Friday, September 18, 2020

Posted on Sep 18, 2020 in Devotions |

 
 
Devotional 9/18/20   
“Thank Him For His Answers”
 
 
by Dona Hake

I would like to spend some time looking at chapter four in the book of Philippians. I am sharing two different translations here for I love how they were worded. Let us look at verses six and seven. I encourage you to read them slowly and carefully and let each word  soak into your spirit.

“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.”   Philippians 4:6-7 The Passion Translation
 
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
Philippians 4:6 – MSG
 
These Scriptures are stressing the importance that we tell the Lord every…yes each and every detail of our life to Him.   
 
 
Everything matters to our Lord!
 
 
Every circumstance and every situation… bring all the specifics to God in prayer! The Living Bible puts it this way, and I love this “…tell God your needs and do not forget to thank him for his answers.“
 
I encourage you today as you search your own heart for the specifics and the details regarding your needs to pray about them, and then position yourself with a heart of thankfulness and gratitude for His answers and only His answers.
 
Many times our own knowledge, opinions, and opinions of others can hinder us from hearing the Spirit of the Lord regarding His answers and solutions. His ways are higher than our ways, and we must continue to remind ourselves of this powerful truth. It is His path that He will shed the true light for us to walk in.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Posted on Sep 17, 2020 in Devotions |

 
Devotional 9.17.20   
“The Torment of Regret”
 



Today I am feeling led to share with you an archived devotional that I did on September 12, 2013. This devotional is one that is a strong exhortation regarding guarding your heart in the area of forgiveness, and releasing people from the hurt they may have caused you.
 
Each year on September ll th I make a point of watching the memorials that they do on TV. It always touches my heart, and every year I find they continue to bring fresh, new stories from people, and how that day affected their life. This particular story touched my heart deeply and has a message and warning for all of us….
 
 
ARCHIVE FROM SEPTEMBER 12, 2020
Throughout the day on September 11th I listened to the heart wrenching stories of people that lost loved ones on that dreadful day. It has been on my heart for awhile to share on the subject of avoiding regret in our life. I think regrets that can never be repaired are absolutely the most painful. Regret is a very sad thing to experience. It is defined by feeling sorrow or remorse for an act, a fault or a disappointment. It is so upsetting when you find you might have spoken something and you regret speaking it. Then there are those regrets of things you just neglected to do or say.


Today I want to share about the regret one would deal with by choosing
not to deal with broken relationships or leaving someone on a wrong note.
I will share a story I heard yesterday. It was the morning of September 11, 2001.
A teenage girl argued with her father all morning… they did not reconcile… he leaves for workand she leaves for school. She comes home but he did not come
home. That morning was the last time she saw him and that is how
they left each other. It could never be changed and the words
could never be taken back. You see, he worked at the World Trade
Center and that was the day he breathed his last breath here on earth.
Forever, this young woman will have to live with the fact that she and
her father left each other that morning on bad terms.

My heart was so sad as I heard this, yet I wonder how many other
stories might have been the same on that day. It is easy to take
people for granted. Don’t!! Make a decision to always leave people
in peace. Seek reconciliation in relationships that are strained. If
they refuse to reconcile, at least you know that in your heart you
have forgiven and released them because that is all you can do.
Because of God’s love we can love people as He loved us.
He will enable you to forgive when you cannot find it in your heart to do so.
I pray today that you would search your heart, and if there be anyone in your
life that you need to make things right with that you would be quick to do so. God bless you.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Posted on Sep 10, 2020 in Devotions |

 
Devotional 9.10.20
“Recognizing Where You Are”
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
Today we continue with our pondering on the word ~recognize~. In the previous devotional I mentioned about our lives being way too busy. We need to be careful that we not make it a habit to overbook every second of our life. God desires that we make room for Him in every aspect of our living for Him. The enemy would love to see our recognition of proper use of our time to become dull, therefore living without the energy to do what He desires of us. Our enemy understands how to wear our souls down if we permit him to.
 
Last Sunday my husband made mention in his message, “God will always meet us where we are…” How wonderful this is to know! So I pose this question to you, do you know where you are? Are you honest with yourself? Do you recognize the condition of your soul each and every day you awaken? We have all been here long enough to know that some days can be good and some days came be full of trials that could possible drain our souls.  Let us find those times within our day to fellowship with Jesus, and share our heart with Him.   Ask Him questions, seek His heart in the smallest of things. 
 
Praise God that our Lord knows the condition of our hearts inside and out. He knows where we are lacking, and praise God He also sees our growth. He knows what lies ahead of us… Let us persist in recognizing the work the Lord is doing in us!
 
“I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put his finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Philippians 1:6 -TPT
 
Cause us Father God to recognize the work you desire to perform In our hearts. Remind us that we are a work in progress, and You are faithful to complete it. We ask your Holy Spirit to reminder us to maintain humble hearts. Help us to recognize when we are tempted to merely perform in this life. Turn our eyes to recognize your wonderful grace, peace and strength and all that we do. In Jesus Name! amen.
 

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Posted on Sep 3, 2020 in Devotions |

 
Devotional 9.3.20   
“Recognizing that He Is God”
 
 
 
 
I am feeling led for us to meditate upon the word ~recognize~. I have been pondering this for days now, and I want to share with you some thoughts and scriptures that I have been meditating upon.
 
When we ~recognize~ someone or something it is when we identify it upon our knowledge of it’s appearance or characteristics. I have really been thinking about how many times our lives can get so busy with interruptions, and as our focus  is broken we can miss what the Lord is trying to show us. Many times we may becoming dull in recognizing some things that are going on within us, and this can be dangerous.
 
I have been pondering how weariness is such an enemy of our souls. As so many things are going on in our country this alone could cause us to be weary. It is so very important to recognize that weariness does not happen overnight, it comes subtly, and if we do not deal with it immediately it will continue to grow. Oh this enemy will wear away at us to the point that it keeps us from having sharp discernment. Just one of the dangers of weariness is that it will cause one to draw inward, therefore this enemy will continue to grow in strength.
 
 
Oh that we continue to ask our Lord to help us to discern the enemies of our souls. We are all human, and we all have our own specific enemies and battles. Oh Lord, help us to recognize and be reminded how great You are in the smallest of details in our life!
 
May we strive to stay humble and broken before Him that we can quickly recognize what our weaknesses are so that we can take hold of His provision… His grace, and His strength
 
that are able
 
to penetrate our spirit, soul and body!
 
Today I encourage you to recognize and understand how great your God is no matter what is going on in your life.Recognize Him with great gratefulness in your heart.
 

“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 Amplified Version

“Serve and worship the awe-inspiring God. Recognize his greatness and bow before him, trembling with reverence in his presence.”
Psalm 2:11 The Passion Translation

“Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
Psalm 100:3 – Amplified Version

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Posted on Aug 22, 2020 in Devotions |

 
 
Devotional  8.22.20     
“…For If You Keep Seeking It…”
 
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
Today we continue with our meditation on treasuring God‘s wisdom. Let us look again at Proverbs two. We will be looking at verses four through seven.

“For if you keep seeking it like a man would seek for sterling silver, searching in hidden places for cherished treasure, then you will discover the fear of the Lord and find the true knowledge of God. Wisdom is a gift from a generous God, and every word he speaks is full of revelation and becomes a fountain of understanding within you. For the Lord has a hidden storehouse of wisdom made accessible to his godly lovers…”
Proverbs 2:4-7 – TPT
 
Asking for God‘s wisdom is not a one and done thing “…For if you keep seeking it like a man would seek for sterling silver, searching in hidden places for cherished treasure…”
 
 
Our Lord hides His wisdom for those that have a heart to love Him… for those that are willing to diligently seek Him for every need for they understand that He is their Great Shepherd, and they shall not want for any good thing that proceeds from His hand.
 
 
 
The more we seek God for anything, we will nurture our hearts in our revelation of Him, and His direction and it will be revered above all else.  No matter what your circumstance is…the voice of God’s wisdom is able to lead you!  Think about the Lord’s fountain of understanding and wisdom within you that is yours to draw upon. So let us continue to discipline our hearts to eagerly read and hear His Word, and most importantly may we treasure each and every one of God’s blessings that we have been showered with.
 
 
In closing I want to add how important it is to train yourself in having attentive ears to those around you. There are many around us that do not know how to hear from God, and how wonderful it is to be used by God to deliver His words of wisdom, hope and encouragement. How beautiful it is to hear God‘s wisdom and impart it to someone else in their time of need. Our Lord desires we share this cherished treasure He has entrusted us with!

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Posted on Aug 20, 2020 in Devotions |

 
 
Devotional 8.20.20 
 “…Then and Only Then”
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
“My child, will you treasure my wisdom? Then, and only then, will you acquire it. And only if you accept my advice and hide it within will you succeed. So train your heart to listen when I speak and open your spirit wide to expand your discernment— then pass it on to your sons and daughters.”
Proverbs 2:1-2 – TPT
 
Today we will continue with meditating upon treasuring His wisdom within us.  This translation shows that Solomon asked the question “Will you treasure my wisdom?“ and then follows with the statement… “Then and only then will you acquire it.”
 
Again, our Lord lays out His precepts in the same way for us to follow in order that we can walk in the blessing of them. He desires that we treasure every blessing that He has been bestowed upon us. Woe to us if we fall to the temptation of picking and choosing what we treasure and what we disregard when it comes to the Word that they hear or read.
 
Today I want to draw your attention to the words in the scripture “…so train your heart to listen when I speak and open your spirit wide to expand your discernment. “ Let’s look a little closer at what the word train means…

~~~to develop or form the habits, thoughts,
or behavior of (a child or other person)
by discipline and instruction~~~
 
My friends, we all have had or still deal with weaknesses and stubbornness within us that could potentially hinder how we hear the truth. Let us continue to form good habits, nurture good thoughts, and purpose to behave in accordance to His Word. May we pray that our eyes would continually be enlightened to God’s Word in order that He can deal with our hearts. He will then indeed open our spirits wide to expand the much needed discernment to live this life for Him.

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Posted on Aug 19, 2020 in Devotions |

 
 
 
Devotional 8/19/20   
“Do You Treasure His Wisdom Within You?”
 
by Dona Hake
 
Over the next few days we will be looking at the second chapter of Proverbs. In verse one, Solomon asks the  question…

“My child, will you treasure my wisdom? Then, and only then, will you acquire it. And only if you accept my advice and hide it within will you succeed.”
Proverbs 2:1 – TPT

As we read this scripture I would like us to jump into the book of James, and observe what James says about wisdom.

“And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace.”
James 1:5 – TPT
 
 
The thought that I desire for you to ponder with these scriptures is first of all God knows where we lack in His wisdom before we even have clue we are in need of it. He loves to overwhelm us with His generous gifts, and He loves when we come to Him and ask Him for them!    He also desires that His gifts to us are treasured.
 
 
Now back to Proverbs… just a Solomon ask “Will you treasure my wisdom?“ I believe that same question is in the heart of our Lord. When we treasure something we care for it for it is so special to us, and we handle it as a valuable thing. We do not put it on a “shelf“ where it collects dust. No! We use it and we use it often. Wisdom especially should be something we return to often no matter how big or small our questions or problems may be.   
 
 
God desires that we treasure His wisdom, and not lean on our own understanding. So today and every day it would be good to refresh ourselves with the question, “Do I treasure His wisdom in my life today?” It is as we treasure His wisdom that  we will continue to acquire the beautiful treasures of  it  that we need to walk the path of His righteousness for His Name’s sake in this life.

Friday, July 24, 2020

Posted on Jul 24, 2020 in Devotions |

 
 
Devotional 7.24.20
“Empowered In His Presence”
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
We continue with our meditation upon standing in the presence of our enemies. Oh that we would continue to grow in our revelation that God is with us no matter what we come against. In Psalm 18:35 from the Passion Translation the psalmist proclaims how he is empowered.
 
“You empower me for victory with your wrap-around presence. Your power within makes me strong to subdue, and by stooping down in gentleness you strengthened me and made me great!”
Psalm 18:35 – TPT
 
If we are found weak in our souls and faith we will be fearful of our enemies. We will not have what it takes to stand strong in their presence. When we are strong we will identify our enemies, and then we will pursue them. Let us read now from Psalm 18:36- 40 from the Passion translation.
 
“You’ve set me free from captivity and now I’m standing complete, ready to fight some more! I caught up with my enemies and conquered them, and didn’t turn back until the war was won! I pinned them to the ground and broke them to pieces. I finished them once and for all; they’re as good as dead. You’ve placed your armor upon me and defeated my enemies, making them bow low at my feet. You’ve made them all turn tail and run, for through you I’ve destroyed them all! Forever silenced, they’ll never taunt me again.”
Psalm 18:36-40 TPT
 
Praise God that He surrounds us with His presence and He has given us His Word which is always our defense. In Psalms 20:8 from the Passion Translation the psalmist proclaims here that God gave him victory on every side! We too can proclaim that we have victory in every area of our lives in Jesus Name. There is no other Name or no other place that we can find the strength, the true strength that will fight our battles. As we pursue Him in the midst of any battle, let us listen carefully as He answers us with words of direction, wisdom, and courage.
 
“Some find their strength in their weapons and wisdom, but my miracle deliverance can never be won by men. Our boast is in the Lord our God, who makes us strong and gives us victory! Our enemies will not prevail; they will only collapse and perish in defeat while we will rise up, full of courage. Give victory to our king, O God! The day we call on you, give us your answer!” Psalm 20:7-9 TPT
 
 
 

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Posted on Jul 23, 2020 in Devotions |

 
 
 
Devotional 7.23.20
“My Testimony…”
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
We will continue on meditating upon standing in the presence of our enemies. Many times our hearts can be gripped with fear in the face of danger. God is faithful to show Himself faithful when we trust in Him.
 
Today I would like to share a testimony that I experienced as a very young believer. I was only about twenty years old, and I worked as a receptionist for a photo lab and corporation. In the winter months it would be dark by 5 PM when my day ended. I did not own a car so I depended on people giving me a ride home during those dark days.   Then came the evening when everyone left before me, and I realized I have no one to ask to give me a ride home. I lived in an apartment in a very bad section of the city and I did not like the thought of walking home those six long blocks in the dark.
 
Prior to this evening when I would walk , and it was still daylight, there was this huge dog that would sit on his porch, and he would always come and greet me.  I always looked forward to being with him at the end of my work day. He loved how I would talk to him and pet him. I would say goodbye to him and be on my way.
 
 
Then came that evening  when it was pitch dark, and I had to walk home alone. I was nervous yet I tried to remain calm and pray as I walked.  As I passed this home where this dog lived he promptly came down over the steps and I stopped to pet him but this time he did not go back to his porch but he persisted to stay by my side for those six long blocks. It was if he sensed my fear. As I neared my apartment there was a particular block that was known to have danger and a lot of crime . I heard a gang of guys and they were walking towards me and yelling at me and my heart began to really be tempted to fear. But they just did not come near me…instead they turned and went the other way.
 
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when they saw that huge dog close by my side,   they decided to go the other direction. As soon as I got to the street where my apartment was, the dog turned around and walked those long six blocks back to his home. Yes, I believe this was the Lord‘s hand upon me using that dog to protect me. I worried about that dog getting home safely. Sure enough the next day he was there on his porch ready to greet me again!
 
Even though I walked that dark walk home that evening, and my heart was very tempted to fear, my Lord let me know how He was going to take care of me. I can still remember how closely that dog stayed by my side, and the confidence and protection I felt as he stayed near me.  It showed me to never try to figure out how God is going to move in my life.  I hope this testimony encouraged your heart.
 
“Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.”
Psalm 23:4 – The Passion Translation

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Posted on Jul 22, 2020 in Devotions |

 
 
 
Devotional 7/22/20   
“…In the Presence Of Our Enemies” 
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
Last week as I was before the Lord preparing the last devotional of the week, the Lord had directed my heart to move on in a different direction. The words He impressed very clearly upon my spirit were “standing in the presence of your enemies.”
 
It is important that we expect the Lord to speak to our hearts. I feel we are living in a very troubling time like we have never experienced before. We need our Lord’s fresh word of wisdom and direction in this time in which the enemy is attacking our nation in so many ways. The one enemy of every man’s soul is the temptation to grow weary and become discouraged. Discouragement alone can become a strong enemy to our soul if we permit it to. The Psalmist David had many enemies but He lived in expectancy before his God. God always showed Himself faithful to David even in the most hopeless of times.

“In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].”
Psalm 5:3 The Amplified Version

As you read through the Psalms you can see that David experienced many times of weariness, discouragement, and his soul was cast down. One thing for sure David understood how faithful his God was as he called upon Him for help. He learned the secret of watching and waiting before the Lord. Over the next few days we will be looking at the importance of knowing our personal enemies and pursuing them.  We are going to meditate on going forward into the battle before us knowing our God will straighten the crooked paths, and make our focus clear even in the greatest battles.

“O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight (direct, right) before me.”
Psalm 5:8 The Amplified Version

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