MARCH DEVOTIONALS

THE 1st of MARCH

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

Repentance is way more, than we can imagine. When we truly repent, we sincerely regret what we did and we wish to never do it again. Any sin empowers the enemy to come against us, but when we sincerely repent, we cancel his right to hurt us. When we sin, we obey the enemy and not God, that is why every sin, gives the devil the right to hurt us. To repent, actually means to turn our back on sin and go the opposite direction. The devil's plan is to destroy and stop us from fulfilling the call that the Lord has put upon our lives. After true repentance, God will not remember our sin anymore. The enemy has no legal ground to condemn anyone for forgiven sin, so when he tries to condemn us about something we are forgiven for, we should resist him in Jesus name. If God forgives us, the enemy certainly has no right to condemn us (Romans 8:1).

Unconfessed sins separate us from our God (Isaiah 59:2), and prevent us in communicating with Him. When we sincerely ask the Lord to forgive our sins, we can feel His presence again and He will continue to care for us, guard us, give us the power of the anointing with the Holy Spirit and to give us favor with others when we need it.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, please forgive all my sins. I sincerely regret that my sins increased Your suffering on the cross. I should have to die for my own sins, but You took my place, though You never sinned. Please help me Lord, to never forget that the pleasure or so-called advantages of sin, are only momentary, while the cost is eternal. Please forgive me from the bottom of my heart for … (name the sin you are asking forgiveness for) and help me change and never do it again. Thank You Lord Jesus for Your sacrifice that saved me. Glory and honor to Your holy name! Amen.

THE 2nd of MARCH

“And these signs will follow those who believe... if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them...” – Mark 16:17-18

We live in a world full of fears and worries. The more science progresses, the more we know about the bad effects of pollution and chemicals used in food, as well as in personal hygiene and cleaning products.
But for those who trust in the Lord, life can be beautiful, despite the things mentioned above. Many years ago, when the bad effects of food additives on our health, started to be discovered, the publicity of this information was able to bring panic among consumers. Information then and in our days is often exaggerated precisely to manipulate and serve certain commercial purposes. Because we did not know what to believe, we prayed to the Lord, to help us with our purchases. God had spoken through these verses and encouraged us to ask Him, before buying anything, to show us what is safe or not. Since we started asking the Lord's advice on our choices and praying that He will cleanse everything we buy, the quality of the chosen products is clearly superior. The Lord knows what everything is made of, as well as, the safety and cleanliness of where items were produced, and when we pray, He directs us on what to purchase. The more often we ask for His advice, the clearer we hear.

Suggested prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for all the love and care You show me every day in every area of my life. You care for all my needs, including what is good for me to buy and what is not. Please help me spend more time with You so I can hear You more clearly and be able to follow Your direction. Please cleanse everything I buy, because Your Word says that even if I “drink something deadly, it will by no means hurt me.” Based on Your Word, I believe that You will not allow anything that might be harmful in my food, to hurt me. Thank You, Lord! Glory and honor to Your holy name, amen!

THE 3rd of MARCH

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against You – Psalm 119:11

In order to continue our education, we may need to go a college, university or technical school. We need to invest time, effort and be passionate. If we want to truly understand what we are studying and dig deeper into its secrets, we will spare no effort! For those that desire to learn the truths that God has for us, the Bible reveals God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to us. There are many treasures hidden inside God’s Word, waiting to be discovered. No other book contains the pure truth and all we need to know about living blessed lives and having full happiness forever in heaven.

The Word of God follows the logic of God and not of men. It is easy for us to remember whole paragraphs we read once in books written by people who think as we do, but sometimes it is challenging for us to memorize and remember the Word of God. If we ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand what we are studying in the Bible, we can change our old worldly ways of thinking. The more we change, the easier it will be to memorize Bible verses and understand their meaning in deeper ways.

We learn the will of God and His benefits for us from His Word. Memorizing Bible verses gets them in our hearts and they build us up. Learning the promises help us to be able to stand on His Word. The Bible is full of wisdom and shows us not only things that are wrong but how to make positive corrections. Knowing the will of God helps us have the abundant life He wants for us and gives us the power to not sin.

Suggested prayer: Lord God, please give me passion for studying Your Word and help me change my worldly way of thinking with Yours. I want to think in Your terms, as You like, following Your logic and not the worldly one, so I can change and become more and more like You. Please help me Holy Spirit to dig deeper in the truth of the Bible and reveal to me what I need to know. Thank You for all Your help and care my Lord, amen!

THE 4th of MARCH

There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. – Proverbs 16:25

Without the Holy Spirit’s help, we cannot distinguish the truth that leads to life, from the falsehoods, which lead to spiritual death. We are assaulted by so many commercials that tell us that we deserve their expensive products or that we need some “innocent” pleasure from time to time. We hear more and more that sin is not really sin, as long as we do not hurt anyone else by what we do, or not to worry about sin because God is love, He wants us happy and forgives our sins, because once are saved, we are always saved.

Yes, God is love and forgives our sins when we sincerely repent and ask Him to forgive us, but when we know that what we choose to do is sin and rebellion against God, why would we keep on sinning? When we choose sin instead of obedience, it means that we are not fully committed to the Lord, and we continue to love that sin more than God. Let us remember that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and since Jesus died in our place, once we chose to be His, sin’s ownership over us ended. In Jesus we are able to choose to live right and make it to heaven.

Let us not be deceived! We cannot serve the Lord and continue to live in sin, obeying the devil at the same time. If you are confronted with a sin that continues to control your life, it is time to start asking the Holy Spirit to help you stop sinning and live for Jesus with all your heart. Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and already in us, we just need to know it is there and let it manifest.

Suggested prayer: Heavenly Father, please give me the will and strength to live in obedience to You, and You alone. Please give me passion for Your Word, to hide it into my heart so I will not sin against You. Please help me recognize every false truth, that I consider real truth and replace it the truth of Your Word. I want to serve You Lord, so please help me not to fall into believing the lies of the enemy again. Please help me remember that Jesus is the only way to You and only through Him can I make it to heaven. Lord Jesus, You are the Word and the truth that leads to life! Glory and praises to Your holy name for ever! Amen.

THE 5th of MARCH

And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” – Matthew 14:26-27

In the midst of the storms of life, two of the first instincts of our carnal nature are fear and worry. This kind of reaction does not help us, on the contrary, it makes things worse. The disciples were already scared by the great waves and strong wind, and when they saw Jesus “walking on the sea,” they became even more scared!

What did Jesus do? Did He calm the wind and waves? Did He rebuke them for “screaming” out in fear? Did He walk by them without caring? Certainly not! Jesus knew what was going in their hearts, He understood, loved and answered them “immediately”! He does the same for us, but it is up to us to stop the multitude of negative thoughts and emotions. We need to take the time to enter into the presence of the Lord, so we may hear what He has to say.

Let us never forget that Jesus is always with us and that we have nothing to fear. No matter how awful any situation is that we are in, we are not alone! Jesus, who lives in us through the Holy Spirit, has the solution for any problem and is always ready to help us out.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, You never leave me or forsake me! You are always with me when things go right and also when nothing seems to go right. You always have amazing blessings prepared for me! Please help me grow in faith, so I may receive all You have for me. You never force me or anyone else to do what is right. Please help me understand that if there are still people that continue to hurt me, it is not because You do not care or that You do not speak to their hearts to stop and change their evil ways, but it is because they do not want to listen or be obedient to You. I know that the promises of Your Word are for me too and You will cause all things to work together for my good, because I love You and You called me according to Your plan. Hallelujah! Thank You Lord! Amen.

THE 6th of MARCH

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

How can we keep our peace and smile while going through the hardships of life? You might say that you are not a hypocrite and cannot smile when your heart is sad. That may be true, but we can learn to trust God when we are going through hard times, we can overcome sadness and stop making those around us suffer. Isn’t it true that we are truly affected while being around unhappy people? Our sadness has the same effect on others. So what should we do?

In our selected text, “be of good cheer” comes from one word in the original Greek , “tharseó” and it means “to be of good courage, good cheer, be bold” (according to “Strong’s Concordance”). In other words, the Lord is saying that we cannot avoid tribulations, while living in this world, but we can trust in His victory over this world and the evil one, so we may continue to be of good cheer and run our race to the finish line. We are not the only ones that go through hard times and in the long term, Jesus insured our victory! We can trust Him to help us when we ask Him, and not be discouraged by what is going on! The courage and joy come from the Lord, while discouragement, fear and sadness come from the evil one.

Suggested prayer: Glory, praises and honor to You dear Lord for who You are and all You have done for me! You overcame the devil and all his powers! Thank You for the insurance that as long as I live in obedience to You, nothing can defeat me and I can have peace even in the midst of any of life’s storms. In You and through You, I have the victory and I can truly smile knowing that You will see me through this hardship too. There is so much strength in trusting You! Thank You with all my heart that nothing can make me fall, if I truly want to follow You! How could I ever thank You enough for dying in my place and for loving me with the greatest love! I love You Lord and I want to follow in Your footprints with all I am and have! Amen.

THE 7th of MARCH

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalms 118:24

It is good to know that every day is a gift from the Lord and we are to rejoice and to be glad. Because every day is “this day,” we can choose to be glad, and consider that half of the glass is full and not focus on the empty half.

For the optimistic person, it is natural to rejoice without a special reason and not get upset over every little issue. Instead, for the pessimistic person, it is normal to worry, be frustrated and fearful, and any problem they encounter is a serious matter. But, I know from my own experience, that it is possible to choose to be glad, when naturally we would be sad. Even if it requires effort on our part, it is worthwhile to be glad.

God created us to be joyful, cheerful and content. Stress, fatigue, fears, worries and all negative feelings come from the evil one with the purpose to destroy us. We do ourselves a great favor when we choose to be glad and joyful as often as possible.

Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord for creating joy and laughter! Please help me always see what is good in every situation and find the positive side of everything I have to go through. Please help me choose to rejoice in all You have done and continue to do for me and keep a content heart, even when I have to go though hardships. Thank You for being with me and helping me get over it all! Glory and honor to Your holy name, amen!

THE 8th of MARCH

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” – Galatians 3:28

Jesus did not come as the Son of Man to cancel the Law that the Jews received through Moses, but to fulfill it. John the Baptist said about the Lord that He was “‘... The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29b). Through His sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled the Law and since His resurrection, we are no longer under the Law, but under the “grace of God.” Because Jesus paid the price for the sin of all mankind, He canceled the curse that had come upon mankind as an effect of sin. As a result, all of us who come to Jesus and live in obedience to Him, benefit in the blessings that God had given to mankind before the fall.

Through Jesus, we are all one and have the same value to God, regardless of gender, nationality or social status. We are all uniquely created, each with a certain purpose. Jesus died for all of us, so that we can be born-again through the Holy Spirit and inherit eternal life (You may read more if you want in: “Women in Ministry”).

Women are created special and unique. It is written that there is an enmity between women and the devil. As part of the curse, this enmity has caused women to be disrespected and treated improperly all throughout the history.

Jesus came into this world, as one of us, He came by being born of a woman. When He came, Jesus “bruised the devil's head” (Genesis 3:15-19), so that by His sacrifice He canceled the curse, making it possible for men and women to be restored to the state of mankind before sin, when neither ruled over the other. We are called to love and respect one another, because Jesus paid the same price for both men and women and He has the same heaven prepared for us all. Through Paul, we are urged to “submit to one another in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:21).

Suggested prayer: Thank You Heavenly Father, that through Jesus Christ You have freed me from the curse of the law and given me the blessing of Your wonderful grace! In Jesus we are all equal and You love us all the same. Please help me to never forget that I am no better than my fellow man, no matter what their gender, nationality or social status. All that is good in me is because of You. My true value comes from my relationship with You! Glory and praises to Your holy name for all You have done for me! Amen!

THE 9th of MARCH

“… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;” – Deuteronomy 30:19b

God gives us two options: choosing life followed by His blessing or choosing death followed by being cursed. And in case that we do not know what to choose, He even tells us what the right choice is!

No one makes it to heaven based on making the right choice only once. It is not enough to ask Jesus to become the Lord of our lives and then continue to live in sin. God is sovereign. The dictionary defines that as: “supreme, absolute, unlimited, highest in rank.” God can do whatever He desires without being accountable to anyone, but that does not mean that He does not keep His promises to us in His Word. The Lord put certain limits on His power in relationship with us, by what He promised us in His Word, which allows for His permissive will to be enabled according to our choices or prayers.

The Bible urges us to study, pray and fast. The Lord has created us with free will and does not force us to do what is right. If everything that happens to us is only God’s will, it would mean that we are only puppets in His hands, who pray and fight in vain. It would mean that God would be the source of crime and evil. Which is not true. As we read in James 1:13: “let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God;’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

Suggested prayer: Thank You my Lord, for You want me to choose life and what is good, so You can bless me! Your will for me is to be able to stay close to You, to the end! You are not the source of evil or destruction; on the contrary, You are life itself, and everything that comes from You is good and leads to life and blessings. Please help me to pay attention to the warnings and whispered thoughts that come from the Holy Spirit so that I will not sin against You and my fellow man. In Jesus' name, amen.

The 10th of MARCH

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? – Numbers 23:19

God is Almighty, but because He has given man free will, He respects it. When we choose sin, He warns us in our hearts and sometimes through others, but the Lord does not force us to do right. If He would force us, it would go against His nature. God gave us free will and He honors that free will.

As we all know from personal experience, the Holy Spirit warns us when we say or do something wrong, but He does not force the correction. We decide whether we will obey Him or not. It's the same with those who hurt or do us wrong. The Lord warns them, by bringing thoughts into their minds, to not do what they have planned, but the decision is theirs. Even when they continue with their evil plans, the Lord continues to work in our behalf, causing something good to come out of the wrongs that are done. In His love, God interferes and stops the bad plans, when they are beyond what can be used for our good or even of those who would do them.

Any pain or hurt can be hard to endure; but we can take comfort in the truth that compared to eternity, what happens in this lifetime is just a moment. The Lord even hurts with us, and if we ask Him to help us, while keeping a pure heart, He will strengthen us, help us grow spiritually and become more like Jesus. Our Lord suffered in our stead, tremendously more than any human being ever did or will do, just for us to be saved and spend eternity with Him. No other love can compare to His!!!

Suggested prayer: Glory and honor to You dear Lord, for You are justice and truth itself! You keep all Your promises and all You start, You bring into fruition! Thank You that as long as I obey You, the evil one has no power over me, because You remain in me, and I in You! How can I thank You, Lord Jesus, for all You have suffered in my place? Help me never forget how much You love me and that You've already done everything for me. Please help me to keep my heart pure and live to please You. Help me to stop when You warn me that I am about to say or do something wrong. Thank You wholeheartedly, dear Lord, amen!

THE 11TH OF MARCH

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,” – Acts 4:29

The apostles prayed this prayer, at the beginning of their ministry, soon after they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. They were so zealous and passionate to preach the gospel that they did not fear the priests and the religious leaders of their time, who threatened them and commanded them not to do it. The apostles might have believed that they had sinned somehow, and that the Lord was punishing them, or that He did not love them anymore, because they were under such attack. They well knew the cruel abilities of this religious establishment and yet persevered with the right attitude. They knew they were being led by the Holy Spirit. In the next chapter, we read that the apostles after being imprisoned again and beaten “… departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).

The Lord takes what the enemy means for harm, and brings something good from it. Even though it is very difficult while going through hardships, we can be sure that God is not the source of what happens to us. If we ask for His help and continue to be in right standing with God, without being hateful or bitter, the Lord will use even the bad situations for good in the long run.

Suggested prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please give me the passion and zeal of the apostles in obeying You and sharing with others the good news of the Gospel, no matter the cost. Please fill me with Your love and help me to love those around me. Please help me to not let sadness, frustration and bitterness grow in my heart, when others wrong me, but on the contrary, to overcome all bad emotions with the love that comes from You. Thank You Lord, amen!

THE 12TH OF MARCH

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:1

Nothing bad comes from God, as nothing good comes from the devil. Jesus came to give us life and not just any life, but a rich, happy and blessed life here on earth and perfect life for eternity, in heaven. Jesus told us that we will have troubles in the world (John 16:33) but He also told us to have peace and take courage, because He overcame the world and through Him we will overcome it too.

Our lives are blessed when we have the peace of the Lord in our hearts and we feel secure in Jesus’ love and protection, no matter what we are going through. The more we love the Lord and the less we love the world and what it offers, the happier we will be. Our problems come from interacting with the world that surrounds us. We must be careful to choose wisely in how we respond to the circumstances and people that we cannot change.

The devil is the source of all evil. His purpose is to “steal, kill and destroy.” One of the enemy's most effective tricks that he uses often, is to make us believe that God is the source of the wrongs that are done to us. He wants us to believe that God wants us sick to teach us a lesson, or that the Lord has given us the trouble that we are going through to punish us. The truth is that the devil himself is the source of evil and wrong doing, blaming God is his cover.

Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord that You are the source of all that is good in my life. Please help me never forget that any evil that comes upon me is from the enemy who wants to destroy me and never from You. Thank You Lord for helping me to overcome every trial and for comforting me when I hurt. Lord Jesus, You came that I may have life and have it more abundantly. In You I have everything, no one and nothing can compare to You. Everything that is good and perfect comes from You and You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! Glory and honor to Your name forever! Amen.

THE 13TH OF MARCH

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. – James 4:7

If we believe the lies of the enemy, that he sneaks into our minds, saying that God is the cause of our suffering, we become passive and no longer use the authority we have in Jesus name to overcome. We cannot fight effectively if we do not rely on the truth. Power comes from the firm belief that we are in God’s will and He helps us. We can do nothing by ourselves, but “we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us” (Philippians 4:13).

In order to fight against the lies of the enemy, we must keep a pure heart before God, live in obedience to Him, and know the authority that we have in the name of Jesus (You may read more in the articles: “T he Authority of the Believer” and “S piritual Warfare).”

The Bible clearly proves that healing is God’s will. In order to oppose the enemy, we need to know who we are in Christ and the rights we have in Him, and that we can resist the devil in the name of Jesus. The power we have comes precisely from the fact that the spiritual world recognizes Jesus, Who has all authority in heaven and on earth. Satan knows that Jesus defeated him at the cross, that death could not hold Jesus, but He rose, ascended to heaven and Father God has “seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20). All of us who have been born-again and live in obedience to God “sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Ephesians 2:6) so when we pray or decree something in Jesus name, all the forces of darkness must obey.

Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord, for giving me power in the name of Jesus so that I can fight against the lies and attacks of the enemy. Thank You Jesus, that You already did everything needed so that I may live a victorious life! You want me to be in right standing with You and to resist the enemy, so I may receive the blessings you have for me. Please help me to sincerely repent whenever I fail before You and never give an open door to the enemy to attack me. Thank You Lord! In Jesus' name, amen!

THE 14TH OF MARCH

… Thus says the Lord: “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.” Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. – 2 Kings 20:1-3

Hezekiah loved the Lord, and although he was not a perfect man (he became proud, boastful and selfish toward the end of his life), the Lord immediately listened to his request and granted an extension to his life. How wonderful is the heart of Father God in His sovereignty! He loves us so much and has so many good gifts in store for us! God showed mercy to Hezekiah's broken heart and sent the prophet Isaiah back to him with His answer! God not only gave him fifteen more years to live, as an answer to his prayer, but also promised to set them free from the Assyrian oppression! And the Lord kept His promise (2 Kings 22: 5-6).

Hezekiah was not necessarily a man of great faith. He even asked for a sign to be sure that what the Lord told him would come to pass. We can all relate to that, can’t we? We pray fervently for something important from the Lord, and when He answers and even additionally promises us something else, it seems too hard for us to believe. We even have a common expression for this: “I cannot believe this!”

What we say with our mouths influences our level of faith. By what we say, we can cancel our faith and replace it with doubt, even without the help of the enemy. That is why it is so important to renew our minds and pay attention to the words we speak. To cancel their destructive power, we must stop thinking negative, condemning and doubtful thoughts, to prevent speaking them. Our thoughts easily become our words.

Suggested prayer: How great is Your love, Lord God! You care so much about me and my needs and all You are waiting for to help me, is my fervent prayer done in faith. Please help me to cast away all the negative, condemning, doubtful and fearful thoughts, and not give them the power to steal my faith by speaking them. Thank You for giving me all the best and helping me to live to please You. Amen.

THE 15TH OF MARCH

“Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. “Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place.” So they brought back word to the king. – 2 Kings 22:19-20

There are many examples in the Bible, when God changed His will toward those who sinned against Him, forgoing the punishment they deserved, in response to their sincere prayers and true repentance. What happened to King Josiah is one of these cases which show us that God not only has a perfect will but He also has a permissive will too. Our fervent prayer can change the heart of God. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

During the reigns of the two kings Manasseh and Amon, the people of Judah lived in sin, worshiping idols and pagan gods. Even though the nation was full of idolatry and wickedness, the Lord showed them mercy. He raised up a young king with a good heart to turn the nation around. After the Book of the Law was read to him, King Josiah then understood how far they had fallen from what the Lord expected of the people and himself as king. Josiah truly repented and sent his servants to the prophetess Huldah, to find out what the Lord had to tell him. The Lord confirmed his fears, but because Josiah repented, God showed him His love and mercy, by delaying the punishment of the people until after his death.

Suggested prayer: My Lord, please help me be obedient to You step by step. Help me to not compromise in my relationship with You, copying what others do. Please help me look at You, follow the example of Jesus and understand Your will for my life, as I study Your Word and help me to obey it. You are good, merciful, and loving, but You are also holy, just and You do not overlook unconfessed sins. Please help me to keep my heart pure and sincere before You at all times. I love and praise You dear Lord, with all my heart. Amen!

THE 16TH OF MARCH

But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo. – 2 Chronicles 35:21-22

The Lord changed His will about the punishment His people deserved for their sins, after the sincere repentance of King Josiah and his desire to seek and fulfill the Lord’s will. God postponed the punishment for the nation of Judah until after the death of Josiah. As the Lord had told him, “you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes will not see all the calamities that I will bring to this place”(2 Kings 22:20). It is amazing that after the people were so sinful, the Lord gave them a king to turn their hearts toward Him, giving them the chance to be forgiven. If Josiah would have continued to seek the will of the Lord in all of his decisions, both his fate and the people’s might have been much better.

This is a valid truth in all matters. When we are faithful in our obedience to the Lord and ask for His help, acknowledging our total dependence on Him, our lives are very blessed with much more peace and joy.

If God's sovereignty means that He controls everything that happens, then King Josiah would not have died at such a young age (he was only 39) after being wounded in battle (2 Kings 22:20). But the Lord did not force Josiah to do His will and He does not force us either. From 2 Chronicles 35:21 we learn that Neco, the Pharaoh of Egypt, warned Josiah not to fight against him, because he would have been fighting against God, who had sent Neco to fight against Carchemish. But not even then, did Josiah ask God what His will was.

Stubbornness and pride cost us dearly, and the enemy uses them very efficiently to push us to self-destruction.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, please forgive me for all the times when because of being stubborn and prideful I could not hear Your counsel and I sinned against You. Please help me to have a soft heart in Your hand, pay attention to all Your warnings, and when You bless me and all goes well, to remember that it is because of Your love and kindness. I do not want to do my will but Your will, so please help me to never forget to ask for Your advice in all my decisions! Thank You with all my heart! In Jesus' name, amen!

THE 17TH OF MARCH

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. – Proverbs 4:23

The “heart” referred to in all the Bible, it is, in fact, our spirit or our “inner man,” as Paul calls it. It is the part of us that makes us eternal beings and what was born-again by the Holy Spirit when we came to Jesus. The Lord says that out the hearts of the ones who believes in Him “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38)

If we are mindful of what we feel and resolve our negative feelings (evil, unforgiveness, revenge, selfishness, jealousy, jealousy, etc.), without letting them grow, out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water. Our words will produce life, as well as encourage and help those who listen to us.

What we have in our hearts will surface through our words. We are the ones who have to “empty our glass” of frustration, sadness, worries and any negative feelings before the Lord in prayer. We need to pray for forgiveness for our wrongs, ask the Lord to set us free from all evil so we can keep our hearts clean. The longer we “host” negative emotions, the more they will affect us and it will be harder it will be to let them go.

From an unhappy and dissatisfied heart, life cannot spring!

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, it is so encouraging that You want me to be happy and that I can come to You with everything that upsets or hurts me! Thank You that through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit flows from my heart as rivers of living water and that You help me overcome any negative emotions that can block the flow of Your living water! Praises to Your holy name, Lord Jesus, because at the cross, You provided my forgiveness and deliverance, and with You I can have a pure heart, filled with the Holy Spirit! Hallelujah! Amen!

THE 18TH OF MARCH

For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. – James 3:2

Whoever talks much, errs much! We can all confirm this statement. None of us can truly control every word that comes out of our mouths, and even less can anyone say that the Lord holds full control of their speech.

The apostle James says it plain and simple: “we all stumble in many ways” and not just in one area of our lives. Is God the one that tempts us to sin? Certainly not! We must learn to control our words. Whoever manages to do it is a perfect man who has learned to obey the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is self-control (Galatians 5:23).

Suggested prayer: Lord please help me to keep my heart pure and my mind focused on Your Word, so that the source of my words is pure and life-giving. Please help me fight against all negative emotions, frustrations and worries, because if I do not, I know it will not be long before they will influence the words I will speak and will make me sin. Holy Spirit please help me submit to Your warnings and change what I think, feel, say and do according to Your correction. Thank You in the name of Jesus, amen.

THE 19TH OF MARCH

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45

The spoken words show what is in the speaker’s heart. When we use beautiful words that build and encourage, we bless others and glorify God, and that comes out of pure and grateful hearts. On the other hand, dirty words, curses, insults and criticisms certainly do not come from the Lord and are the evidence of an unclean heart. The source of all evil is not God, but is our fallen nature or the devil. We must fight against it by keeping a clean heart and asking the Holy Spirit to help us.

Everything we think, say or do has eternal implications. This statement may seem exaggerated, but if we think about it for a moment, we will realize how true it is. Our words and reactions to everything that surround us, are based on what we think. If we allow the thoughts that the enemy puts into our minds to grow and produce negative feelings in our hearts, then when we are taken by surprise or caught off-guard, we will find ourselves saying things that we should never say, because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

If we would not allow the thoughts of criticism, judgment or other negative thoughts to grow in our minds, we could avoid many problems and hurts.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, please help me change my way of thinking, so that I will stop allowing negative thoughts to grow in my mind and produce evil feelings in my heart. Please help me pay attention to what I think about and to bring any evil thought into the captivity of Jesus Christ, proclaiming it’s opposite, according to Scripture. Thank You for helping me to think more and more according to Your Word, to keep a pure heart and talk right. Glory to Your holy name forever, amen!

THE 20TH OF MARCH

“He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.” – 1 Peter 3:10

Wisdom is shown by the words we speak. The words that please the Lord produce life. Idle talk, without considering the impact it can have on us and others, may cost us dearly. How many times have we ruined our day or worse, just because we said something inappropriate, at the wrong time, or to the wrong person? We are all familiar with the expression: “Me and my big mouth, I got myself in trouble!”

In Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus said, “but I say unto you, that for every idle word men may speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment.” Even if we do not pay attention to all the words we say, the Lord considers them all. If we do not ask for forgiveness and do not pray for the Holy Spirit to help us speak to please God, it may cost us forever. The Word of God teaches us to keep our word and do what we promise we would do.

It is difficult to control our tongue, because our words come as a result of what we have in our hearts and the thoughts we allow to fill our minds. But if we keep our heart pure and stop the thoughts that are contrary to the Bible, we can control what we say!

Suggested prayer: Thank You, Lord, for Your Word! Please help me to never promise to do something that You do not want me to do or what I cannot do! Please help me pay attention to my words and not to use idle or bad words. Help me control my speech and keep my heart and mind pure from all evil. Thank You for helping me do what is good and become more and more what You have created me to be! Amen.

THE 21st OF MARCH

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21

This is one of the many valuable lessons on the subject of speech, that we find in the book of Proverbs. One who “loves his tongue,” means they speak a lot and their words may produce life or death for themselves as well as for those who hear them. The more we like to talk, those who listen to us will know what is really in our hearts. Quiet people are the most mysterious and difficult to classify. Those who speak a lot, cause themselves many problems. Even if they unintentionally say bad things, or what they say is good it may still seem offensive to the person who hears them, because of their own problems or thoughts.

Have you noticed that when we have pleasant conversations, on biblical subjects, with other Christians full of the Holy Spirit, who love the Lord, we feel much better not only emotionally but also physically? This is because godly talk produces life.

On the other hand, any conversation with critical, unhappy or evil people who have nothing good to say, leave us with a bitter taste and many other unpleasant effects that produce death instead of life.

Suggested prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me control my speech and be silent when You tell me to be silent. Please help me speak wisely, so my words produce life, not death. Help me choose the right subjects in my conversations with others, that build and encourage. Please help me stay away from all words that lead to death. Give me the courage to stop any critical or defamatory talk about others and help me to avoid situations that might make me sin. In the name of Jesus, amen.

THE 22nd OF MARCH

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. – 1 Peter 4:12-13

When we are unjustly persecuted, the enemy tries to tempt us to doubt the kindness and love of the Lord. But we need to understand that persecution is not from God and that He is always for us. The Lord will bring something good even from the bad things that happen to us. By realizing this, we will be able to resist the lies of the enemy and remain firm in our trust that the Lord will see us through.

God cares for our suffering and puts the right thoughts in the minds of those who plan evil things against us. But because we all have the freedom to choose, they can choose not to listen to what the Lord says and continue to do what the evil one urges them to do.

Heavenly eternal rewards are unimaginably wonderful and in store for all who “partake of Christ’s sufferings” and if we think of what awaits us in heaven, we can better overcome the pains and problems we have now. It is worthwhile to suffer because we are Christ's and will spend eternity in heaven! Even if we were to have to suffer for a hundred years, compared to eternity that never ends, it is just a moment!

Suggested prayer: Lord Jesus, You suffered greatly in my place without having the slightest blame. You did it all out of love for me and for all people. Please help me never forget how much You love me and that You want what is best for me, even more than I do. Please help me to prepare my mind and heart for any situation, so that I remain strong in my faith in You, regardless of the consequences. I want to rejoice when You will come on the clouds to rapture me together with Your church! Thank You for being with me and helping me, no matter what I'm going through. Amen.

THE 23rd OF MARCH

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. – 1 Peter 4:14

Whenever an injustice is done to us, the Lord gives us a higher measure of anointing of the Holy Spirit, to be able to overcome the suffering. God wants us to be able to handle all trials victoriously (even the ones we cause), and so much more when we suffer unjustly or are persecuted because we are Christ's.

This verse is not about being filled with the Holy Spirit, which is an inward experience. When the Holy Spirit rests upon us, the glory of the Lord will give us favor with others. Even the evil people will know then, that there is something different about us and will be hindered in carrying out their evil plans. This anointing is a wonderful gift and it empowers us to act in the name of Jesus. Life is way easier when we depend upon the Holy Spirit..

Suggested prayer: What a favor I have in Your Name, Lord Jesus! By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, You give me the power I need to handle persecution without losing my faith. You give me favor in front of my enemies and You do not let them attack me more than I can handle. How wonderful it is to be Your child, Lord God! Because I am in Your hand, I am in the safest possible place, in the spiritual realm, even if in the physical world I am in a dangerous situation. Thank You, that I can say as the apostle Paul did “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Amen.

THE 24TH OF MARCH

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:10

In “The New JPS Translation Tanakh,” as well as in “God's Word Translation,” translators caught the true meaning of the original text of Nehemiah 8:10, namely: “Do not be sad because the joy you have in the LORD is your strength.”

How encouraging! I have to admit, that I did not understand how God's joy could give me strength. But after I read the original Hebrew verse, I understood what the text really meant.

If when we go through hardships, instead of giving into self pity, we choose to rejoice in the Lord, thank Him for everything He has done for us and for whatever He is doing next, we will then have the strength we need to handle any situation. You can read more in the blog: “Our Rejoicing in the Lord is our strength”

Suggested prayer: Thank You and praise You dear Lord, for who You are and for everything You did for me. You have never left me alone and I know You will be with me now, also. Please help me rejoice in You, no matter what I'm going through, so that You can intervene and solve the situation for my good, as You always have. Glory to Your name forever, amen.

THE 25TH OF MARCH

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. – Romans 8:26

The Holy Spirit is God, He is Omniscient and there is nothing He does not know. He knows everything about us and knows all about our situations and the implications for us and any the other people involved. He knows what is happening in the spiritual world, what demonic powers are involved, and their plans.

When we are weak, we do not know how to pray, but God prepared the best plan to help us. He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, after we came to Jesus and be our Perfect Helper (“Paracletos“). He is the Comforter, the Counselor, the Mediator, the One who strengthens us and inspires us to become creative. It is great encouragement that the Holy Spirit, who knows everything, intercedes to the Heavenly Father in our behalf.

The Holy Spirit never judges us by appearances. He always knows exactly what is in our hearts, what we are fighting with in the spiritual world, what caused our reactions, and what the Lord’s will is for us.

Suggested prayer: Thank You my Lord for sending the Holy Spirit to be with me all the time, to be my Comforter, Counselor, Mediator and the One who strengthens, teaches and leads me into all truth! Thank You, Holy Spirit for praying for me, convicting me of sin, revealing the truth of Scripture to me, keeping me safe, warning me of dangers and temptations, comforting and strengthening me when I need it. Please help me to live to please God and praise Him! Amen.

THE 26TH OF MARCH

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. – Romans 8:27

The Holy Spirit has His own mind, knowing all that Jesus and the Heavenly Father know. In other words, He is Omniscient, like God the Father and the Son. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will “teach us all things” (John 14:26) or as we read in 1 Corinthians 2:11: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” How could one teach us what He does not know? That is certainly not the case for the Holy Spirit. There is nothing unknown or hidden and there are no secrets from the Holy Spirit, as there are no secrets from Father God and Jesus.

The term in the original Greek, “phronema,” is translated as “mind” and according to the “Strong's Concordance” it means: “thought, purpose, aspirations.” Without having a mind to think, no one can aspire or have a purpose for anything.

We can rely on the supernatural, perfect mind of the Holy Spirit, and we can ask for His advice, knowing that He will direct us the best. What more could we want than to have a relationship with someone perfect and ready to guide, help and teach us at any time and in any field? The Person of the Holy Spirit has all the qualities that we desire for our perfect friend and He wants our best, even more than we do.

Suggested prayer: What a wonderful friend I have in You, beloved Holy Spirit! Thank You for being ready to help me whenever I need help, to warn me of any danger and convince me of sin, so I can ask God to forgive me. Please help me to never upset and quench Your presence by disobedience. Please open my spiritual ears to hear what You tell me and help me fulfill Your advice. How beautiful life is in fellowship with You! Thank You, Lord, for sending the Holy Spirit in my heart. Amen.

THE 27TH OF MARCH

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Our minds cannot comprehend the depth of these verses! How can we understand something that seems so impossible: the Holy Spirit that is God, who is unlimited, and has to come to dwell within us? It is so challenging to understand the ways and wisdom of the Lord!

How great God’s love is for us, in that He has sent the Holy Spirit to be in us always to help, lead, teach and do for us what no one else can do!

As Christians, we no longer belong to ourselves or the devil, but we belong to the One whom we invited to come into our hearts and become our Lord. And if we belong to the perfect, holy and just God, we must have an intimate relationship with Him as He dwells in us. We are to live purely, knowing that we are His and we should bring Him glory and honor through all that we are, have and do!

Suggested prayer: What a tremendous honor, dear Lord Jesus, to have You dwelling in me through the Holy Spirit! My life is just “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” With You, and through You I have become the “temple of the Holy Spirit”! Please teach me how to live purely for You, and to bring You glory through all my thoughts, emotions, words and actions. Please help me do nothing out of vain glory, but in humility to give You glory for all my accomplishments. Without You I cannot do anything. But glory to Your name Lord Jesus, I am not and I do not want to ever be without You! Amen.

THE 28TH OF MARCH

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. – 1 Corinthians 6:17

Once we were born-again, our spirit was transformed by the union with the Holy Spirit. In our spirits, we are united with Jesus. In our spirits, we are perfect as the Holy Spirit is.

From Ephesians 5:30, we learn that: “... We are members of His body, His flesh and His bones.” Every Christian is a member in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) and all of us together are the church. Because the church is the body of Jesus, there a very special unity among true Christians. Over the years, I have met Christians of many nationalities during mission trips, traveling in different countries and also by hosting many missionaries for different periods of time. Once meeting any of them, there was an instant bond between us, proving that Jesus unites us and makes us function in unity in His body.

Because we are one in the Spirit with the Lord, it means that we desire what He desires, we seek holiness and righteousness, we want to glorify Him by all we do and become more (and more) like Him. In our born-again spirits, we have the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and as we love Him more and grow in the knowledge of His Word, the attributes of the Holy Spirit become more and more our attributes, replacing the attributes of the carnal nature. This is the purpose of our lives on earth: to become more and more like our Lord, do His works and help as many people as possible come to salvation, and in the end we will spend eternity in heaven.

Suggested prayer: What a joy it is to know that in my spirit I am united with You, my Lord. I have all I need in You and am part of Your great family, the church, which is Your body as well. Thank You that through the Holy Spirit I became “flesh of Your flesh” and “bone of Your bones” and I have the same DNA with You so that I can become what You have created me to be. I want to walk with You step by step. Thank You for helping me overcome any challenges in this world. In Jesus' name, amen.

THE 29TH OF MARCH

Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me]. – 1 Corinthians 6:12 (AMP)

What does the apostle Paul mean by this verse: “Everything is permissible for me...”? Does this mean that we are allowed to sin? Let us not forget that in his letter, Paul replies to those from the Corinthian church and he cites parts of their letter in replying to them. Paul wrote on more occasions that we are free in Christ, but we are not to make our freedom a reason to live for the flesh (Galatians 5:13).

Yes, we have the freedom to choose sin. But if we willfully choose it, knowing what we choose is wrong, sin will take a hold of us, and we will no longer belong to Jesus, but to the devil, who is the source of sin. Paul repeats the above statement in 1 Corinthians 10:23, except that it ends with “... all things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].” In the context of both cases, we find the sin of fornication and eating food that was sacrificed to idols, which were big issues in his time. When we love Jesus, we cannot love sin and choose to do it anymore! When someone finds excuses for their sins, their Lord is no longer Jesus, but sin, because we are the slaves of whoever we obey (Romans 6:16).

As Christians, nothing should control our lives or master us. God does not control us, neither does He force us to do His will and follow Him. We always have the freedom to choose who we serve. The devil, instead, does his best to manipulate and deceive us to sin. If we fall into his trap and sin, he will condemn us, trying to convince us that God doesn’t love us anymore and there is no more forgiveness for our sin. For this reason, there are so many warnings in the Bible that tell us to hate sin and flee from it, so that we will not fall into it’s trap.

Suggested prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please help me realize how dangerous sin is and how costly its consequences are. I do not want to fool myself, as the Corinthians did, that I can do anything I want, on the contrary, please help me to know what I have to guard myself from. Please help me to love You so much, that nothing of what this world offers will attract me. Give me passion for You and for the study of Your Word and help me find all my pleasure in spending time with You and in doing what You have called me to do. Please help me become dependent on You and Your presence. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

THE 30TH OF MARCH

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. – Galatians 5:17

We are all born with a fallen human nature, driven by sin. All it naturally desires is contrary to the Word of God. After we are born-again in our spirits and transformed by the Holy Spirit, we desire only what is pure and good. Even though our “spirits” are completely changed, our “fleshly nature” is still very much alive and strong. The fleshly nature is what urges us to sin, and the Holy Spirit urges to do God's will. We are in a continuous war.

Jesus told us that in order to follow Him, we must deny ourselves and pick up our crosses daily (Luke 9:23-26). In order to grow spiritually, we must stop the lusts of our carnal nature, on a daily basis. The fleshly nature does not want to pray, praise the Lord, study the Bible or help others. Our carnal nature causes us to be offended, not forgive, seeks excuses and reasons to sin. We cannot do what the flesh wants, if we want to belong to the Lord! You can read more about this in the blog “Flesh or Spirit.”

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, please give me the will and the power to fight against the lusts of my flesh, that I may not sin. Please help me to deny myself, by not making any decision without You, but to truly obey what You tell me to do, through the Holy Spirit. Help me please crucify my flesh every day and follow You. I know that as long as I live in this body, I have to overcome the lusts of my flesh and I cannot do it without Your help. I see that the more I spend time with You, the more I desire what You desire and the more I become like You. Please help me spend more time in Your presence and live in obedience to You. Praise You Lord! amen.

THE 31ST OF MARCH

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. – Galatians 5:24-25

This verse is not referring to a literal crucifixion, but a metaphorical one. To keep something “living” alive, we feed and hydrate it. If we want to kill it, we can do so by not feeding or watering it. How can we no longer feed our fleshly nature? To do so, it is not really complicated but we truly need to be continually committed.

When our fleshly nature urges us to get angry, because things are not happening as we want, if we choose to keep our calm, asking the Holy Spirit to help us, we will not feed the carnal nature. In time it will become easier (suggested prayer: “Holy Spirit, please help me not to get angry. Help me keep my calm, because I want to glorify the Lord in everything I do and be a good example, amen”).

When we do something wrong, instead of being harsh with ourselves and getting upset, we choose to thank the Lord for helping us correct what we have done wrong and to do better next time. In other words, we do not feed our fleshly nature if we cease to behave as it urges us to and we are replace the wrong behavior, with what the Bible says we should do.

As we continue to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we learn to live more and more through His power, and as a result we get angry less and calm down faster; we feel less and less offended or hurt, and it takes a shorter amount of time to forgive those who hurt us. As a result, it becomes more and more easier to keep our peace and calm that come from the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, You sacrificed Yourself in being crucified for my sins, in terrible torment, because of Your love for me. Because I love You. I want to put to death the lusts of my flesh. And even if it's hard, I can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. To be able to live for You, it is worth it to fight daily against the lusts of my fleshly nature and obey what the Holy Spirit urges me to do. Thank You Lord, glory and honor to Your holy name, amen.

DEVOTIONALS

MARCH ​DAILY MESSAGES