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Every Day in His Presence

Dr. Charles Stanley

June 12,2016

Aggressive Listening

(The people of Berea) searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth

Acts 17:11

There are two kinds of listeners: passive and aggressive. A passive listener takes what his pastor says as truth without much more consideration. On the other hand,an aggressive listener diligently seeks to know what God has to say - and grows much more quickly in his faith because of it.

Aggressive listeners are the ones whose Bibles are open and pens are ready. In Bible study,they demonstrate an inquisitiive mind. In personal devotion,their notebooks are replete with insight into God's ways. They are always probing,searching,and comparing what they've heard with  previous instruction. And the Father blesses their attentive hearts (Matthew 7: 7-8).

So consider, are you sensitive to what GOd is saying? Do you persist in asking how the lessons you're taught apply to your own life? Do you take what you hear as truth,or do you investigate the Word,making sure the principles you've learned align with Scripture? What kind of listener are you?

Father,I want to be an aggressive listener who can identify Your truth and apply it to my life. Teach me to hear You and walk in Your ways.

amen

Entries in this blog

Devotion

I Lift Up My Soul Dr. Charles Stanley February 4, 2017 Be Like a Bird Matthew 6:14 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. You're sitting by a tree in the middle of a meadow, taking in the pleasant country sights and sounds. Suddenly you see the bird rush past you, feathers all in fluff. He has a daily schedule under one wing and a cell phone in the other. He's loo
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Devotion

I LIFT UP MY SOUL Dr. Charles Stanley Ready to Receive 1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all of your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Your morning begins with a problem. You turn on the shower but no water comes out. In frustration, you pick up the phone to call the repairman. However, when you dial the number, no one answers the phone. Now you have reached your breaking point.
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Devotions

Every Day in His Presence Charles F. Stanley Choose To Worship Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool Psalm 99:5 If worship is the utmost expression of who we are as believers, why does it seem so difficult to fall at God's feet and genuinely adore Him? Why is it easier to complain about life's problems rather than voice our praises? One reason is pride-we focus on ourselves rather than on our wonderful Savior. Another is s
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley November 5, 2016 RELINQUISH CONTROL "The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" John 18:11 Admit it-the reason certain situations bother you so deeply is because you feel out of control. Life hasn't turned out the way you planned and you're desperate to regain your influence. Perhaps this was the problem for Peter. After all, how could a man brave enough to fight for Jesus
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley December 24, 2016 Your Prince of Peace Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests Luke 2:14 Does your heart yearn for peace? The hectic nature of Christmas sometimes inspires more weariness, conflict, loneliness, and feelings of unworthiness than the joy promised by the angels at Christ's birth. The tumult within your spirit and unfulfilled dreams
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Charles R. Stanley November 25, 2016 As He Is Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever. Revelation 7:12 There is absolutely nothing so wonderful as simply abiding in the presence of holy, almighty God-learning about Him and getting to know Him better. Of course, if you have no idea who His is, it will be difficult for you to be still and worship Him. Bu
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley December 8, 2016 Time And Boundaries Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time Ephesians 5:15-16 Are you afraid of saying no to people because of what they may think? If so, find freedom in this today: Jesus often set boundaries with others, denying their demands. And because He did, you can and should too. Why? Because when your life lacks fir
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Devotion

I Lift Up My Soul Dr. Charles Stanley Applying Truth For Victory Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me In grasping a clear picture of how we can weather the dangers that come with both victory and defeat, we must not forget to apply what we know. Understanding that God is our strength in weakness is one thing, but applying that truth in an effective way is another. The apostle Paul said he had learned the secret of co
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Devotion

I Lift Up My Soul Dr. Charles Stanley July 3, 2017 The Sifting Process 2 Corinthians 12:10 I take pleasure in infirmities, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   God has a plan for your life. However, it doesn't snap into place overnight. It takes a lifetime to achieve all He has planned for you. He prepares you for service by giving you spiritual gifts and natural talents, and by
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I LIFT UP MY SOUL Dr. Charles Stanley October 15, 2017 Quality Time 1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Ours is a world of satellites, lasers, cell phones, and ATMs. Faxes zoom across telephone lines, and computers arrange daily schedules with supreme accuracy. Because of all these things, we have learned to demand instant results. The tendency to try to become super Christians within a very short time i
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley June 17,2016   Spiritually Learning My dear children,I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin,we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ,the one who is truly righteous. 1 John 2:1 What is the alternative to being united with Christ? It is despair and utter discouragement at all turns. However, by accepting Jesus Christ, we trade in our ina
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Devotion

I Lift Up My SOUL Dr. Charles Stanley August 5, 2017 A New Beginning John 4: 28-29 The woman then left her water pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" There is nothing more hope-filled than being given a new beginning, especially after we have suffered defeat. This is what God gives to those who seek His forgiveness. He provides a chance
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley October 27, 2016 Finding God Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path. Psalm 27:11 Most people don't like to admit when they don't know something. Even if it means going in circles for hours, many of us would rather stumble upon the right answer ourselves than ask for help. The same can be said of our Christian walk. We may believe that the Father has a specific purpose fo
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Devotion

I LIFT UP My Soul Dr. Charles Stanley October 9, 2017 The Difficulties of Life Psalm 57:1 Be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in you; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. If God is good, why does He allow bad things to happen? This important theological question has mystified people throughout the ages. But as believers, we can be confident that God always has a purpose for allowing
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Devotion

My Daily Pursuit A.W. Tozer January 7, 2018 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord has comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. Isaiah 49:13 To worthily worship God as He desires to be worshiped, I must have absolute confidence in Him. I cannot sit down with any person and enjoy fellowship if I have reason to fear He is out to get me or trick me or deceive m
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Devotion

I Lift Up My Soul Dr. Charles Stanley Sept. 17, 2017 Simply Be Still Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! " Don't just stand there! Do something!" This is a familiar call to action in our modern world. However, there is something inherently dangerous when we try to force this way of thinking into our spiritual lives. Too often, whether we voice the belief or n
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Devotion

I Lift Up My Soul Dr. Charles Stanley September 26, 2017 The Basics of Faith 2 Corinthians 5:7 We walk by faith, not by sight Until we discover what it means go have faith, we cannot begin to walk by faith. Faith in God is more than just believing He exists; it is living with confidence that He will fulfill all His promises and bring salvation to us. We must discover whether we have placed our faith in God or if we only are wishing His Word is tr
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley August 14, 2016 None Other Will Do "You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You" Psalm 16:2 Within the heart of every man and woman there is a place that only God can fill. We may try to satisfy our longings with different things; but until we come to a point of full surrender to Him, we will remain vulnerable to fearful thoughts, feelings of discontentment, and selfish desires, a
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I Lift Up My Soul Dr. Charles F. Stanley June 20, 2017 Well Equipped for Victory Romans 13:14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. In the lifelong struggle with temptation and natural desire, believers are told to "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ. this becomes a daily activity by which you decide who is going to live your life for you today. Are you going to live in the flesh, or is Jesus going t
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Wisdom from Above Dr. Charles Stanley May 2, 2018 Your True Worth Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy Proverbs 2:10 Often, when we struggle with disappointments or despair, we attribute our failures, painful feelings, and misfortunes to our worth. We believe that we don't deserve acceptance or anything good because something within us is inherently lacking, useless, or broken. Sadly, it may be very difficult to brea
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley October 28, 2016 Transformed By The Truth Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:1-2 What does it mean to be transformed by the truth? Romans 12:1-2 can be divided into three goals for us to pursue: present your body as
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I LIFT UP MY SOUL Dr. Charles Stanley December 17, 2017 God's Guarantee Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Have you ever known the frustration of canceled hotel reservations? Sometimes even the "guaranteed late arrival" system isn't foolproof. You hustle through two airports
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Wisdom from Above Dr. Charles Stanley June 9, 2018 Better understanding "Forsake your folly and live, and proceed in the way of understanding." Proverbs 9:6 Each of us faces the same challenge every day-to look beyond what we can see to what God perceives, to understand our circumstances from His viewpoint, and to faithfully choose His direction. This is one of the reasons it is so important to have a daily quiet time-because we need consta
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley August 7,2016 An Intimate Companion Come close to God, and God will come close to you James 4:8 God wants to build an intimate relationship with you, but do you desire the same thing? The intimate moments you share with the Savior-worshipping Him, sensing His closeness, and expressing your love for Him-are the very times when He reveals Himself to you. In fact, Exodus 33:11 describes the co
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley October 12, 2016 God Is Sovereign He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. Psalm 91:15 When troubles assail you, do you envision the most negative outcomes to your challenges? Perhaps it starts by wondering what will happen, but quickly deteriorates to imagining the very worst. Subsequently, your situation seems more severe t
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