Daily Devotional for Monday October 8, 2012

Ruined Lives because People Won't Communite with Each Other

(John 16:29-33)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, what exactly is required to surrender 100% to Christ and live by faith?

ANSWER: Die to self daily. That is done by waking up praying, getting in the Word first thing, and staying "plugged in" to God throughout the day. During the day, make decisions pleasing and acceptable to God. Don't forget for one minute you are HIS ambassador. Find ways to serve Him. Trust Him with the problems you encounter throughout the day. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, you learn to die to self daily and live for Him instinctively.

I have always been a firm believer of talking straight, plain, and not holding back. The majority of conflict I see in marriages and other relationships is caused by a lack of communication. For some reason, many people are reluctant to have the "difficult conversation." The problem is, the longer you put off having that conversation, the more difficult it becomes.

I have watched lives ruined simply because people would not communicate with each other. Listen, this is not a test run. God has given us this precious thing called life. We get one shot. It is too short, too precious to be wasted by not sharing the things that bother us...especially with those we love the most.

It is incredible how people tend to get into a pattern in their life. One day they wake up, and they realize things aren't right. They just aren't the way they should be. But rather than sit down with your spouse, your children, or your parents, you simply suppress how you feel and stay quiet. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. Months then turn into years. The next thing you know, you have grown "apart" from the ones you were closest to.

Many people live in the same house with other people, but are like strangers. We communicate on a daily basis as little as possible, and never...NEVER...about unpleasant things. Husbands and wives get involved in things like pornography, gambling, drinking and start to build a secret world that they refuse to let their spouse be part of. They become distant. Communication becomes only about those things necessary to get through the day. Young adults get involved in activities they shouldn't be involved in and shut out their parents from their life. Communication is minimal.

My friend maybe it is time to sit down with your spouse...your parents whoever you may be having conflict with and get things out in the open. Tell them how you feel. I am a firm believer that many things can be worked out with honest and open communication. It does not make sense to go around miserable, holding inside the way you feel.

Sit down and talk to those you love and begin to work out whatever problems there may be in your relationship. Blending two or more lives together is always difficult because we are each so uniquely created. Without communicating, it is impossible. Things will not change by magic; they won't all of the sudden be OK. As a matter of fact, they will only get worse until you sit down with that person you love, and talk through whatever the problems may be.

I love you, and care about you so much. I will be praying for you today as you pray over this Devotional. We don't talk more because we are afraid of what the outcome may be. We live in pain, we live knowing things aren't the way they should be because of the unknown consequences if we sit down and openly talk about our feelings.

Listen, pray, and ask God to go before you. Let your faith be real as you trust God with the outcome. Make plans to sit down and have that "difficult conversation" with the person in your life you need to resolve some issues with. There is no day like today. God will strengthen you and be there with you. Count on my prayers.

***As we are 8 days into our 157th month of Liveprayer, we still have to cover $25,000 from our September shortfall and begin to work on the $40,000 we need for our basic October operations. That is $65,000 we need over the next 23 days to end the month with all of our basic operations current. $20,000 of that September shortfall is seriously past due, and I am praying for 2-3 friends who are able, to step up and make a special one-time year-end gift to help me cover that amount in the next 24 hours.

I know many are going through difficult times financially, and we pray daily for the Lord to meet those needs. I also know that many are working, seeing nice returns on their investments, have businesses that are doing well. If God is blessing you through these difficult days, please pray about helping me. It was those who God had blessed who made it possible for us to impact tens of millions of lives around the world these past 13+ years, and now it is YOU who God is speaking to about helping me insure we are here daily for all of those who look to us in their time of need, while we share His hope and the salvation found only though Christ with over 2.4 million people worldwide for FREE each and every day.

TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com,or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St.Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.

Thank you for taking your stand with me as we bring HIS Truth to this lost world and the hope and love of Christ to the lost and hurting!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller