The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections

The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections   Today's Devotional • Back to Home Page   Aug 24 Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest Matthew 7:9 "What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" Our Life's Foundation—Prayer Prayer is the foundation of our relationship with the Father, and that relationship is the foundation of our life. Prayer is what sustains that relationship. If our prayer life is failing, that means we are not staying in touch with the source of all that is good in our lives. Without God we are nothing. Without a faithful friendship with Him, our relationship with others will suffer.  We often come to God asking for answers, but He looks at our relationships first.  What earthly father gives his son a stone when he has asked for bread? Surely no one. Therefore, if an earthly father knows how to give good gifts, then our heavenly Father would surely know how to give good gifts to his chi...

The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections   Today's Devotional • Back to Home Page   Aug 23 Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest Matthew 6:6 "When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" The Secret Place Do you have a "secret place" where you meet God? Behind closed doors? Jesus said to go to your room, shut the door, and pray to the Father in secret...  I have to confess, I do not have a secret place. If I shut the door someone is going to open it or knock on it and want to come in... but if I leave my door open one assumes there is nothing to see so they just move right along and leave me in peace. But once I shut that door...  So, I just maintain my secret place inside of me. Or I find a time when everyone else is asleep.  Chambers says that most of the time our biggest challenge is our wandering thoug...

The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections   Today's Devotional • Back to Home Page Aug 8 Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest Luke 1:35 ". . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God" The Eternal Child In Me The Eternal Child, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem to a young virgin named Mary. When we accept Christ into our hearts as our Saviour, we are born again by the fact that we have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is Christ in Spirit being born into our hearts.  And Chambers asks piercing questions:  Am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me?  Is the Son of God praying in me? Have I made room for Christ in my life?  No matter what is going on in our lives, no matter the circumstances surrounding us on the outside—our inner world must always face the Father in prayer. Oneness with the Father so the Son's life can be fulfilled...

The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections   Today's Devotional • Back to Home Page Aug 6 Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest John 16:26 "In that day you will ask in My name . . ." A Season of Learning When Prayer Seems to be Unanswered The Cross of Christ... what does it represent to you personally?  Chambers tells us that the Cross represents only one thing for us—identification with the Lord, Jesus Christ. And this identification becomes real to us in prayer.  Jesus spent time in prayer with the Father unceasingly. He was one with the Father.  We are to become one with Christ in prayer.  The reason we pray should not be to get answers from God. It is a time of connection with Him. Chambers asks a piercing question: has our prayer life become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ—so intimate with God? Has the Lord's life become our life, is our life hidden in His life? Chambers says it should be such that there is no distinctio...

Daily Bible Verse: Mark 4:10 (NLT) "...when Jesus was alone ..." Sometimes God creates grief moments for us, with us, through suffering or heartbreak. When we are spent, broken, and without words - after we quiet every question and are utterly still and alone with God -  He begins to teach us. People experience Abba Father in different ways. Here are some ways I've experienced God's quiet communication; yours may look different. Complete sentences Sudden insights  A knowing sensation One word  Silent teaching - change softly follows and thoughts begin to shift. Abba Father - His Time With Us Have you ever been alone with God? When God begins to teach you...you may want to keep notes in a journal about your journey with Him.  Alone With Abba Father - Intimate God Prayer Lord, teach us.  Reach us where we are.  Lead us in Your way.  Provide as we obey.  Protect us as we walk in faith.  Give us the courage to face the unknown.  Let our...

God's Revealing Reflection Daily Bible Verse - Mark 4:33-34 (NLT) "He used...stories and illustrations to teach the people...in public...He taught only with parables, but afterward, when He was alone with His disciples, He explained the meaning to them." Jesus did not explain the meaning to them until He was alone with them. Jesus uses solitude to reveal truths. Looking Inward We often think to ourselves, "No one understands me."  Many of us also think we fully understand ourselves . Neither statement is true. Only Abba Father truly knows and understands us.  God's Light Shines On The Deep Places of Our Soul When we are alone with God, He reveals the deep, hidden areas of our character. He reveals these things in His timing, as we become able to understand. This is a slow process as it requires us to examine our own souls. God cannot teach us until pride and conceit are removed from our inner being. Therefore we will face heartbreak and disappointment over m...

Ask In My Name: Jesus Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it! Ask in Jesus Name: John 14:13-14 NLT "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it!" Reflection:  On that holy day when Jesus gave up His spirit, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45).  That veil had long symbolized the separation between God and man, but through Christ’s sacrifice the barrier was removed. Scripture tells us plainly: “We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19–20).  He is now our High Priest, the One who “always lives to intercede” for us (Hebrews 7:25).  Paul affirms, “There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).  And Jesus Himself promised, “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14)  "At...