Sunday Devotion and Prayer – April 2, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div. Sunday Devotion and Prayer. April 2, 2023 “Remember the Power of the Resurrection” “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In …
Author: Etta Mhoon-Walker
Saturday Devotion and Prayer – April 1, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div. Saturday Devotion and Prayer. April 1, 2023 …
Friday Devotion and Prayer – March 31, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div.
Friday Devotion and Prayer. March 31, 2023
“Be Fervent for Jesus”“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11)
When we hear the word fervent, we usually think of someone intensely passionate. Maybe their fervor is about a topic, a belief, or a stance on something important. A believer who is intensely passionate about Jesus is a treasure. Their zeal for Jesus can not only be seen or heard but felt in our spirits, as well. I’ve been blessed to know a few fervent people in my life. One comes to mind right now. His enthusiasm for the things of God is contagious. Spending time with him uplifts me. He’s passionate about God and the Bible. But it’s even more than that it’s a level of joy almost unexplainable with words.
The Greek word for fervent as used in Romans 12:11 refers to boiling with heat or hot. It reminds me of a phrase I often hear in the church that our spirits should be “on fire for God.” When we’re on fire, others can’t help but feel a change in the atmosphere around us. A warmth beyond our explanation. Oh, what a difference it would make if we as believers could understand the power of a fervent spirit! Living with passionate intensity for God in our homes and communities? Imagine the lives waiting to be changed with freedom and forgiveness through Jesus.
Having a fervent spirit isn’t always easy. In fact, this verse is tucked in with a few other challenges in Scripture, like being patient in affliction and blessing those who persecute us. (Romans 12:12,14) But in his righteousness, God gave us all we would need to live out his call with truth, love, and fervor. So the next time the fervent fire deep within starts to fade, let’s think of that one person. Let’s picture them and take note of how they make us feel. Then we can call on Jesus to reignite the fire inside of us. May it burn with a warmth that can change lives forever.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your Holy Word. It gives me all I need to live a life that honors you and shines the Light of your son, Jesus Christ, on others. But sometimes even in my joy I get weary and discouraged, yet you encourage me to stay “fervent in spirit.” Help me, Lord. Create in me a heart that is fully on fire for you. When I think of others who display fervency for your goodness, I feel more at peace and more hopeful than before. I want to affect others in the same way as I spend time with them. For the people in my life to sense a difference in me that is beyond human understanding. I want my fervency of spirit to be contagious.
Forgive me if I’ve let the fire inside me grow dim. Reignite flames of love, joy, peace, and hope through Jesus that will reach beyond me. Use me to bring glory to you and build your kingdom, Lord. I want others to experience the freedom and forgiveness of Jesus. Finally, Lord, may the spark burning within me light the way for others to know you more. I pray my fervency for you will encourage them to draw near to you and seek you above all else. I give you all praise and honor for being the source of fervency in my life. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Thursday Devotion and Prayer – March 30, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div. Thursday Devotion and …
Wednesday Devotion and Prayer – March 29, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div. Wednesday Devotion …
Tuesday Devotion and Prayer – March 28, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div.
Tuesday Devotion and Prayer. March 28, 2023.
“No More Church as Usual”“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
As a church body, we’ve abandoned living room gatherings and personal discipleship. While this isn’t surprising, it’s not something we should feel comfortable with! The modern-day church has quickly chosen the following platforms over personal relationships. And chosen to go with surface-level conversation and connection over doing meaningful real-life with others.
But, it doesn’t have to be this way! We need to bring back living room gatherings, personal discipleship, and meaningful relationships. We can see Jesus from His life that these things were deeply important when it came to sharing the gospel. He told us in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The way we get to live this out is by being in real relationships and inviting people in. I mean in our hearts and in our homes. One of the sweetest blessings God has given me is my morning devotion and prayer ministry.
I believed if I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought, If I can spread the message as the master taught, Then my living will not be in vain.
My challenge to you is to give God the glory in your homes as we open the doors to host and invite Believers of all ages to spend time with us. No longer can we sit back and think our homes aren’t big enough, pretty enough, or we don’t have the time or capacity.
Whatever lies the enemy has tried to sow, rebuke them in Jesus’s name. If you have a roof over your head, a floor for someone to sit on, and a heart willing to extend an invitation…do it! Be on a mission for God through relationships. Do not delay! Walk in obedience to the Lord and leave the outcomes up to Him!
Heavenly Father, I pray for the confidence to invite people into my home and into my heart to be real with. I pray this will be a year when I see fruit from Godly friendships. Thank you Lord for the way you open doors and make connections with people. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Friday Devotion and Prayer – March 24, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker
“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. [15] He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” – Psalm 91:14,15
You may have heard it said that the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. I must say that something was left out of that list. Difficulties, troubles, tough times, and really hard situations. It seems that not a day goes by when someone I know faces some sort of hard, some sort of difficult struggle. Whether small and irritating or absolutely devastating and life-changing, we all have many moments in our lives that drop us to our knees as we pour out our cries to the Lord.
No matter what life throws at us, we can find strength in this Bible verse. These words from Psalm 91, penned so long ago, by a man who lived a life filled with many troubles, can fill our hearts with hope. The way through the darkness, the troubled times are found in the beauty of these words.
Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him. Know the Lord, seek to grow closer to Him, search to find Him in the pages of the Bible. Hold to the promises found in Scripture, make them a part of your every breath and He will deliver you in the midst of that fear of the diagnosis, the pain of your broken heart, the worry of your thoughts.
I will protect him, because he knows my name. These powerful words are a reminder to us that we must know God. We must know the power of His name and understand His character. Each moment of our lives, whether filled with good or with pain, we must learn to know Him more, to cling to Him deeper, to pray to Him in sincerity and humility, and to fall more in love with Him. He is a good Father, and He will protect those who are His children.
When he calls to me, I will answer him. When we call on Him, when we pray to Him, He will answer! When the answer comes, trust Him. Perhaps he doesn’t answer in the way that you want but remind yourself that it’s in the way that He deems best. He alone knows the future; He is God.
I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him. He will rescue you and He will honor you. That honor could be fulfilled by answering your prayer in exactly the way that you want, or it could be that He honors you in some other way, in a way that glorifies Him as it brings you peace, a deeper understanding of who He is and an opportunity to become more like Jesus. No matter the news, the relationship struggles, the pain and turmoil that you are walking through, He promises that He will be with you in your trouble.
So, in the midst of the unknowns and the ‘what next’ questions that flood your mind, turn your eyes back to Jesus. Rest in Him, trust Him. He promises to deliver you, protect you, answer you, be with you, rescue you and honor you. Those are the truths that you can know that you can focus on as you go into your next moments and into every situation that stands before you. He is God, and He is a good God who loves you, hears you and stays with you through every single breath of your life. Remind yourself that you are never alone in the midst of your troubles when you have the God who created everything and who loves you so incredibly right there by your side holding you through them.
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Heavenly Father,
Thank you for these words of promise. You are a God who keeps your word. Be with me today as I cling to you in every one of my situations. Deliver me from the traps and lies of the enemy. Protect me from the fiery arrows that are falling down upon me. Answer me Lord when I call. Rescue me and honor me Lord as I cling to you, as I look to you, and as I love you with every cell in my body. May others see you through the way that you fulfill your promises in my life.
In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
