I stand in the very presence of God. (Luke 1:19)
Have you ever said something you really wished you could take back? Ever thrown out a phrase that you’d give anything to be able to retract? If so, then I’m sure you can relate to Zechariah.

When an angel appeared to Zechariah to tell him that he would be having a son, he was completely caught off guard. At the time Zechariah was in the sanctuary burning incense to the Lord. He was an old man and had long since given up praying for a son. The last thing he expected to see was an angel of the Lord prophesying his future.

“Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! For God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John …. He will be great in the eyes of the Lord …. He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival” (Luke 1:13-17). You and I know his son as John the Baptist. But Zechariah wasn’t sure what to think of this encounter. He said the first thing that popped into his mind: “I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years” (Luke 1:18).

Zechariah said what you and I might have said in the same circumstance. He knew that having babies was a young person’s job, and when you get old, you put away such foolish dreams. He probably couldn’t even remember the last time he’d prayed for it. I think you’ve got the wrong person, he thought to himself. And that’s when he uttered the phrase that could be taken as lacking faith, the phrase that he’d have given anything to be able to take back: “I’m an old man now.” Zechariah wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, just practical. But the reality he saw didn’t set too well with the angel.

“I am Gabriel!” the angel shot back at him. “I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!” (Luke 1:19). And because of Zechariah’s doubt, the angel struck him dumb on the spot. Zechariah was unable to speak again until his son was born. The angel probably did it for his own good. It was the only way to keep him from speaking out even more curses on himself.

Zechariah defined his identity by his circumstances. The angel defined his identity by the One he served. The only question left on the table is for you and me. How are we going to define our identity? Who are we going to be in the eyes of the Lord? How are we going to see ourselves in light of God’s power and glory? How we answer that question makes all the difference for our future.

Devotional by:New Beginnings Christian Fellowship
Wanda L. Ball
Ball Publications Christian Books

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Christians call it the “Believer’s Prayer,” but it’s so much more than that. It’s not so much a prayer as it is a spiritual white flag. It is an act of surrender, a willful giving of ourselves to another. It is you and me finally admitting that we’ve run out of reasons not to believe in Jesus, and that we’ve given up trying to make it to heaven on our own. We’ve tried to live life on our terms, and we know it doesn’t work. So we come before God and ask him to show us how. We want more than a better way to die; we want a better way to live. We’ve seen the promises of Jesus, and we want them for our own. So we kneel before the throne of God, raise our white flag, and surrender.

If you haven’t done that, I encourage you to do so today. If you have, then pray the words anyway, as a statement of continued faith. There is no magic in the words. Words mean little to God, but the condition of our heart means everything. The following prayer is simply a guide to follow. Make the thoughts your own, and say it only if you really mean it. As you do, know with all your heart and soul that God can hear you. And that he will honor his promises.

Dear Father, I turn from my sins. Please forgive me for all the wrong things I’ve done. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that he came to earth in the form of a man. I believe that he died on a cross and was raised after three days. I believe that his death paid the price for my sins. And I know that Jesus is the only path to eternal life. I trust in the promises and claims of Jesus, and I put my life in your hands. I submit myself to the lordship of Jesus from this day forward and to the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Holy Spirit will come into my life and dominate every part of my being, and that he will deliver me from those things in my life that are displeasing to you.Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to die on the cross for me. I know that my sins are forgiven because of Jesus. I commit myself to your Spirit and give myself over to your will for me. Thank you for loving me. Show me what you want me to do next. I love you, God!

If you just prayed that prayer for the very first time and don’t feel any different, don’t worry. God has promised to save those who put their trust in Jesus, and God always honors his promises. You can believe with all your heart that God heard your words and that he has saved you. You can believe that the Holy Spirit led you to this moment of decision and that he is now living within you. Your relationship with God is sealed!

Recommended Reading: Romans 10:5-11

• Reflection
  If this is your first confession of faith, how does it feel to finally put your trust in God? Why not spend some time in praise and worship to him?

  Submitted by: New Beginnings Christian Fellowship

  Wanda Ball
  Ball Publications Christian Books
  Related Info: Do You Know God?

As 2009 has come to an end, we celebrate another year that God has given us. Some of us struggled a great deal in 2009. We lost jobs, homes, cars, savings and 401k accounts. Because of these losses, we have become sad, depressed and faithless. Even as Christians, we may have stopped praying to God because we think he has betrayed us. But God has never left us or betrayed us, because he loves us unconditionally. God also asks us to pray without ceasing, which means we should be in constant communication with Him – in good times and bad. We may not understand why these things are happening, but now that 2010 is here, what should we be praying for in the coming year?
HERE ARE 5 PRAYERS TO CONSIDER…

With blessings,
Wanda L. Ball
Ball Publications Christian Books

Starting today, my NEW Blog “GOD MATTERS” will go in a different direction. In the past my blog has been about bible devotions and thoughts taken from bible scriptures. These scriptures gave you food for thought and possible meditation on God’s word. Nothing was wrong with this approach, but now God has me moving in a different direction and my goal is to do His will and not my own…. So now my goal is to get ALL PEOPLE to think and do something about their Life. Faith. and Family, (which is the foundation of my book publication company).

For the past month my pastor, Rev. Jim Ellis, has been preaching from the book of Romans. His goal has been to preach salvation and eternal life to all, in order to make sure that if we died today, where would we go?

So I’m asking YOU this question: IF YOU DIED TODAY – WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD YOU GO… HEAVEN OR HELL?

My answer: I’m proud to say I’m Heaven bound! Since I gave my life to Jesus and confessed my sins, he saved my soul. And through his Grace and Mercy alone, I am saved.

And after giving us your answer, please read the book of Romans to find out the truth…

Wanda Ball
Do you know if your saved?

I, Wisdom (from God), make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion. Proverbs 8:12

There is a lot of powerful information in this small Scripture-information you would do well to explore. In the Scriptures, being prudent means being good stewards or managers of the gifts that God has given you to use. Those gifts include time, energy, strength, and health, as well as material possessions.

Each of us has been given a different set of gifts, and each of us has different abilities to manage those gifts. It is your individual responsibilty to develop knowledge and discretion as to how you can best use your gifts. You do this by listening to the Lord and obeying what He tells you to do.

Following Wisdom is an excellent choice-one that will bring you many blessings!

Enjoy your day!