Day 154 Bible Readings - Psalm 149:5-6 (NLT)

Ezekiel 40-43, Psalm 149

Psalm 149:5-6 (NLT)

“Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—”

In Psalm 149:5-6, the psalmist tells us that the faithful sing as they lie in their beds. One Bible commentary I read noted that the faithful’s worship extended beyond public spaces into their private lives. Worshipping in bed implied a deep and personal expression of gratitude. The psalmist portrays the Lord’s people as always ready for battle with their songs of praise and the sharp sword of the Lord’s Word.

One Bible commentary I read noted that praising the Lord is not just an act of worship, but also a powerful weapon. Praising the Lord with songs, even in bed, shows your joy in the Lord, but singing praise songs in bed can also be a weapon during challenging times.

When I read these verses, I think about Paul and Silas singing hymns to the Lord while they were in prison in Acts 16:25. Despite being imprisoned and beaten, they showed their faith in Father-God through prayer and worship. The praise of Paul and Silas became a weapon because soon afterward an earthquake struck the prison and the prison doors flew open.

Scenes of people singing while going through hard times have even become movie and stage tropes. People sing, and the song inspires them not to give up and keep fighting.

When I was going through hard times in my life, I forced myself to listen to praise songs to lighten my mood. I would sing praise songs while lying in bed, and they inspired me not to give up on my faith in the Lord. This practice brought me peace and helped keep me from falling further into depression, eventually inspiring me to take action to get out of my situation.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who brings peace to your life when you praise Him—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 153 Bible Readings - Ezekiel 38:28-29 (NLT)

Ezekiel 38-39, Psalm 148

Ezekiel 38:28-29 (NLT)

“Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind. And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

In Ezekiel 38:28-29, the Lord tells Ezekiel that He will restore the people of Israel. Father-God sent the people into exile as a form of divine discipline meant to bring them to repentance. The Lord promised that He would never again turn His face away from His people, and He would pour out His Spirit upon them.

These verses remind believers that the Lord’s discipline is always for our redemption and not simply to punish us. When Father-God hid His face from people, historically it meant that the people were under judgment and the Lord was withholding His favor. But now the Lord tells Ezekiel that He will never again turn His face away, which reminds me of when the Lord told Noah, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race” (Genesis 8:21). Then the Lord says that He will pour out His Spirit upon the people, which I believe is another prophecy of the Holy Spirit that was fulfilled at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to believers.

I love these verses because they demonstrate to me that the Lord will always be faithful to His covenant with His people and that His nature is unchanging. The people went into exile in Babylon, but Father-God brought them back and left no one behind. The Lord then promised to never turn His face and divine favor away from the people and promised a new era of spiritual renewal by pouring out the Holy Spirit on His people. Father-God gave the people physical renewal by returning them to their land and spiritual renewal through His promise to pour out the Holy Spirit. The Lord restored intimacy with His people by promising to never hide His face.

I know I’ve seen the Lord’s promise of restoration in my own life. Despite my many years of backsliding, Father-God welcomed me back like the father welcomed back his prodigal son. The Lord gave me a new heart, a new life, and a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who will welcome and celebrate your return to covenant—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 152 Bible Readings - Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT)

Ezekiel 34-37, Psalm 147

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT)

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

In Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Lord tells Ezekiel that He promises to spiritually renew Israel. Father-God promised that He would give the people of Israel a new heart and a new spirit within them. The Lord will put His Spirit into the people so they will follow His decrees and laws.

Reading these verses, I believe Ezekiel prophesied about the new covenant that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection would fulfill. In John 3, Jesus spoke about being born again to Nicodemus. Paul spoke about becoming a new person when you believe in Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Jesus said believers would receive a new life, which includes a new heart.

The new spirit is a prophecy of the Holy Spirit that was fulfilled in Acts 1:8, when Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come upon believers and they would receive power. Christ said the Holy Spirit would dwell within us and give us guidance. The Holy Spirit helps us live according to the Lord’s will.

The new covenant with Jesus Christ is not established through obedience to the Law, but on grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The new covenant is internalized in our hearts and not written on stone like the old covenant.

When I joined my new church and received an impartation, it felt like Father-God had taken out my heart and replaced it with a new one. I felt so much pain in my heart region that I originally thought I might be having a heart attack. The feeling was so painful and strong that I started to hyperventilate. But instantly my body relaxed, and I felt peace descend upon me. I opened my eyes and thought, What the heck just happened? Then the pastor talked about receiving a new heart when you come into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, and I knew I had experienced in my body what those words meant. That experience changed my life and continues to change it daily.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who will give you a new heart and transform your life—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 151 Bible Readings - Ezekiel 33:30-33 (NLT)

Ezekiel 31-33, Psalm 146

Ezekiel 33:30-33 (NLT)

“Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’ So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it! But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.”

In Ezekiel 33:30-33, the Lord tells Ezekiel that the people listened to his prophecies, but they did not obey them. The people talked about Ezekiel’s prophecies and believed that the words did come from the Lord. The people even said kind things about Ezekiel’s preaching, but it made no difference in their hearts. They failed to commit to making the changes in their lives that Father-God required. The Lord compared Ezekiel to a singer. He was very entertaining to the people, and they appreciated his preaching. Then the Lord said that when Ezekiel’s prophecies came true, the people would realize the consequences of ignoring the Lord’s messengers.

These verses remind believers that true faith means aligning our actions and our lives with what we believe. We cannot just hear Father-God’s words and find them entertaining, like listening to a singer. We cannot listen to the Word of the Lord superficially. We cannot live for ourselves; we need to live for the honor of Father-God.

I sometimes wonder if I am engaging with the Lord’s Word on an intellectual level only. When this happens, I stop and assess the areas of my life where my actions are not aligned with Father-God’s teachings. Am I letting the Lord’s words transform my life? Am I professing my faith with my mouth while my heart is far from the Lord? Am I pursuing the Lord’s will or my own interests?

This self-assessment is hard to do because you might not like what you find. I didn’t. There are parts of my life that are still not aligned with the Lord’s plan for my life. I am working on them, and I know that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, my faith will be demonstrated through my obedience and application of the Lord’s teachings in my life, and I won’t face the consequences of sin and disobedience.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who wants to transform your life through the application of His Word—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.