NIV Once-A-Day Walk With Jesus DevotionalSample

Panicky Prayers or Unshakable Trust After witnessing three powerful miracles of Jesus in the first half of Matthew 8, the disciples are dropped into the “crucible” in the Sea of Galilee. And their response in that furious storm shows the fickleness of their faith. Prayers of panic — ​what child of God hasn’t experienced them? Oswald Chambers explains how the way you pray reflects the character of your faith. Walk With Oswald Chambers “Our Lord has a right to expect that those who claim to be his should have an understanding confidence in him. But too often our trust is in God up to a certain point; then we go back to the panic prayers of those who do not know God. “We get to our wits’ end, showing that we have not the slightest confidence in him and his government of the world. He seems to be asleep, and we see nothing but breakers ahead. “ ‘O you of little faith!’ “What a pang must have shot through the disciples. And what a pang will go through us when we suddenly realize that we might have produced downright joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in Him, no matter what was ahead.” Walk Closer to God It’s hard to be a hypocrite in the vortex of a crisis. There isn’t time to paste on a mask or worry about what other people think. When you’re confronted by a crisis, the true character of your faith will emerge — ​unvarnished and unannounced. But it’s never too late to let God still the storm in your heart and teach you to rest confidently in him. He will strengthen your faith as you rely on him. Give yourself a simple crisis checkup by putting the words panic and pray in the following statement: When I’m facing a crisis, first I ________, then I ________.