Thirty-One Days

Of

Prayers

Written and Prepared By
    Pastor Alfredo D. Noble, PhD
 

PURPOSE
 

The purpose of this Devotion is to prepare through prayer my mind and soul to receive guidance through the Holy Spirit day to day.

It will provide the proper vehicle to communicate daily and assure
that my steps are in accordance to God’s will for my life.

Every day through my Devotion, you will begin to find the strength and power to not only complete this day, but to anticipate the next day with hope and joy.

Remember “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7

Then, (therefore) my purpose is to give my total attention to God through prayer

and my Devotion will increase towards my God daily.

HOW TO USE THE DEVOTIONAL


The Devotional is written to be used as God directs day by day.  There are many ways it will be used:

1.    Thirty-One (31) days of day by day
2.    One (1) verse of scripture for one or more days
3.    The same or several verses per day (morning and evening)
4.    A Devotion for a week at a time
5.    Devotion of choice


I.  DAY BY DAY—
  
Each morning or a specific time of the day beginning with the first day of the week and on the first day of the new month, example (1 Jan. 2011) you will read the first Devotion three times, pray and have a moment of quietness, listening for God’s answer to your prayer or directions for that day.  Then read a Psalm beginning with Psalm 1 and continuing to Psalms 150 (150 days).


II. ONE DEVOTION FOR ONE OR MORE DAYS
   
Begin by reading the first Devotion as the first day then allow God to direct you to one or more days when the same Devotion will be repeated until you are directed to continue to the second one.  Read a Psalm each day, one for each day.


III. MORNING AND EVENING
     
As per the first day, the Devotion is read, twice or more during the day. Read a Psalm for each Devotional reading followed by strong prayer and a period of silence waiting for directions and or answer.

 
IV. A WEEK AT A TIME
     
As per the first day instructions the same verse is followed everyday for seven (7) days.

At the conclusion of seven days then proceed to the next Devotion.  Read one Psalm each day (a different one each day) followed by prayers and a period of waiting for your answer to your query or directions.


V.  DEVOTION OF CHOICE

Based on your current spiritual need, there are occasions that a specific verse or Devotion will address your challenge.  As per the first day instructions proceed, but read the verse continually throughout the day and pray selecting a specific time to find a quiet place with God.






















MY PRAYER FOR YOU


Based on my own personal Devotional experience, I find that praying God’s will is far more effective than bombarding God’s ear with personal “wants and desires”.

I am quite aware of all of the verses we call “give me” verses in the Bible.  I will list a few of my favorites and then refer to one of the most powerful verses in the Bible with explanation.

FAVORITE VERSES:

•    PSALM 37:4

The first seven verses are powerful Devotional verses.  We are directed not to “fret” (worry) about our enemies rather to seek the comfort of God for our rest from trouble.  So when the fourth verse is isolated and used only for a means to receive from the Lord our “desire” it now render the scripture out of context (from protection from our enemy) and the true meaning of the scripture (37:4) is lost.  Remember the entire 37 Psalm is directed to trusting in God and its benefits are listed.


•    MATTHEW 6:33

Wow, what a powerful verse.  It sounds as though I can get anything I desire from God just by standing on this verse of scripture, again a good example of isolating a verse for our personal use.  The problem is the conjunction “but”, this little three letter word mean that there was an argument stated prior to the statement to be made and there is another little word that must be recognized and that word is “these” this word suggest a segment of or some of, or some portion mentioned in the argument.  In this case “these things” what things?” you must put verse 33 back into it contents and investigate the entire thought from verses 19-33 in order to pick up the writer’s intent.

My intent is not to resolve the scripture in mentioned but merely to point out the use or misuse of verses for prayer purposes with a certain expected result(s).



•    MATTHEW 7:7   

The writer here is only bringing to our attention that we should pray to God about our concerns.  He and only he has the true answer and will only give the right answer every time.  Read the entire contents 7:7-11.

Great care must be observed when using Old Testament verses to believe or stand on a point of scripture that violation is not made in reference to laws, customs, dispensation and covenants.   This is all that will be said about the scripture references to prayer requests.

•    1 JOHN 5:14

When isolated we find that asking according to His will grants our desires in prayer, but once placed back into its contents 1 John 5:9-15 its purpose is to assure the reader to God’s purpose through the salvation process.

Last scripture to consider, though there are many more that could be explored is St. John 15:7

•    ST. JOHN 15:7

At first look, when isolated the verse offers such hope in exacting our prayer need or query, but in content it is giving the picture of God’s order care for His saints.

 
LAST STATEMENT

Now let’s look at the verses of scripture that we will use to stand on.  As we investigate this prayer, keep in mind the intention is to pray in accordance to God’s will for our lives.  Let’s begin:

•    COLOSSIANS 1:9-11

The strength of this prayer lies in the fact that it is directed toward individuals in the service of the Lord.

Paul states that he do not cease to pray for the saints at Colossee and highlights the following:

1.    Filled with the knowledge of His will
(a)    in wisdom
(b)    in understanding
    2.  Walk worthy of the Lord
            (a)  unto all pleasing
            (b)  being fruitful in every good work
            (c)  Increasing in the knowledge of God
    3.  Strengthened with all might
            (a)  accordance to God’s glorious power
            (b)  unto all patience
            (b)  longsuffering
            (c)  with joyfulness
      
Wow, that-this prayer be directed to our lives and in-acted.  That the virtues of God will be manifested into our lives and therefore assure the fullness of God operating within us.

Being filled with the knowledge of God and walking worthy according to His will is the greatest manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit within.  Therefore the greatest and most meaningful prayer in our behalf would be to allow God to assume full control of our lives.

Begin today making your main focus and goal the orientation of God’s will in your life, and after your first Devotional session, begin to thank God for being God and for His parental care and love for you.

Begin to trust God in every aspect of your life and step into the pathway God has already prepared for them who love Him.

God bless you richly as you journey through this Devotional book and may the joy of the Lord fully overtake you is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the only Son of God, Amen.
























 
OH GOD, YOU DESERVE ALL MY PRAISES
I Chronicles 29:11-13


D
avid in his thanksgiving prayer to God acknowledges that God is Supreme all of the power belongs to Him and it is in His hand to bless those whom He will.

Notice that every gift and any honor comes from God as well as all those who will be great on exalted even the power that is generated through strength.

Because of this fact, David granted God the praise of his lips and the praise of his gifts.

Prepare yourself to render all to God, kneel before Him and acknowledge that all honor belongs to Him for it is He who is the great and powerful God.


PRAY – 
I Chronicles 29:11-13, then thank God.

1Ch 29:11-Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
1Ch 29:12 -Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
1Ch 29:13 -Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

Oh God, thank you for just being a great and wonderful God.  You created everything, thus everything belongs to you, yet you gratefully share with us.  You are to be praised and magnified all day long.