Monthly Archives: May 2018

REFUSING TO DO RIGHT Poem Devotional

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May 12________________________________________
You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. -Genesis 4:7(NLT)
REFUSING TO DO RIGHT
A poem and essay by ILMA
We are always given choices to make
Do you think long or choose in haste?
When you refuse to do what is right
You endanger your own life.
When you choose to do wrong
Sin will easily crouch at your door
It will control you and keep you in slavery
Do what’s right and you will have victory.
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Why is it easy to do what is wrong? Our human nature is bent on it. Because of the fall in the Garden of Eden, we are prone to do that is wrong and it takes only God’s grace and mercy to do the right thing. Because of our sin nature, it is not second nature for us to do good. That is why it is important for us to have a close relationship with the Lord. It gives us strength and wisdom to choose what God wants for us. It straightens our bent nature.
The bible says that you will be accepted if you do what’s right. If you refuse to do so, the you will be very vulnerable and become easy prey to the devil. Sin will easily take over to control you.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you so much for letting me be protected.
REFLECTION
How can we easily say “yes” to God?
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

HUMBLE YOURSELF Poem Devotional

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May 11________________________________________
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
-James 4:7(NLT)
HUMBLE YOURSELF
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you humble yourself to the Lord
You are bringing him praise and laud
It is the way Christ lived his life
He wants you to soak in his bright light.
Do not think highly of yourself than others
Remember, they are all your sisters and brothers
When you live in humility, you resist the devil
When you give up pride, you are running from evil.
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There are many ways to fight the devil but the most effective is to obey the Lord and humble oneself. This is how we ensure that we close tightly the door so that there is no chance that he can penetrate in our hearts.
The Lord Jesus Christ lived an example of humility. Even though he was God himself, he chose to be born of humble origins. Despite his lordship and power, he decided to become a man and fulfill the promise of God to save us all from sin.
Humility is only achieved through the grace that God gives us. We cannot attain it in our own strength. It is a free gift that can only be received by obedience. When we have a relationship with Christ, we hear his voice. We have a choice to obey what he asks and have the humility to give him praise.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for sampling humility to us.
REFLECTION
How can we learn to obey and be humble?
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 CALL ON THE LORD Poem Devotional

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May 10________________________________________
I called on the Lord who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
-Psalm 18:3(NLT)
WHEN YOU CALL ON THE LORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you call on the Lord for help
He hears and is there to give you a hand
He will save and protect you from danger
So give him all the adoration and praises.
When you call on the Lord for guidance
He will surely give you all the assistance
He can save you from all the tricks of the enemy
He is the only one who can bring you victory.
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When we live our lives relying so much on others and ourselves, we endanger ourselves. God created us all and we are his. He expects us to run to him for everything. Why do we always choose to depend on ourselves instead of to seek his help like a little child would ask their parents protection?
Our nature dictates that we do things on our own strength. We like to make sure that we fix things. We like to take control of things and neglect to seek the help of our heavenly Father. If we only seek him and allow him to take care of us, we would be able to thrive in this life.
The bible says that when we call on the Lord, he will save us from all our enemies.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you that when we call on you, you hear us.
REFLECTION
Why is important for us to call on 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

WHEN SIN GROWS Poem Devotional

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May 9________________________________________
These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. -James 1:15(NLT)
WHEN SIN GROWS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you find it hard to resist temptations?
You can overcome this if you stay in relation
Jesus wants you to be intimate with him
This is the surest way you can win over sin.
It is our desires that give birth to evil
When sin is allowed to grow
You open doors to the devil
You will harvest what you sown.
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There are Christians who fail to grow because they have unconfessed sins. They allow sin to grow and by doing this, they give birth to death. Sin separates us from God. The bible says that only through Jesus will we have life, so if we are sinning, we are going against what Jesus made us from. What is the root cause of sin? The book of James tells us that it is our human desires and cravings that lead us to sinful actions. He also stressed that when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
Have you ever disobeyed God’s commands? What usually happens when we go against his will? We fail to receive the plans he has for us. We become an easy prey for the enemy to steal, kill and destroy us. Do not allow sin to grow, confess your sins and repent when convicted.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your convictions whenever I sin.
REFLECTION
Why is constant reflection and meditation on God’s word a protection against death?
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

WORTHY AND EXCELLENT THOUGHTS Poem Devotional

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May 8________________________________________
Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
– Philippians 4:8(NLT)
WORTHY AND EXCELLENT THOUGHTS
A poem and essay by ILMA
What have you been thinking of lately?
Are they edifying, honorable and lovely?
Fix your thoughts on what is true and right
Think about things that are excellent and bright.
Dwell not on the things that are negative
They are lies that make you unproductive
Do not allow the enemy to capture your thinking
Do not engage in empty philosophies and reasoning.
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Have you ever thought about what you are actually thinking right now? Are you able to evaluate where they are coming from? Many times, we don’t even pay attention to what comes in our minds. We can be talking to someone else and our minds just go in different directions from everything that has nothing to do with what we are actually saying. Be careful! John 10:10 says that the enemy’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy us. One of the things that Satan likes to steal is our thinking process. He likes to inject many different lies in our minds. It is the mind that is our battlefield because it is from it that he opens doors to our hearts to infiltrate and corrupt. The bible advises us to think only of worthy, and excellent thoughts.
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PRAYER
Lord, keep my mind focused only on pure, honorable and right thoughts.
REFLECTION
How can you monitor what comes in your mind?
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 CHRIST IS REVEALED Poem Devotional

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May 7________________________________________
And when Christ who is your life is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. -Colossians 3:4(NLT)
WHEN CHRIST IS REVEALED
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you able to share Christ to others?
Are you faithful to disciple or do you even bother?
Believers are all called to preach the good news
We are also asked to obey and put to use
All the truth we are given is to be shared
We are to disciple all nations in every way
When Christ is revealed to the whole world
You will share his glory; it is mentioned in his word.
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Why do some Christians fail to share the good news and to disciple all nations? Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” It didn’t say only pastors, teachers and prophets, but it was a mandate for all believers. Matthew 28:19 says “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” How come, only few believers actually obey these two very important role that God gave us?
I think our limited minds cannot fathom that God trusts us to be able to preach and disciple others because of various fears. But Paul said to the Colossians that when Christ is revealed to the whole world, we will share his glory.
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PRAYER
Thank you Lord for trusting us to share the gospel and disciple others.
REFLECTION
Have you obeyed these two mandates that God has given to believers?
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

FIX YOUR EYES ON HEAVEN Poem Devotional

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May 6________________________________________
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor and God’s’ right hand.
– Colossians 3:1(NLT)
FIX YOUR EYES ON HEAVEN
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you committed your life to Christ
You have been raised to live a new life
Fix your eyes on heavenly things
It will bring you victory over sin.
Focus on the realities of heaven
This is what is expected of the brethren
You will see Jesus at God’s right hand
Be hopeful for it will all be joyous and grand.
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There are many distractions in our lives today that keeps our focus away from heavenly matters. We get consumed by the world’s standards and forget that this is not our final destination. The world is a stop-over, it is not our journey’s end. We get sidetracked with the concerns of this life such us work, family, dreams, friendships, wealth and possessions.
Matthew 6:19-20 tells us not to store treasures on earth where they can be destroyed and stolen, but to store treasures in heaven where they are indestructible and not let thieves steal it. What have you gathered here on earth that will not be meriting you in heaven?
Paul reminds us in Colossians that we need to fix our eyes on heavenly matters and look forward to seeing Christ beside God’s right hand.
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PRAYER
Lord, let me never be consumed by earthly matters. Instead, keep my eyes focused on heaven.
REFLECTION
How can we maintain our eyes fixed on heavenly things?
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

YOU ARE NOT ALONE Poem Devotional

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May 5________________________________________
Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. -1 Peter 5:4(NLT)
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are being pressed with so much suffering
Run to Jesus, he will give you strength to keep you enduring
Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith
Remember that you are not alone in your walk.
There are your family of believers all over the world
They are going through the same things, you’re not alone
The Lord will never forsake or abandon you
He has covered you, so run to his truth.
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One of the ways that the evil one attack us is being isolating us from others. He wants us to think that we don’t need anyone, especially God. He makes us believe that our case is the worst and that there is no way out. He will discourage us with many lies so that we cannot move forward to the next assignment God is planning for us.
The bible tells us that God never leaves us or forsakes us. He also wants us to be among other believers. When we fellowship with others, we learn that we are not alone in whatever we are going through. This is what the devil doesn’t want us to know.
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PRAYER
Thank you Lord for not leaving us alone.
REFLECTION
What happens when we isolate ourselves from others?
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

KEEP WATCH CAREFULLY! Poem Devotional

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May 4________________________________________
Stay alert, watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)
KEEP WATCH CAREFULLY!
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you know that you have an enemy?
He exists in a realm that we cannot see
Stay alert, watch out for the devil
He prowls like a roaring lion to spread evil.
He is always looking for someone to devour
He watches you constantly each and every hour
Keep feeding on the truth that comes from God’s word
It is your best weapon and sword to defeat this evil world.
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When you have an enemy that you can see, it is easy to avoid an attack isn’t it? You can wear protection so you can avoid being hurt. But it is a different story when your attacker is invisible to the naked eyes. How can you strike back when you don’t even see where he attacks you?
In Ephesians 6, we are cautioned and made aware that we have a daily battle with unseen forces. Even though we cannot see them with our naked eyes, it doesn’t mean that they are not real. 1 Peter 5:8 gives us a warning to stay alert and watch carefully for the wiles and the tactics of the devil. He is always there watching who he can devour and tempt into sin.________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, please defend me from any form of attack by the devil.
REFLECTION
How can you be more vigilant in keeping watch over the devil’s tactics?

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

Acknowledge God Poem Devotional

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May 3________________________________________
Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. – Psalm 101:3(NLT)
ACKNOWLEDGE GOD!
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Are you acknowledging his presence in your life?
We are God’s people, why are we not loyal?
He wants us to come back to him and be faithful.
Never forget who gave you everything
He wants you to turn your back to sin
He made us all in his own image and likeness
Turn to him and give up all your wickedness.
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One of the many things that the enemy stole from me was my identity in Christ. He made me believe many lies that were not true. He whispered thoughts in my head that I was not worthy and that no one really loved or cared about me. I believed this lie for five decades of my life and wasted many opportunities to grow because I didn’t know that the Lord considered me as his prized possession. I was grateful that God reclaimed my ignorance and stolen identity when I became born again.
The bible tells us to recognize and acknowledge the Lord as our God. He created us all and we belong to him, like sheep in his great vast pasture. He loves and cares for each one of us and will look for even just one lost sheep.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for considering me as priceless.
REFLECTION
How often do you praise the Lord for all that he made you?
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