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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

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

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley October 18, 2016 Disappointments Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never bad? Job 2:10 When you are faced with a a big disappointment, do you get angry and blame God for letting your down? When Job went through his intense time of suffering, Satan used Job's wife to stir up his despair and bitterness. But the godly man would not listen. Job's response to her-and
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Devotion

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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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley October 9, 2016 Enemy Attacks Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 Have you ever felt attacked by the enemy? He uses various means to cause you to lose faith in the Father. He stirs up your doubts and anxiety with questions such as, " If God is with you, them why has this happened?" Do not listen to the enemy-stand firm against him. His goal is
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley October 8, 2016 Communicating The Truth "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 One reason God speaks to us is so we may communicate His truth to others. The blessings He gives us are meant to be shared. In fact, before His ascension, Jesus declared that all He had taught His disciples during
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley October 5, 2016 Peace Beyond Circumstances The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 As hard as it is to face suffering and rejection, your trials can actually be opportunities to experience the Savior's power, love, ability, wisdom, and peace that transcends understanding. This is because deep down inside, you learn-with an abiding assurance-that Go
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley September 17, 2016 Engineered By God My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.] Psalm 62:7 Thoughts of failure will almost always stir up feelings of anxiety and fear; If I fail, what will others think of me? But realize that failure is sometimes engineered by God for a purpose-so you'll recognize your need to trust the Lord in every aspect of your life. Wheth
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley September 16, 2016 True Victory This is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. 1 John 5:4 When life sends us reeling in pain and confusion, our response to our struggles will reveal how mature we are in our relationship with Christ. Of course, what He desires to see is our unshakeable trust in Him, regardless of what happens. That is the measure of true victory-our unwavering fai
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley About Submission Incline your ear [submit and consent to the divine will] and come to Me, hear, and your soul will revive. Isaiah 55: 3 Today, before you even begin to listen to the Father, decide to be submissive. Often the Lord may instruct you in ways that are challenging in order to set you free from bondage and grow your faith. So do not be surprised that responding in obedience to Him will
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley August 20, 2016 Seek God's Direction This also comes from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance Isaiah 28:29 Do you trust God to lead you in a way that is beneficial-a manner that is absolutely best for you? If you're like a lot of believers, you say you do, but your actions may tell a different story. Often we may say we believe the Lord is all-wise and kn
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Devotion

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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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley August 12, 2016 Intimacy Is Essential "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which you do not know". Jeremiah 33:3 At some point, we all wrestle with why God allows us to suffer and we wonder if it's because He no longer loves us. But the truth is, some of the greatest lessons we ever learn come as the result of hardship. During those painful times, if we'll
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Devotion

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 July 21,. 2016   Call Out To Him O God, have mercy! I look to You for protection....I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me. Psalm 57:1-2 Are there obstacles or difficulties that seem to block you from fulfilling God's purposes for your life? Perhaps you've worried, planned, and toiled but have ultimately failed to achieve what you desire, and despair is
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley July 17,2016 The Requirements "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 When you feel inadequate to serve God or carry out His commands, remember that what He expects of you is different from what you think. You may believe He is looking for charisma,persuasiveness, and a brilliant mind. But what
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Devotion

Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley July 12,2016 A Prayer of Direction The Father has given you the powerful gift of choice-the ability to select the direction of your life. In fact,every day you'll face a continuous series of options-some that honor the Lord and others that don't. Some that lead to His abundant life and others that divert you away from it to destruction. One of the most powerful, life-changing decisions you can
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley July 8,2016 Setting Your Mind Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3: 2   If you're wondering why it's so difficult to control your thoughts and maintain your faith, remember that your mind reflects what you feed it. For example, if your constantly partaking of conflict-based or violent entertainment,it is no wonder that anger characterizes
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Every Day in His Presence Dr. Charles Stanley July 7,2016 Impossible Circumstances The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed,and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom, to Him be the glory forever 2 Timothy 4:18 The apostle Paul approached the end of his life in a prison cell. He could have felt sorry for himself. But instead, he encouraged his friends to trust in God, even when his own circumstances looked very dismal. How wa
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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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