Day 277 Bible Readings for October 5 – Colossians 1:9-12 (ESV)

Jeremiah 8, Jeremiah 9:1-16, Colossians 1:1-23, Proverbs 2:12-22

Colossians 1:9-12 (ESV)

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

In verses 9 through 12 from Colossians 1, Paul writes to the church at Colossae that he prays for them unceasingly. Paul prays for their spiritual growth, so that they may be filled with knowledge of the will of Jesus Christ. Paul prays that the Colossians be filled with spiritual understanding and wisdom, so that they walk and live to please the Lord fully. Their lives need to bear fruit from their good work, and so they will be strengthened by Father-God’s power.

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is a prayer we should pray for ourselves. In Kenneth E. Hagin’s book, The Believer’s Authority, he wrote that we could use prayers that Paul wrote for the different churches and substitute the “you” for “I”. Paul wanted every believer in Christ to be taught in the wisdom of the Lord and to understand his will. Paul also knew that believers do not have to do this work alone; they can rely on Father-God’s strength to help them meet all of life’s challenges. With the help of the Lord, believers can endure and overcome life’s problems with joy.

If my reflections on these Bible verses have inspired you, and you want the help and strength of the Lord to endure and overcome life’s problems with joy, I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 276 Bible Readings for October 4 – Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

Jeremiah 6 & 7, Philippians 4, Proverbs 2:1-11

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In verses 6 and 7 from Philippians 4, Paul writes to the church in Philippi about the importance of prayer and supplication. He tells them to pray and make supplications to Father-God with gratitude and not to worry about anything. When we have gratitude towards Father-God with our prayers, Paul tells them they will have the peace that comes from him. Paul lets them know that the Lord’s peace will guard their hearts and minds because they have a relationship with Jesus Christ. When you trust in Father-God’s sovereignty, you will have the kind of peace that doesn’t make sense because it is beyond our human logic and reasoning.

I love these verses because I have found peace when I pray and make requests to the Lord with gratitude in my heart. When I focus solely on Father-God, my worries go away. But when my heart and mind go back to my life in the world, the worries come back in full force. Only by praying to Father-God and acknowledging the gratitude that I have for my faith in Jesus Christ, does the peace from Father-God come back. A relationship with Jesus Christ is the best cure for anxiety and worry in the world.

If my reflections on these Bible verses have inspired you, and you want the best cure for anxiety and worry in the world, I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 275 Bible Readings for October 3 – Philippians 3:7 (ESV)

Jeremiah 4:10-31, Jeremiah 5, Philippians 3, Proverbs 1:20-33

Philippians 3:7 (ESV)

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”

Verse 7 from Philippians 3 is a famous verse from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, a city in Macedonia. This verse from Paul challenges believers to evaluate everything we consider valuable in our lives compared to what we have as followers of Jesus Christ. Paul evaluated all the things in his life before his experience with Christ on the road to Damascus. Paul had everything that society considered successful in the life of a Hebrew male at the time. He was a Pharisee who was a zealous follower of the law and would have held a leadership position in the ruling body of the Hebrews had it not been for his encounter with Jesus Christ. After Paul’s conversion to Christianity, he let go of all the things in his life that might hinder his relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul asks believers to redefine success in life as knowing and serving Jesus Christ, because our identity needs to be rooted in Christ rather than in our achievements and possessions in the world.

I went through a similar evaluation of my life when I became saved, and I am still going through that process now. I always try to ask myself, Am I placing Father-God above all else in my life? Am I willing to let go of the things that seem to get in the way of my relationship with Father-God? Do I value temporary happiness and gains more than my eternal rewards in following Father-God’s plan for my life? As I become more focused on following the Lord’s plan for my life, my contentment and joy have increased. Feeling contentment with my life is what I now consider my most valuable possession.

If you found encouragement in my reflections on this Bible verse, and you want the feeling of happiness and contentment with your life because you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Vacationing in Northern AZ with no cell service

I went up into the mountains for a few days in northern Arizona to camp in the Tonto National Forest, located about an hour outside of Payson. It was warm during the day and freezing at night. And there was no cell service, so no blogging. I climbed up to the highest spot, and still no bars, so I had to just enjoy the views. After midnight, the elk were mating, and the coyotes were howling, which made for sleepless nights. But I was with friends, and it was fun to share meals, talk, and warm ourselves around a large campfire every night.

So I'll be posting the Bible readings that I missed until I'm caught up for the day.