March 6 Devotion - Self - Esteem

So He said to them, “You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts [your thoughts, your desires, your secrets]; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ:

«إِنَّكُمْ تُبَرِّرُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَمَامَ النَّاسِ، وَلكِنَّ اللهَ يَعْرِفُ قُلُوبَكُمْ.

 فَمَا يَعْتَبِرُهُ النَّاسُ رَفِيعَ الْقَدْرِ، هُوَ رِجْسٌ عِنْدَ اللهِ.

Luke 16:15

 

Self-esteem is defined as confidence in one's own worth or abilities, self-respect.

 

While believers should have high self- esteem, the source of their self-esteem is crucial. I find myself conforming to the world by drawing my self-worth based on how the world and people measure me.

 

What is the source of your self-esteem? Is it your social setting? Your professional setting? Your culture setting? Your financial setting? Or do you get your self-esteem from pleasing God?

 

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

 

فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِصَمُوئِيلَ: «لاَ تُلْقِ بَالاً إِلَى وَسَامَتِهِ وَطُولِ قَامَتِهِ إِذ لَيْسَ هَذَا مَنِ اخْتَرْتُهُ، فَنَظْرَةُ الرَّبِّ تَخْتَلِفُ عَنْ نَظْرَةِ الإِنْسَانِ، لأَنَّ الإِنْسَانَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْمَظْهَرِ الْخَارِجِيِّ وَأَمَّا الرَّبُّ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْقَلْبِ».

 

1 Samuel 16:7

 

When I get my self-esteem from pleasing God, I get my confidence by trusting God.                         

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can surrender to You and let You transform me into a new person by changing the way I think and make me stop copying the behaviour and customs of this world. Romans 12:2. Lord increase my self-esteem in proportion to the extent that I please You and increase my trust in You. Abba Father, thank You that You love me and that Your love is unfailing, steadfast, deep, and everlasting. Thank You Father for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Father God, I pray to You iin the name of Your only begotten Son, my Redeemer and Saviour, the Lord of my life, Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time and now and forevermore. Amen.

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

 

March 4 Devotion - When I Feel Troubled Console me Lord

 

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you.

Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

 

يَارَبُّ ارْحَمْنَا. إِيَّاكَ انْتَظَرْنَا، كُنْ عَضُدَنَا فِي الصَّبَاحِ، وَخَلاَصَنَا فِي أَثْنَاءِ الْمِحْنَةِ.

 

Isaiah 33:2

 

 

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

 

"لاَ تَضْطَرِبْ قُلُوبُكُمْ. أَنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللهِ، فَآمِنُوا بِي أَيْضاً".

John 14:1

 

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand and Your right hand will save me.

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

 

وَلَوْ سَلَكْتُ فِي وَسَطِ الضِّيقِ فَإِنَّكَ تُحْيِينِي وَيَمِينُكَ تُخَلِّصُنِي.

وَعْدُكَ يُنْعِشُنِي إِذْ هُوَ تَعْزِيَتِي فِي ضِيقِي.

عِنْدَ كَثْرَةِ هُمُومِي فِي دَاخِلِي تَبْتَهِجُ نَفْسِي بِتَعْزِيَاتِكَ.

 

Psalm 138:7, Psalm 119:50, Psalm 94:19

 

Comfort me Lord through The Holy Spirit and Your words….

The Lord is near to you because you have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:17-20 “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9   All things will work together for good for you because you love God, Romans 8:28  Make sure to rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  in everything give thanks 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, console me O’Lord and let not my heart be troubled. Let my trust in You overcome any burden. I depend on Your right hand to save me and Your promises to comfort me in my confusion, sadness, and suffering. I long to feel your consolation and joy and I confidently await your mercies. Father God, I thank you for knowing every emotion I go through and for having an answer and support for me today. Strengthen me Lord to be of good courage. Thank You Lord that during my period of weakness Your strength is made perfect. Help me Lord to pray continuously. I rejoice in the assurance that You are with me God wherever I am, that all things will work together for good for me, and that I will rejoice because Your peace God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus; in whose mighty holy name I pray to You Father God. To Jesus be the power, the majesty, the glory, and the authority forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 24 Devotion - Keep yourselves in God's love

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

...But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Romans 7:19, Jude1:20–21

 

فَأَنَا لاَ أَعْمَلُ الصَّلاَحَ الَّذِي أُرِيدُهُ؛ وَإِنَّمَا الشَّرُّ الَّذِي لاَ أُرِيدُهُ فَإِيَّاهُ أُمَارِسُ

وَأَمَّا أَنْتُمْ أَيُّهَا الأَحِبَّاءُ، فَابْنُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ عَلَى إِيمَانِكُمُ الأَقْدَسِ، وَصَلُّوا دَائِماً فِي الرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ.َاحْفَظُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ فِي مَحَبَّةِ اللهِ، مُنْتَظِرِينَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ إِذْ يَعُودُ وَيَأْخُذُكُمْ لِتَحْيَوْا مَعَهُ إِلَى الأَبَدِ.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer:

Abba Father, I cannot do it on my own. Father God, please replace my self-effort and my problem-solving techniques with Your power. Help me to learn to walk by faith. Jesus, You are my strength and my shield. You are the One who can fortify my human frailty with Your supernatural grace. I lean on You today and every day. Saviour, saturate my mind with Your Word and fill me with Your Spirit. Thank You Father for Your abundant blessings, Your grace, and Your unfailing, deep, inseparable, and everlasting love for me.  Keep me in Your love and strength as I await Your return Jesus. In Your holy name I pray. To Jesus be the authority, the power, the majesty, and the glory since the beginning of time, now, and forevermore. Amen.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

 

February 23 Devotion - God is faithful to His promises

 

So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.

لنتمسك باقرار الرجاء راسخا لان الذي وعد هو امين.

Hebrews 10:23 AMP

 

Let’s focus on God’s grace and unconditional love and on His power and ability to control all circumstances.

Let us focus on His always-listening ear and His always-watchful eye.

 

Do you have a device (Google home, Alexa, Siri etc.) at home or on your watch that you feel is always listening to you and responds immediately and sometimes even without you asking!! Imagine how much more attentive is our God.

I believe that when we keep focusing on God, our thoughts about our problems diminish and our hope increases.

  

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your unfailing, deep and everlasting love for me, Your abundant blessings, and for the riches of Your grace in my life. Thank You God that You are trustworthy in all Your promises and faithful to me in all You do. Psalm 145:13 I thank You that You are a reliable and trustworthy God and You promised that You will never leave me nor forsake me, and I know that You are faithful. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can concentrate on You, and keep Your commandments. In the mighty name of Jesus; my Lord and Saviour; The King of kings and Lord of lords, in the holy name of Your only begotten Son Jesus, I pray to You Father. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty and the dominion forever and ever and unto ages of all ages. Amen.

.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 17 Devotion - Conquerors

 

I continue to learn that the greatest lessons and spiritual growth are achieved through what I and the world may consider as defeat or failure. It is at these moments when there is nothing left except God that I realize that God is all I need. That is a great victory in itself, an eternal victory.

It is God who is taking care of the consequences; our job is to trust Him for the outcome and to say with the Apostles Paul and John: 

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

وَلكِنَّنَا، فِي جَمِيعِ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ، نُحْرِزُ مَا يَفُوقُ الانْتِصَارَ عَلَى يَدِ مَنْ أَحَبَّنَا. ذَلِكَ لأَنَّ الْمَوْلُودَ مِنَ اللهِ يَنْتَصِرُ عَلَى الْعَالَمِ. فَالإِيمَانُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَجْعَلُنَا نَنْتَصِرُ عَلَى الْعَالَمِ. وَمَنْ يَنْتَصِرُ عَلَى الْعَالَمِ إِلاَّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ أَنَّ يَسُوعَ هُوَ ابْنُ اللهِ؟

 

Romans 8:37, 1 John 5:4-5

 

I invite you to join me in my prayer and to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your love that gives me victory. Thank You God that whatever my circumstances, I can overcome the world because I am born again of The Spirit through my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, and my faith that He is The Son of God and that He died for the forgiveness of my sins, that He was resurrected and ascended to The Heavens and is seated at Your right hand Father God. Lord, I pray to You in the name of Your only begotten Son, The King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus The Christ. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, and the authority since the beginning of time, and now, and forevermore. Amen.

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

 

                                                                                               

 

February 16 Devotion - Renewed Strength and Endurance

 

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

 

نَحْنُ أَيْضاً، أَنْ نَرْكُضَ بِاجْتِهَادٍ فِي السِّبَاقِ الْمُمْتَدِّ أَمَامَنَا،

 ² مُتَطَلِّعِينَ دَائِماً إِلَى يَسُوعَ: رَائِدِ إِيمَانِنَا وَمُكَمِّلِهِ

 

                                                Hebrews 12:1-2, Isaiah 40:31  

 

 

The scripture tells us that when we run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and have

hope in the Lord, our strength will be renewed. When we become weary and tired of coping with global tribulations and find that the cares of the world are overcoming us, we need to shift back our focus and put our hope in the Lord. In His time we shall be renewed and mount up with wings like eagles. By focusing on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, we will have endurance to go from grace to more grace.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, strengthen me O’Lord to keep my eyes focused on Jesus and to allow Him to work in my life, giving me the endurance required to achieve Your will in my life. Father God I want to soar like an eagle and to never weary doing Your work  God I want to learn to wait upon You and I want to experience Your peace and joy as I await. Thank You Lord for your abundant blessings in my life and for Your grace upon my life. Now to Him who is able to carry out His purpose and do infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Ephesians 3:20-21 (AMP). Amen.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 13 Devotion - Our Heavenly Father's Heart

 

My Precious Child,

I know everything about you. You were made in My image. In Me you live and move and have your being. It is My desire to lavish My love on you. I am the complete expression of love. You are My child and I am your Father. I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. I love you with an everlasting love. I desire to establish you with all My heart. Delight in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart. I am your greatest encourager. I am the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. I have carried you close to my heart. I love you even as I love My Son Jesus. Nothing will ever separate you from My love. I have always been Father and will always be Father.

Will you be my child?

Love,

Your Heavenly Father

_____________________________________________

Sources:

 

I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

You were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

It is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

I am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16

You are my child and I am your father. I John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Mathew 7:11

I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 3:13

I desire to establish you with all my heart. Jeremiah 32:41

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:13-14

I have carried you close to my heart.  Isaiah 40:1 

I love you even as I love my son Jesus.  John 17:23

Nothing will ever separate you from my love. Romans 8:38-39

I have always been Father and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

Will you be my child? John 1:12-13