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Shepherd Daily Devotional – The Daily Cross

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Luke 9:25

One time, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Clearly, Jesus wasn’t referring to a physical cross. What He actually meant was the “suffering” He was about to go through. Moments before, Jesus had told his disciples that He would suffer many things, including rejection and death on the cross. But Jesus didn’t mean we would all have to live and die in the same way He did. He didn’t mean that everyone who followed Him would be rejected and be hung on the cross. Specifically, Jesus wanted us to know that we will all face our own troubles as Christians. Though we are bound to suffer, Christ assures us that our suffering will not be in vain. Just as He was raised to life, after His suffering, we too will be raised after our suffering.

But it is important for us to note that this suffering isn’t just any kind of misery. Whether we like it or not, life often hits everyone with troubles. You don’t have to be a Christian to face persecution. Even as an unbeliever, you could be rejected for your principles. Even if you are not a Christian, life can hit you with travails. Accidents, diseases, rejections and all other negative events do not affect people according to their religious affiliations. So we should not assume that every problem in our lives is a sign that we are carrying the cross that Jesus talked about. The daily cross that Jesus meant can only come when we give our lives to Him. The suffering you are going through is it as a result of your faithfulness to Christ or is caused by your own foolish acts? Don’t suffer for the wrong reasons.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, may I not suffer for the wrong reasons. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Luke 9:23-27

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional – God’s Command

Written By Ben Dankaka

"One of the most powerful prayers in the Bible is the one said by Elijah as at the time of his prayer challenge with the prophets of Baal."

Meditation – 1 Kings 18:36

One of the most powerful prayers in the Bible is the one said by Elijah as at the time of his prayer challenge with the prophets of Baal. The prayer contest was on whose “God” could light a sacrifice all by himself. The prophets of Baal had begun the challenge by praying to their god from morning to evening. They shouted, pleaded and danced as they asked their god to bring fire on their sacrifice. But despite their loud appeals and dramatic show, their god couldn’t light the fire on the altar. Their attempts to get the attention of their god proved futile, even after slashing themselves with swords and spears. After their prayer marathon, they became exhausted. When it got to Elijah’s turn, the atmosphere suddenly became calm as Elijah carefully prepared his sacrifice. Possibly, his prayer didn’t take more than five minutes but the response was instant.

A lot can be learned from the way Elijah said his prayer. First of all, his prayer was concise and straight to the point. He didn’t try to embellish it with so many words. He also didn’t get emotional. He didn’t try to impress his God or anyone by screaming and dancing. He prayed as if there was no one there except him and God. Elijah’s prayer was like a conversation between him and God. But most importantly, Elijah was confident as he prayed to God. Clearly, Elijah’s confidence was inspired by the fact that his prayer was said according to God’s will and purposes. Elijah’s request was for God to answer his prayer so that it will be known that He is the God of Israel and that He was willing to turn the people’s hearts back to Him. Today, let your prayer be according to God’s purposes.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, may it be done according to your purpose. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1 Kings 18:1-39

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional – Change Your Mind

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Proverbs 23:7

In the parable of the lost son, Jesus shared a story of a man who had two sons. The younger one demanded for his share of inheritance and left home. After he had spent everything on reckless living, an economic recession hit his country. To survive, he had to work in a farm where he was assigned to feed pigs. Apparently, the money he earned from his boss wasn’t enough because he found himself longing to fill his stomach with the food of the pigs. This went on until one fateful day when he suddenly realized that while he was starving to death, the servants in his father’s house had food to spare. So he got up and returned to his father. When you carefully study Luke’s account of this story, you would notice that the son didn’t arrive at that decision until “he came to his senses” (Luke 15:11-32 – NIV).

This story illustrates the power of the mind. Nothing changes unless you change your thoughts. If the prodigal son hadn’t come to his senses, he wouldn’t have made the decision to return home. If he hadn’t changed his mind, he would have remained in that farm, feeding pigs and wishing he could eat their food. But when he came to his senses, he experienced a turning point. That decision saved him from dying. Are you in a similar situation? Perhaps, you’ve declared independence from God. Instead of asking God for help, you’ve been trying to do things your own way. Now things are tough and you feel stuck in an area. I want you to know that you can still bounce back. Recall that when the prodigal son changed his mind and then returned to his father, he regained his privileged position. Change your mind.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for my prodigal ways. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Isaiah 41:13; Isaiah 40:29; Proverbs 16:9;

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional – How do I fulfill my purpose?

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Proverbs 19:21

To know how to fulfill your purpose, recognize that purpose and passion are not the same. While your passion is what you love doing, purpose is what God wants you to do. Your passion isn’t peculiar to you. For instance, if you love writing, you should be aware that there other people who also love writing. But your purpose is specific, something you’ve been set aside to do. So your passion is simply an activity. But then, your purpose is what happens after you have done a certain activity. However, your passion and your purpose have to do a lot with your natural abilities. Therefore, your passion can either be related to your purpose or completely unrelated. Even though what you love doing can be used to fulfill your purpose, it could also be used to achieve other things that aren’t connected to your purpose. So you need to be guided.

To fulfill your purpose, you would need the help of the One who created you. Recognize that purpose isn’t conceived by man. Normally, the manufacturer of a product is the one who knows why his product was created. Therefore, God who created you knows why you are on earth. So God didn’t bless you with talents so you could do whatever you want to do with it. Your talent is intended to equip you for your divine assignment. Paul tells the Philippians, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). I assure you that when you ask God to reveal His purpose to you, He would do so and then make sure you succeed. Our purposes may fail. But God’s purposes never fail. Today, invite the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me how to fulfill God’s purpose. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Philippians 2:13; Romans 2:28; 2 Timothy 1:9; Exodus 9:16

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional – Where are you going?

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – John 10:10

All humans, regardless of their race and religion are interested in knowing what happens after death. Some people fear death, not because they are afraid to die but for the reason that they are unsure of what will happen to their soul after they are gone. The fear of the unknown is what often makes people feel uneasy at the thought of dying. One thing we all know is that our body is going to be buried in a grave when we pass on. But where our soul and spirit will be is often considered as one of the greatest mysteries in the world. Theologians, atheist and scientists have come up with hundreds of thousands of books regarding man’s journey on earth. Yet, the answer to this famous question can be found in the most popular book on earth – the Holy Bible.

On different occasions, Jesus delved into the subject of life and death. Interestingly, He didn’t make the issue of death sound like it was something that should be feared. More than once, He referred to “death” as “sleeping”. Moments before He brought Jairus’ daughter back to life He said, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” When Lazarus died, He said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.” Throughout His ministry, Jesus made it clear that He came so that we may not just have life but have it fully. In other words, He came so we could have a life that never ends. Here’s the truth: Anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior would not only become a son of God, but would also live forever. Therefore, in Christ Jesus, our life’s journey has no end. That is, the destination of those who believe in Christ is not death but life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; John 11:1-16

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.