MONDAY MOTIVATION

JOIN PASTOR GUY EVERY MONDAY FOR BIBLICAL ENCOURAGEMENT, INSPIRATION & INSIGHT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Welcome to Monday Motivation—a devotional blog to keep you encouraged throughout the week! My name is Pastor Guy Deckard and I am incredibly excited for you to join in every Monday.
 
Below, you will find the most recent Monday Motivation post and if you continue scrolling, you will find an archive of blog posts by date. If you’d like to get a better understanding as to how this blog came about, click HERE to read the first Monday Motivation post. 
 
I invite you to follow along with me every Monday! And if you would like to dive even deeper into your study of God’s Word, purchase the same daily study that this blog is based, just click HERE.
#mondaymotivation

Facing Your Giants

 
Facing Your Giants
From the January 18 reading
 
This week we are going to take a look at one of Jesus’ instructions on how to pray. Let’s explore how to take on our giants!
 
SCRIPTURE:
Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
 
OBSERVATIONS:
  • We should always pray and never give up!
  • We don’t know the injustice the widow suffered in the story (V.3)
  • She sought justice from the worldly king (V.4)
  • She kept going to the king – she was persistent
  • The king finally did something just to get rid of her (V.5)
  • Jesus says that the Father will give justice to those “who cry out to Him day and night”. (V.7)

APPLICATION:

  • We are to come to the Father with our requests
  • Don’t give up!
  • He is far more just than any earthly king
  • Cry out to the Lord for justice – not vengeance!
  • We have not because we ask not (James 4:2-3)
 
MOTIVATION:
As I am writing this I am reminded of the scene from the movie Facing the Giants. There is this great scene where Grant Taylor, a Christian high-school football coach, is trying to motivate his team. In this particular scene Coach Taylor has one of his players, Brock, perform the “death crawl” in front of the other players. (The “death crawl” is where a bigger player carries another smaller player on his back while crawling on his hands and feet without touching his knees to the ground). Coach Taylor encourages him past the 20, the 30, and the 50 yard line blind folded. He is already farther than any other player has ever gone during the “death crawl”, but Coach Taylor keeps driving him further. He keeps yelling at him fervently, “Don’t quit!”, “Keep drivin’!”, “Keep goin’!”, “Don’t quit until you got nothin’ left!” And to the other player’s amazement Brock makes it all the way to the other end zone!
 
It is an incredible scene of fortitude and perseverance. I believe that this is what Jesus is talking about in this parable. “Don’t quit! I know it’s hard. I know it hurts. But don’t quit until you got nothin’ left!” You have pain in life, and there is injustice – don’t quit! You are worried about your adult children that have strayed – Keep praying! Keep bringing your requests to the King. Don’t give up!
 
At the end of the parable in Matthew 18 Jesus ends with this, “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off?” It’s a rhetorical question. Of course the answer is no, He will not keep putting them off! It is against His very nature. He is a faithful and loving God, and He cares for His children deeply.
 
In Jim Cymbala’s book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire he shares about his own personal struggles. He is the pastor of a very large church called The Brooklyn Tabernacle. Perhaps you have heard of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. This church is well known, not only for its world renowned choir, but for its prayer ministry. Pastors from all over, come to witness these prayer meetings, and to learn how they can start one of their own in their churches. Pastor Cymbala shares in this book the personal grief and anguish of a run-away daughter. She has run away from their home and is somewhere on the streets of New York. She has left them frightened and worried. The whole church surrounds them with support and prayer. Months later, during one of their famous prayer meetings, to everyone’s astonishment, his daughter comes walking in the front door of their church! She cries out to her daddy and to the church – she is sorry! She wants to come home. Will he forgive her? And the church rejoices!
 
It is a story of perseverance, and of the power of prayer. I have witnessed this same power in my own prayer life, and in the lives of many others. Our God is a faithful God.
 
Warren Wiersbe in his book, The Bible Exposition Commentary says this, “If we don’t pray, we will faint; it’s as simple as that! The word faint describes a believer who loses heart and gets so discouraged that he or she wants to quit.” When we faint we lose all control. We go into a free fall and hit the nearest object on our way down. “If we don’t pray, we will faint.” If we don’t pray we lose all control. We begin to worry and the anxiety takes control. Our emotions go into a tail spin and we are down for the count.
 
Jesus has lovingly instructed us “Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Keep praying. Keep seeking the King’s face. Keep pursuing Him!” And when we do, He is able to do amazing things. Will you trust Him? Will you keep knocking until He answers?
 
PRAYER:
Ask God to show you that He does truly care. Also, ask God to show you the injustice in other people’s lives. There are widows and orphans in our very own community who need mercy. How can you be an answer to prayer for them?
 
 
If we can pray for you or help you to grow in Christ, then please give us a call at (928)636-2949.
 



 Devotionals by Date

 January 2018

 
 
 
 

MONDAY MOTIVATION INTRODUCTION

 
 
 
  
 
 

THE GREAT SHEPHERD

 
January 1, 2018
 
 
  
 
 

THE GREAT PLANNER 

 
January 8, 2018
 
 
 
 
 

PROTECTING YOUR ROOTS

January 15, 2018
 
 
 
 
 

FACING YOUR GIANTS

January 22, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

February 2018

 
 
 

PLEASE STAND

February 5, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 

BE A GAME CHANGER

February 12, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

FINISH STRONG

February 19, 2018
 
 
 

STRETCHER BEARERS

February 26, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

March 2018

 
 
 

DIGGING YOUR WAY OUT

March 5, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

REAL PEARLS

March 12, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

HIDDEN IDENTITY

March 19, 2018

 
 
 

MYSTERY GARDEN
March 26, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
April 2018
 
 

THE TEST!

April 2, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

PASS IT ON!

April 9, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

CRACKED POTS!

April 16, 2018

 
 
 

LAY THEM DOWN!

April 23, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

LETTING GO 

April 30, 2018
  
May 2018
 
 
 

IDOL WORSHIP OR IDLE WORSHIP?

May 7, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WATCH AND PRAY!

May 14, 2018
  
 
 
 

DON’T SAY GOODBYE

May 21, 2018

 

 
 
 

TRAPPED

May 28, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

June 2018
 
 
 

GOT A MATCH?

June 4, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

CHOSEN?

June 11, 2018
 
 
  
 
 

I’M THIRD!

June 18, 2018

 

 
 
 

CHANGED LIVES MATTER

      June 25, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
July 2018
 
 
 

MADE FOR MORE THAN THIS

      July 2, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

SET FREE!

       July 9, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

   HEAVENLY PLACES       July 15, 2018

 
 
 

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

July 2, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

NO SURPRISES HERE

July 2, 2018

 
 
 
August 2018
 
 
 

INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED

August 6, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

THE PEOPLE PLEASER

August 13, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 

ONE CHURCH

      August 20, 2018

 
 
 

BROTHERLY LOVE

August 27, 2018

 
 
September 2018
 
 
 

NEWLYWEDS!

September 3, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

WHEN GOD SPANKS US!

September 10, 2018

 
 
 
 

TAKING A STAND

September 17, 2018

 
 
 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

September 24, 2018

 
 
October 2018
 
 
 

FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY

October 1, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

STAND YOUR GROUND!

October 8, 2018

 
 

 

 

FAITH UNDER FIRE

October 15, 2018

 
 
 
 

HOMELESS FOR A DAY

October 22, 2018

 
 
 
 
November 2018
 
 
 

A HEAVENLY MARRIAGE?

November 5, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

HOLY SMOKE!

November 12, 2018

 
 
 
 

MIRROR, MIRROR…

November 19, 2018

 
 
 
 

SECRET AGENT

November 26, 2018

 
 
 
 
December 2018
 
 
 

INNOCENT

December 3, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

HOPE?

December 10, 2018

 
 
 
 

FREEDOM

December 17, 2018

 
 
 
 

MORE THAN A MANGER

December 24, 2018