Lord, give me the strength to get through this day at work.  Help me to focus my mind and my energies on the tasks expected of me.

Let my interactions with others reflect your love and compassion.  When I face difficult people or situations, lend me your wisdom and guide me through.

I place all my worries and distractions in your care and trust that you will keep my family and home safe.

Let my accomplishments be for your glory and not my own.  May the work I do today be with a willing heart and with thanksgiving that you have supplied a way I can provide for myself and my family.

Let me by guided by the Holy Spirit and do all things in Christ's name.

Amen.

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The lawsuit against Victoria Osteen is over with the jury finding in favor of Osteen.  I admit that I have not followed this case very closely and know very little about what took place during the trial.  What did catch my attention about this case was a CNN headline: Mega-preacher's wife sued over loss of faith.

My immediate reaction was, "Whoa! What??"  The lesson to be learned from this case against the Osteens runs much deeper than whether Mrs. Osteen acted out in anger.  The lesson is one of power, and how much of it we allow others to wield over us. 

We rely on our ministers to teach us and guide us in our Christian walk, but we should not depend on them for our decision to hold to our faith.  Our belief in God cannot depend on another human being, but rather the truth of God we hold in our own hearts and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Televangelists, mega-church leaders, and the pastor down the street are only human, just as we are.  They have their own struggles and trials, their own confusions and their own failings.  Some of them do appear to be closer to God than the average layman.  Others are so far away from the Lord that they have led hundreds or even thousands into evil along with them. 

Don't let another person decide your faith for you.  Christ gives each and every one of us the opportunity for a personal relationship with Him.  Keep your eyes and your heart on the Lord not on another person, preacher or no.  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)  Jesus is the only man to walk the earth without sin.  Never elevate any other man or woman to equality with Jesus, and never allow a sinner to be the foundation of your faith. 

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That still, small voice of God is not always easy to hear.  We know it is there because we learn about it in church and Bible study, but listening to it takes some practice.  Some people are better at it than others.  Some can hear it no matter the din that is going on around them, while others have to sit quietly and wait for it.  I'm one of those people that occasionally has to just sit and wait for it, and I have done so over the past couple of weeks. 

For anyone who spends a lot of time telling others about the faith or is in a leadership position, we talk about God a lot.  We study the Word searching for lessons, listen to favorite pastors for nuggets of wisdom we can build on, and tell people we meet about our work and how we try to reach people.  Sometimes, though, you can spend so much time talking about, at and around God, you forget to talk to God.  Or better yet, with Him.

We all know that devotional time should be our number one priority each day.  How quickly we forget, though!  We wake up late, rush to get ready or get the kids ready, run out the door to our daily activities, rush home, eat dinner, finish work or homework, and then off to bed.  Somewhere in there comes dinner meetings, sports, school functions, charity work, church attendance, helping friends, visiting family, and a million other little things.  Suddenly, we lie down in bed, close our eyes, sigh, and say, "Oh! God! I'm so sorry; I forgot!" 

Starting your day off with God sure makes it run more smoothly, and brings the peace and organization needed to live at this frantic pace.  Just 5 minutes can get you started on the right track, and ministries have recognized that life is what it is for many of us, and even giving the Lord 5 minutes of devotion is better than nothing at all.  So, on those mornings when is seems you only have time to get out of the shower, pass the coffee pot, and grab your keys on the way out, remember these tips for brief devotionals designed to get your mind headed in the right direction, even if your morning board meeting isn't.

Purchase a morning-evening devotional Bible or book of commentary.  The lesson is broken up into small parts to give you something to think and pray about during the day, then talk to God about at night.  Any bookstore that sells Bibles has these books.  If cost is a prohibitive factor, you can often find morning-evening devotionals in thrift stores or used book stores.  What does it matter if it says 1995 on the cover?  God's Word never changes.

Download brief devotionals to your computer or iPod so you can listen in the car or during your morning break.  These sources have free downloads available each day:

• Deeperdevotion.com
• Lightsource.com
• Words of Hope Daily Devotional

Most national and international ministries have daily devotionals, as well, available either by podcast or e-mail.  If you have a favorite megachurch minister or television preacher, be sure to check their website for downloads or to sign up for daily e-mails.  You can find some of the webpages in the Ministries Directory on this site.

Lastly, if you find it difficult to have a set time for devotions due to work or family schedule, put one of the small pocket Bibles in your bag or your car's glove compartment.  These small Bibles usually contain the New Testament plus Psalms and Proverbs.  If you don't know where to start, ask God.  He has an uncanny knack for leading us exactly where we need to be at a certain point in time. 

Pray before opening your Bible for His blessing on your reading and see where it leads.  You may find a passage you have never heard before; or it may be an old favorite that you need to hear again at that time.  Make time and let Him lead, and your devotional life will become the most important part of your day.

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