FEBRUARY DEVOTIONALS

THE 1st of FEBRUARY

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. - Colossians 3:8-10

When we asked Jesus to become the Lord of our lives, we have been born again, or we have “put on the new man." This "new man" is in a continuous renewal process since the Holy Spirit had touched us, convicted us of sin and we had admitted that we were sinners in need of a Savior. The fact that Jesus came to dwell in our hearts through faith was just the beginning of a long line of inner transformations that come from the renewing of the mind through the Word of God (Romans 12:2).

We are to “put off” all the bad habits, negative and temperamental ways of reacting to what we did not like or want, every feelings of hating others or being malicious, any desire for vengeance or harsh words, or even insults, curses or dirty words. As "born again" Christians, we are the followers of Christ, which means that we should follow the example of our Lord in all areas of life.

In my early Christian years, I heard a message called ”What would Jesus do?”, that helped m very much in my spiritual walk. When I was not sure how should I react or what decision to make, I started to form the habit of asking myself: “What would Jesus do, if He was in my place?” That helped me to clear my mind and allow the Holy Spirit to show me the right response to my situation and also to realize what should not be a part of my new life with Christ, anymore. As a result, I started to not only pay more attention to my thoughts, emotions, words and actions, but it also increased my hunger for studying God’s Word, getting to know Jesus and God’s will, more and more.

Suggested prayer: Thank you from the bottom of my heart, My Lord, for Your written Word, where I get to know You more and more. Please help me be more and more like You, to renounce to all the bad reactions, attitudes and emotions that You do not like and to start to put on the ones You like. Please help me talk right so my words will please You and help build up those who hear it. All my attempts to change myself in my own strength failed, so please beloved Holy Spirit, help me to truly change all that needs to be changed inside of me, so I may become more and more like Jesus. Thank You so very much, my Lord, amen.

THE 2nd of FEBRUARY

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; - Colossians 3:12

What does the word “saint” really mean? We may simply say that a saint is a person that is right-standing with God. The dictionary “HELPS Word Studies,” explains the original Greek word “hágios,” as "holy," "technically" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord." The word may also mean: properly, different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; and for the believer, it means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."

In Colossians 1:2, Paul addressed the letter "to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse...” The saints and brothers were the members of the local church and they had to be alive at that time, if Paul wrote the letter to them. Once we become Christians, we are “the elect of God, holy and beloved,” but not as a result of our own efforts or because we never sinned since then. After we have truly repented and asked God to forgive our sins, we received “Jesus’ righteousness” and because of Him we are as Paul wrote in the above verse.

Once we become Christians, we separate ourselves from the world seeking to please God and obeying Him (no longer obeying the carnal nature), making us different than those who live in sin.

Paul, being led by the Holy Spirit, called those whom he addressed in the letter, saints, and then, he advised them "... Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…” (Colossians 3:9-10). This proves that the saints in Colosse, still had room to improve, and for sure they were not holy because of their performances, or because they had become sinless, but because God chose them and they said yes. It is the same for us, too. If we have regret when we sin and sincerely repent, asking God to forgive us and then we do our best to live in obedience to the Lord, we are cleansed by Jesus’ blood and through His righteousness we are holy.

Suggested prayer: Glory and honor to Your holy name oh Lord, because in Your great love, You have chosen me, and made me holy so I can obey Your will. Thank You for Your unlimited grace and mercy that You pour over me everyday. Please help me make the right decisions and to be led by the Holy Spirit and not my carnal nature. Holy Spirit please help me allow Your fruit that is indwelling me, through You, to manifest and overcome my old ways of reacting to what happens around me. Please help me to put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. In Jesus name, amen.

You may read more on the subject in the 3rd of February message.

THE 3rd of FEBRUARY

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. - Colossians 1:21-23

What a powerful message! The one who’s thoughts and actions are wicked, is not in God’s camp. But once we came to God, Jesus reconciled us with the Father and because He cleansed us of our sins, we are considered “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight,” as long as we remain “grounded and steadfast” in our faith in Jesus and His Gospel. In other words, we will be able to keep our holiness to be saved, only if we live in obedience to what God’s Word requires.

We are saved and made holy, by faith, not by works. Our good deeds are the result of changed hearts (Ephesians 2:8). It is not found anywhere in the Bible that we may become holy through our works and never rot when we die, as a proof of our holiness (as some believe). We need to study God’s Word, to know the truth. It is sad that sometimes, legends and human traditions are more easily believed and accepted by people, than the Word of God.

The whole Bible is written for those who come to Jesus, so it is for us too. We are urged to put on mercy, kindness, meekness, longsuffering. All these are part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is already living in us, but He is not forcing Himself over our carnal nature. We have to be willing to become merciful and forgiving instead of harsh; we are to choose to respond with kindness instead of meanness; to be humble and not prideful, meek and not aggressive and be long-suffering instead of being impatient. The more we change, the happier lives we will have.

We live in the “instant” age. We want everything right away, including spiritual maturity. But God’s kingdom functions according to completely different laws than this world. To belong to God, we have to obey His laws and “long-suffering” is part of them.

Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord Jesus for Your sacrifice, that has reconciled me with Father God. Your blood has cleansed me of all sins and made me holy so I can be right-standing with God and be saved. Please give me the strength to forgive and love, to show kindness when others treat me wrong, to choose to show mercy instead of revenge, to keep my patience and calm instead of impatience and anger. I cannot do it in my own strength, please help me! I want to obey God’s Word and I thank You because I know You want me to succeed. Glory and praises to Your holy name, amen!

THE 4th of FEBRUARY

Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. - Colossians 3:13-14

We all want others to be patient and kind with us when we make mistakes or break something. If we manage to treat those who do us wrong or offend us, as we would love to be treated, life will be more beautiful for us and those around us.

The above verses urge us to forgive, not only when it was not much, but also when we have real reasons to be angry. Jesus has forgiven us of all our sins and iniquities. He suffered extreme torment in death by crucifixion, paying for each of our sins. No one can has ever caused another, more suffering than we have caused the Lord Jesus. There are extreme situations where the consequences of an other's actions are very serious, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome them, and in the end, the Lord will bring out something good from all the evil.

Love is the essence of Christian life, but if we do not believe that the Lord loves us and we do not spend time in His presence to be filled with His love, we cannot be perfect. God is love, and only from Him we can receive true altruistic, disinterested and unconditional love. This is the "agape" love we read about in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

As I have already mentioned, love helps us to forgive, to be more tolerant and patient with those around us. When we behave in this manner, we become more like Jesus. It is God’s love that unites us and harmoniously binds us in the "body of Christ," His church.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, how can I ever thank You for all You did for me and for all You have forgiving me of? Please help me to understand more and more how great and amazing Your love is for me. Holy Spirit, please help me to spend time in Your presence, to receive the love of Father God so I can love those who hurt me and to become more and more of whom You created me to be. Amen.

THE 5th of FEBRUARY

Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. - Colossians 3:15 (AMPC)

The broader explanations from the Amplified Bible really help us understand how important it is to preserve the peace of Jesus in our hearts. Peace is the key to unity and is the foundation of lasting relationships. A group is united if its members are balanced and have inner peace. When we are disturbed, restless or worried, it will not take long until the condition of our heart is reflected in our words and actions. If we do not take time to calm down and get our inner peace back, it will not be long before we hurt or offend someone.

God did not create us for stress and fear. On the contrary, we were created to live with the calm and inner peace that results from having a sincere relationship with Jesus Christ. Many people today are very busy, insecure, fearful, worried and always on the run. Mass media abounds in news and information that panic and stress those who believe them. It is up to us to decide on what we feed our mind and spirit. If our source is the Bible and we seek to spend as much time as possible with other sincere Christians with whom we share the same values, the peace of Jesus will reign in our hearts. If we are led by the peace of Christ, we can make the right decisions and even when there are reasons for panic or worry, we will calm down sooner.

When we face difficult situations, if we choose to be grateful to God, for all He has done for us, we will be able to cool down and calmly analyze things. Once we get our inner peace back, we can follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit giving us the solution to our situations. It is up to us to want to keep our peace, even if for the moment it may cost us. From previous experiences, we know that it is worthwhile to pay the cost in order to keep our peace and sleep peacefully.

Suggested prayer: Father God, please help me to keep my peace while going through hardships, to chose to praise you for who You are and what You already did for me and stop being miserable for what happens to me. Thank You with all my heart for the peace that surpasses all understanding and when it fills my heart it helps me make the right decisions and do Your will. Please help me to always choose to thank You for what is good in my life, so I will not fall into the hopelessness pit, believing the lies of the enemy. There is nothing too hard or impossible for You and I thank You for helping me to solve this situation, as You did every single time when I needed Your help in the past. In Jesus name, amen.

THE 6th of FEBRUARY

Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. - Colossians 3:16 (AMPC)

For God’s Word to permeate every aspect of our lives we must read and meditate on it, asking the Holy Spirit to teach us how to apply it in our everyday life.

Throughout our walk with Jesus, we are going through different stages. There are seasons when we are full of passion for studying God’s Word and to know our Lord more, so we use every possible chance we have for this purpose. But when we are confronted with much suffering and many problems or when things are going extremely well, we can lose our fire for the Lord.

It is important that as soon as we realize that we lack the hunger for the Word of God, to start asking God to give us a fresh desire for being in His presence and study His Word. In 1 John 5:14, the apostle John encourages us to pray, with "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." We can learn what God’s will is, only by studying His Word.

In order to help those going through difficulties or who are not on the "right path" with Jesus, we need "the wisdom that is from above" (James 3:17) that we also receive through meditation on God’s Word. If we choose to have a constant attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving and to continue to renew our mind through the Word of God, not only will we be happier, but we can help those around us more, too.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, please increase my hunger for Your Word and help me grow in knowing You. I know I cannot change myself, without Your help. I can become more and more like You, only by spending more time in Your presence. Please help me think of You in all I do, so I can hear when You speak to me through the Holy Spirit or the Scriptures. Thank You Father, for Your Word and for allowing me to enter into Your sweet presence, when I seek You with all my heart! Please increase my passion for You, more than anything else. Amen.

THE 7th of FEBRUARY

[For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago]. [It is that purpose and grace] which He now has made known and has fully disclosed and made real [to us] through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, Who annulled death and made it of no effect and brought life and immortality (immunity from eternal death) to light through the Gospel. - 2 Timothy 1:9-10 (AMPC).

Through Jesus Christ we have received much more than salvation! God the Father has prepared for each of us a "holy calling" through which to live a pure, sinless life, different from the life of those in the world, but similar to the life Jesus lived on Earth. In Jesus we have received amazing favor, which none of us could ever deserve and a life with a precise purpose.

Before of the foundation of the world, God decided that His Son would die for our sins and rise from the dead, destroying the power of death over all who live according to His will, fulfilling the Gospel. Jesus is the true life, the only way to the Father and the only truth.

For each of us there is at least one area that we feel attracted to. If you do not know the calling that God has prepared for your life, it is time to ask Him to show you. In all creation there are not two identical people or two identical lives. That is why, even if many of us have received the same calling, there is always room in this world for every single one of us to excel at whatever it is, bringing glory to the Lord and helping expand His kingdom. God does everything perfect, and He knows why He has called each one of us to a certain job or ministry.

Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord God for creating me with a purpose and with a certain calling for my life. Please help me know what You want me to do with my life and give me the strength and all it takes to be able to fulfill Your plan. Please help me to be patient until it is Your time for me to start walking on the road You have prepared, because only You know when I am ready. Help me do it all in Your timing. Also, please confirm my calling through other mature Christians and please open the right doors so I will go in the right direction. Thank You and praise You, dear Lord! Amen

THE 8th of FEBRUARY

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, - 1 Kings 17:1-5a

Elijah was one of the great prophets of the Old Testament, who’s body never died, but was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot while Elisha his disciple watched. From 1 Kings 16:33, we find that "... Ahab has done more evil than all the kings of Israel who were before him to anger the Lord God of Israel." The sins of Ahab reached their highest point and by the message spoken through Elijah, God gave him the chance to repent.

The drought that was announced to Ahab by Elijah was caused by the sins of the king and the Jewish people. Only because God protected Elijah, was he able to leave the King’s palace still alive. Ahab not only sinned against God and worshiped other gods, but he also allowed his wife Jezebel to kill the Lord's prophets. Sometimes God sends us to places we consider dangerous. But we are more safe being where He sends us, than in any other place that we consider secure. God keeps us and takes care of us where He sends us. When we do not obey and do not do what He tells us to do, we step out of God’s protection and sometimes costs us dearly.

Elijah had the courage to face Ahab because he knew that the Lord was with him. It is interesting that God did not tell him how He would take care of him during the drought, until after he obeyed and put his life in danger. Elijah had to go where God had prepared the supplies for him. God commanded the ravens to bring bread and meat to Elijah, twice a day and he was to drink water from the creek. We do not know where the ravens received the food from for Elijah, but we do know they did their duty twice a day until the creek dried up. Then God prepared another place for Elijah to hide from Ahab's sight and another miraculous source of food.

The lessons we can learn from Elijah's example are very valuable, and that is why there will be more devotionals inspired by his life.

Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord for the daily protection and care You have for me, as long as I live in obedience to You. Please help me do Your will, even if my mind is fearful, or if others are trying to discourage me. Please help me never forget that the safest place is the place where You want me to be. Even as during the drought You commanded the ravens to bring meat and bread to Elijah and You kept him hidden from the king’s servants that wanted to kill him, I know that because I love and obey Your Word, You will take care of me too, no matter how weird my circumstances might be at a certain time. Please help me always be sensitive to Your still small voice and be ready to obey what You direct me to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

THE 9th of FEBRUARY

“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” - 1 Kings 17:9

God completely took care of Elijah during the drought. The Lord's Word had told him at first to go by the Cherith brook, where he had drinking water, and the ravens came and fed him. After a while, the brook dried up but God did not forget the prophet Elijah and sent him to a widow, whom he had commanded to feed him. Elijah obeyed again and went to where the Lord sent him.

That widow believed in God and she probably prayed for food, even if she did not necessarily believe that her prayer would be answered. But God, in His great love, prepared the food for both her and Elijah. When Elijah met her, the woman had enough flour and oil for a small bread for her and her son, but when Elijah asked her to bake a small amount for him first, she accepted without commenting. We do not know what God said to the widow, but we know that the effect of it was that all three of them had sufficient food until the end of the drought, as the Lord spoke through Elijah.

The solutions that the Lord is for our problems do not go beyond all expectations! Many times is not even our effort, because the Lord uses others to fulfill our needs, because He wants to bless them too. By multiplying what the widow had, God provided food not only for Elijah (who did not have to bake) but also for the widow and her son. What was the key for this miracle? Obedience to what the Lord said, even if it seemed absurd to the human’s mind.

Suggested Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me recognize Your voice! Your plans are different than human plans, so please help me know that they come from you and obey them. My mind tends to doubt anything that contradicts the human logic, so please dear Holy Spirit, help me to resist any doubts, believe what comes from You and obey. Thank You for not leaving me alone and for always having the best solution for me, regardless of the problem. Amen!

The 10th of FEBRUARY

“... The bin of the flour shall not be used up, and the Lord sends rain on the earth.” So she went back home and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and her household ate for many days. - 1 Kings 17:14-15

Elijah and his hostess believed what the Lord had said and they received what He had promised! How many times has it happened to us in crisis situations, to have a thought that surprised us but was the right solution for us?

God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, in our spirit. His thoughts are always according to the Bible and give us a state of peace and tranquility. Even when we are wrong, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, but does not condemn us. His purpose is that we recognize our sin, ask sincerely for forgiveness and change. On the other hand, the thoughts that the devil sneaks into our minds are meant to hurt us. They usually are half truth, half lie, so we may be tricked to believe them, but they cause us to fear, worry, despair, feel condemned and so on.

If we do not know the truth of God’s Word, we cannot identify the enemy as being the source of our thoughts and we can be misled.

Suggested prayer: Father God, You have always performed such great miracles for Your children! Thank You for being the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and that You never stop doing miracles! Please multiply what I have, so I will always have more than enough, just as you did with the oil and the flour that the widow woman had. Please help me believe that You are willing and more than able to provide for me, too. Please help me identify which thoughts are coming from You, to verify them with Your written Word and based on the specific verses to strengthen my faith that You will do for me what You promised. Lord, You are just and holy, and You keep Your promises. Glory and Honor to Your name forever and ever, amen!

THE 11TH OF FEBRUARY

So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?” - 1 Kings 17:18

How fast do we forget the good that God has done to us when we face tribulation! The widow from Zarephath makes no exception. She had been ready to eat the last meal with her son and then starve to death, before God have sent Elijah and miraculously provided for them. But once her son died, she forgot that if the Lord had not multiplied her flour and oil, through Elijah, she would have been dead too, not only her son.

Because her pain was so great, the mother believed the lie of the devil, that her sins were the cause of her son’s death. She was convinced that God had taken her son, to punish her for a past sin. If it were the Lord's plan, He would not have provided food for them during the drought, and would have let both, mother and son, to die. From the following verses we learn that "the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the child's soul returned to him and rose again" (1 Kings 17:22).

The prophet Elijah chose to believe and fight for the resurrection of the child, instead of giving up in despair. What do we do when it seems that there is no way out? Do we have the mother’s attitude, or Elijah’s? Do we believe the lies of the evil one or do we pray in faith to the Lord to help us out?

Suggested prayer: Father God, please help me to never forget Your kindness and the wonderful way You answered my prayers since I am Your child. You have always done the best for me and those I have prayed for. Please help me trust more in Your love and in Your desire to help me and do the best for me, no matter what I am going through! Thank You Lord, in Jesus name, amen!

THE 12TH OF FEBRUARY

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth " - 1 Kings 17:24

It seems incredible that this widow needed more confirmation, although she used daily the flour from the same pot and the oil from the same dough, to bake the food for three people, without ending, over a long period. The Bible does not tell us the length of time, but it could have been more than two years, because from the first verse of chapter 18, we find out that three years of drought have passed since a period of time, Elijah hid by the Cherith brook. Only after Elijah returned the widow’s resurrected son to her, she knew in her heart too, not only in her head, that Elijah was a man of God and a real prophet that spoke God’s truth! She need the second miracle to truly be transformed!

How many times didn’t have we’ve been just like this widow? It is more natural to us, to doubt and lack in faith, than trust that God loves us and wants the best for us, no matter how bad our situation is.

Suggested prayer: Oh Lord, I need Your help at every step, to be able to be led by Your Spirit and not my doubtful flesh, and when doubt tries to settle in, to fight against it! Please help me never forget Your love, mercy and kindness that lasts forever! You promised me to never leave me nor forsake me! In Jesus I have all I need to have strong faith, be confident in who You created me to be and live according to Your will! Thank You from the bottom of my heart, amen!

THE 13TH OF FEBRUARY

Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals...” - 1 Kings 18:17-18

It's easy to blame others for our problems. From the first sin in the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve and God for giving her to him, and Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:12-13) as they tried to find excuses for their disobedience to God. This habit of apologizing and blaming others became part of our human nature, that we all inherited from Adam which came from the Fall.

When we become Christians and are born again, we became temples of the Holy Spirit and our spirits are completely renewed, but our minds must also be renewed. We must learn to replace our old carnal ways with God’s ways, according to His Word.

For Ahab, it was more convenient to blame Elijah for the drought that punished the whole nation, than to admit his own sins and idolatry. Elijah knew that Ahab was seeking to kill him, but he did not comment when God said to him, “‘Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’ And Elijah went to appear before Ahab. There was great famine in Samaria” (1 Kings 18:1-2).

Elijah already knew that God would not let Ahab take his life and obeyed the Lord's command. We often go through similar situations when it is challenging and hard to be obedient to the Lord, but we need to remember that the price of disobedience is much greater in this life and in the eternal life if we do not sincerely ask God to forgive our rebellion!

Suggested prayer: Father God, please help me to always fear You and not people. Please strengthen me every time I will have to pay a price for my faith in You, so I will obey You and choose to please You and not people. Please remind me if I ever forget to confess any sin and help me to truly repent for all I have done wrong. Please help me be responsible for my actions and to not look for excuses or to blame others. Thank You for all Your help and care You always had and have for me! Amen.

THE 14TH OF FEBRUARY

Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed... 36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. - 1 Kings 18:32, 36-38

Because he knew that God was with him, the prophet Elijah had the courage to ask the king to gather the people of Israel, the 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel. We do not know why there is not more information about Asherah's prophets, but we do know that Baal's prophets did everything in their power to persuade their god to bring down fire from heaven to burn their sacrifice and, of course, they received nothing.

The prophet Elijah honored God, restored and built His altar, laid the wood and the animal for the sacrifice and asked the people to pour water over the sacrifice, wood and altar three times. They poured water until it completely filled the ditch around the altar. Then he prayed to God to bring down fire from heaven so that the people could see that He was the only true God, and the Lord heard his prayer. “The fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood, and even the stones and the dust; it also licked up the water in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38), proving unequivocally that only God could send such a fire. Then in verse 39 we read that: "when all the people saw it, they fell face down; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!””

The people of Israel were so blinded by worshiping the pagan gods that they forgot the miracles that God had done for their nation. They needed a new miracle to see the truth and be willing to repent and give up on their idols. It is amazing how much patience God has! He loves us so much that He continues to give us grace and opportunities to come to Him. But the sooner we do it, the better it is for us and for those around us. On the other hand, let us not forget that whenever one refuses the voice of the Holy Spirit over and over, their heart becomes hardened and they can get to where they can no longer hear His call to repentance and end up in eternal damnation.

Suggested prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to have a soft heart and to allow You to change it. To be sensitive to every correction You have for me and act accordingly. Please help me to never forget the miracles You have done for me and to have a thankful and grateful heart towards You. You deserve all the worship, all the honor and adoration, now and forever more, amen.

THE 15TH OF FEBRUARY

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’” Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. - 1 Kings 18:41-45a

Elijah knew that once God told him to go to Ahab, the rain was not far away, and the drought was about to be over, but there was still a long way to go. By faith he had told the king that there was the sound of rain, and then “he bowed down on the ground,” before the Lord (and perhaps praying, even if the verse is not clearly saying it) and he sent his servant seven times to look towards the sea, from where they usually saw the first signs of rain. We can see that the miracle did not take place instantly, and a firm faith was needed until the servant said that he saw the hand size cloud.

When we know what the Lord has promised us, and we also have the Bible verses that support what we have heard from the Lord, we can stand against any doubt and strengthen our faith in that we will truly receive according to the promise. The general promises in the Bible are true for all of us, and we know that they are God’s will for us. Therefore, if there are two or three verses that are in context referring to what we ask from the Lord, we may apply the verse from 1 John 5:14, which says: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

The prophet Elijah was firmly convinced that he could rely on the Word of God and continued to prophesy the events that followed. It was enough to hear that there was a small cloud above the sea, to prevent Ahab to start his journey back home, or the rain would stop him. They did not have covered chariots and paved roads that would not get bogged down in the mud when it was raining. Elijah knew it was going to rain heavy and so it did! The faith of the prophet allowed his miracle to came to pass! The rain ended the three and a half years of drought.

Suggested prayer: How wonderful are the promises from Your Word, dear God! How comforting is the thought that we may know Your will in all the areas of life, if we study our Bibles. And when You speak to us, we can know that what we hear is coming from You, once it is verified by two or three sections of Scriptures. How wonderful are Your ways and how close is Your presence. Please help me to grow in faith in You and Your promises. Please give me the strength to not give up on believing in what I am praying for, when it seems that I am failing, but on the contrary help me to keep believing until I receive Your answer. Thank You for the example of Elijah and all the other men of faith that we find in the Bible. Glory and honor to You Father God! Amen.

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