COMFORT GIVERS Poem Devotional

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July 31                                                                  The Power of God’s Word
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
–2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)
COMFORT GIVERS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Christ died to relieve us from sin and pain
He sacrificed his own life so we can gain
God comforts us in our anguish and misery
Share the comfort to those who need it freely.
When others are troubled, we can provide help
When they are suffering, we can give aide and forget the self
When God grants us grace and mercy in when we are hurt
We are supposed to give it back to others in support.
The world has turned everyone around by seeking “self” first in everything. It has polluted our concept of love by pursuing love instead of giving it away. In God’s economy, we are required to give love. He will provide all that we need in return when we comfort others. He wants us to love one another as he loves us.
The bible tells us that God comforts us in all our troubles because he loves us. We must give back the comfort we received from God to others who need it. When they are troubled, we ought to give back the same comfort we received.
PRAYER
Lord, grant me to comfort someone today.
REFLECTION
Why does God require us to comfort others?

THE PROUD VERSUS THE RIGHTEOUS Poem Devotional

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July 30                                                                          The Power of God’s Word
Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. – Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)
THE PROUD VERSUS THE RIGHTEOUS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Those who trust their own selves and put down others
They are never concerned with their sisters and brothers
They will do anything to please themselves and satisfy their desires
Their hearts are corrupted; they live in darkness and in all kinds of lies.
The righteous are humble and seek the Lord’s truth
They sow good deeds and so they reap the Spirit’s fruits
Even at the greatest temptation, they endure and stay faithful
At the most trying situations, they stay peaceful and hopeful.
Can you recognize an authentic believer? Their greatest virtue is humility and faithfulness. You will never hear them boast about themselves or flaunt their gifts, skills or prowess in something. They are gentle, calm and peaceful at all situations. They have learned to live in the Spirit and die to the old self.
The bible tells us to be wary of those who are proud. They only trust in themselves and live crooked lives. The righteous on the other hand are faithful to God. They trust God and do everything to follow him and please him only. They have the peace that comes from their faith.
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from arrogance.
REFLECTION
Why is humility essential in a Christian’s life?

GOD’S PROMISE TO HIS PEOPLE Poem Devotional

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July 29                                                                            The Power of God’s Word
I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
–Isaiah 44:3 (NLT)
GOD’S PROMISE TO HIS PEOPLE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Believe in God and he will bless your life
Not only will he pour out his spirit on you and bring light
He will pour out water to quench your longing
He will help you in your difficulties and suffering.
God blesses his people and give them provisions
Those who are faithful will be granted revelations
The descendants of the people of God will be blessed
They will reap the promises God made and will have the best.
Do you realize that every blessing you have comes from God? Many people think that it is their own effort that led them to have good paying jobs or wealth. Unbelievers tend to focus on glorifying their abilities, skills, talents, gifts and wealth. They do not know the truth and they believe in lies that keep their lives away from God. The people of God on the other hand are granted discernment and revelations from his truth. The bible says that God will pour out water to quench the thirst of his people and give them his spirit and blessings.
PRAYER
I thank you Lord for all your provisions.
REFLECTION
Why do we need to know God’s promises to the faithful?

THE REWARD FOR TRUSTING GOD

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July 28                                                                        The Power of God’s Word
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NLT)
THE REWARD FOR TRUSTING GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you love God with all your heart, soul and mind?
Will you trust him now that you can’t see answers or find?
Will you continually love him even though you have never seen him?
The reward for being faithful is that your soul will be redeemed.
Trust is the foundation of all relationships
Without it, there will always be conflicts
Whenever you trust in the name of Jesus Christ
Your life will be peaceful and be illumined by his light.
Do you find it hard to believe something or someone you can’t actually see? Human nature wants to visually experience something before they believe. Even the apostle Thomas had to see and hold Christ’s hands before he believed that Jesus Christ was actually resurrected. It shows how limited our minds and hearts are. It takes practice to actually grow one’s faith. If we continue to make a choice to believe and trust God, we will gain inexplicable joy and enjoy have eternal life.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to totally trust you in everything.
REFLECTION
Why do you think “trust” is an essential ingredient in relationships?

DIRECT REVELATION FROM CHRIST Poem Devotional

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July 27                                                                       The Power of God’s Word
I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.–Galatians 1:12 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Those who seek and revere Christ
Will always be illumined by his light
Those who believe and obey are granted revelations
Their connection to God strengthens because of their relations.
No human source can ever give you discernment
Only God knows and reveals to you your assignment
The moment you spend time with God habitually
He will convict you and give you revelations regularly.
Do you have a direct communication with God? Many people think that it is impossible to hear from God. I have heard God since I was two years old. Of course at that time, I didn’t know it was God who told me how to overcome my fears and how to handle the abuses I went through. I only realized it when I studied his word diligently. Most of the teachings and promises I read in the bible today, I knew them from long ago. I was astounded to read some things I already knew even before I got into reading the bible in my late twenties. We can only get direct revelations if we allow our hearts to be pure and do what God says.
PRAYER
Lord, reveal to me what you want in my life.
REFLECTION
How can you get revelations regularly?

ALWAYS STAND FOR THE TRUTH Poem devotional

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July26 The Power of God’s Word
We cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.
–2 Corinthians 13:8 (NLT)
ALWAYS STAND FOR THE TRUTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever God reveals you his truth
Cling to it so you will have roots
You are given revelations to walk in love
You cannot oppose the truth of God up above.
Always stand for the truth and never oppose it
It brings you peace instead of confusion and conflict
The truth sets you free and keeps you protected
It reveals what you need to learn in order to be purified.
Many years of my life was wasted because I didn’t know thoroughly the truth that could have set me free. Generational sins kept me blinded from the many promises of God to those who are faithful and obedient. I finally succumbed to his authority and obeyed his commands after many years of rebellion and arrogance. The in depth study of his word brought light in my very dark life. The bondages that held me captive for many years started to surface and I became aware of all the many lies perpetuated by the enemy to keep me lost and defeated.
The bible says that the truth sets us free. The choice is still ours to make whether we are going to accept the truth and stand by it.
PRAYER
Lord, give me an open heart to accept your truth.
REFLECTION
What will studying God’s word bring us?

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July 26                                              The Power of God’s Word
We cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.
–2 Corinthians 13:8 (NLT)
ALWAYS STAND FOR THE TRUTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever God reveals you his truth
Cling to it so you will have roots
You are given revelations to walk in love
You cannot oppose the truth of God up above.
Always stand for the truth and never oppose it
It brings you peace instead of confusion and conflict
The truth sets you free and keeps you protected
It reveals what you need to learn in order to be purified.
Many years of my life was wasted because I didn’t know thoroughly the truth that could have set me free. Generational sins kept me blinded from the many promises of God to those who are faithful and obedient. I finally succumbed to his authority and obeyed his commands after many years of rebellion and arrogance. The in depth study of his word brought light in my very dark life. The bondages that held me captive for many years started to surface and I became aware of all the many lies perpetuated by the enemy to keep me lost and defeated.
The bible says that the truth sets us free. The choice is still ours to make whether we are going to accept the truth and stand by it.
PRAYER
Lord, give me an open heart to accept your truth.
REFLECTION
What will studying God’s word bring us?

CARING FOR YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES Poem Devotional

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July 25                                                                                  The Power of God’s Word
Know the state of your flocks and put your hearts into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation. – Proverbs 27:23-24 (NLT)
CARING FOR YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever God gives you a blessing
You are responsible for its growing
He provides you with people to bless
God wants you to follow and do what he says.
Know the state of your affairs and responsibilities
Care for them and God will grant you opportunities
Use everything you have to glorify the heavenly father
The fruit of your caring will bring you to the kingdom further.
Behind the success of someone, is a love for what they do and stewardship for what skills and talents they were given by God. There are a lot of wealthy people who stayed rich because they paid attention to tending to their responsibilities. Those who squandered and wasted their resources had only short-lived enjoyment of their gifts.
The bible says that you must know the state of our flocks and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever. God gives us gifts, resources and people to care for. He wants us to be responsible for the blessings he bestows on us so it will bear fruits continually.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to steward your blessings.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to care for what you are given?

LIKE THE PAIN OF CHILDBIRTH Poem Devotional

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July 24                                                                             The Power of God’s Word
Pain has come to the people like the pain of childbirth, but they are like a child, who resists being born. The moment of birth has arrived, but they stay in the womb. – Hosea 13:13 (NLT)
LIKE THE PAIN OF CHILDBIRTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
When people disobey and turn their backs to Christ
Their lives become unproductive and they lose sight
Life becomes difficult like the pain of childbirth
They become irrational, emotional, easily offended and hurt.
Like a baby about to be born, they choose to stay in the womb
They fear that their comfort zone is better than facing the world
Their resistance to change becomes a hindrance to their progress
They become paralyzed, choose to stay in fear and continually digress.
There are a lot of people who continually live in fear and wonder why their lives never produce fruits. When someone is fearful, opportunities are. God wants us to walk in love and fear is the opposite of love. When we fear, we lose discernment and insight. We become paralyzed and unproductive.
The bible tells us that pain will come to us like the pain of childbirth if we resist being renewed in Christ. When we are called to do something to glorify God and we resist, our lives become unbearable and full of obstacles and challenges.
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from fear.
REFLECTION
How can we stop resisting the progress God promised us?

FREEDOM FROM LYING TO SELF Poem Devotional

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July 23                                                                                 The Power of God’s Word
Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.
–Psalm 119:29, 32(NLT)
FREEDOM FROM LYING TO SELF
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you know the lies the enemy plants in your head and heart?
Do you catch yourself from believing these lies that draw you apart?
The only way to be free from lies is by knowing God’s instructions
God’s word and commands debunk these lies and brings salvation.
The Word expands your understanding and guides you to do the right thing
It removes conflicts inside you and brings peace and freedom from lying
Pursue his commands so you will be protected from deception
This way, you will be able to detect the enemy’s ploy from its conception.
It is easier to see external conflicts because they are outside of the self. Inner conflicts can be trickier. The enemy attacks us especially when we are stressed out, tired and out of balance. Wholeness is important to keep us free from lies. it is very important for us to stay healthy and study God’s word. The bible tells us to pursue God’s commands so we will have understanding and be able to discern the lies that the enemy plants in our heads and hearts. It protects us from lies.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me in your truth.
REFLECTION
How can studying God’s word free us from lies?

RADIANCE FROM A LIFE WITH CHRIST Poem Devotional

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July 22                                                                                     The Power of God’s Word
Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant as though a floodlight was filling you with light.–Luke 11:35-36(NLT)
RADIANCE FROM A LIFE WITH CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
Before you had Christ, your life was in darkness
As soon as you believed him, there is gladness
Make sure that the light you have is from his truth
It is the only guide that will bring you stability and root.
If you are filled with light with no dark corners
You will do things for Christ and never go back in your former
Your whole life will be radiant as though a floodlight fills you
It is only through Christ that you can be radiant through and through.
Have you ever been in a pitch dark room? A small glimpse of light matters when someone is in total darkness. When you are living in sin, you are in total darkness. You feel hopeless and helpless, but when you are in the love of God and following his ways, you shine and radiate like Christ.
The bible tells us to ensure that we have no dark corners in our lives so we can radiate as clear as a floodlight fills us with light.
PRAYER
Lord, fill me with your light.
REFLECTION
How has Christ illumined your life with his truth?