Monthly Archives: June 2017

FRIENDS OF GOD Poem Devotional

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June 20________________________________________
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. -John 15:14-15(NLT)
FRIENDS OF GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you want to be friends with the most powerful being?
The only way you can be his friend is if you are obeying
He no longer calls you slave if you become a follower
God will confide in you if you continue to be a believer.
You are a friend of God when you hunger for him
He will be faithful to deliver you from all sins
If you constantly abide in him and live in his truth
He will be your best friend and deliver you from rue.
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Do you have many friends? Are they faithful and true to you? Human friends are good to have but sometimes they betray or let you down. Before I migrated to Canada, I had many friends from my country of origin. I don’t ever remember having arguments with any of my friends. They were there for me in good and bad times alike. I was confused when I moved to Canada because I can’t seem to have the kind of friends I had before. When I became a born again Christian, God overhauled my friendships. He gave me new friends who are believers. We become friends of God when we follow his commands.
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PRAYER
Thank you for considering me as your friend Lord.
REFLECTION
What are the benefits of being God’s friend?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

OVERFLOWING JOY Poem Devotional

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IMG_8723June 19________________________________________
When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! – John 15:10-11(NLT)
OVERFLOWING JOY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Joy doesn’t come from good things happening in your life
It isn’t from getting what you want or being free from strife
When you obey God’s commands and remain in his love
You are going to experience overflowing joy from up above.
The joy that comes from the world is temporary and fleeting
To those whose faith is anchored on God, joy is overflowing
Remain in His love and you will have an abundance of joy
Depart from the Lord and you will be discontented then fall.
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Many people interchange happiness with joy. I think that they work equally together. How long the state of joy or the feeling of happiness last depends on their faith. It is easy to be happy when things go your way, but it is also possible to have joy despite all the trials and suffering you experience. Joy is one of the things that the enemy steals from us. He knows that if we don’t have it, it will be easy to get us in prison to discontent. The bible tells us to remain in the Lord so we will have joy overflowing.
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PRAYER
Thank you for the joy that you grant to all your people.
REFLECTION
How can we focus more on rejoicing rather than just being happy?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

BECOME LIKE YOUR CREATOR Poem Devotional

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June 18________________________________________
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. -Colossians 3:10(NLT)
BECOME LIKE YOUR CREATOR
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are born again in Christ
You learn to live in your new life
Put on your new nature
Live on truth and you will mature.
Hunger for Jesus and you will know him
He will give you wisdom to overcome sin
Become like your creator who made you like him
Live a life that he planned for you so you can win.
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When I became born again, putting on my new life was a challenge. I pushed through by the grace of God. There were layers of bad habits that needed to be confronted and covered in Jesus’ blood. I didn’t know spiritual warfare until the third year of my conversion as a renewed Christian. In the first three years of my life, as I moved to a new life, the enemy kept on stealing the seeds sown in my heart through God’s word. He used my past pains to pull me back and also used the people I am in relations with as open doors where he could visit me from time to time. As I meditated on God’s word day in and day out, I started to walk in God’s Spirit. He taught me how to take authority over the enemy and put on my new nature in Christ.
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PRAYER
Thank you for your Spirit in me Lord.
REFLECTION
How can you become like your creator?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

WHEN YOU SUFFER FOR CHRIST Poem Devotional

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June 17________________________________________
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. – 1 Peter 4:1(NLT)
WHEN YOU SUFFER FOR CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you accepted Jesus as your Savior
You ought to follow him and be ready to suffer
Your Lord suffered physical pain to save you
He gave you the chance to be born again and new.
When you suffer for Christ, you discern his great love
He gave up his own life so you can be above
Rejoice when you hurt for He will lift you up
Embrace endurance and you will be built up.
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Our world advocates comfort and quick fixes. We are not taught to endure. We do not know how to delay gratification. Media has bombarded us with advertisements that do not advocate patience. Every product has to deliver quick services. This is why our youth do not have the patience to wait or postpone enjoyment. We are all like children having a tantrum fit if we don’t get what we want right away.
The bible tells us the importance of suffering for Christ. Jesus died on the cross to clear us of sin and he suffered a great deal before he actually died on the cross. Suffering leads to endurance which brings growth.________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, thank you that you suffered for me.
REFLECTION
How can a believer rejoice when they are suffering?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

THE OIL OF JOY

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June 16________________________________________
You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. -Psalm 45:7(NLT)
THE OIL OF JOY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever you treat others with love and kindness
God will bless you with the oil of joy; you’ll have gladness
When you choose love over wickedness, you will have peace
If you wallow in all kinds of evil, you’ll open doors to slavery.
When you love justice and hate evil, you have God’s anointing
He will pour out his joy on you and grant you all kinds of blessings
Let the oil of joy remain with you always the rest of your life
He chose you to shine for him; He will lead you to his light.
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I lived many years of my life in regret and never really knew how to enjoy life. I wallowed in self-pity and played over and over again the voices of those who treated me harshly and unjustly. As a result of this bad choice, I opened doors to the enemy to take over my entire life for over four decades. I was a prisoner of my emotions and pain. I let the “bad” in instead of the good. We can choose the life God wants for us. When we do,
God anoints us with the oil of joy and make us free.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your anointing.
REFLECTION
What things block people from experiencing the joy of the Lord?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

POUR IT OUT TO GOD Poem Devotional

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June 15________________________________________
I pour out my complaint before him; I declare my trouble before him. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. – Psalm 142:2-3(NLT)
POUR IT OUT TO GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are in distress, don’t announce it to all
It might open doors to the enemy and make you fall
Pour out your complaints to God; tell him all your worries
He alone knows your heart and understand all anxieties.
When you are overwhelmed and feeling weak
When everything around you seems so bleak
Go to his throne and he will shower you with mercy
Confess your sins and weaknesses so you can be free
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There are some Christians who are ashamed to share their feelings with God. Somehow, they have this concept that God isn’t interested in their lives. God is a god of details and he loves every inch of you. He is interested in how you think, what you do, how you feel and what you are going through. Like a passionate lover who wants to know everything about you, God pursues you with fervor. He is faithful and is madly in love with you. Yet it is sad to watch how some people don’t even reciprocate the faithfulness that God puts in his relationship with you. King David poured out his heart to God in all honesty and boldness. He is so much in love with the Lord.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me on fire to be intimate with you like the passion you gave King David.
REFLECTION
Why are we called to pour out our heart to the Lord?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

DEEP WITHIN YOUR HEART Poem Devotional

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June 14________________________________________
Write them deep within your hearts. -Proverbs 3:3(NLT)
DEEP WITHIN YOUR HEART
A poem and essay by ILMA
When there is a lie that is presented to you
Run to Scriptures and let your mind be renewed
Meditate on truth day and night; write it
Feed on the message; constantly speak it.
The Lord wants you to store it deep in your heart
It will make you strong and make you win the war
The word of God is the sword of your spirit
Use it to attack the lies that the enemy spits.
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Writing therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the act of writing and processing the written word as therapy. Expressive writing is a form of writing therapy developed primarily by James W. Pennebaker in the late 1980s. Studies have shown that expressive writing results in significant improvements in various biochemical markers of physical and immune functioning.
I could attest to the value that expressive writing has contributed in helping me manage my emotional traumas. Journaling the traumatic events made me look into the past incidents in a more objective way, but it wasn’t until I became a born again Christian that got healed. It was the word of God that released me from all the strongholds and traumas. The bible tells us to write Scriptures deep within our hearts.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your words of wisdom when I need it.
REFLECTION
Has the word of God convicted you of anything in your life?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

THE SOURCE OF COMFORT Poem Devotional

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June 13________________________________________
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. -2 Corinthians 1:3(NLT)
THE SOURCE OF COMFORT
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are troubled and not getting love
Do you ask your heavenly Father up above?
God is full of mercy and is the comfort source
Run to Him and He will immediately open doors.
No one can fully provide for your needs except Him
Ask Hand He will grant you more blessings
When you rely on His power, you are being humble
It will bring you satisfaction and lessen your stumbles.
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Our world capitalizes much on making a lot of us become comfort addicts. We love it when we can get everything we want just at the tip of our fingers. We shop online for commodities so we don’t have to go outside to shop. We research and read everything on the internet instead of manually reading a book or asking someone’s advice about something. We like to eat food that brings us comfort. We like to make our homes and relationships comfortable. We don’t like to be challenged to change the comfort zone. We take pride that we can make our own comfortable niches and ensure that nobody takes it away from us. Yet, oftentimes, despite all these plastic comfort bubble that we protect ourselves with, we still don’t feel fulfilled. Only God can give us true comfort and joy.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to run to you when I need to be comforted.
REFLECTION
When was the last time you ran to God to be comforted?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

HANDLING TEMPTATIONS Poem Devotional

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June 12________________________________________
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. -1 Corinthians 10:13-14(NLT)
HANDLING TEMPTATIONS
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are presented with temptations here and there
Be joyful, the Lord will always strengthen you to recover
He will not allow it to be more than you can stand
He will show you a way out so you can withstand.
When the enemy entices you, God may allow it
He knows his children will always have His Spirit
Be at peace for you will always have his direction
You have the power to win over any temptations.
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When we are being tempted, our natural tendencies are to succumb. It is supernatural to handle and overcome temptations. Only in God’s power and grace can we win over it. Many Christians make the mistake of conquering sin by themselves without God’s help. So, a lot of times, we fail. Sometimes we even brag and compare, which temptations are greater than what we are experiencing. We boast that we conquered it and won over sin but it only by God’s power we can do any of these. God will never allow temptations beyond what we can handle. He shows us a way to endure it.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for strengthening me when temptations come.
REFLECTION
What protects you from being defeated by temptations?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

BE STRONG IN THE LORD

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port elgin camping 2012 474June 11________________________________________
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
-Ephesians 6:10-11(NLT)
BE STRONG IN THE LORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Be on guard and put on all of God’s armor
You need to use it so you can have enough power
Your enemy wants to devour you and have you defeated
You need to be aware of his tactics so you won’t be tempted.
Be strong in the Lord, you need to use your authority
He gave you dominion over the wiles of the enemy
Exercise your supremacy over the ruler of this world
You have to use God’s sword which is in his word.
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It is sad to watch many Christians who live defeated lives. God has given us dominion and power over Satan but we never use the armor that he has provided for us. We wake up each morning defenseless when we don’t even start our day connecting to him or declaring a word from God. It is like going to war without any weapon and expect to win a battle. Ephesians 6 tells us how to be battle ready. Truth is our belt, God’s righteousness is the body armor, peace is our shoes, faith is our shield, salvation is our helmet and the word of God is our sword.
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PRAYER
Lord, remind me to always wear your full armor each day.
REFLECTION
How do you protect yourself from the attacks of the devil?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com