It is amazing how God speaks to us. Since deciding to join Usana I have been wanting to make sure it is the thing that God wants us to do. When I went to Church yesterday the message was all about having faith in God and asking for what you want and believing that God will answer those prayers. I have also been amazed when looking at the Word for Today that it was so relivant. They are as follows:
The Word For Today
Daily Devotional
Written by Bob & Debby Gass & Ruth Gass Halliday.
Thursday 7 May 2009
Begin again!
"...You have heard of the perseverance of Job..."
James 5:11 NKJVThere are four faces of the man of God in the book of Ezekiel: a lion, an eagle, a man, and an ox. The last face, the ox, speaks of perseverance. The ox is a plodder. He will plough from sunrise until sunset. Put him in a stall, feed him, and next day he'll plough and plod until the task is complete. He refuses to quit. Look at Job, attending the funeral of his ten children, losing his wealth and his health, listening to a wife with a tongue sharp enough to clip a hedge. Yet despite all the dour words he didn't quit. Learn from him! "You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and seen the end intended by the Lord." Job focused on the end-goal, not the immediate circumstance. Our problem is, we want it all now. A billboard reads, 'Antiques manufactured while you wait.' Life doesn't work that way! There are times when quitting looks good, defeat inescapable and retreat the only option. The question is, how will you handle these times? David Ben-Gurion observed: "Courage is a special kind of knowledge; the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared. From this knowledge comes an inner strength that inspires us to push on in the face of great difficulty. What can seem impossible is often possible with courage." So whatever difficulties you're facing today, draw on God's grace and keep trying. Mountains only seem so high from the valley. The road to success runs uphill; don't expect to break any speed records. The thing to try when all else fails is 'begin again!'
Soulfood Bible Readings Num 11-13, Mark 7:1-13, Ps 37:32-40, Pr 11:7-8
Published in Australia by United Christian Broadcasters Australia (UCB). www.ucb.com.au © Copyright 2004.
The Word For Today
Daily Devotional
Written by Bob & Debby Gass & Ruth Gass Halliday.
Friday 8 May 2009
Strengthen your mind through the Scriptures!
"Study... present yourself to God approved, a workman..."
2 Timothy 2:15 AMPOur bodies don't work too well without adequate exercise; neither do our minds! Ever go back upstairs to remind yourself of why you originally went downstairs? Are names, numbers and appointments you remembered effortlessly in the past becoming increasingly elusive? Do you sometimes wonder if you're 'losing it?' Doctors say that in most cases, mindless hours in front of television, avoiding intellectual stimulation and exertion, result in the shrinking of our mind's capacity, including our memory. 'Brain fitness' experts assure us that our brains don't grow old from working too hard, but from hardly working at all. 'Brain plasticity' - the capacity of our mind to retain or regain flexibility - is a matter of exercise. When you just let your mind 'vegetate' and don't stretch it with thoughtful reading, rational thinking, intelligent analysis and conversation, it loses plasticity and becomes old at any age. On the other hand, if you challenge your mind regularly, your brain gets younger as you get older (the problem is not how old your brain is, but how old your thinking is). Here's a great way to strengthen your mind: "Study... present yourself to God approved, a workman who has no cause to be ashamed...accurately dividing the Word of truth." The word 'study' in Greek text means to exert yourself mentally, to push your mind to study God's Word. Like a 'workman,' make it work! God promises that if you meditate on His Word daily you'll become "...like a tree planted by streams of water...which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Ps 1:3 NIV). Don't let your mind 'wither;' exercise and strengthen it by studying the Scriptures!
Soulfood Bible Readings Num 14-15, Mark 7:14-23, Ps 44:1-8, Pr 11:9
Published in Australia by United Christian Broadcasters Australia (UCB). www.ucb.com.au © Copyright 2004.
Command 17: Ask, Seek, and Knock Day 113
Ask for “Good Things”!
One day, a teenage boy informed me that he did not believe in prayer. I asked him why not, and he stated, “Because one time I begged God to answer my prayer and He did not do it.” I responded, “If you asked God for the right thing, you can be sure He gave it to you, because He promises that ‘everyone that asketh receiveth.’ Maybe the problem was that you were not asking for the right thing.”
Command Seventeen:
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8).
In this command, God compares His giving to that of a loving father; thus, He reasons, “If his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:9–11).
Good things from the Lord are also spoken of in the Psalms. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits … Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:2, 5).
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).
Just as every good gift comes from God, we can be sure that all the things He gives us are indeed good. At times, we may ask for things that we think are good but that would actually bring us harm if we received them. Our omniscient heavenly Father wisely and lovingly does not grant us these requests.
In addition to providing for our needs, God wants to use us as channels of blessing and provision to others. By cooperating with Him in giving to others, we can participate in the advancement of His kingdom. For this reason, the context of this command is significant. The disciples had observed Jesus praying and said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Jesus then gave them a model prayer. It begins with a focus on God’s name: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” This is followed by a primary concern for God’s kingdom: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Then, our needs are presented: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Next, we are challenged to forgive as we would wish to be forgiven: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” The final request is to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil [the evil one].” Then the reason is given for God to answer this prayer: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
When we are more concerned about the name and reputation of God and His kingdom than we are concerned about our own needs and desires, we will have a powerful basis for prayer. Let’s take a closer look at the things we pray for to determine if they are “good things” and if our motives in asking are right. (See James 4:3.)
Through Christ our Lord,
Bill Gothard
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you …” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Command 17: Ask, Seek, and Knock Day 114
Ask With Fervency!
Why is it that sometimes we pray and seek for good things, but nothing seems to happen? One answer is that we may not be praying with sufficient fervency. This is the instruction of James 5:16: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much [makes much power available].”
Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” (James 5:17–18).
Fervent prayer fulfills the requirement to seek God with our whole heart so we can find Him. (See Jeremiah 29:13.)
God records the fervency of Elijah’s praying: [he] “cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees (I Kings 18:42). Seven times Elijah fervently prayed for rain. Daniel’s fervency is also recorded for our instruction: “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). He prayed for 21 days!
A Christian couple was experiencing financial pressures and purposed to get out of debt. They began praying that God would bring a buyer for some land that they owned. After two years of praying, not one person had even called about the property. The financial pressures were becoming more intense. One day they learned about the power of crying out and fervently asked God to sell their land. Within 24 hours God brought a buyer who paid the full price they were asking!
A fervent cry is important because it represents an unconditional surrender to a holy and loving God.
It is evident from God’s dealings with Israel that His number-one concern was that they would keep their focus on Him. For 40 years God trained Israel to look to Him each day for their daily bread, but as soon as they entered the Promised Land, they began looking to other gods.
For this reason, God brought about circumstances that would motivate them to turn away from other gods and cry out to Him for the deliverance that only He can give. (See Psalm 50:15.) In crying out, we must not only be fervent; we must also be patient. Remember that God heard Israel’s cry for deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and He sent them a deliverer. However, Moses came as a baby and they had to wait 80 years for him to lead them out of bondage. In the meantime, God was preparing them to fully trust Him and to be giant killers in the Land of Promise.
If we have prayed for God to solve an impossible situation and nothing has happened, let’s ask ourselves if we have prayed with the fervency of total surrender and are cooperating with God during our time of waiting.
Through Christ our Lord,
Bill Gothard
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you …” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Command 17: Ask, Seek, and Knock Day 115
Ask With Confidence!
God will always act in accordance with His Word. What an awesome opportunity this affords us to know the will of God! Our responsibility is to study His Word and have it continually before our eyes so that we can obey it and draw upon it when a need arises. This is the basis for effective prayers.
Daniel looked to God’s Word given in the writings of Moses and Jeremiah to understand God’s will regarding the Jews captivity. Based on this understanding of God’s will from Scripture, Daniel prayed for God to carry out His sovereign will. (See Daniel 9.)
What greater source of confidence could we have than God’s Word, which states, “Everyone that asketh receiveth” (Matthew 7:8).
Years ago, after a Basic Seminar in Seattle, Washington, a couple asked me if I would pray with them for a child. They had prayed for several years and had not yet received a child. As I asked several questions of the couple, I also asked the Lord for the Scriptures on which I could base my prayer.
He brought to my mind His first command to mankind, “Be fruitful and multiply.” He also brought to mind the words of Psalm 127:3–5, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. … Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.” Then I remembered the words of Jesus: “Whoso shall receive [including receiving into one’s family] one such little child in my name receiveth me” (Matthew 18:5).
As these Scriptures filled my mind, a great source of faith filled my heart, and I had great confidence that God was going to give this couple a child. After we prayed, I made them promise to bring the child to the seminar the next year. Sure enough, the next year during a break, I saw this couple pushing a baby stroller toward the platform so that I could see the answer to our prayers.
The preparation of an effective prayer often requires more time than the presentation of the prayer.
The vital importance and effectiveness of basing prayers on the Word of God is clearly stated in John 15:7: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” The commands of Christ that we are learning are the words of Jesus. Thus, John writes, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (I John 3:22). Let’s learn the Word of God so that we can confidently present our requests to Him, knowing that they are in accordance with His will.
Through Christ our Lord,
Bill Gothard
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you …” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Command 17: Ask, Seek, and Knock Day 116
Seek and Find!
It would be hard to estimate the number of Christians who pray for a needed item, and after a time of waiting, conclude that God did not give it to them. This conclusion is not always the case since the Scripture states, “For everyone that asketh receiveth” (Matthew 7:8).
The problem may not be God’s failure to give, but it may be our failure to seek and find what He gave: “He that seeketh findeth.” The sequence of giving, seeking, and finding is illustrated in the world of nature. God states that He feeds the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field. (See Matthew 6:26.) However, He does not spread out their food each day, but rather provides it in such a way that they must seek it out.
It would require a huge room in heaven to contain all the unclaimed gifts that God has given in answer to prayers.
Years ago, our Printing Department expressed an urgent need for a five-color Heidelberg press. We asked God for it and believed that He had given it to us. Then I sent them out to look for it. They informed me that the kind of press we were looking for cost approximately $600,000. I explained that we did not have that much money, and therefore, they must keep looking for the press that God had provided for us.
Later, they returned with great excitement. They had found a better Heidelberg press, and after negotiations and trading in one of our old presses, it would cost only $300,000! We all felt a peace that this was God’s provision but asked Him to confirm it. The day before we were to make our final decision, we received an unexpected gift of $300,000! When visitors take tours at Headquarters, we are privileged to explain this supernatural provision. Leaders from other nations have literally praised God because of this provision, even though some of them had previously stated that they did not believe in God.
Seeking God requires initiative and diligence on our part.
A young couple in Illinois asked God for a home that they could buy without going into debt. By exercising thriftiness and resourcefulness, they were able to save $10,000 each year toward the purchase of their home. After five years, a distant relative heard about their commitment to purchase a home debt-free and sent them a totally unexpected gift of $35,000!
With $85,000 they went out “just to look” and found their “dream house.” However, it was priced at $125,000. They told the owners that this was exactly what they were looking for and they hoped that it would be back on the market in four years when they had enough money to buy it. The owners were so impressed with this couple and their commitment to not go into debt that they sold them the house for $85,000!
Let’s realize that God delights to demonstrate His love and power to those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him and who seek and find the gifts He gives.
Through Christ our Lord,
Bill Gothard
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you …” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Command 17: Ask, Seek, and Knock Day 117
Seek the Best First!
A philosopher once observed that there are two great tragedies in life. The first tragedy is not getting the desires of our heart. The second tragedy is getting them! The problem is that we think we know what we want, but when we finally get it, it is not what we thought it was going to be. We are disappointed and become disillusioned.
For this reason we must first seek the face of the Giver before seeking His gifts. There is a built-in reward for all who do this. A 16-year-old King of Israel discovered that “as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper” (II Chronicles 26:5). Notice that God does not say that He will bless our labor for Him, but He will bless our seeking of Him. In fact, He reproved the church at Ephesus for losing their first love for Him, even though they were busy doing good works. (See Revelation 2:15.)
God wants us to seek His face rather than His hand.
One of the practical reasons for seeking the Lord is so that He will give us the right desires. Then we will want the right things. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).
The most important reason, however, is that God created us to have fellowship with Him. All of the circumstances in life are designed to promote and strengthen this fellowship. David understood this when he wrote, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). Then David gives a powerful personal testimony in Psalm 105:4 and Psalm 34:10:
“Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” “They that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”
As a teenager, I would read these verses and want to apply them, but I wondered how to do it. Then one day I discovered the words of Psalm 63:1–6, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee … . My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.”
I began to go to sleep meditating on a passage of newly memorized Scripture. I would share it with the Lord over and over, each time emphasizing a different word and trying to picture its application in my life. God began to prosper my life with all the good things that He knew would bring success. Because there is nothing more important in life or foundational to daily success, I am praying that nothing will hinder you from seeking the Lord’s face!
Through Christ our Lord,
Bill Gothard
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you …” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Command 17: Ask, Seek, and Knock Day 118
Knock With the Right Name!
Why is a good name rather to be chosen than great riches? (See Proverbs 22:1.) It is because a name is more than a label; it represents the character and nature of the person who has it. This is why Jesus instructs us to use His name when we pray.
“Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14).
The name of Jesus is bigger than the word Jesus. It represents many important attributes that identify His person, character, function, authority, and power. For example, He is our Redeemer, Protector, Shepherd, Provider, and Counselor. He is our Light, Bread of Life, Living Water, Wisdom, and a host of other characteristics. His names testify to the fact that He is everything we currently need or ever will need.
When we bring a request to our heavenly Father, we should understand the nature of the Lord Jesus that directly relates to that request. If we are asking for physical healing, we could use the name of Jesus as our Great Physician, because He is the One Who makes the spirit, soul, and body whole. If we ask for wisdom, we can use the name of Jesus as our Mighty Counselor.
When Hezekiah appealed to God for deliverance from the enemy, he recognized the precise attribute of God that related to his need. He began with these words: “O Lord God of Israel.” “Israel” means “God prevails.” It was the name given to Jacob after he wrestled with the angel and said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” Then Hezekiah stated, “Thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.” God assured Hezekiah, “That which thou hast prayed to me … I have heard.” (See II Kings 19:15–20.)
“They that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee” (Psalm 9:10).
Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” They responded by giving names: “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked, “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter responded by saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told Peter, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (See Matthew 16:13–17.)
When we ask, seek, and knock, do we recognize the authority and power behind the precious name of Jesus? He is “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” (See Ephesians 1:15–23.) Let’s learn as many of Jesus’ names as we can so we can more fully understand and appreciate His character and nature and look to Him to meet all of our needs.
Through Christ our Lord,
Bill Gothard
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you …” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Command 17: Ask, Seek, and Knock Day 119
Knock With Persistence!
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He told them a story about someone who had encountered an unexpected need. This example is a powerful illustration of the command to ask, seek, and knock.
At midnight a man in need knocked on the door of his friend and asked for some loaves of bread. Even though the friend knew the man’s name and accepted him as a friend, he would not get out of bed to meet the need until the man was persistent. “Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity [persistence] he will rise and give him as many [loaves] as he needeth.” (See Luke 11:5–8).
Persistent “knocking” reinforces fervent prayer. It confirms our passion to have God do great things.
The fervent prayers recorded in Scripture reveal the great passions of men and women of faith who have earnestly sought after God and His kingdom. Without a passion, our lives are bland and mundane; with a passion, they can be dynamic and productive.
The reformer John Knox had a passion and vision to reach the nation of Scotland with the Gospel. Though persecuted by the Church of Rome and others, he continued to boldly proclaim the truth of God’s Word. He would frequently pray with fervency and power, “O God, give me Scotland, or I die!” God heard those cries and worked through John Knox to bring about a great awakening in that nation. What passions do we have that call for fervent praying, diligent seeking, and persistent knocking?
If we ask, seek, and knock, God will open up the right doors.
In this command, Jesus did not identify what the “door” represented. However, other Scripture verses explain the significance of a door. The first door that Jesus will open up is a greater understanding of Himself. He stated, “I am the door” (John 10:9). He will then open up a door of faith. (See Acts 14:27.) Through faith, He will open up great and effectual doors of opportunity. (See I Corinthians 16:9.) With these doors will come a further “door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4:3).
It is God Who opens these doors, not us; and we are told in Revelation 3:8 that when God opens a door, no man can shut it. Over the years, I have asked God to open many different doors of opportunity, and I have seen Him do so in marvelous ways.
In your journaling this week, it would be meaningful to record any significant prayers that you have not yet seen God answer. Think through the searching and knocking that you can do in order to appropriate what you asked God for. Your personal experiences related to this command will be a valuable spiritual heritage from which your family and others can gain insights and encouragement to ask, seek, and knock.
Through Christ our Lord,
Bill Gothard
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you …” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Copyright © 2005–2006,
Institute in Basic Life Principles. All Rights Reserved.The Institute in Basic Life Principles is located at 707 West Ogden Ave., Hinsdale, IL 60521.
Our Dream house
Mini Bikes for the kids
Flying Fox in the backyard
Fast computer
Play ground for the kids
Chook pen and vegie garden
Cruise in the carribeen
Writing a book
Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef
Make over 
Jet ski
Going to fine dining restuarants
Home theartre System
Home Gym
Harley
Going to the Grand Cayon
Dream house in the country
Fly first class
Have a gourmet Kitchen
Daily massages
Selection of fine wines
Caravan
Fishing Boat 
Go Game hunting
Have a holiday house at the Caloundra
Holiday in the bay Islands
Drive a sports car
Go on a carribeen cruise
Go to the hairdressers regularly
Have a great home office
Go 4 wheel driving
Take the kids to Disney Land
Honey moon
Take the kids to Sea World
