The WeakDay Devotion has been being written fresh every week day morning since 1999 for those who want more Scripture with their devotion than most offer.
PRAYER: As His family, we share each other's burdens & joys. Please continue to remember the ongoing Prayer Requests listed in the post script each day. PLEASE SEND PRAYER UPDATES. Those who are so faithfully praying are encouraged and blessed to hear the Lord's progress.
The WeakDay Devotion originated as encouragement for a dear friend who was having difficulties with her job.
It is especially for my family, firends, business people, students, pastors, teachers and a myriad of pre-, new and long-serving Christians who want more Scripture with their devotion than many of the regular devotionals offer. it is also written to be short so you can get on with your day, but filled with a new idea from God's Word that is practical and applicable. You can also have it sent directly to your email box every day - just send me an email (DarleneRichard@gmail.com) and I will add you to the distribution.
or search YouTube for Bill & Gloria Gaither - Just As I
Am (Live)
Gaither Music TV
[Jesus teaching] “’For God so greatly loved and dearly
prized the world, that He even gave His One and only begotten Son, so that
whoever believes and trusts in Him as Saviour shall not perish but have eternal
life.For God did not send the Son into
the world to judge and condemn the world that is, to initiate the final
judgment of the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
“’Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him as
personal Saviour and Lord is not judged.For this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation; but
the one who does not believe and has decided to reject Him as personal Saviour
and Lord is judged already –
“’that one has been convicted and sentenced -- because he
has not believed and trusted in the name of the One and only begotten Son of
God, the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone
can save him.’” John 3:16-18
A wife began to pray for her alcoholic husband, that God
would take away his desire to drink.She
prayed for so many years that she often wondered if God had another plan.Yet, she persisted in her petition.One evening he left the house to go to the
liquor store and buy his weekly supply.
When he returned, he only had a bottle of tomato juice. And there began his journey to his knees.However, the man had not given his life to
Christ.When his wife asked why, the man
answered, ‘I want to make my life better before I ask to become a Christian.’
The wife was given enough wisdom and love to ask her
husband, ‘Do you think you can do a better job of cleaning up your life that
Christ can?After all, that is just what
He wants to do for you.’
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’. (Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
or search YouTube for “Salt” – A Thanksgiving Story
by highcottonfilms
“Grace to you and peace – inner calm and spiritual
well-being – from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.I thank my God in every remembrance of you,
always offering every prayer of mine with joy and with specific requests for
all of you,
“ …thanking God for your participation and partnership both
your comforting fellowship and gracious contributions in advancing the good
news regarding salvation from the first day you heard of it until now.
“I am convinced and confident of this very things, that He
who has begun a good work in you will continue to perfect and complete it until
the day of Christ Jesus – the time of His return.” Philippians 1:2-6
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
“’Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should
sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct in the
good and right way.” I-Samuel 12:23
“Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make
the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,”
Luke 18:1
“Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing
and persistent in prayer; in every situation no matter what the circumstances
be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for
you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Christians are commanded to Pray.This is a command, and not just a mild
suggestion.Not to pray is sin.How much blessing and help Christians forfeit
because they do not lay hold of the wonderful power of God released through
prayer!
“Are we living in this sin of prayerlessness?Do we gather as a family around the Word of
God each day?Do we take time for
reading and prayer alone with God each day?Are we faithful in the prayer meeting?Why not?Do we not believe in
prayer?[1]”
Did you ever notice the many, many times in the Gospels Jesus
demonstrates His attitude toward and reliance on prayer, even though He is the
Son of God, He always thought of His Father and never ceased to depend on Him?
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
or search YouTube for Why Does God Not Answer My Prayers
The TRUTH by DLM Christian Lifestyle (16 minutes)
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot
save, nor His ear so impaired that it cannot hear.But your wickedness has separated you from
your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
"For your hands are defiled with blood and
your fingers with wickedness with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing; your
lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.” Isaiah 59:1-2
“If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in
the darkness of sin, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we really
walk in the Light, that is, live each and every day in conformity with the
precepts of God, as He Himself is in the Light, we have true, unbroken
fellowship with one another –
"He with us, and we with Him – and the blood of
Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin, by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us
cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations.
“If we say we have no sin – refusing to admit that we are
sinners, we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us.His word does not live in our hearts.If we freely admit that we have sinned and
confess our sins, He is faithful and just –
"true to His own nature and promises
– and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness
– our wrong-doing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose.” I
John 1:6-9
Jesus died to give us the privilege of a clean heart at our
new birth.It is our responsibility as
we walk from the Cross into the rest of our lives that we remember to cleanse
our hearts of the pride of our repeated sins by confessing them to our heavenly
Father, so our prayers are not hindered.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
“’My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?Why are You so far from helping Me, and from
the words of My groaning?O My God, I
call out by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I find no rest nor
quiet.But You are holy, O You who are
enthroned in the holy place where the praises of Israel are offered.
“… ‘They open wide their mouths against Me, like a ravening
and a roaring lion.I am poured out like
water, and all My bones are out of joint.My heart is like wax’ it is melted by anguish within Me.My strength is dried up like a fragment of
clay pottery; and My dry tongue clings to My jaws; and You have laid Me in the
dust of death.
“’For a pack of dogs have surrounded Me; a gang of evildoers
has encircled Me, they pierce My hands and My feet.I can count all My bones; they look, they
stare at Me.They divide My clothing
among them and cast lots for My garment.” Psalm 22:1-3, 13-18
Sometimes Scripture is so much it can overwhelm.I am always reluctant to speak and share my
thoughts, because there is nothing more perfect than His Word.It is my prayer that in this (and the next to
the last) chapter of Mark, God will show you something new that you can apply
to your walk and understanding and with others.
For the assignment, find an hour and a place where you will
not be interrupted and can listen to the video recording above.Have your Bible, notebook, something to write
with and a refreshment.
Turn in your Bible to Mark 15 and take notes of what seems important for you as you follow along.He reads from the New English Translation,
but use whatever version you prefer. As
you listen to the words of Mark 15, consider Christ.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
Or search YouTube for ‘What is the Sinners Prayer?
How to Pray a Salvation Prayer from GodQuestions.org
“He also told this parable to some people who trusted in
themselves and were confident that they were righteous, posing outwardly as upright
and in right standing with God, and who viewed others with contempt.
“’Two men went up into the temple enclosure to pray, one
a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.The Pharisee stood ostentatiously and began praying to himself in a
self-righteous way, saying: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men
– swindlers, unjust, dishonest, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector.I fast twice a week; I pay
tithes of all that I get.’
“But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not
even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest in humility and
repentance, saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the especially wicked
sinner that I am!’
“’I tell you, this man went to his home justified,
forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God rather than
the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who
humbles himself, forsaking self-righteous pride will be exalted.’” Luke
18:10-14
Until a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Saviour, “There
is only one prayer that God will hear from the sinner, and that is, ‘God be
merciful to me a sinner.’When someone
utters that prayer in sincerity, God takes their sin away and they belong to
Him …The unsaved cannot pray except for forgiveness and salvation.[1]”
Shakespeare said it well when he wrote a line for the
troubled Hamlet: ‘My prayers fly up [to heaven go], my thoughts remain below,’ revealing
his own knowledge that his prayer is invalid and consists of words but no true
feelings of remorse.
Lots of people pray.They pray with lots of words to lots of ‘gods’ in the hope that there is
someone up there listening.Yet, until
the reality of God’s magnificent sacrifice means something personal in your
heart, the prayers are meaningless.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
or search YouTube for My Prayer For You (Official Lyric
Video)
Alisa Turner by Integrity Music
“Therefore let us with privilege approach the throne of
grace that is the throne of God’s gracious favour with confidence and without
fear, so that we may receive mercy for our failures and find His amazing grace
to help in time of need an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right
moment.” Hebrews 4:16
A.“We
are commanded to pray to God in Heaven (Matthew 6:9, I Corinthians 1:2, Acts
12:5). …There is no indication in the Bible that anyone except God can hear our
prayers.
B.“We
are commanded to pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13, 12’ 15:16; 16:23; I
Corinthians 1:2). …We are commanded to pray in the name of Jesus and no
other. We have no need of others to
plead our cause. He is in us and with us
and for us if we have received Him as our Saviour. We can’t get closer to Him than that!
C.“We
are commanded to pray with the help of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27,
Ephesians 6:18). Now, Before we receive
Christ as our Saviour, we belong to our father the Devil. We have no access to God. But when we receive Christ as our Saviour,
The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, and we belong to God. It is the most wonderful privilege in the
world.[1]”
Can you imagine such, amazing, wonderful, sustaining,
hopeful love!!
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS: Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’. (Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple.)
[Jesus teaching] “’Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father
who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.’” Matthew 6:9
“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified and
set apart, made holy in Christ Jesus, who are selected and called as saints,
God’s people, together with all those who in every place call on and honour the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and outs.Grace to you and peace – inner calm and
spiritual well-being – from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” I
Corinthians 1:2-3
“In order to be sure that God
will hear us, we must take His Word as the guide.Too many people are saying prayers without
the faintest idea of what God says on the subject, and then are surprised and
disappointed when they do not receive their answer. -- We are commanded to pray
to God in Heaven.[1]”
When I was first saved, one of the first tracts (you
remember the little brochures that you could share with others) I ever was given
was one called:‘Prayer is Conversing
with God’ (Since it is no longer printed, I’m going to reproduce it for you on
the Especially His site and will let you know when its available).
It taught me that prayer is also
listening because when you have a conversation it is two-way.The Navigator ministry taught this as ‘Spiritual
Breathing’.You read Scriptures (breathe
in) and you pray (breathe out).However
you approach it, prayer keeps us close to our heavenly Father and there is no
safer, wiser place to be.
“Therefore let us with privilege approach the throne of
grace that is the throne of God’s gracious favour with confidence and without
fear, so that we may receive mercy for our failures and find His amazing grace
to help in time of need an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right
moment.” Hebrews4:16
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
[Jesus teaching] “’Also, when you pray, do not be like
the hypocrites; for they love to pray publicly standing in the synagogues and
on the corners of the streets so that they may be seen by men.I assure you and most solemnly say to you,
they already have their reward in full.
“’But when you pray, go into your most private room,
close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret and your Father who
sees what is done in secret will reward you.And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do,
for they think they will be heard because of their many words.So do not be like them, praying as they do;
for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.’” Matthew 6:3-8
“While travelling in China, we met a tiny old lady climbing the
step steps up the mountainside leading to a heathen temple …’Old lady, where
are you going?’‘I go to the temple to
pray and find peace of heart,’ she answered discouraged.‘Why do you climb on your knees?The path is long and hard.’‘Oh, I have been there so many times before
and found only emptiness of heart.This
time perchance the gods will smile on me, for I come in greater humility!’
‘In the Philippines I questioned a woman who spent long hours in
devout prayers.‘What is your burden of
heart that you pray so often and so long?’‘I must repeat these prayers so many times because I failed to donate to
the church a share of the price of the sale of my pig last week.I say these prayers for penance.’
“In California a man told me, ‘Every night I say a prayer before I
got to sleep in case something will happen to me during the night.’In the Chicago area a young couple insisted
they were Christians, ‘because all our prayers are answered.Everything we pray for comes to us.We are the luckiest couple alive.God must be with us![1]’”
Many people pray for many reasons.It is important to know what effective prayer
is.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
This is the longest chapter of Mark.These 72 verses are cover some of the most
emotional moments, including:
·The religious leaders beginning to seriously organise
their forces against Jesus
·Jesus anointing in Bethany
·The last Passover Jesus participates in
·Jesus’ last supper and the first communion
·Jesus struggle and prayers in Gesthsemane
·Judas betrayal and Jesus’ arrest
·Jesus standing before His accusers
·Peter realising he is not perfect
This WeakEnd Assignment is for thinking about this chapter.So set aside an hour and find a place where
you will not be disturbed and where you can watch the video above.
Have your Bible, notebook, a writing implement and a refreshment.Then quiet your heart and pray.Ask God to help you see your Saviour in a new
way through this assignment.
a.Take
up your Bible and read chapter 14 from beginning to end.Date a page in your notebook and as you read,
mark passages that touch your heart.
b.Once
you’ve read through the passage, consider what you’ve read and select one of
the segments above and ‘put on your sandals’.Use your imagination and ‘enter’ the verses of this chapter as someone
witnessing Jesus on His last day of freedom.
c.Then,
write in your notebook, in your own words, what you ‘saw’ and how it makes you
feel to watch Jesus and those around Him.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
[Jesus teaching] “’Do not let your hearts be troubled,
afraid or cowardly.Believe confidently
in God and trust in Him – have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and
believe also in Me.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places.If it were not so, I would have told you,
because I am going there to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may
be also.And to the place where I am
going, you know the way.’
“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are
going; so how can we know the way?’Jesus said to him, ‘I am the only Way to God and the real Truth and the
real Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:1-6
‘Heaven is an actual destination – not just a figment of the
imagination, or a state to be attained here on earth.The earth will some day be destroyed and so
will the universe beyond, but God’s Heaven is eternal.[1]”
Heaven is your destination.Many will ignore the Truth and find judgment surprisingly painful.For those who recognise and acknowledge their
inability to save themselves (because they cannot resist sin) and reach out to Jesus Christ for His mercy
and justice -- His power will save and protect them from the punishment
and isolation that awaits all who turn their backs on the Saviour.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
“It is my own eager expectation and hope, that looking
toward the future I will not disgrace myself nor be ashamed in anything, but
that with courage and the utmost freedom of speech, even now as always, Christ
will be magnified and exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ – He is my
source of joy, my reason to live, and to die is gain for I will be with Him in
eternity.
“If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on
living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know
which to choose if I am given that choice.
But I am hard-pressed between the two.
I have the desire to leave this world and be with Christ, for that is
far, far better; yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for
your sake. Philippians 1:20-24
“When a man dies, his person leaves the body, and the body is laid
in the grave and returns to dust until the resurrection. The Word of God teaches us that there is only
one of two destinations for persons after death – Heaven or Hell.[1]’
Everyone wonders how they will stumble through life to face
their own death – it is a universal concern and personal consideration. There are many ways man has manufactured the
softening of this reality.
Scripture alone offers the Truth. Because only Christ was victorious over death. His resurrection offers each of His children
proof that hope in His gracious gift does provide eternal life for our souls,
despite the death of our bodies.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS: Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’. (Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple.)
or search YouTube for Why Christians Need Not Fear Death
by Crossway
“For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with
hands, a mere copy of the true one, but He entered into heaven itself, now to
appear in the very presence of God on our behalf’ nor did He entered into the
heavenly sanctuary to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters
the Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
“Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer over and over
since the foundation of the world; but now once for all at the consummation of
the ages He has appeared and been publicly manifested to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself.
“And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to
die once and after this comes certain judgment, so Christ, having been offered
once and once for all to bear as a burden the sins of many, will appear a
second time when he returns to earth, not to deal with sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are eagerly and confidently waiting for Him.”Hebrews 9:24-28
“Curiosity about what happens after death has caused strange superstitions
and speculations.Yet God has given all
the information that we need about the hereafter if only men would read and
believe it.Jesus Christ Himself tells
what lies beyond the grave.But instead
of taking what God says, people invent wild ideas of their own about
reincarnation, ghosts, and hobgoblins.[1]”
There are so many reasons why we do not talk about death.Perhaps, because we may have so many questions
about it.It is said that wanting to
know what happens after we die, is one of the key common question of all people.
If you’ve ever held the hand of someone who died, the mystery
of the moment they are gone, can haunt you.At that moment we realise our own mortality clearly.In the next segment of this series we will
explore the mystery of death and what comes next.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS:Find my
statement of faith:https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.(Also,
there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.Not sure about Apple.)
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS (any updates?)
·Family of Eric – Eric at 52 died suddenly leaving his 47-year-old
wife and three girls (ages 16, 19 and 23).Pray the Lord comforts the family through this time of mourning.Pray for their wisdom and that God will send
trustworthy, honourable, Bible-based councilors for the many decisions that now
must be made.
·UPDATE - Peyton - eldest granddaughter of Jeff
and Rachael – now in her second year of college.Please continue to pray for her that she does
well, makes good decisions and continues having a good relationship with the
Lord.
·Adam –
please pray for his strength and peace as he pursues new job possibilities and
that the Lord will guide him clearly in his decisions and to know without doubt
the depth of forgiveness; and that his wife will be the loving supporter he
badly needs.
·Barb – my brother’s
faithful and kind wife.Thank you for
praying for her.She needs prayers to
sustain her and protect her health and energy during this time of additional
stress and challenge at work.
·UPDATE - Sophie– three-year old daughter of a friend.She is chronically unwell and frail.Please pray for her, her parents and health
carers to find ways to manage the symptoms and heal her.
·Hans –
a dear friend in Germany, the cancer seems to be stable for now.Pray for his financial situation to improve
and for his ongoing strength through the pain when it comes.Pray for his patience and God’s mercy.Pray for his healthcare providers and that he
is surrounded by faithful and compassionate Christian friends who will support
him through this journey.Pray for his
Mom (age 84) who is also unwell -- that their time together is filled with
extraordinary good memories and lots of love.
·Callilah
- a lost child.Pray the Lord will
capture her heart.
Pray for those in full-time service
Pray to uphold our Christian leaders – that they never
compromise God’s Word, are bold and courageous in the face of evil.Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity,
strength and for their families.
Pray for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile
health.Pray God takes special care with
them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on
them during this challenging time.
