Daily Devotional for Sunday October 25, 2020

What "controls" you?

(Romans 8:5-8)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Father, I thank You for this day. I know that today was not promised to me, but it is a gift from You. Dear God, You know the pain I have today from what has happened in my life. I am tired of carrying this pain with me day after day. It is robbing me of my joy, of my peace, of knowing the abundance that this life can offer. I trust Your Word today that tells me that I can give this burden to You, that You will take it from me. I trust Your Word today that tells me to cast my cares on You, because You care for me. In the name of Jesus, I give You the pain of my past today. In the name of Jesus, I surrender it to You. Take it from me, and fill me right now with Your joy, with Your peace, and let me live from this day forward in FREEDOM FROM MY PAST! In Jesus name I pray...AMEN!!!

***LIVEPRAYER CHURCH!!! Haven't been to church yet this week? Join me for this week's service at the LivePrayer Church. This week’s message is: “Forgiveness!” Please visit the website at: http://liveprayerchurch.com and be part this week’s worship service. Each Sunday there will be a new service at 12:01am EDT

***THE DAILY LIVEPRAYER TV NUGGET: Please pray over these precious words from the 91st Psalm. They are for you, me, and all followers of Jesus Christ for this moment in time!!! 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my GOD, in whom I trust.” THIS IS WHAT GOD WILL DO: 3 Surely GOD, will save me from the Fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 GOD, will cover me with his feathers, and under his wings I will find refuge; his faithfulness will be my shield and rampart. 5 I will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right hand, but it will not come near me. 8 I will only observe with my eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. THIS IS MY PART: 9 If I say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and I make the Most High my dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake me, no disaster will come near my tent. 11 For GOD, will command his angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways; 12 they will lift me up in their hands, so that I will not strike my foot against a stone. 13 I will tread on the lion and the cobra; I will trample the great lion and the serpent. THEN GOD SAYS: 14 “Because you love me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue you; I will protect you, because you acknowledge my name. 15 You will call on me, and I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble, I will deliver you and honor you. 16 With long life I will satisfy you and show you my salvation.”

*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

***Action steps: 1) Pray for the nation to turn back to the Lord every morning for at least 5 min. 2) Share the Gospel every day with at least 1 person you know is no saved. 3) Every day share something Biblical with everyone you know via email. 4) Every day encourage at least ONE PERSON you know about the responsibility we have to VOTE in November. 5) GET ONE PERSON YOU KNOW TO DO ACTION STEPS 1-4!!!

One of the most incredible challenges we have each day in our Christian journey, is what controls us. The ultimate goal of every believer is to be controlled at all times by the Spirit of God, instead of the spirit of this world. It is when we are controlled by the Lord that we are able to fulfill our purpose in life, enjoy the peace, joy, and abundance of this life, and know God's richest blessings. When we allow ourselves to be controlled by the things of this world, we distance ourselves from the Lord. Whatever pleasure we enjoy are temporary followed by much pain, and we miss God?s best for our life. What controls our lives becomes the ultimate battle we fight each day.

The choice on what should control us is an obvious one. Making it happen is not so easy to accomplish. Before we became Christians, it was never an issue. There was no choice. We simply lived our life the way the world lived. Our lives were totally controlled by the spirit of the world. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are now confronted with a choice each day. Continue to live the way the world lives, the way we are used to living, or live under the control of our new Master, Jesus Christ. We must learn how to let the Holy Spirit control us. It doesn't happen overnight but over a period of time.

How do we do it? It starts with our daily relationship with the Lord. Praying, reading the Word each day. We need to be part of a local fellowship and finding ways to serve the Lord. As this becomes our daily life and focus, as we are more in touch with God throughout the day, we get used to the Holy Spirit controlling our life as opposed to the things of this world controlling us. We learn how to be controlled by the Spirit of the living God.

The critical key becomes having our lives controlled by the Lord consistently, day after day. Never get so comfortable that you aren't aware that you have to work to maintain that intimate, daily walk, since it is from that daily walk with the Lord, that we allow our lives to be controlled by Him. When we stop praying each day; stop reading the Word each day; stop going to church; stop finding ways to serve God, that is when we become open to having the things of this world take control over our lives. So this becomes a daily challenge that we must take seriously, since it is when we allow the world control, we are capable of doing anything and everything that is not pleasing to God.

I love you and care about you! You can count on my prayers today, for you to really digest these complicated words. It is this principle of allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life each and every day that allows us as Christians to make a difference in this world. It is when we are being controlled by the Spirit of God that God can work through us, giving us the power to do those things necessary to advance His plan and touch the lives of people. It is when the Holy Spirit is controlling us that we are fulfilling our purpose in serving and glorifying God with our lives.

Reaching this plateau, getting to this level each day, is the absolute ultimate in our Christian experience. There is no high from alcohol, drugs, sex, power, achievement, anything that can even come close to the spiritual high when you are being totally controlled by the Holy Spirit. It is the ultimate experience that should be the goal of every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray today that this will be your daily goal, to be controlled by the Spirit of God.

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller