Pentecostal Devotions

Worship Beyond Rituals and Locations

by Sharon Ingram

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and pleasing to God - this is true worship.

(Romans 12:1)

To worship is to honour, reverence and show adoration to a divine being. As Christians, the object of our worship is God. We see precedence for worship in the Old Testament. The Israelites’ worship tended to take the form of building altars and offering sacrifices to God. They had set places they had to carry out their rituals of worship.

It is important to understand however, that while our worship today does include rituals (prayer, singing, fasting etc); it is not limited to these. It is also not something that has to be done in a particular place. In John 4 Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the time was coming when the Father would not be worshipped on the mountain or in Jerusalem, and that He would be worshipped in Spirit and in truth. We can see that the location of the worship is not the important thing, but rather the attitude of the worshipper. God is looking for heart-felt worship, not words or practices done merely out of duty.

In Romans 12:1 Paul tells us that true worship is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. We are to present our whole self to Him to be used as He desires. This means that worship can, and should be, part of our daily lifestyle. We can express our worship through the words we speak, the actions we do throughout the day, and the decisions we make, if these are consistent with the lifestyle God has called us to live. When we submit our will to God’s will and are obedient to Him, even when it means we have to make a personal sacrifice - this is worship! Let us all consider what act of worship we can do today to express our love, gratitude and devotion to God.

Fasting For Love

by Karina Rodriguez

Establishing and strengthening the souls and the hearts of the disciples, urging and warning and encouraging them

to stand firm in the faith, and [telling them] that it is through many hardships and tribulations

we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed and ordained elders for them in each church

with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in Whom they had come to believe

(Acts 14:22-24 - AMP).

Throughout the Bible, we see the theme of Fasting repeatedly. In the Old Testament we see Moses, Esther, Isaiah and Daniel fasting .In the New Testament we see Paul, John and our Ultimate example Jesus, who we are all called to pattern our lives after, also fasted.

But why do we as modern Christians fast? Why is it so important to our lives today? There are many reasons why we fast today. We may be fasting for a breakthrough in our lives and ministries; we may be fasting for the souls of the unsaved and many other countless reasons. Fasting in our lives is important however, it only works when pray as well as fast.

When we pray it is an act of submission to God, it is our way of showing dependence on him. Prayer and fasting releases blessings into our lives, as well as bringing us closer to God. It is like a spring clean of our minds. Though we should renew our minds daily, fasting with prayer unclogs our minds of things that have been left unattended. Ultimately fasting and prayer are ways we show our love for God by setting time apart for him and abstaining from things in our lives that distract us from him. It is a discipline that we should practice in our lives and although it is not a commandment set by God, it is expected of us. Therefore as Christians in this modern world we live in today let us show our love for the King of Kings, The Holy One of Israel, Our Father and God and fast not just for gain in our lives but as act of our love and submission to him

Prayer to Our Father

by Noamy Gill

When we use the word "Prayer" what image or meaning at once clicks in our mind? I think talking with God. Before discussing on prayer I want to stop here for a moment. As human beings we love our children and children also love their parents. Although parents know about all the needs of their children, still they want their children to ask them or share with them.

In the same way as God is our Creator and we are His creation, He wants us to talk to Him. In the OT when God wanted to say something to Israel He said it to Moses and then he told God's words to the people. Now we have this privilege that by the Crucifixion of Jesus we have a direct relationship with God. Jesus made a way for a beautiful relationship between God and human beings. He said that when you pray, ask "Father" (Luke 11:2). So, when we ask "Father" its means that we have a deep link and relationship with Him Who loves us and talks to us. Through prayer we come to know God more deeply and closely. When we go in His presence we can get forgiveness, happiness, fellowship, strength, guidance, holiness and more of all these, our spiritual lives are growing. After having a deep and beautiful connection with Him, He gives us the Holy Spirit as a gift of our fellowship. The Holy Spirit guides us in every aspect of our life and when we listen to our guide we can’t lose our way.

We can only know the will of God when we really know Him. So, the more time we spend in prayer, the more we learn the Father's desire, His desires become what we desire. His purpose becomes our purpose. (Psalm 84) In the end I want to say one thing: to keep in your mind that it is never by works of righteousness that we have done, but always and only on the basis of God's Great Love and Mercy towards us. (Amen)

Taking Time to Connect and Listen

by Paul Tan

As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut.

It is evil to make mindless offerings to God.

Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God.

After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

In the experience of the writer of Ecclesiastes, it was noted that people would often come to the temple, bring their offering to the priests serving there at the time, recite a prayer learned by rote, then leave again and feel they have done their duty as a child of Abraham. Everything done on the outside (what man can see) was done in the proper order, but there was no heart connection with God. Merely rash promises, mindless offerings and prayers offered up to God with no time spent listening to what God might say, whether it be through the priest or otherwise.

In our day and age we can be tempted to do much the same. When we put time aside to spend time with God (whether that be in a church setting or on our own) we can immediately get caught up with either going through the motions of “doing church”, or spend all of our quiet times pouring out our heart and telling God how we feel, what we need, what we want and by when, that we forget the fact that we are talking…to God. The Omnipotent. Creator of heaven and earth. The One whose hands the psalmist says flung stars into space. Who is before all things, and through whom all things exist. The writer of Ecclesiastes urges us to ‘let your words be few’. Draw near to God and let Him have the first word. Let Him have the first say. Don’t just go through the motions. Connect. Be still and know that He is God.

Praying to the God Who Sees

by Lynys Nelson

An area of spirituality that keeps recurring is the practice of prayer.  Whether people are Christians or not, they like the idea that someone is praying for them and their wellbeing.

It created an idea that how people see God, reflects how they pray. This notion was bought up by a friend and later discussed in lecture by Dreu. It is examined very closely in a book by Ann Spangler called “Praying the Names of God.”

If people see God as a Santa Claus or a good fairy image, they pray “Give me” prayers. If others see God as a rescuer, they pray “Help me” prayers. Others only pray when they are sick because they see God as a doctor. The image of God reflects their type of prayers.

We need to honestly know God to pray truthfully and wisely. Spangler looks at this idea. She examines Hebrew names of God and shows how to pray (and worship) God more effectively. For example, one important name for God is El Roi. Its meaning is the God who sees me. It was first used by Hagar in Genesis 16:13-14. The name contains trust and assurance that God is watching us. It also contains a warning for us to know that God sees our bad deeds as well as our good. God watches us 24/7 and this gives us a great reason to worship and pray. To know God and pray wisely, goes hand in hand.

Greatest Treasure

by Frigian Reyes

…circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews;

concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church

concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3:5-8

In verse 5 – 6 of Chapter 3, we can find the list of the achievement and titles Paul acquired in his life before his conversion at the road of Damascus. In this we get to know that he really is a very educated man. Having been a Pharisee he knew the Scriptures from back to front, for he had been studying law since he was at a very young age under the well-known rabbi Gamaliel.

But in verses 7 - 8 he stated that everything that he has – which includes all the achievements, the title, the knowledge he had gained – are loss when compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord.

In saying this, Paul wanted to convey to us believers and unbelievers that there is completely nothing - no wealth, no achievements, no knowledge can compare to a great relationship we have and can have with our Saviour.

Doing devotions not only as part of our courses but as part of our everyday life will remind us of this important truth. Because as students we, even unintentionally can get so caught up "knowing about God" that we forget the importance of knowing Him personally, Who He really is and the reality of Himself in our lives.

The greatest promises, the greatest truths and weapon against the devil's lies are found in Christ and His words. Having this in our lives really is worth more than the finest gold this world can offer us.

Religion Gets Real

by Elizabeth Langton

Why is it that the mention of the word “religion” sparks in many negative connotations? To me, to be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ; one who is striving towards reaching Heaven and trying not to get lost in the process. I attend church every week, I run a cell group meeting; I try and live a passionate and committed Christian life and every Friday night I attempt to inspire young people to do the same. During the week, I spend time with God; I read my Bible, I pray and I worship. I take communion whenever it is offered. Aren’t these practices “religious”? Aren’t they also the elements of our Christianity that are essential to staying on track?

I believe that we sometimes become too consumed with the concept of having a relationship over religion, that we forget what Christianity is all about: God, love, people and community. Of course, having a relationship with God is our number one priority. However, maintaining that relationship is harnessed within community, with the support of the right people – with religion. I don’t believe God wants us to forget about religion. Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 & 20, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them…For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus didn’t come to take away all we practice – he came to show us how to live real, committed lives within the most important parts of the Law. I think it’s time we embraced religion and the role it plays. It’s not about just focusing on religion. It’s about deciding to weave spirituality and religion together and embracing that concept in order to live strong Christian lives of purpose and fulfilment and essentially, enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Discipline for the Long Term

by Narelle Harker

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that discipline is a painful experience because we have to retrain or teach our body and mind to behave and work in an ordered way. For some people, the discipline that it takes to hand assignments in on time is a painful process and for yet others the discipline needed to train as an elite athlete can be quite painful. The results of this painful retraining or teaching of our bodies and minds will most often not be seen in the short term, but in the long term. Life is a race to be run in the long term, not a sprint for the short term. Being a consistent, disciplined athlete may just one day earn you an Olympic Gold Medal. Handing your assignments in on time will not only stop you from losing marks for lateness but just may teach you time management skills and goal setting skills.

After an Olympic Gold Medallist has stood on the dais and heard their country’s national anthem playing for them, they would not be regretting a moment of the training, commitment or sacrifice that they have made. All that the medallist sacrificed would be regarded as worth the result. When we achieve a goal that we have disciplined ourselves and sacrificed a lot for, then we too will feel that the end result was worth the retraining of our mind and body. I yearn for the “peaceable fruit of righteousness”, so that my sacrifice will “result in right living and right standing with God” (Amplified Bible), so to achieve what I yearn for, I will need to discipline myself, retrain my body and my mind, so that I can achieve all that God has for me to do.

Finding Our Everpresent God

by Craig Bennett

During the class lecture on Wednesday 26th of August, Dreu Harrison said,

When we find God, we find what we are looking for!

When we find what we are looking for we don’t like it!

This quote made me laugh and write it down, for it explains a lot about human nature. Scripture says that “God moves through, in, and over all things”( Eph 4:6) and that “eternity is written upon our hearts” (Ecc 3:11). This describes the constant shifting and seeking in our lives to find what satisfies us, while consistently failing to do so. We buy the new car, the new house, the new ring, suite of clothes, new job, seeking that promotion, and even a new partner, seek the next experience which appeases the appetite for a short time, burying the uneasiness – that deep within we are still not fulfilled.

There is a process of finding God – and it really is not that we have found him, for God has never moved; rather, we become aware of his reality in our life as he draws us to himself. Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit will convince us of our sinfulness, of the truth and our need for Christ (John 16:8), slowly making us aware of the Godless void within us, that is crying out to be filled.

Then when we discover God is that only person who can fill that void, we discover that we don’t like what we have found, for God beckons us to die, to lay our lives down for him – and we are no longer free to seek our own way, rather to continually allow God’s Spirit his way in our life, alongside the constant tension of the now and the not yet, of knowing God and yearning to know him more, to have more of him in our lives, never satisfied with yesterday’s presence, not satisfied with today’s presence, looking forward to tomorrow with the yearning for the fulfilment of eternity still burning brighter in our hearts, coupled with a contentment of truly knowing that we have truly found what we were looking for.

God as Faithful

by Emma Watson

I was listening to a CD recently with some favorite classic hymns on it and when the hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ came on I was struck by how true and powerful those lyrics are: “All I have needed thy hand hath provided, Great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me”. Upon reflecting on this it really resonates with me – God is faithful. Throughout scripture we see so many examples of God’s faithfulness; He fulfills His promises time and again.

The Lord is faithful to all his promises

and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord upholds all those who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

(Psalm 145:13b-15)

I love Psalm 145 because it declares God as God and exalts His name and speaks of His goodness and faithfulness. The Psalmist draws out some of the character and nature of who our great God is by showing Him as majestic, powerful, righteous, loving, gracious, compassionate, mighty, faithful, provider, near, and shows Him as comforter. The imagery used in this Psalm is so powerful and encapsulates God as the great and mighty King – high above all else; and also shows God as compassionate and caring and personal.

Sometimes in our lives it can be hard to see the faithfulness of God and the challenge for us is to believe and declare His faithfulness in times of hardship – to know He has a perfect plan and He is always faithful.

When I meditate on this Psalm the response caused in me can only be worship to our great God because He is good and faithful; it is in Him I can have full confidence and trust.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

(Psalm 145:21)