Psalm 91

Who is God?

God is my Shelter (v. 1)

God is my protector (v. 2,3,4-9)

God is whom I trust (v.2)

God will deliver me from harm (v. 10, 11)

God will rescue me (v. 14)

How should I respond?

Trust in Him to protect, and to deliver (v.2, 3, 4-9)

Give Thanks for his protection (v. 2,3,4-9)

Trust in Him through trials (v. 2)

Believe that He is our refuge and fortress (v. 1,2,3)

What should I pray about?

For faith to believe He is my refuge and fortress (v. 1,2,3)

For a willing spirit to trust in Him (v. 14, 10)

For a thankful heart (v. 16)

Where do I go from here?

Pray continuously

I should trust in my God

Trust he will protect me

Surrender my worry and fear of the future

--Brielle Smith

Anxiety

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God"- Philippians 4:6-7

Not every day is a good day. On a bad day like today, I am thankful that God is willing to listen to me through prayers. He amazed me every time that a God as mighty as Him, is willing to listen and answer prayers. I am blessed by His gentleness today and I am ready to pray for others so that they can feel God's love as well :)

Jia Hong Yapp

Bring Everything to God in Prayer

Today I was reading through Psalm 5, and as I read through the Psalm two things struck me: 

David’s bold approach to bring everything to God, and his constant insistence on going to God in prayer in good times and in times of need. Over and over again David repeats, as in verse 2, “Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray.” David was very blessed in his life; he was king of Israel, he killed Goliath and was a mighty warrior. However, he also spent a good deal of his life on the run from King Saul and his own son who both tried to usurp the kingdom that was rightfully his, and he committed sins that he suffered the consequences of for the rest of his life. Yet despite all this, he was known as a “man after God’s own heart.” This is obvious in the Psalms. David is open and honest and brings everything to God, the good, the bad and the ugly. He was a man after God’s heart because he always sought communion with God and always turned to Him in really rough times and in times of blessing. I think we can be a people after God’s heart if we follow in David’s footsteps.

Prayer is such a great gift, we can talk to the Almighty God of the Universe anytime we want, and He will listen, and He cares, and He will answer! That is so comforting to me and it’s very encouraging that God knows and understands my situation, and He will always be there to walk me through it! I encourage you to read through the Psalms as a model of a life that is centered on prayer to God and seeking after His heart.

--Allison Tallman

Isaiah 43:1-3

Who is God?

God is a redeemer (v1)

God is not a God that brings fear (v1)

God is always with us (v2)

God is a protector (v2)

God is our Savior (v3)

God is the Holy One (v3)

How Should I Respond?

By not fearing (v1)

By listening to when God summons us (v1)

By trusting the Lord (v2)

By following Him even though the path may seem scary (v2)

By making God the Lord in our lives (v3)

By allowing the Lord to guide you (v3)

What Should I Pray For?

Pray that I trust the Lord (v1)

Pray that I listen to the Lord's commands (v1)

Pray that I follow His path no matter where he leads me (v2)

Pray that I do not fear (all verses)

Pray that I make the Lord number one in my life (v3)

Pray that I have courage in every circumstance (v3)

Where Do I Go From Here?

I should not fear (v1)

I should trust the Lord in every circumstance (all verses)

I should listen to the Lord (v1)

I should make the Lord my number one (v3)

I should follow the path He has for my life (v2)

I should let the Lord guide me (v2)

--Rachel Lind

Dealing with End of Semester Stress

Did I do my best?

The end of this semester is so near and every nerve and cells of my body are screaming loud for it to come now.

However, this last 2 weeks of school are always the hardest time and place to be in. All of the sudden, I found myself drowning in seas of homework and struggling through tests and finals. Life can be even harder when financial check-in is just around the corner and I am physically and spiritually exhausted.

But every time I am tired and feel like giving up, I will want to be closer to Jesus. I am reading Colossians 3 today and I came across this powerful verse. Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Jesus Christ you are serving."

It reminds me that I do not belong to this world, nor do I serve this world. I am serving an awesome God who is HUMBLE and LOVING, who was willing to come down to this earth to DIE for my sins even though I do not deserve it. I am amazed by the fact that, the Master I am serving, is Jesus Christ.

I am more motivated than ever after knowing this wonderful fact that my Master is Jesus alone. All of the sudden, the stress of trying to pass all the classes for this semester or difficulties in completing financial check-in are all taken away. I found the peace and the joy of working my best to finish this race strong.

I will do my best in whatever I do, and work it with all my heart because "it is the Lord Jesus Christ" whom I am serving! :)

Thanks to Jia "Joey" Yapp for this wonderful devotional.