Monthly Archives: June 2014

POUR OUT YOUR HEARTS Poem Devotional

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June 7                                                                                    The Power of God’s Word
Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children. –Lamentations 2:19 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord
Be humble and ask him to replace the old
Lift up your hands in prayer for your children
Allow God to help you carry your burdens.
Your tears will cleanse your fears
You will be protected from the enemy who steals
Pray and pour out your hearts incessantly
Until something happens, keep praying faithfully.
Do you have children who have lost their way and turned their backs to God? It is one of the most painful experiences when you watch our own children turn their backs to God. I did the same thing when I was a teenager. I disobeyed my parents because I was living in pride. I thought I knew better. I rebelled constantly which pained my parents so badly. Now, the wheels have turned in on me.
The bible tells us to pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children. Prayer is the most powerful way for changes to happen. It cleanses our souls when we pour out our hearts to God.
PRAYER
Lord, hear our pleas for our children.
REFLECTION
How is praying for our children the best gift we can give them?

GOD PRUNES US Poem Devotional

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June 6                                                                                       The Power of God’s Word
He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
–John 15:2 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Are your activities geared on God’s kingdom?
Does your life exhibit peace, love and freedom?
Whenever we are unproductive in life
God wants you to believe in him and sit tight.
He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce
He wants you to acknowledge his gifts and use
God prunes the branches that do not bear fruit
His words make us grow; it is our soul’s food.
Pruning is cutting undesired twigs, branches, or roots from; it is to rid or clear of anything superfluous or undesirable. It is an important aspect of gardening. If you want your trees, shrubs or plants to bear fruit and be healthy, pruning is essential.
The bible likens God to a gardener who cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit in our lives. He prunes those areas in our lives that already bear fruits so that they will produce more. He removes things in our lives that is unproductive and trims our excesses so that we can be fruitful even more. He allows only what will be good for our lives and cuts off anything that will hurt us or disconnect us with him.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for pruning me.
REFLECTION
What has God pruned in your life?

SIN WHISPERS TO THE WICKED Poem Devotional

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June 5                                                                                      The Power of God’s Word
Sin whispers to the wicked deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
–Psalm 36:1-2 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Are your thoughts pure or awful?
Is your heart clean and faithful?
Sin whispers to the wicked deep inside
They do not follow God and abide.
They have no fear of the Lord
They only care to give themselves applaud
They cannot see how wicked they really are
Sin has allowed them to be isolated and far.
Have you ever experienced the cruelty of wicked people? They can easily hurt someone so pure. They have no reverence for the Lord. All they care about is to cater to their desires and cave in to sin. They have no idea that they are sinning because they have totally been blinded by the enemy to live in the lie that they are their own gods. Pride had been deeply indoctrinated in their hearts to give an objective evaluation of their evil ways.
The bible tells us that sin whispers to the wicked within their hearts. They have no fear of God. In their blind conceit, they cannot even see how wicked they really are. They have been blinded by their pride.
PRAYER
Lord, give me a pure and humble heart that seeks you.
REFLECTION
Why is humility our greatest tool to combat sin?

WALK IN FREEDOM Poem Devotional

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June 4                                                       The Power of God’s Word
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
–Psalm 119:45(NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you walk in love or in fear?
Is your mind constantly stirred?
Do you allow the Spirit to bring you wisdom?
Are you faithful to walk in love to gain freedom?
The commandments will release you from bondage to sin
Obedience to his commands keeps you strong and empowers you within
Walk in freedom by devoting yourself to God’s truth
It frees you from slavery to anything that has taken root.
Generational sins, curses and patterns are attitudes, actions, beliefs, behaviors, and/or habits that we have inherited from our family or relatives. We then “enter into” the same sin pattern and make it our own. It is usually repeated throughout our life as well as by individuals in successive generations. It took many decades before I was released from generational sins passed on in my family of origin. I am thankful to God for breaking the patterns in my family through me. It didn’t exempt me from the effects of these generation sins, but God used it to reclaim me and my entire clan. The bible tells us that freedom is the result of devoting our lives to following God’s commands. Obedience will protect us from the bondage to sin.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to obey you always.
REFLECTION
Why is obedience an integral part in our salvation?

JESUS’ FRIENDS Poem Devotional

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June 3                                                                                  The Power of God’s Word
You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.–John 15:14-15 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you live your life following his commands?
Do you constantly ask and demand?
Do you know God intimately?
Do you seek his word daily?
You are a friend of Jesus when you abide in him
He confides his father’s will so you can be redeemed
You are his friend when you align your life in his will
You’ll hear his voice when you are constantly still.
Have you ever had friends that lasted for a very long time? What did it take to last that long? Friendships take time and effort. You do not just have them and keep them without investing your time and care for them. It takes love, patience and kindness to be able to sustain friendships.
The bible says that we are called Jesus’ friends if we follow his commands. God confides everything to us through his son Jesus, who shared God’s word and his will. What are you going to do with what Jesus intimately shared with you?
PRAYER
Lord, I am honored that you call me a friend.
REFLECTION
How do we nurture the friendship we have with Jesus?

A PLEA FOR ANSWERS Poem Devotional

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photo by ILMA

June 2 The Power of God’s Word
Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me for your mercy is plentiful– Psalm 69:16 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Lord, where are you when I am in need?
How long will my heart bleed?
I am surrounded by people who don’t show affection
How long will you heal them from their deep affliction?
Oh, how I long to be heard and be seen
Why do unbelievers reject love and chose sin?
Please renew my mind and cease my exhaustion?
Will you show me mercy in all my tribulations?
Have you ever prayed for a long time for someone or something to happen and yet see no answers to your incessant requests? The hardest thing to visually see is the change of heart of people. Only God can see someone’s heart and intentions. We will never be able to know or sense if someone’s heart and mind is being renewed by God. Their actions or circumstances may give us a clue as to what God has done to them. We can never really see or know what is in their hearts.
The bible tells us that God’s love is unfailing and that he takes care of us because he is full of mercy. He lavishes us with mercy and grace always.
PRAYER
Lord, give me wisdom to know when you have answered my prayers.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to never lose hope?

PLEASING AROMA TO GOD Poem Devotional

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June 1 The Power of God’s Word
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
–Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
When you live a life full of love
It will give pleasure to the father up above
Jesus loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice
His act of love is a pleasing aroma to God that sufficed
It was this greatest act of surrender that saved us from sin
Redemption was granted when he submitted to God’s will.
Do you know that smell is a very powerful sense? It usually brings us lots of memories. When I went to trauma therapy, my doctor told me that the sense of smell is one of the senses that manifest memories. When I smell peanut butter and grape juice, I recall my grade school days because I usually have them for my snacks in school. It brings me memories of my best friends in grade school.
The bible tells us to walk in love and follow Christ’s example of offering himself as a sacrifice. This act was a pleasing aroma to God. He wants us to emulate Christ who lived in obedience and submission to his father’s will.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to obey and submit to your will.
REFLECTION
How can we walk in love and obedience in this very chaotic world?