Emanuel Ministries Devotionals

“Shall I pray to chance?” Ephesians 6:18” And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. “ A certain woman was crossing the Atlantic and asked a sailor one morning how long it should take them to arrive. “If it is God’s will, we will arrive in Liverpool in 14 days,” said the sailor. “If it is God’s will !” said the woman;” what a senseless expression ! Don’t you know that all comes by chance? “ In a few days a terrible storm arose and the woman stood clinging to her cabin door in agony.” How long do you think it will last?” she asked the sailor.” It seems likely to last some time, madam.”” Oh ! “ she cried, “Pray that we may not be lost !” His reply was, “Madam, shall I pray to chance? “ Oftentimes, it takes pain or trouble to get us to really pray. This is the very reason God allows us to experience difficult times; to bring us to the place where we are reminded of our great need for Him. So when God allows pain in our lives, let us not delay i

"What is your heart fixed on? " Ps.57:7" My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed : I will sing and give praise. " I heard a motto who said, "He who would not fall down ought not walk in the slippery places. Keep yourself clean. Keep yourself pure. Watch what you set before your eyes. " Are you aware that how you think governs what you see? Why do some people view films with lewd scenes and others don't? Why do some look at pornography – even becoming addicted – when others don't? Because your thought life will govern what you do. It will guard your sight. You can make up your mind you're not going to look at certain things. You're not  just a helpless victim. The book of Job recounts the life of one of the most respected man in the Old Testament. Job made himself a promise :" I made a covenant with my eyes, not to look lustfully at a woman ". (Job 31:1). He made a decision. Now, men and women – listen. You need to get a

How do you start your mornings? Psalm 5:3 "My voice shalt Thou  hear in the morning, or Lord ; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up. " Christianity is a love relationship. You cannot love someone that you do not know, and you cannot know someone that you don't spend quality time with. To know Jesus is to love Him. To love Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to obey Him. To obey Him is to be blessed. It begins with a daily, quality communication with the Lord. Why is it best to spend time with the Lord in  the morning? Because you are getting ready to go on a road trip through life. You don't take the trip and then read the map, do you? How are you starting your mornings? With a cup of coffee, the paper, the news on TV ? Or with a pure milk of the Word and the light of His presence? Do you look up every morning or you look down to the things of this world ? You must start the day right. Start with God every morning for 30 days

The BOOK that reads you Rom. 11:33 "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His  ways past finding out! We must guard ourselves against lowering the standards of God's Word to our level of understanding or political correctness. And we must guard ourselves against raising the standards of our traditions above the standards of his Word. The Bible is not meant to be paraded past the judgment bar of our mind. You can  argue with it, but why ? You can pick up any other book and read it, but this is the book that reads you. It pulsates with life and power. It cuts, burns, crashes, and wields mountain – moving power. His Word has a life of its own. It is the voice of God to you. You cannot refuse it, deny it, distort it, or dilute it. You can only bow before it. When was the last time you studied the history behind the Word of God? Go to a bookstore or your church's library and study how the translation we

”What distinguishes you from the rest of the world? “ Exodus 33:16 It is the presence of the Lord. Are you aware of God‘s presence every moment in your life? Do you practice the presence of God? Even when things are not going according to your expectations are you still aware of His presence? He promised that He NEVER  leaves you nor forsake you. Do you believe it? We always have the companion of Jesus and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. John 14:15–18 “You are not an orphan because Jesus sent His Spirit to abide with you “FOREVER. “ Hallelujah ! That makes you shout a big : Glory to the Lord. “You will make me full of joy in Your presence .” (Acts 2:28). “ Set your heart at rest in His presence.” (1 John 3:19). Many call God, “Emanuel”- God with us, but God wants to dwell in us, and us in Him. In every circumstance of life God reveals Himself . In trouble -He is  the Deliverer , in sickness -He is the Healer, in discouragement-He is the Encourager, in tragedy -He is the Comforter

What kind of character do you have? Job 27:6 “ My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” I read a story of a pastor who boarded a bus one morning, paid his  fare, and took his seat. A few minutes later, he realized that the driver had given him too much change. Some people might have put it in their pocket and said, “Lord, thank you for your provision.” But this pastor knew that would be wrong. At the next stop, he walked to the front of the bus with the extra change and said  to the driver, “Excuse me, sir, you gave me too much change, and I wanted to return it to you because obviously you made a mistake.”The driver said, “Pastor, I didn’t make a mistake. I was at your church last night and heard you preach on honesty. I wanted to see if you practice what you preached “ Fortunately, he did. People are watching you as a Christian, virtually scrutinizing your every move. You should know they aren’t hoping you will be a