God Gives Mercy and Grace - Hebrews 4

S - Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
O - This chapter is talking about Jesus and how since He faced the same temptations as we did but was still perfect, He became the High Priest. We are to go to the throne and He will give mercy and grace to us when we need it.
A - God knows that I will need both mercy for things that I shouldn't do and feel terrible about doing and grace when we need help and forgiveness. In order to receive these gifts, I need to go boldly to His throne and ask for them.
P - God, You are awesome and amazing and worthy of all the praise that I and the world can give you. Since your son Jesus lived a perfect life and died for me I come before you asking for mercy and grace for the things that I have done wrong in my life and for help with my future. I thank you for giving out mercy and grace liberally. Help me to be a better person, husband and father and to pass along a great example and teaching to my children so that they too can be everything that you have set out for them. Bless my family and me today.

Be Faithful to God - Hebrews 3

S - Hebrews 3:14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
O - What a comforting message here in that we will share in everything that is of Christ if we are faithful to the end and trust in God.
A - I will firmly place my eyes on God every single day and look to Him for guidence. I will be faithful to Him and stand up for Him. I will trust Him even when things in my life might not make a lot of sense. God is my Lord and Savior and I will treat Him like that daily.
P - God, I thank and praise you for all that you have done for me and my family. You are truly God and about everything else in this world. I pray for your help in focusing on this fact daily and I place my trust in you and you alone. Bless and protect my family and me today and guide us.

Jesus Suffered Too - Hebrews 2

S - Hebrews 2:18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
O - Jesus himself went through sufferings and testing and had many things that were unfair happen to him. Because of this, He is able to help us through these same types of sufferings and testings that we go through.
A - Sometimes things happen in life that are not fair, not pleasant, and I wonder why God is allowing this to happen. Eventhough I may never know the answer to these questions, I can stand firm in believing that God is there to help me through it. He experienced many of the same issues and He was able to go through these perfectly. He can give me strength to go through these as well and also His wisdom to see these times as He sees them and with a path through them. In the end, these times of sufferings and testings were necessary for Him to sacrifice himself as his death would not have been the same if He lived a perfect life without any temptations or suifferings.
P - God, You are the protector and provider of all life. I pray that you be with me today and to soften my heart. I have been angry at how our adoption journey has taken place and I look to you for help and guidence. I want to do what is right and to give myself for those that are in neeed but I need your eyes to see why things are unfolding as they have to this point. I pray that you give peace and grace to Christa and me as we continue to search for a way to help other children. Be with us today and bless our actions and our children.

Angels Care For Me - Hebrews 1

S - Hebrews 1:14 Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
O - In this chapter Jesus is being shown to be greater than the angels because he is the Son of God. At the very end of the chapter, though, comes this verse. This gives me insight into the workings and purpose of angels. They have been sent by God to people like me who are to inherit salvation to care for me.
A - Whenever I have a moment of stress or anxiety about things that may be happening in my life, this will help me to remember that I have two additional sources of help in my life. Not only do I have the living God that is all-powerful and ever present, but in addition to that He gave a charge to angels to care for me. What a wonderful blessing to have a God that cares for me so very much!
P - God, You are truly amazing and wonderful! I praise you for all that you have done and continue to do and I thank you for that as well. I pray that you continue to send out your angels to watch over and care for me and my entire family. I cast all of my cares and anxieties on you because you care for me. Thank you for taking this load and for sending your angels to help me along the way. I ask that you bless my thoughts, words, and actions today and help me to be a blessing to others around me.

The Power of Prayer - James 5

S - James 5:13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
O - This is talking about the power of prayer and that I should be going to God with prayer when things are both good and bad. The example of God answering prayer is when Elijah both praid for a drought and for rain God did just that.
A - I need to step up my prayer even more. God deserves and expects me to be in communion with Him always, not just daily. The more that I talk with Him, the more that I will know what He desires. As I know what He desires, I will know which path I should be taking many times to fulfill His desires. Additionally, it is very important that I also give Him the praise that He is worthy of as well as He is the very one that has saved me, protected me, and blessed me.
P - God, I am so sorry for not praying and talking with you more than I have. You deserve my constant and continual praise, thoughts, and thankfulness. Be with me today and guide me through the challenges that I face. Forgive me for all that I have done wrong to those that are closest to me like my children and my wife. I love you!

Faith Without Works is Dead - James 2

S - James 2:17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
O - Faith without works is dead. One can't have true faith without works.
A - Am I living a life full of faith with tangible works? Are people telling me that I have a lot of words but no actions to back up those words? I need to live my life in a way that tangible, noticable actions back up what I say and what I stand for. I need to look for ways to show my faith starting with my wife and my children. They need to know what agape love feels like from me as I will be the best example as to how God really is. I give up rights to take on responsibilities for my wife and children and through this they will see my love and devotion. Outside of my family, I will keep a lookup for people that are in need and give as best I can to show that others are important. Finally, I need to live my life in a way that others can see that my actions marry up with my words.
P - God, I praise you this morning and give you honor and praise! You are amazing! You are all powerful and all knowing! I thank you for the many gifts and blessings that you have showered on my family and me. I ask that you be with us today and give us opportunities to bless others and to show actions that back up our faith. Give me the strength and wisdom to know what you want and to take the first step in getting that done. I pray that you also give me a serving heart, especially toward my wife and children. I want to provide and protect them and to show them that my words are true by the actions that I back them up with. Bless my family and me today.

Nothing is Impoosible For God - Luke 18

S - Luke 18:27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
O - Jesus is talking to the wealthy man here who is asking who to get to heaven. Jesus starts with the commandments and once the man says he's followed these since his youth Jesus says to sell all his posessions and follow Him. The man becomes sad and at this point Jesus says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to enter THE eye of the needle. Everyone then asks, then who can be saved, followed by this verse. It is hard for a wealthy person to follow Jesus because many times there treasure is their money and a person can only have one master. BUT, this verse says nothing is impossible for God!
A - As we have been blessed and are continuing to be blessed even more radically, I need to keep this warning near me so that I don't fall prey to placing my treasure in my posessions. I have Jesus in my heart so nothing is impossible for me and this weekness of wealthy people is something that with His help, I will be able to overcome and live victoriously.
P - Dear Heavenly Father, I praise you this morning for all that you have done for me and my family's lives! Be with us today and bless us and guide us. I pray that I be a witness for you and a man that others look at and see Jesus through.

ALL People Are Valuable - Luke 15

S - Luke 15:28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
O - This is the parable of the prodical son. The older brother shows us his anger over his father's reaction to his brother coming home.
A - There are people that do not know Jesus right now and they are living a life that is not pleasing to God, but one day they will come to know Him, through me, and God is very pleased when this happens. I too need to celebrate these individuals' decision to follow Jesus and not act like this brother that feels that I deserve more than this new Christian because I have been serving Him longer. ALL people are of utmost important to God and I am not to judge people as to how they may have lived before knowing Jesus.
P - God, I pray that you help me to have a tender heart towards people and to know that everyone is truly valuable. I thank you for the grace that you have given me and my family and the blessings that you have showered on us. I pray for your guidence today and that you lead us through this decision on our adoption journey. I praise you Lord! You are good and your love endures forever! Thank you!

God Gives to Those That Are Persistent - Luke 11

S - Luke 11:9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “You fathers—if your children ask[e] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
O - Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray here. After teaching them the Lord's prayer he is telling them to consistently and persistently pray for what you need. The very last verse, however, says that God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Does this mean that everything that we pray for is answered through having the Holy Spirit inside of us?
A - Regardless of what this passage is really telling me whether He answers requests with the Holy Spirit or if He gives that which we ask, to me this means that I should ALWAYS pray and continue to pray requests that I have in my life. He is my father and wants to give me that which I need and desire. Why would He not want to bless me?
P - Heavenly Father, I praise you this morning and worship you for all that you have done and continue to do. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to sacrifice for me and taking away all of my sins. I pray today for your favor and blessing on my life and the lives of my family. I pray that you work miracles in our adoption and that you bring this to pass extremely quickly and give us a story to be able to tell for generations. I pray healing, complete and restorative healing, over my body today. I pray that this infection would be healed immediately and that this weak spot in my body would be made new. Bless me and my family today.