God’s love through Christ Jesus given to us for an eternal life with Him in heaven, and a total package of support to successfully navigate the challenges of our mortal lives here on earth … all is available to us because of His Love for us.

It took 2300+ pages in 66 chapters [NIV, Life Application Bible] to describe the package.  Then, Paul adds that NOTHING can separate us from God’s free gift of an eternal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.

NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO THAT DEAL!

DAILY PRAYER:  Father in heaven, we are awed by glimpses we get of Your great love to us through Christ.  We hereby give all we have to You to use for Your purposes.

DAILY READING:  Romans 7,8

We can be both.  Romans alludes to reigning in life, yet it turns around and discusses being a slave to righteousness.  Both capacities are possible.  We reign in life as co-inheritors of all of Christ’s Kingdom, yet we are slaves to righteousness rather than slaves to sin.

We joyfully submit ourselves to being mastered by Christ’s teachings and His Spirit, yet we exude the air of royalty as we tread triumphantly over every temptation that tries to dethrone us.

DAILY PRAYER: Jesus, You reign over all, and we reign with You.  You have caused us to sit with You in heavenly places.  We face this day empowered to do Your righteous will.

DAILY READING:  Romans 4-6

As Paul addresses the Christians at Rome, he describes God’s intent for their lives in the same way he describes God’s intent for his life.  He uses the word “Called.”  As he was called to be an apostle, so were they called to be God’s holy people.

Holiness is the presence of all that is good and the absence of sin.  God is holy.  No other god is holy.  God imputes His holiness to us through our faith in Christ Jesus.  We are distinctly and separately His rather than aligned with any other way of life.

DAILY PRAYER:  Father in Heaven, You have called me to be like You, and You have made me holy through the blood of Christ.  Your grace empowers me to live a life that pleases You.

DAILY READING:  Romans 1-3

Paul related to King Agrippa how he had seen the light from heaven and had heard the Lord give him specific instructions on what to do with his life.

Have you heard from heaven?  Do you hear God giving you direction for your life?

Be intentional to obey what you sense the Lord has called you to do.  If you need clarity, simple ask Him to reveal His design for your life.  Do it right now!

DAILY PRAYER:  Father in Heaven, You have given us so much, and we are grateful.  Now, reveal to us the purpose for our life so we can give You the obedience You deserve.:

DAILY READING:  Acts 25-8

As Paul defended himself before Felix, the governor of Judea, concerning the trumped up charges laid against him by the religious resistance of the Judaic system, he declared that he strove to keep his conscience clear before God and man.

God’s grace has been given to us to enable us to do the right thing whenever there’s a question of what to do.  As we resolve in our hearts to always do the right thing, we empower ourselves to not only follow through with action that pleases God, but we also maintain a clear conscience before Him and those around us.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, You are the Author of Righteousness, and we seek to please You in all our decisions today.

DAILY READING:  Acts 21-4

The Apostle Paul didn’t see life as breath to breath or day to day.  He saw a race, and he intended to finish it.

Are you a finisher or a plain liver … just surviving from moment to moment with a focus on your well-being?

Take Paul’s example and allow the Spirit of God to give you tasks worth living for.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, You have been so good to us.  We give our lives to Your tasks today, and we want to be “Finishers” by Your grace.

DAILY READING:  Acts 19,20

The Apostle Paul’s habit of practice was to go to the local synagogue to share Christ.  Luke, the writer of Acts, obviously knew of the “custom,’  and thereby referred to it in Acts 17.

If an account was given of your life, could it be said faithful church attendance was your “custom?”  This healthy habit should be modeled and taught to our children so as to establish it in their lives.  It’s an gift of godliness we can share with them.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, grace us to be faithful church attenders so as to establish a pattern of good works for our families to follow.

DAILY READING:  Acts 17,18

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,” was a phrase used to describe the consensus reached by the assembly of elders in the early church who gathered to discuss doctrinal issues that would affect the newly converted Gentile element.  Both the leading of the Holy Spirit and the opinion of these men of God lined up in harmony.

Hence, we have a valid scriptural method of discerning God’s will in matters.  Find someone whose walk with the Lord you trust, pray together, and search for an agreement to determine your course of action.  Have faith in God.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, I believe You desire to have me walk in Your will.  I trust Your Holy Spirit to guide me and I realize that I need other members of the Body of Christ sharing my quest for Your best today.

DAILY READING:  Acts 15,16

Luke records Paul’s address to the church at Antioch where he refers to King David by describing him as a man after God’s own heart; that he would do everything God wanted him to do.

Could that be said about you … that you could be counted upon to do what God wanted?

We all need the heart of David.

DAILY PRAYER;  Lord, give me the heart of David whom you knew would desire to do Your will concerning everything.  Today, I will seek Your direction on every issue.

DAILY READING:  Acts 13,14

Cornelius, the Roman centurion from Caesarea, was a “Devout and God-fearing  man; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.”  The beauty and quality of his life made an impression in heaven, so much that God sent an angel to him, instructing him to call for Peter to come and minister to him.  It was entirely orchestrated by heaven.

You may not think the Lord notices the things you do for others.  He does.  Keep it up.  You are impacting His Kingdom.

DAILY PRAYER;  Lord, use my humble gestures to build Your Kingdom as You did the centurion’s.  The lives around me need the touch of Your power.

DAILY READING:  Acts 10-12