UCB Word For Today

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Christianisme
Tous les jours

With daily readings based on Scripture, articles, and things to pray about, the UCB Word For Today is designed to help you get into the habit of spending time with God every day.

-13 h

More responsibility calls for more prayer

In the early days of America, a stranger asked how he might identify George Washington among those present at Congress. He was told, ‘You can easily distinguish him when Congress goes to prayer. Washington is the gentleman who kneels down.’ Washington was known as a man who prayed. When the fate of the new nation hung in the balance at Valley Forge, he frequently found rest and relief in prayer. One day, a farmer approaching Washington’s military camp heard an earnest voice. When he drew nearer, he saw Washington on his knees, his cheeks wet with tears. The farmer returned home and told his wife: ‘George Washington will succeed, and the Americans will secure their independence.’ His wife said, ‘Isaac, what makes you think so?’ He replied, ‘I heard him pray out in the woods today, and the Lord will surely hear his prayer. He will, Hannah, rest assured, He will!’ When we have less, we’re more aware of our need and pray more. But as we acquire and achieve more, we become more self-sufficient and pray less. That’s a mistake. The more God entrusts to you, the more you need His strength, His wisdom, His guidance, and His grace. David sat on a throne and ruled Israel. Was he proud or arrogant? No. ‘When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me…In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid’ (vv. 9, 11 NKJV). So this is the word for today: more responsibility calls for more prayer. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

2 min
-1 j

Have you prayed about it?

From the beginning of the Bible to its conclusion we see absolute evidence that God answers prayer. Things that we think are impossible, God does when people pray! When we pray, we align ourselves with the purposes of God and tap into the power of the Almighty. Because we pray, God works through us in ways He wouldn’t otherwise. God has made certain things dependent upon prayer, things that will never be done unless we pray. Could God do whatever He chooses without our prayer? Of course. But God has determined that He will use the prayers of His people to accomplish His purposes. When we do not pray, we limit what God will do in our lives. Some may not like the sound of this, but if it were not true, what could James mean when he writes: ‘You do not have because you do not ask?’ Why would Paul ask some friends to, ‘Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured…that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people’ (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 NIVUK), if he did not believe their prayers had the power to change his circumstances? Both James and Paul believed that God might well withhold His hand of blessing from them if they neglected to pray. Since they wanted all the blessing available to them, they not only prayed themselves, they recruited others to pray for them. They never wanted to limit what God might be pleased to do in and through them by failing to pray. And if you want all the blessing God has available, you too must pray. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

2 min
-2 j

How to have a good day

In Western culture, we think of a day beginning when the sun comes up. But the creation account says: ‘The evening and the morning were the first day’ (Genesis 1:5 NKJV). Each day began with evening. Author Eugene Peterson noted that in this way, the biblical writers help us to remember: ‘Everything doesn’t depend on me. I go to sleep; God goes to work. It’s His day. The world keeps spinning, tides ebb and flow, lives begin and end even though I am not there to superintend any of it. God is present when I sleep.’ So, the psalmist wrote: ‘In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for he grants sleep to those he loves’ (Psalm 127:2 NIV). It’s estimated that sleep deprivation and driver fatigue is a contributing factor in up to one fifth of road incidents. Lack of sleep causes people to argue with spouses and friends, do subpar work, be less loving and more irritable with children and friends, and generally feel miserable. So, here’s how to ‘have a good day’. Before you go to sleep, take a few minutes to review your day with God. Seek to resolve any household conflicts before bedtime. Paul wrote: ‘Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil’ (Ephesians 4:26-27 NLT). Confess any sin that comes to mind and ask for forgiveness. Where you were blessed today, take time to savour it and say thanks. In other words, give God the last word in your day. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

2 min
-3 j

Exercise patience

Patience, from the biblical perspective, embodies these four things: 1) Confidence in God’s unfailing love and faithfulness to us: ‘His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness’ (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV). 2) Confidence that He will keep His promises to us: ‘There has not failed one word…which He promised’ (1 Kings 8:56 NKJV). 3) Confidence that He has everything that concerns us under control: ‘The LORD will vindicate me’ (Psalm 138:8 NIV). 4) Confidence that even in the most difficult of circumstances, He is working for our good. ‘We know that all things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8:28 NKJV). Confidence in God enables us to live by the Word: ‘He that believeth shall not make haste’ (Isaiah 28:16 KJV). Impatience is at the root of so many of our failures. Hence the apostle James wrote: ‘Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.’ Look at Simon Peter: he came close to committing murder in the garden of Gethsemane in a vain attempt to protect Jesus (see John 18:10). Look at Moses: his impatience caused him to strike the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded; hence he forfeited the Promised Land (see Numbers 20:1-13). Look at Abraham: his impatience while waiting for God’s promise of a son to be fulfilled led to the birth of Ishmael and serious complications in the family (see Genesis 16:1-16). Hence Paul wrote: ‘Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope’ (Romans 15:4 NKJV). So, the word for today is – exercise patience! © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

2 min
-4 j

Before you get married

Here are three things you should be clear about before you commit to a lifetime relationship in marriage (if you’re not in this situation yourself, perhaps you could use these points to guide your prayers for others): 1) Does your partner have a strong relationship with Christ? ‘Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?’ (Amos 3:3 NLT). To stay together, you must walk in step and in the same direction. 2) Is your partner growing spiritually? ‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). If you are not growing together, you will eventually grow apart. Looks may bring you together, but a shared faith and values will keep you together for the long haul. 3) What kind of family background does your partner have? God can help us overcome our obstacles caused by family dysfunction. But you need to know what you are dealing with before you vow to love one another ‘for better or for worse’. Paul wrote: ‘Carry each other’s burdens…this way you will fulfil the law of Christ’ (Galatians 6:2 NIV). But you need to know upfront what those burdens are before committing to a lifetime of helping to share them. Do you know about your partner’s past relationships? ‘If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV). But that doesn’t mean you can cover up the past or lie about it. Mutual transparency is the name of the game! When you know the whole truth about one another, the past loses its power to sabotage your present and your future. No spouse is perfect, but don’t settle for less than God’s best. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

2 min
-5 j

With God’s help, you’ll succeed

Some of the world’s greatest achievers went through life with physical disabilities and overcame incredible adversities. Sir Walter Scott was disabled. John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, was imprisoned. George Washington, America’s first president, almost froze and starved to death in the snows of Valley Forge. Abraham Lincoln played a critical part in ending the scourge of slavery in America, yet he was raised in abject poverty and died prematurely from an assassin’s bullet. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli was subject to bitter religious prejudice. Franklin D. Roosevelt was struck down with infantile paralysis. Ludwig van Beethoven became deaf. Glen Cunningham, an Olympic runner holding many world records, had his legs badly burned in a school fire. Booker T. Washington, Harriet Tubman, Marian Anderson, and George Washington Carver were born into a society filled with racial discrimination. Enrico Caruso was from a large, poor Italian family where only a few children survived past infancy. Itzhak Perlman, concert violinist, lost the function of his legs at age four. In the eyes of his father and family, biblical David wasn’t considered worthy to be Israel’s next king in the place of Saul. Moralists and legalists would surely have disqualified him because of his violation of Bathsheba. Yet God referred to him as ‘a man after my own heart’ (Acts 13:22 NIV). And here’s what David said about God: ‘My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…I have put my trust in the Lord GOD’ (vv. 26, 28 NKJV). The word for today is: with God’s help, you’ll succeed. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

2 min
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Spiritual pathways (6)

The contemplative pathway. If you relate to God best through the contemplative pathway, you love large blocks of quietness and uninterrupted time alone. It is very likely that when you were a child, your parents would tell you to go outside and play with other kids more. Reflection comes naturally to you. You often feel like an observer in life. Here are some Scriptures you easily identify with: ‘Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still. Selah’ (Psalm 4:4 NKJV). ‘Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret’ (Psalm 37:7 NKJV). ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10 NKJV). ‘Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation.’ God is most present to you when distractions and noises are removed. Images, metaphors, and pictures help you as you pray. If you get too busy or spend too much time with too many people hanging around, you begin to feel drained and stretched thin. You do not require much external stimulation. Making time to listen to God in silence and solitude is vital to the health of your soul, and it’s necessary for you to experience a deepening sense of His presence. You need regular, protected, intense, undistracted time alone. But here’s a word of caution: the Bible says, ‘If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another’ (1 John 4:11 NKJV). And love takes time and effort. Sometimes it requires sacrifice. One of the best ways to show your love for God is to show it to the people around you whom God loves. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

2 min
30 juin

Spiritual pathways (5)

The activist pathway. When you’re on this spiritual pathway, you have a high level of energy. This may be one of your favourite Scriptures: ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.’ But one of the dangers of relating to God best through the activist pathway is that a big chunk of your motivation can be self-fulfilment and self-satisfaction. Hence Paul wrote: ‘Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church’ (1 Corinthians 14:12 NLT). When you are an activist, you love a fast-paced, problem-filled, complex, strenuous way of life. At the end of the day, you want to be able to say, ‘I ran really hard. I used every ounce of effort and zeal at my disposal, and it’s all for You, God.’ One biblical example of an activist is Nehemiah. When he heard that the walls of his beloved Jerusalem were in ruins, he wept, he prayed, he petitioned the king for the resources to rebuild them, and then he rolled up his sleeves and went to work. If you are an activist, you need a cause. Without it, your spiritual life will stagnate. But here is a word of caution: don’t get so excited about your cause that you run over people or exploit them. And here’s another word of caution: if you are an activist, you may have a hard time discerning God’s true calling from your own strong impulses to action. If that’s the case, take added time to pray and hear from God and have a qualified friend in your life whose counsel you trust.

2 min

Tout afficher (49)

With daily readings based on Scripture, articles, and things to pray about, the UCB Word For Today is designed to help you get into the habit of spending time with God every day.