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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Prayer (1)
05 February 2025

‘Lord, teach us to pray.’
Luke 11:1 NKJV

Demonstrating an uncommon level of honesty, a well-known pastor says: ‘Prayer is the biggest struggle I have…It’s difficult to maintain a consistent prayer life, and especially difficult to sustain the conviction that it does any good at times.’

Prayer doesn’t come naturally for the majority of us. We know it’s supposed to be a dialogue, but often it feels like a monologue. There is nothing worse than trying to talk with someone who won’t talk back. We don’t like to admit it, but often what we are really wondering about prayer is, ‘How can I pray so that God will give me what I want?’ One little boy was asked if he said his prayers every night. He replied, ‘No, some nights I don’t need anything.’

Prayer is not about the particular words you use or the length of time you spend praying. It’s about getting acquainted. It’s about building a relationship. If you have something to talk to someone about, you may say, ‘We need to find somewhere we can talk.’ You want to make sure you’re heard, and that you hear what the other person has to say. When you eliminate the noise of this world, you maximise your ability to hear God. It shows God you’re taking your relationship with Him seriously.

The psalmist said, ‘He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty’ (Psalm 91:1 NKJV). Do you have a ‘secret place’ where you can be alone with God? It can be anywhere. But you need a place where you can go and show you mean business with God.

Exodus 25-26, Matthew 20:17-34

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Prayer (2)
06 February 2025

‘Men always ought to pray and not lose heart.’
Luke 18:1 NKJV

A PhD student at Princeton University once walked into Albert Einstein’s office and asked, ‘What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?’ The brilliant scientist replied, ‘Find out about prayer.’ Einstein wasn’t the only person who was curious about prayer. Jesus taught about it, and the reason was because the disciples asked Him to. They may not have desired to write dissertations on it, but they wanted to know how to pray. It’s the only time in the Bible where one person clearly teaches another person how to pray, and all because of a request from the disciples. ‘Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray”’ (Luke 11:1 NIV).

The disciples had been observing Jesus as He prayed. Apparently, the way He prayed was so distinct from the way they prayed that they said, ‘Show us how to pray the way you pray.’ Before Jesus fed the multitude supernaturally, or selected His twelve disciples, or calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, He took time to pray. And the results of His prayers were so amazing that the disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’

Prayer is not primarily about telling God what you need; it’s about getting closer to God. As one pastor writes: ‘It’s almost as if God is saying, “Don’t bring me your shopping list. I already know what’s on it. We will deal with that later. Bring me your heart. Bring me your love. Bring me your undivided attention.”’ Prayer is not mainly about getting things from the Lord; it’s about spending time with the Lord.

Exodus 27-28, Matthew 21:1-22

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Breaking out of the failure syndrome
07 February 2025

‘Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.’
Romans 8:37 NLT

When you have been abused, rejected, or abandoned, it’s easy to become shame based and end up with a very poor self-image. The devil knows this, so he will attack your personal confidence whenever he can find an opening. He wants you to believe that you are a failure, because without confidence you will never step out and try to do the things you truly want to do. He does not want you to fulfil God’s plan for your life.

If he can make you believe that you are incapable, then you won’t even try to accomplish anything worthwhile. And even if you do make an effort, your fear of failure will seal your defeat, which, because of lack of confidence, you probably expected from the beginning. This is often referred to as the ‘failure syndrome’. You fail because of wrong beliefs, and you continue to have wrong beliefs because you fail. It’s hard to know which came first, but you find yourself in a trap you cannot seem to get out of.

What’s the answer? As a redeemed child of God, the Bible says that you are ‘in Christ’. Jesus defeated Satan and triumphed over him at the cross. And because you are ‘in Christ’, His victory is your victory. You can break out of the failure syndrome and begin to succeed in life. Here is why: ‘Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.’ Note the words ‘despite all these things’. Regardless of what has happened to you in the past, God has a wonderful future in mind for you.

Exodus 29-30, Matthew 21:23-46

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
Improve your self-talk

08 February 2025
‘I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.’
Psalm 34:1 NKJV

Whether you know it or not, you have an ongoing conversation with yourself. How does it sound? Do you encourage yourself? Or do you condemn yourself? If you are positive, then you strengthen your positive self-image. If you are negative, you weaken your self-worth. If you’re serious about improving your life, then you must improve the way you think of yourself. And to do that, you must change the way you talk to yourself. And the older you grow, the more responsible you are for the way you think, talk, and believe.

Don’t you already have enough problems? Why give yourself more by discouraging yourself with negative self-talk? Turn into your own encourager. Each time you do a good job, compliment yourself. Each time you choose discipline over an indulgence, don’t tell yourself that you should have done that anyway; appreciate how much you are helping yourself. Each time you make a mistake, don’t rehearse everything that’s wrong with yourself; tell yourself that you’re paying the price for growth and that you will learn to do better next time.

The psalmist recognised the importance of his self-talk: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.’ ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits’ (Psalm 103:2 NKJV). ‘I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust”’ (Psalm 91:2 NKJV). The word for today is – improve your self-talk.

Exodus 31-33, Matthew 22:1-22

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Are YOU feeling unqualified?
09 February 2025

‘I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.”’
Nehemiah 2:20 NLT

With its walls torn down, Jerusalem was defenceless against her enemies. So, Nehemiah assembled a team to rebuild the walls. He had no training for this job. He wasn’t an architect or a builder. Jerusalem was far away, and he had never been there. Any way you look at it, he was unqualified for the job. That’s a common denominator with many of the people God has used in a remarkable way. Noah was a farmer, called to build a boat in the desert. David was a shepherd, called to topple a Philistine champion. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, called to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.

When it comes to doing God’s will, God-ordained passions are considerably more important than any human ability we can contribute. In fact, God often uses us at our point of greatest inability. That way He receives all the credit. But understand this: when God gives you a ‘burden’, or a ‘passion’, or a ‘vision’, you have a choice to make.

Nehemiah already had a good job. Being the king’s cupbearer was like being his right-hand man. He didn’t simply enjoy job security, he enjoyed the perks and privileges of his position. He would have been comfortable staying right where he was. But if he had chosen to do that, he would have missed God’s will, missed having a book named after him in the Bible, and you wouldn’t be reading about him right now.

Are you feeling unqualified? When God calls you, He equips you, resources you, guides you, and guarantees your success.

Luke 2:25-52, Psalms 16-17

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

The difference between Abraham and Peter
10 February 2025

‘[Peter] saw…the waves…and began to sink.’
Matthew 14:30 NLT

When Peter stepped out of the boat at the command of Jesus, he was doing something he had never done before; something miraculous – walking on water. As long as he remained in faith, he was successful, but when fear gripped his heart, he began to sink. The Bible says, ‘When he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him’ (vv. 30-31 NLT). Peter’s mistake was that he became preoccupied with the storm. When he focused on the circumstances around him rather than on the Saviour close to him, he lost his faith and began to doubt.

Abraham faced a different but equally difficult set of circumstances: fathering a son when he was almost one hundred years old. But the Bible says, ‘Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God’ (Romans 4:20 NLT). Abraham was aware of his situation, but unlike Peter, he was not preoccupied with it. It was his determined and focused faith that propelled him forward to success.

And you can learn from Peter’s mistake and Abraham’s example. You can be aware of your circumstances, but not preoccupied with them. You can purposely keep your mind on Jesus, trusting in faith that He will provide the miracle you need. So, the word for today is – keep your eyes on Jesus, stay focused on what He has promised you in His Word, keep walking by faith, and you will get to where you need to be.

Exodus 34-35, Matthew 22:23-46

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Blessing is progressive
11 February 2025

‘Gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel.’
1 Kings 18:19 NKJV

The greatest chapter in the story of Elijah’s life took place on Mount Carmel. That’s when he called down fire from heaven, defeated the prophets of Baal, and turned the hearts of the Israelites back to God. The word ‘Carmel’ means ‘fruitful ground’. But before Elijah could get to Mount Carmel, he had to go through two places:

First, God led him to the brook called Cherith. The word ‘Cherith’ means ‘to make covenant with’. It was here that Elijah discovered that God is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God who can sustain you through the hardest of times. It was here during a drought and famine that ravens brought food to him each day and he drank from the refreshing waters of the brook. But the Bible says, ‘After a while…the brook dried up’ (1 Kings 17:7 NKJV). Now, when God allows your brook to dry up, it’s in order to drive you back to your true source, which is Himself, that you may get further instructions.

Second, God led him to a widow in Zarephath. The word ‘Zarephath’ means ‘to refine as in a melting pot’. Gold is not pure in its original form. It must be refined, and this is accomplished by heating it to the boiling point. The heat separates the raw substance from its impurities, which surface and are skimmed off. And God will do the same for you by using the heat of trials to separate the gold from the dross in your life. He knows the experiences you need to reach Mount Carmel, the place of fruitfulness, so trust Him. He knows what He is doing.

Exodus 36-38, Matthew 23:1-22

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Intimacy, dependency, obedience (1)
12 February 2025

‘For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.’
John 5:20 NIV

These three things define the relationship Jesus had with His Father, and they are a blueprint for the kind of relationship you need to build with God: intimacy, dependency, obedience. First: let’s look at intimacy.

Jesus said, ‘For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.’ You only reveal yourself, including your innermost thoughts and secrets, to someone with whom you are intimate. And when you become intimate with God, He will share with you things that others are not privy to. David’s greatest passion was to know God intimately. In Psalm 25:4 he writes: ‘Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths’ (NIV). Then he follows up by saying, ‘The Lord confides in those who fear [honour] him’ (v. 14 NIV).

Having an intimate relationship with God involves three things:

a) Desire. The truth is that you are as close to God right now as you desire to be; otherwise, you would rearrange your priorities to make it happen.

b) Discipline. This calls for spending time alone with God in prayer and Bible reading each day. When you pray, you’re talking to God. When you read the Bible, God is talking to you.

c) Delight. ‘Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart’ (Psalm 37:4 NKJV). Something wonderful happens when you ‘delight yourself in the Lord’. His desires become ‘the desires of your heart’, so He can trust you with them.

Do you want a more intimate relationship with the Lord? If you are willing to pursue it, you can have it.

Exodus 39:40, Matthew 23:23-39

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Intimacy, dependency, obedience (2)
13 February 2025

‘The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.’
John 5:19 NIV

The second thing that defines Jesus’ relationship with His Father is this: dependency. Corrie ten Boom used to say, ‘I am just the glove, Jesus is the hand that fills it and works through it.’ That’s a picture of Christ’s relationship with His heavenly Father, and it’s a blueprint for the kind of relationship you can have with God. In the Bible you will notice two all-important things about Jesus:

1) He never seemed to suffer from the fear of failing, like we so often do. Why? Because He prayed regularly and got direction from His Father. Knowing He was acting on the Father’s word and operating in the Father’s will, He never doubted. Until you have heard from God, you are a question mark. But once you have heard from God, you are an exclamation mark.

2) Jesus knew He couldn’t accomplish anything of significance without His Father’s direction and power, so He never attempted to. We, on the other hand, say we trust God but act like everything depends on us. And the result? We fall flat on our faces and keep wondering why. Every action of God in your life is intended to increase, not decrease, your dependence on Him. Someone wisely said, ‘You’ll never know that Christ is all you need until Christ is all you’ve got.’ To bring you to the place of total dependence on Himself, God will allow your ego to be crushed and your self-sufficiency to be stripped away. At that point you make a life-changing discovery: when you have nothing left but God – God is enough!

Leviticus 1-3, Matthew 24:1-28

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Intimacy, dependency, obedience (3)
14 February 2025

‘For I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.’
John 5:30 NIV

The third thing that defines Jesus’ relationship with His Father is this: obedience. Jesus said, ‘I judge only as I hear…for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.’ Note the words ‘as I hear’. When you know you have heard from God, you have confidence to handle whatever life throws at you, and to take on any assignment He gives you.

Christ’s first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana. In it you will find a statement that’s crucial to experiencing God’s miraculous power in your life: ‘Whatever He says to you, do it’ (John 2:5 NKJV). That means you must be willing to obey God when what He tells you to do doesn’t seem rational, and when it’s not popular, and when it’s inconvenient, and when it’s costly, and when it requires you to walk an unfamiliar pathway. And you will only reach this level of obedience when you’re committed to a life of intimacy with God and dependency on God.

And here is something you need to know: intimacy, dependency, and obedience are not cultivated by you trying to love God more, but on having a revelation of God’s amazing, undeserved, unfailing love for you: ‘God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins’ (1 John 4:9-10 NLT). So, pray for a revelation of God’s great love for you.

Leviticus 4-5, Matthew 24:29-51