Life Lessons

Walk This Way: Walk a Fearless Path
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Walk This Way: Walk a Fearless Path

Every day you and I face a variety of choices regarding the path we take.  Many things influence our decisions for both good and bad, yet God wants us to choose daily to walk according to His ways .  Over the next 30 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Walk This Way”, with the prayer that it helps you to grow in your walk with God as you pursue a greater understanding of the path He calls you to.

Here is day two with an important reminder that walking God’s way will lead you on a fearless path.

Walk a Fearless Path

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

What things tend to fill you with fear?  Where is the scariest place that you have ever walked?  What made you so fearful there?  What brings you comfort and peace when you are in the midst of frightening circumstances?  What gives you the courage to overcome your fears?  How would you walk in a way that shows no fear?

For most of us, having a trusted friend with us in the midst of our fears can be a great help and comfort.  We gain courage in knowing we don’t have to walk our path alone.  In the familiar twenty-third Psalm, David says he can walk a fearless path because he knows God is with him.   As you pray, ask God to continually remind you of His presence in the midst of all your fears.  Pray that your trust of Him would grow as you recognize His ever-abiding presence.  Pray that your life would be lived in a way that you become the presence of Jesus that someone else needs when facing their fears.  Pray that  you would not be distracted in your walk with God by fear but that you would enjoy a fearless walk with Christ.

In prayer,

Tom  

Walk This Way: Walk a Blameless Path
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Walk This Way: Walk a Blameless Path

Every day you and I face a variety of choices regarding the path we take.  Many things influence our decisions for both good and bad, yet God wants us to choose daily to walk according to His ways .  Over the next 31 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Walk This Way”, with the prayer that it helps you to grow in your walk with God as you pursue a greater understanding of the path He calls you to.

Here is day one with an important reminder that walking God’s way will lead you on a blameless path.

Walk a Blameless Path

“LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart.”
Psalm 15:1-2 (NIV)

Have you ever been blamed for something that wasn’t your fault?  How did you feel?  Have you ever blamed someone for something and then found out they weren’t at fault?  What did you do?  How do you feel when you are at fault for something yet no one blames you for what happened?  What do you think it would look like to walk a blameless path?

God says that the one who can dwell in His sanctuary is the one whose walk is blameless.  It shouldn’t take a very lengthy reading of God’s Word to discover that none of us will ever be blameless through our own efforts.  It is only through Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sin that He offers that we can be declared blameless.  As you pray, ask God to help you identify areas of wrongdoing that you’ve done to others, and to God, that you need to do your part in making right.  Pray that God would give you the courage to seek forgiveness from others and from Him so that no accusation would have reason to stick to you.  Pray that in Jesus you would always be found walking a blameless path.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (8/5/20)

 

This is the audio from the August 5, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

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Encouragement & Prayer (8/4/20)

 

This is the audio from the August 4, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Living Free: Free To Live By God’s Perfect Law
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Living Free: Free To Live By God’s Perfect Law

Freedom.  It seems everyone wants to be free yet we often struggle to even admit when we are not.  When Jesus stated that holding to His teachings would lead people to know the truth that would set them free, the religious leaders bristled at even the hint that they had ever been slaves to anyone or anything.  Today wraps up a month of sharing from the daily devotions from the book, “Living Free”, that I wrote several years ago to help you discover a life of freedom found through a consistent gazing into, and practice of, the perfect law of God’s Word.

Here is day thirty-two with an important reminder that living free in Christ means that you, and those around you, can live free because of God’s perfect law.

Free To Live By God’s Perfect Law

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.”
James 1:25 (NIV)

Do you tend to view laws as confining or freeing?  Why?  Are you one that attempts to follow laws that you are aware of, or do you tend to ignore them if you believe you can get away with it?  Why?  How does your view of a law being helpful or not influence your obedience?  Should it?  Do you tend to view God’s laws as being given to restrict you or to set you free?  How does gazing intently into God’s perfect law help you to understand His purpose for giving it?  Does understanding the purpose of a law help you with the practice of it?  Why?

Many people tend to see the concepts of freedom and law as two opposites set against each other.  Yet most of us tend to live with greater freedom when we are aware of clear boundaries that we know will keep us from harm.  God’s desire, and the intent of His law, is to prosper us and not to harm us.  When we believe that, we are fully free to live by God’s perfect law, knowing it gives a freedom nothing else can.  As you pray, ask God to help you know His law as a good thing.  Pray that you would know the freedom that is found through God’s perfect law.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (8/3/20)

 

This is the audio from the August 3, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Living Free: Free From the Wicked
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Living Free: Free From the Wicked

Freedom.  It seems everyone wants to be free yet we often struggle to even admit when we are not.  When Jesus stated that holding to His teachings would lead people to know the truth that would set them free, the religious leaders bristled at even the hint that they had ever been slaves to anyone or anything.  Over the next 2 days I will be sharing the daily devotions from the book, “Living Free”, that I wrote several years ago to help you discover a life of freedom found through a consistent gazing into, and practice of, the perfect law of God’s Word.

Here is day thirty-one with an important reminder that living free in Christ means that you, and those around you, can live free from the influence of the wicked.

Free From the Wicked

“But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”
Psalm 129:4 (NIV)

How much influence does the deeds of the wicked have on you?  How do you know?  How much influence do your own wicked deeds have on you?  What influence do the sins of your past still have on you today?  Does that influence lead you in a good way, or bad?  Why?  Does living free from “the wicked” mean that you never have interaction with anyone who does bad things?  Explain.  How does God’s righteousness not only free you from the wicked, but frees you from the acts of wickedness?

Our first thoughts in regard to living free from the wicked often turns to freedom from the evil deeds of others.  God does give us freedom from the eternal results of their actions even if we face the temporary consequences of what they do.  But the truth is, God also frees us from our own wickedness and the penalty we deserve because of it.  In both aspects, we are free through the righteousness of God and not as the result of any form of goodness we may have.  As you pray, ask God to help you know freedom from all wickedness.  Pray that you would live free because of His righteousness in you.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (8/2/20)

 

This is the audio from the August 2, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom