Daily Devotional for Wednesday December 11, 2019

Losing your job at Christmas time drives home what this time of year is REALLY about!!!

(Isaiah 41:17; James 2:5)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, I pray today that You guide my steps. Let me live this day in a way pleasing and acceptable to You! Let my voice not be silenced when I have an opportunity to take a stand for You and Your Truth. Let my love for You today be shown in my life, for Your glory! In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!

***THE DAILY LIVEPRAYER TV NUGGET: A HUGEEEEE win for LIFE! The state of Kentucky recently enacted a law many states have been trying to pass, that make it mandatory for woman to have an ultrasound PRIOR to getting an abortion. Over the past 5 years, the advances in ultrasound technology have been incredible. Looking at an ultrasound today is like watching a program on a hi-definition TV. Obviously the pro-baby killing industry is doing everything they can to block these types of laws. Statistics show over 50% of women who view an ultrasound decide NOT to go through with the abortion. The Kentucky law continued to be upheld as it moved up the judiciary ladder towards the Supreme Court. The last court before the Supreme Court upheld the law. Monday, the Supreme Court decided NOT TO HEAR THE CASE. Less than 10% of cases that are appealed to the Supreme Court are accepted by the highest court in the land. If the Supremes decide not to hear a case, whatever ruling the last court made stands. By the grace of God, the Kentucky ultrasound bill has withstood the legal attacks by the evil baby-killing industry and stands today. AMEN...THANK YOU JESUS!!!

*Don’t miss the Liveprayer TV program, airing “LIVE” every Monday thru Friday from 11pm EDT to Midnight! For details on viewing options for the Liveprayer TV program, “LIVE” or “On Demand,” go to: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm

***SINGLE MOTHERS CHRISTMAS!!! As we are 2 weeks before Christmas, God has laid it on my heart to reach out and try to be a blessing to 30 single moms out there who can't afford to buy your children any presents this Christmas or have a nice dinner on Christmas day. Even though we still need to raise the final $49,000 to cover our December financial needs, God has blessed Liveprayer over the years because I have always been obedient to the Lord's voice and given into our own needs. The Holy Spirit has told me to give $200 to 30 single moms who otherwise won't have Christmas this year.

If you are a single mother and you have no way to provide some presents and a nice dinner for your children this Christmas, I want to help you make that happen. We will bless the first 30 single moms who contact us. You need to email me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com and in the Subject line, put SINGLE MOTHER CHRISTMAS. I need your name, your address, and your phone number so that someone on my staff can follow up with you. I am asking you please, don't ask for help if you have other places like your church or other groups in your area that can help you provide for your children this Christmas. This $200 is ONLY to be used to buy your children a few presents and have a nice Christmas dinner!

As you know, I have always led by example and have never asked you to do something I am not willing to do. I have committed to personally cover 15 of the gifts. Let me challenge those reading this today who want to help me be a blessing to a single mother and her children this Christmas. Pray today about being 1 of the other 15 people to make a special gift to Liveprayer by the end of the week of $200 to cover the gift we will send to one of the single mothers we are going to help this Christmas. If God is leading you to help me make this a special Christmas for a single mom and he children, make sure on your check you put SINGLE MOM, or if you give by credit card drop me an email that your gift is for one of the single moms and her children. THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR PRAYING AND CARING!!!

I am saddened every morning as I open the business page to read about some business laying off hundreds, sometimes thousands of people, especially at this time of the year! While these are only numbers in a story to most, the fact is each one of those numbers is a very real life, with a very real families, that will probably be facing very real financial issues because of losing their job.

While there is never a good time to lose your job, it is especially difficult at this time of year!!!

We are expected to buy gifts for our family and close friends. We are expected to decorate our homes. We are expected to attend various parties and events. All of these require EXTRA MONEY, over and above our normal monthly living expenses. This time of year that is supposed to be personified in the word JOY, quickly becomes a nightmare for many who simply don't have the money to do all they feel they are expected to do.

First, let me make this point. Christmas is NOT about gifts. Christmas is NOT about decorating your house. Christmas is NOT about parties. Christmas is the day each year that we set aside to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is HIS birthday. THAT is what Christmas is all about, celebrating the birth of our Lord.

Of course, it is impossible to deny the gross commercialism that marks this time of the year. But we have choices. We CHOOSE to get caught up in how the world celebrates Christmas. I have yet to read a news account of someone that was forced at gunpoint to go to the local shopping mall and spend thousands of dollars on presents. I realize that if you have children, being able to provide them presents on Christmas morning is important.

However, what is MORE important is making them aware of what Christmas is really about. The greatest gift that you can give your children this Christmas is NOT some toy that they will forget about in a month. The greatest gift that you can give your children this Christmas is the knowledge of what this blessed day is really about...the birth of Jesus!

Some practical ways that you can do this is by attending some of the fabulous Christmas pageants many churches now put on. In many cities, some of the larger churches put on incredible, professionally produced Christmas programs that do a marvelous job of telling the story of Christ's birth. Taking your children to see these great productions will be fun and help them understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Another great thing to do with your children is to teach them that Christmas is NOT about getting presents, but about giving to others. Getting them involved in helping to prepare a bag of groceries that you give to a ministry feeding the homeless is a very easy way to help them learn the blessing of giving.

Within your own home, sitting down with the entire family and reading the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2, spending time as a family in prayer thanking God for the wonderful gift that He gave this world that first Christmas, going as a family to church and celebrating His birth together all help your children learn that Christmas is the time we set aside each year to celebrate the birthday of Jesus.

YOUR CHILDREN WILL CARRY THESE MEMORIES, AND THE REAL REASON OF CHRISTMAS WITH THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!!!

I love you and care about you so much. My heart breaks as I read about those who have lost their jobs this past year, knowing the financial hardship that will be on them and their family. Each day at Liveprayer, we respond to thousands of people who are in this situation. It becomes magnified at this time of the year, because of the pressure the world has put on us to "participate" in how it celebrates Christmas.

My word for you today is that you don't have to fall into the trap of buying lots of gifts, or decorating your home, or going to all the parties. Those things are NOT what Christmas is about. The true peace of this season, the true joy of this season, comes from celebrating the birth of Jesus. HE is the reason for the season. The greatest gift that you can give someone this Christmas is to share with them the REAL meaning of Christmas.

The greatest gift YOU will ever receive was given over 2000 years ago when God gave you His son Jesus!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller