Today’s Devotional Verse

And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala. Matthew 15:29‭-‬39 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.15.29-39.KJV

Today’s Devotional Verse

And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala. Matthew 15:29‭-‬39 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.15.29-39.KJV

Today’s Devotional Verse

When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. Matthew 14:13‭-‬21 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.14.13-21.KJV

Miracles of Thanksgiving Devotional. Day 2:

Thanksgiving Opens The Door To The Miracle Of Multiplication

The miracle of multiplication sounds impressive, and I wish I lived in Jesus’ time to have seen that first hand.  Don’t we all wish sometimes to be in the time Jesus walked the earth?  To see first-hand the many miracles Jesus performed, I wonder what the atmosphere was like when Jesus turned the water into wine, or healed people from leprosy, or stopped the flow of blood from the woman bleeding for twelve years.  Imagine everywhere Jesus went there were crowds of people pressing in to experience a miracle, and even though the works Jesus performed seems phenomenal and impossible to us,  he expects us to function just like him with the help of the Holy Spirit. Miracles are  happening all the time around us and even through us, but sometimes we are not aware of it because of the busy schedules and clutter of everyday life. But, thankfulness will lead us to a place of gratitude, and gratitude will open the door for miracles. Jesus lived His life always being aware of the free favors of God, and He was not consumed with hoarding, saving for rainy days, or building his portfolio of success.  He lived a life poured out, yet He never ran out, the key to this way of life was His ability to be thankful.

Before Jesus would go out on the road, the Bible tells us of times he took to prayer early in the mornings and late at nights. Prayer was Jesus’ communication line to His Father, just as we have today.  Jesus never ventured out to do anything for the kingdom unless he was charged up from his time in the secret place.  Twice, the same miracle takes place with Jesus and His disciples accounted for in two consecutive chapters in the book of Matthew.  On both occasions mentioned in the Bible, Jesus first feeds five thousand people and then four thousand people. Can you wrap your mind around the numbers?  The Bible also states that with the five thousand, it did not include women and children.  Jesus had little to work with – with only five loaves and two fish he feeds the multitudes. When Jesus asked the disciples what they had available, their response was, “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.” (Matthew 14:17).  Their answer tells us they limited the potential of what they had in their hands by using the word only.  How often we too face lack in our lives, we seem to have more month than money, and we use the very same statements like the disciples, we say things like, “I only have a little leftover so I can’t be generous,” or “this is all I have, and it will never be enough.”   Statements like these were never part of Jesus’ speech, and as a result, He brought God into his little and watched it multiply.

Jesus called for the loaves and fish, and on both occasions, Jesus did the same thing – he gave thanks for the little, and the supernatural happened.  Mind you, the five loaves and the seven loaves did not multiply in abundance at once.  There wasn’t basket loads of bread to share out, the multiplication happened with the same loaves, as the people broke the bread it just replenished itself.  When we learn to be thankful for the little we have in hand, we may not see an abundance all at once, but what we will experience, is there will always be more than enough.  The key is to remain thankful as God continues to supply our needs. 

“When we choose thankful prayer over wallowing in anxiety and worry, we are demonstrating an unwavering trust in God.” –Priscilla Shirer

The Miracles of Thanksgiving 4 Day Devotional. Day 1:

Thank You Is Our Password

Thanksgiving can mean so many things to different people.  However, when I think about Thanksgiving,  the holiday of “Thanksgiving” celebrated in America is foremost associated with it. I love to celebrate that joyous holiday when family and friends become a priority, our homes are filled with the aroma of turkey, apple pie and cinnamon, and the fall colors create a kaleidoscope.  Our dinner tables overflow with food, drinks, and dessert, it is one of the most celebrated holidays in America.  But, sometimes that can be the only day we feel thankful, and when the day is over, everyone goes on to their regular busy schedules until the next year when it comes to mind again.  Do you know in the kingdom of God, Thanksgiving is a way of life? Thanksgiving is one of the main attributes in the life of the believer of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NIV).  Because we are connected to Jesus,  the very life He lived flows to us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit helps us live the life of Jesus here on Earth. Jesus’s life was marked by Thanksgiving, and because of this trait, many miracles manifested all around him. 

In the early stages of my walk with the Lord, I didn’t understand prayer, or how to begin my conversations with the Lord, my devotion times looked more like I was going grocery shopping.   I would write out all my needs and mind you there was hardly any room on my list for other people’s needs.  I would offer a short prayer of blessing, and I would read a few passages from the Bible, and then I would dive right into my prayer list, ask all my needs in Jesus name and be on my way to start my day. I was very immature and didn’t understand I was actually in a relationship that required communication between God and I and that I needed to be grateful for the many blessings God had bestowed on my life.  I am sure many of you can identify with me in your earlier years with the Lord also.   As the years have gone by and with lots of teachings, and studying the life of Jesus, I have learned the language of the kingdom, and, even though I still miss it sometimes, for the most part, I think I’ve learned a great deal. 

In Psalm one hundred, and, I particularly love the Message version, it says, “Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.” (Psalm 100:4, MSG).  I wish I had known this in my earlier years, but I’m grateful for the saying, “Better late than never.”  Thank You is our password to God’s presence, and it is the key that unlocks the door to miracles.  The Apostle Paul also teaches us thanksgiving is not conditional or optional; it is a must. He says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV.

“The Bible tells us that whenever we come before God, whatever our purpose or prayer request, we are always to come with a thankful heart.” –  David Jeremiah