a group and judge others as less-than. Paul reminds believers that now, their name was attached to Jesus. They were unified through Christ’s life, death on t

Text: Acts 11.19-21 We will, at various points in our life, find ourselves in places we never expected nor wanted: a divorce, a life-changing medical condition, a severe financial reversal, or something else. Whatever it is, we know one thing—we don’t want to be here. It was the same for these early followers of Jesus. Because of severe persecution, they lost everything as they fled for their lives. Uprooted from their home, friends, and occupations, they were now in a place they neither expected nor wanted. But it’s in these inconveniences, these opportunities, where God often moves in new and amazing ways. While we might never have expected to be here, it doesn’t catch God by surprise: he knows exactly what we need. While we may be fearful to take the next step, God is ready to use these unwanted situations as opportunities for growth. But if we get mired in complaints, we can miss these opportunities. ON THE COUCH WITH GOD Today, identify a time (now or recently) when you

" But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well " (Matthew 6:33) Read: Matthew 6:33-34 “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). This is the positive side of don’t worry. Jesus is trying to help his listeners understand that living the way God created them to live, actually doing the things Jesus said, will help them find real life. It’s a life built around God and others instead of a life focused on ourselves. We can know what we are trusting based on what we are saying. We seek first God’s kingdom when we put into practice the teachings of Jesus. Seeking God’s kingdom requires a change in our hearts, not just our actions. It’s a daily commitment to God’s values and not the values of our culture. This week we’ve been challenged to find our security in God's Word. We’ve looked at the Bible. ON THE COACH WITH GOD Read Matthew 7:

" When your words came, I ate them " (Jeremiah 15:16) Read: Jeremiah 15:15-21 Billy Graham, the renowned American evangelist, once described his struggle to accept the Bible as completely true. One night as he walked alone in the moonlight at a retreat center in the San Bernardino Mountains, he dropped to his knees and placed his Bible on a tree stump, able only to “stutter” a prayer: “Oh, God! There are many things in this book I do not understand.” By confessing his confusion, Graham said the Holy Spirit finally “freed me to say it. ‘Father, I am going to accept this as thy Word—by faith!’ ” When he stood up, he still had questions, but he said, “I knew a spiritual battle in my soul had been fought and won.” The young prophet Jeremiah fought spiritual battles too. Yet he consistently sought answers in Scripture. “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16). He declared, “The word of the Lord . . . is in my heart like

" All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work " (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Read: 2 Timothy 3 The apostle Paul was writing to a younger bishop named Timothy and giving him instructions on how to lead his church. In today’s verses in 2 Timothy, Paul highlights the importance of every passage of Scripture. Timothy probably read his Bible even more carefully after receiving this message from his mentor. The same should be true of us. Three thoughtful questions can guide us to a deeper understanding of each passage we read. What did it mean for them? We should ask this question first as we read a passage. To answer, we need to try to get into the reader’s shoes and grasp why the writer said what he said. How might they have felt or responded to this passage? A study bible is an excellent resource for this step. What does it mean for us tod

" [They] examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. " (Acts 17:11b) Read: Acts 17 Consistent study of Scripture brought many to faith in Jesus in Berea. We have access to study God’s Word now in more ways than ever. We too can read the Bible for ourselves and understand it with the Holy Spirit’s help. As we do, the Gospel will shape our lives, families and communities. Three thoughtful questions will help guide us into a deeper understanding of the Bible. What did it mean for them? Think about what people were going through at the time. How might they have felt? How do they respond? An CSB Study Bible provides more insight for hard-to-understand sections. Read a passage in multiple versions to help with confusing passages. (Try the New Living Translation, NIV, or English Standard Version in an online Bible.) What does it mean for us today? Think about similar situations, challenges or struggles we face. Discuss the passage in a small group