DAY 8

MARCH 26 2018

SUPPLEMENTARY DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

SPEAKING TO GOD PART 1

Remembering and confessing the things for which we are thankful to God opens the door into
His presence. And yet, that is only the tip of the iceberg. There is nothing more exciting and
incredible than being in His presence.

The psalmist said, “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right
hand” (Psalm 16:11b).

Throughout the history, people have been able to relate to God personally because He is as
real as the people around us. If we are able to love those who we see, we will also be able to
love God, who we do not see.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (1
Timothy 2:5)

When we come before God, we should come in the name of Jesus as He is the bridge that
connects us to the Father. When we come before God in the name of Jesus, we are placing our
trust in what Jesus has done and not in our own merit. Clothed with His righteousness and
holiness, which Jesus won for us on the cross, we can confidently enter into the presence of
God, just as a beloved son goes in to speak to his father.

“And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You
may ask Me for anything in My Name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14). The Scriptures teach us
that we can come to God the Father directly. Every prayer you lift up should be directed to the
Father in the name of Jesus. You could pray something like: “Lord, I come before you in the
name of Jesus of Nazareth and I present my needs (specify each one), trusting that by your
divine grace, I will receive the answer for each one of them.”

God is the Lord of everything. All abundance is found in Him and He is always generous
towards His children. His kindness and favor knows no bounds and He wants you to begin to
enjoy all the blessings He has prepared for you.

To illustrate, Pastor Cesar Castellanos understood that the resources of God are unlimited
many years ago when his wife and him began to pray for a fifteen-minute radio program. She
asked him, “Why are you praying for a fifteen-minute radio program? Let’s pray for an hour long
one.” And so they did. Then she said, “Why don’t we pray that the Lord would give us an entire
evening program?” “Let’s do it,” he answered. “Actually, why don’t we pray for a radio station?”
she added. So he said, “O.K. We’ll pray for a radio station.” So they began to pray, “Lord, we
want You to give us a radio station before the end of the year.”
God always answers prayer, and before that year had ended, they had their own radio station in
Columbia. Pastor Cesar knew that if they had simply asked for a fifteen-minute radio program,
God would have given them exactly that; and if they had asked Him for something even bigger
than a radio station, He would have given them that too.

God knows no limits!

LIVE THE LESSON

1. Ponder on the difference between the way someone speaks to a person that they do not
know and the way a son or daughter speak to their father?

2. Write a list of 3 needs you have that you want God to help you in this week. Pray for
them (remembering that you are a child of God) and write down next to each one the
date you receive the answer to your prayers.

REMEMBER THE LESSON

Because of Jesus, we can speak to God as sons and daughters.

STUDY THE WORD

Genesis 22-24; Psalm 8; Proverbs 26; Matthew 15-16