It's time to praise the Lord

"1Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. 2I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath."     Psalm 146:1-2   NLT

One thing that gets  neglected at times is the need to praise God. We can become so busy in our life that, a worship time can be cut to just a few uttered words of thankfulness and requests for what we need and would like. This is not enough!. Satan roams around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), and he will tie you up in knots if you have inadequate covering. Firstly, you need the Armour of God (Ephesians 6) daily and then you need to set aside a quiet time preferably before you go out. Some may say, it can't be done, There is load of things need doing and then, I have to get the children ready and take them off to school. Can I say here, you need to change your schedule round; get up earlier if it needs to happen, but don't rob God of His morning time meeting with you.

Prayer and praise is essential to your spiritual survival, check what David said about it:

'1Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!'   Psalm 103:1-5.  NLT

Just looks at the words David uses: 'With my whole heart,' 'May I never forget the good things He does for me.' 'Forgives my sins, heals all my diseases' 'Redeems me from death, crowns me with love and tender mercies' and 'My youth is renewed like the eagles.' And this is just a selection. 

Think about your life; think what God has done for you. There is a lot to praise Him for. Look what He did yesterday for you and then watch with interest at what He will do today. People close to you can offer all the love they have but, God can offer much more, His love is eternal and not affected by petty squabbles. He will always be with you, faithful and loving.

Now that is something to praise Him about, don't you think?

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Don't deflect from your focus

"3Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labour. 7Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things."     2 Timothy 2:3-7   NLT

Paul encourages Timothy to exercise endurance; something we all need to practice. He mentions three important factors:

(1)  If you're a soldier of Christ, act accordingly. Unless ordered to do so, soldiers do not get tied up in civilian affairs. They keep their focus on what they committed to.

(2)  Unless athletes adhere to the rules, they will be disqualified. In addition, if the athlete does not commit to regular, daily training, they will be unlikely to be fit enough to compete.

(3)  Busy farmers should have the right to the choicest of their produce.

Timothy needed to take this on board because Paul was getting towards the end of his ministry and he needed to pass the baton to spiritual leaders. It was something that Timothy had to master if he was to be ready for his own ministry. And, we need to be the same. We may not all be leaders of a church but you can be a leader of the people around you, whether at home, your neighbourhood or workplace. These people may have never been to church except for weddings and funerals. They may have been forced to attend Sunday School when they were younger and this, may have given them bad memories. Nobody wants to do things when they are forced to do them Therefore, there is a lot to consider as you prepare your spiritual ground.

First of all is not to be labelled as a 'Holy Joe' (Anyone who is named this, please forgive the insult). We need to avoid having such a label. There is nothing better than living life as Jesus would have you to and every now and then you may have the opportunity to speak to someone who asks about your background or faith. Hosting BBQ's in the summer inviting people round for a meal can be a great starter, and as time goes on it may be possible to create a bible study or Alpha Course and  invite some people. 

There are many ways to attract people's attention to Jesus and as the Holy Spirit is the greatest evangelist that can be found, consulting Him can be very helpful. Just be yourself with your potential spiritual 'church', avoid too much 'holy talk or cliches' and just show them Jesus and before too long you may have a thriving group of Christian people.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

He has opened a new door for you

"I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me."

                                                                       Revelation 3:7-8   NLT

The people who belonged to the church at Philadelphia were weak and powerless and they never seemed to realise that their strength was in Christ. The Letter to Philadelphia contained quotes from the book of Isaiah 22:22, Jesus the Messiah is the successor to David's royal line. As Gatekeeper of heaven, He has authority to open and close the way to heaven (Matt 16:19). The Christians at Philadelphia were not prosperous and lacked status and power. But Christ had opened a door for them to claim His status and authority, and in spite of their weakness they obeyed Christ's word and didn’t deny Him even under heavy pressure.

This church may not have had the dynamics, prosperity and power that other great churches had but, they were loyal to Jesus. He had seen their works and was about to bless them. You may not realise it at first but, Jesus sees all you do. He knows the problems you face and He also knows how you have overcome them, sometimes at great cost. Christians around you may 

have soared in their ministry for Jesus, and they may have made great leaps of faith, and at times it may seem that you are getting left behind. STOP RIGHT THERE! Don't go down that road because it's a road of never ending misery. In stead, take on board that Jesus has opened a new door for you and, what's more, no one can close it.

Think about this for a moment, a door has been opened for you by Jesus. He invites you to walk through this door, trusting Him. I suppose it is a faith step because you are stepping into the unknown. However, it's a step that will bring you prosperity, power and strength. You can do this because Jesus said you can. What is through the door; well, that is difficult to say. One thing you can be sure of is that it will be the right move, one of great excitement. However, there will be difficult times, nothing is ever easy when you do God's work, But you will have Jesus with you who will guide you safely along the road.

How does all of this find you. Are you bubbling over with excitement or are their doubts in your mind. If so, you are doing the right thing. If you feel you should just get out there and go, you may be wrong. You need to watch and wait for God's directions and when you have this confirmation head for this open door.                                                                                           

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

God has great plans for you

"This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."      Jeremiah. 29:10-11.  NLT

The Israelites had been taken captive to Babylon and had lost all hope of ever being freed. Jeremiah, under the direction of the Lord, wrote the elders there a letter, encouraging them to be productive - build homes, marry, raise children and grandchildren, plant gardens and eat the food that they provide. In all things, don't lose hope because God is on your side and after 70 years in exile, He will come to take you home. 

There's a lesson. here, when you are in a place that you don't wish to be, don't give up; be as proactive as you can be; learn new skills, study, Don't be lost in a world of negativity. Learn to be positive about things, pray, pray and pray some more. God is there right beside you. You may be in a place that you really hate; this may be your job or where you live. But at this time, you can do nothing about it. God may have put a dream within your heart. Hang on to it, pray it in. Don't give up on it because when you give up on your dream you die. All that you had been hoping for lost and nothing to look forward to any longer. But you have something to look forward to and, at the right time it is coming.

Do you realise that God, has good plans for you? They are not disastrous plans but plans that as you focus on them positively, give you a hope. Whether you realise it or not, you have a great future ahead of you. Now that is something to be grateful for, in fact, to be full of joy because, joy that comes from the Lord gives you strength (Nehemiah 8:10). With this in mind, see yourself as a warrior who will never be stopped. You will forge ahead, doing the best you can do in an unworthy place, realising that tomorrow is coming. Like the Israelites, you may not have to wait 70 years, not all, your future is just around the corner.

Put your armour on; pick up your sword and go forward in the name of the Lord, turning bad into good, negativity into positivity and depression into warrior type thinking. After all, God has put a fighter in you!

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Don't be overcome by the temptation

"29One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) 31“All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” 32“Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” 33But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob."   Genesis 25:29-33   NLT

Esau was the first born and therefore qualified for the double inheritance and blessing when his father, Issac  died. Jacob wasn't far behind being born, hanging onto his brother's ankle. Jacob was crafty where Esau was impulsive and shortsighted. Esau was born covered with red hair. The younger twin came out grasping Esau's ankle, so he was named Jacob, which means, 'he grasps the heel'. 

As the two children struggled inside Rebekah's womb she asked the Lord why this was happening. The Lord told her, 'The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.'  Gen 25:23. When they were born it was as the Lord had told Rebekah .

As they grew up, Esau became a hunter preferring outdoor life, where Jacob preferred home life.  One day, Jacob was cooking a red stew when Esau came in and asked him for some of the stew because he was starving. Jacob agreed but only if Esau would sell him his birthright for it. Esau said that he was dying of starvation, what good was his birthright to him now. So Jacob took 

the birthright and at Issac's death deceived his father by saying that he was Esau for which he received his blessing.

One could say that that God ordained this, after all, scripture shows us such. However, there was lying and deceit in their actions. Esau was willing to give up everything for a bowl of stew, this was how important iit was to him. Where, Jacob and his mother, plotted and schemed for the birthright resulting in trickery. It is true that Giod ordained Jacob to receive the blessing and double inheritance, but not the way it was achieved. What God had had in mind, we don't know but, deceit and lies were not part of the deal. This was man's way of doing things.

It goes to show that we are all susceptible to bribes and dirty dealings. It comes under the heading of temptation, which holds a variety of ungodly doors to open. For the Christian, these doors should remain closed. They contain a danger on the other side of the door, one in which, devastation can easily take over. Think for a moment, is it worth it. Was it worth it for Esau to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. He must have regretted it time and time again. But what was done, was done. There is hardly ever a chance to return to what was. 

In a nutshell, think and pray very carefully when faced with a very tempting offer. It may seem very good, a great chance of changing things, But it may carry a sting in its tail.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Make the most of your family

"Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones."         Psalm 127:1-2.  NLT

Blessing and protection come from God; without His presence, we will have no success. Human effort is futile unless God blesses it. Remember, if God builds the house, it will be built on Rock  the Rock being Jesus. Therefore, the word 'Unless' in verse one becomes the main point of focus for the Christian man or woman. We already know that without Jesus we can do nothing (John 15:5). 

I think the key verse in this Psalm is verse two.'It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.' Some people work all hours of the day. Let me just say that, God does not want that for a Christian man or woman. There is a marriage to consider, if one partner is out working all hours under the sun, then the marriage may suffer before too long. A partner left on their own for hours will soon become bored and feel unloved. If there is children in the marriage, that's even worse. Children need Mum or Dad to be present, possibly in the evenings and definitely at weekends when they are off school and have a dozen things planned of what to do and where to go. Family life suffers.

What good will it have done if a partner out working all the time collapses with a heart condition or general burnout. God knows that we have to work to eat, pay bills and just live but, He also promises to take care of us  this way (Matt 6:33). This doesn't mean that we should stop working and just rely on Jesus to supply. Not at all. But, we need to get the balance right. Once your kids have grown up and left home, the house will be so quiet and the 'I wish I'd have done this with the kids' will begin. Now is the time to put family first, they are precious, and can't be replaced. Make the most of them from today!

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Running on Empty

1Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, 2and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The LORD will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you. 

                                                                        2 Chronicles 15:2   NLJ

There is a song that Robin Mark wrote called:

 House of the Lord

'There's a house on a hill and it hasn't been lived in for a long, long time, And the windows are all broken and the paint has lost its shine And there's nothing ever heard there, for there is nothing ever said. For the life of the house left a long time ago, and the heart of the house is dead.'

O House of the Lord, can't you feel it, how our heart is growing cold, For when the Spirit comes He quickens, But when the Spirit leaves, life goes

There's a room at the top and the door has been locked and it will never open up. For no matter who will knock there, well it always stays tight shut. And there's no one ever answered, so now there's no one ever goes. For the room in the house shut a long time ago and the mind of the house is closed.

O House of the Lord.....

There's a room in the house where the fire used to burn and the children used to play, And the family would gather, to hear the words the Father would say, But now the room is cold and empty and the embers glow faint red, For the fire of the house failed a long time ago and the heart of the house is dead.

The words say it all, once you used to be a key player for Jesus, you would win souls for Jesus and people would be healed and changed for the better. But something happened to all of this and you no longer are a key player. In your heart is a faint memory of all that you did for Jesus and your bible lays there gathering dust. Could the person who hurt you so badly have led you to fall away from the Lord for so long? Jesus is a dim memory too and yet in times past, you would be a leading light for Him. What happened? Whatever it was can be healed within your heart if you'll allow it. Deep down within, there is an ember that glows faint red and all you need to do is to stir that fire up once again. Don't rob the world of all that you can offer them. Just close by to you right now is your salvation, Jesus Himself and although He is silent, He is still listening to you and longs for you to just call to Him and ask Him for help. Will you? 

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.