GIVE HIM THE GLORY!

JfH Weekly Devotional #302-"Give Him the Glory!"

Jesusfreakhideout.com Weekly Devotional
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Dear Friends In Christ,

It's our hope that this week's message will have such a profound impact on your prayerlife, that your measure of answered prayer will abound and increase for the glory of God. We have you in our hearts, as well as our prayers. Please don't hesitate to share your prayer requests with us at any time. "May God our Father shower you with blessings and fill you with His great peace!" (Colossians 1:2 TLB)
Yours In Christ, Joanne (Farro @ The JfH)

GIVE HIM THE GLORY!
"I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to anyone else." Isaiah 42:8 NLT

Recently, my husband and I had an important function to attend that involved our oldest son and his wife. As much as we wanted to be there for our loved ones, we were concerned about severe weather conditions that were headed our way at the time. A storm of hurricane proportions was working its way up the east coast, and our forecast said there was a 100% chance that it would be right on top of us at the exact time that we needed to be on the road. I began earnestly praying that the Lord would intervene and keep our weather calm and clear, so that we could travel in safety. When the weather that evening exceeded our highest expectations, I was quick to give God all the thanks, praise, and glory. But my husband began chiding me, saying that it was just a coincidence, and there was never a real threat to begin with.

This experience reminded me of the account in Acts 12, where the apostle Peter was imprisoned and destined to be executed. Scripture says that a group of believers gathered together and began earnestly praying for him. Though Peter was heavily guarded, the Lord enabled him to escape by sending an angel to deliver him. The first place that Peter went was the house where these believers were united in prayer on his behalf. When he knocked on their door, and a servant girl recognized his voice, she got so excited that she neglected to let him in. When she told the praying believers that Peter was at the door, they promptly told her, "You're out of your mind." (v.15) Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking, and when they finally opened the door and saw him, "They were amazed." (v.16) Can you just picture this scenario? God's people are crying out for His divine intervention, and when their answer is right on their doorstep, they don't even believe or recognize it? How many times are we guilty of doing the very same thing?

The Bible says: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers." (Philippians 4:6 TLB) I must say that I have gotten very good at praying about anything and everything, and because of that, I witness the Lord's involvement in my life on a daily basis, in small matters as well as big ones. But I have to confess that I don't always remember to thank Him for all the times He intervenes on my behalf. And thanking God for answered prayer is essential, because it reminds us that we are dependent upon Him, that He is the Source of all good things, and that He deserves all the glory. It's offensive to the Lord when we rationalize or reason away His blessings, because it robs Him of the glory He so richly deserves. He says in His Word: "I will not yield My glory to another." (Is 48:11 NIV) This is a stern warning to those who would habitually give themselves or others credit for God's gracious gifts.

Psalm 50:15 (NKJV) says: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." The New Living Translation says, "You will give Me glory." The Lord invites us to come to Him with our problems, because He wants to demonstrate His power and love on our behalf. This is a wonderful promise for us to claim in faith when we're in need, but we mustn't neglect to keep our part of the bargain, when God is gracious enough to keep His. As we call upon Him for help, and He answers us, we must remember to give Him all the glory, as well as all the thanks and praise. I believe that one reason why I have seen my percentage of answered prayer increase over the years, is because I've gotten better and better at giving God all the glory He deserves, and I am careful not to reason away His blessings.

If you want to stop the flow of God's blessings in your life, failing to give Him glory and honor for His gifts is a good way to do it. I pray the Lord will sink this message down deep into your heart, so that you may begin to experience an unhindered flow--even an overflow--of His very best blessings!

Lord, forgive me for the times I called upon You in prayer, and neglected to thank and praise You for the answers. Help me to never rationalize or reason away Your gracious gifts. Thank You that as I am quick to give You the glory, Your blessings will chase me down and overtake me!

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A Joyful Surprise

Her death seemed inevitable. Nibun’s mother had been ill with malaria for a long time. Doctors, priests and sorcerers were unable to find a cure.

But Nibun had a seed of hope in his heart—God’s Word. Bible stories were a regular part of the curriculum at the Bridge of Hope school (http://www.gfa.org/gfa/bridgeofhope) he attended, where teachers worked diligently to give children the best education while also showing them the love of Christ. Like many other children, Nibun would come home and relate to his family the stories he heard.

One night, as Nibun and his family sat together at his mother’s bedside, he told them how Jesus raised a widow’s son from the dead. That moment became a turning point in their lives.

That night, after hearing the story, Nibun’s father later shared, "I could not sleep. This story was burning in my heart again and again."
Nibun’s father sought out Pastor Samuel the next morning. After hearing more about Jesus and His offer of salvation, the man asked the pastor to come and pray for his wife. "I believe Jesus will heal my wife just as He did the widow’s son," he affirmed.

Though weak in her body, Nibun’s mother shared the same confidence: "My son talks about Jesus many times in our home. I believe Jesus will heal me."

Pastor Samuel laid hands on the dying woman and prayed for the Lord to raise her up. Then he returned to his home.
The next day he saw Nibun and asked how his mother was doing.

"My mommy is walking around," he reported happily, "and this morning she prepared breakfast for us!"

When Samuel arrived at Nibun’s house, he found a family transformed both physically and spiritually. They had each made a decision to follow Christ.

It has been a joyful surprise for Samuel to realize the incredible potential within his little school that started out with 35 children. "I never thought that through the school, a family would be added to my local church," he comments. "I pray God will use many students like Nibun as His tools to bring families to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am fully confident that this school is a good means to not only share the love of Jesus in our region, but spread His hope through the entire nation."

Through GFA Bridge of Hope schools (http://www.gfa.org/gfa/bridgeofhope), God is using children like Nibun to touch many lives. In one region, 50 schools that were started resulted in 37 new churches being planted in less than a year. Praise God for His mighty work among the unreached.

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Safe Return

Shashikila’s family was frantic. It was bad enough that the elderly woman had lost her sense of memory, but now she had wandered from home. They didn’t know where she was or how to find her. But there was a GFA Believers Church in their village. Maybe, just maybe, if Pastor David prayed to his God, they would get their loved one back.

The family visited Pastor David and asked him to pray for Shashikila’s safe return. "As a church we prayed for her," Pastor David writes, "and the Lord brought her back safely." That wasn’t all. As Pastor David earnestly prayed for Shashikila, the Lord intervened and restored her mind.

Today Shashikila worships Jesus. Her family has embraced her new faith. "The Lord’s name was glorified through this incident," Pastor David writes. May this family shine as a witness of God’s love to spiritually dark hearts in their Tamil Nadu village.

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Freed by the Blood of Jesus

Picture yourself as a woman in South India. Because someone reached your village with the Good News of Jesus and the price He paid for your salvation, you are no longer in bondage to the angry, unforgiving deities your neighbors bring sacrifices to. You have been set free; now you know the living God and the joy of His presence.

Your husband, an alcoholic, doesn't know this Jesus yet. And he has stopped you from attending church to worship Him.
Prasela found herself in this predicament. Oh, how she longed to go to church and fellowship with other believers!

One day the unbelievable happened when her husband, Harun, agreed to accompany her to a prayer meeting led by Anil, a Gospel for Asia Bible college student. As Harun listened to the Gospel that day, the Holy Spirit convicted him of his need for salvation. He surrendered his heart to Jesus and experienced complete deliverance from his alcohol addiction.

Pray for Harun to continually grow in the faith he now shares with his wife. Give praise to the Father for two lives that have been set free by the precious blood of Jesus.