Today’s Key Scripture

“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’”

— Luke 3:21-22

Quite often people approach me and say, “Pastor Benny, I have a problem. Will you pray for me and seek God for a special word for me today?”

Now I believe God gives specific words for people, but I also believe that we shouldn’t go looking for them. The best place to get a word from God is in your own prayer closet. Get to know the Lord well, and you will discern what He is saying to you soon enough. The better you know Him, the better you will know His will.

Repeatedly in Scripture we find that God often speaks the clearest to people who are already spending intimate time in prayer with Him.

Oswald Chambers, the early twentieth-century Scottish minister and teacher, perhaps best known for his book, My Utmost for His Highest, once wrote, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a common sense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God’s work.”

Prayer, the greatest work, waters the seed that the Holy Ghost plants in your life, giving you the ability to hear God’s voice.

 

A Prayer for Today

God, I need You. I desire Your presence. Forgive me for rejecting You at so many crossroads of my life. Thank You for caring enough to be patient and forbearing with me. Help me to spend time with You doing the greater work of praying and listening to You speak to me. I want to know You better so that Your voice is clear to me and without distractions that would invade or disrupt my time with You. I am yours, Lord, today and always, to serve You willingly. I pray this in the name above all names, Jesus, amen.

 

*All Scripture references are NKJV unless otherwise noted.