Tozer Devotional-We Were Made to Worship

We Were Made to Worship

Mans nature indicates that he was created for three things: To think, to worship and to work. But thinking is not enough. Men are made to worship also, to bow down and adore in the presence of the Mystery inexpressible. Mans mind is not the top peak of his nature. Higher than his mind is his spirit, that something within him which can engage the supernatural, which under the breath of the Spirit can come alive and enter into conscious communion with heaven, can receive the divine nature and hear and feel and see the ineffable wonder that is God. When, therefore, an institution dedicated to the growth and development of the thinking person seeks at the same time to turn this thinker into a worshiper, our debt to that institution becomes all the greater. So many schools on every level are content to train the intellect, forgetting that they are dealing with but part of the man-an important part certainly, but a part only. The wise of the world who have not learned to worship are but demi-men, unformed and rudimentary. Their further development awaits the life-giving touch of Christ to wake them to spiritual birth and life eternal.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=679

Tozer Devotional-Imitating the Imitators of God

Imitating the Imitators of God

Spiritual experiences must be shared. It is not possible for very long to enjoy them alone. The very attempt to do so will destroy them. The reason for this is obvious. The nearer our souls draw to God the larger our love will grow, and the greater our love the more unselfish we shall become and the greater our care for the souls of others. Hence increased spiritual experience, so far as it is genuine, brings with it a strong desire that others may know the same grace that we ourselves enjoy. This leads quite naturally to an increased effort to lead others to a closer and more satisfying fellowship with God. The human race is one. God made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and He made the individual members of society for each other. Not the hermit but the man in the midst of society is in the place best to fulfill the purpose for which he was created. There may be circumstances when for a time it will be necessary for the seeker after God to wrestle alone like Jacob on the bank of the river, but the result of his lonely experience is sure to flow out to family and friend, and on out to society at last. In the nature of things it must be so.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=673

V.I.P Treatment

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” Deuteronomy 6:6

A quick read through the Old Testament leaves no doubt that God wants His people to take His Word seriously. The Jews were told to write the commands on their doorposts and teach them to their children. They wore phylacteries—leather pouches that contained God’s commands—bound to their left hand and forehead. I suppose it would be like writing verses on Post-it notes and sticking them on yourself! And while most of us would not be ready to do that, the point is clear—God’s people take His Word seriously when it comes to living by its standards.

The psalmists had a good handle on this. In fact, the very first psalm recorded for us paints a clear picture of the value of God’s Word. It says that the key to a blessed life involves meditating on God’s Word day and night (Psalm 1:2).

Unfortunately, the value of meditation has been lost on modern Christians, perhaps because we have allowed the New Age movement to steal the word from our vocabulary. But all through Scripture we are called to meditate on the Word and works of God—to stop long enough to smell the biblical roses. To get alone, be quiet, and take it all in. To run His words through our minds over and over again.

If you’re among those who love God’s Word, here’s how to give it the VIP treatment in your heart.

Visualize it. Take a relevant principle from Scripture and visualize what it would look like if you lived it out. What would be the outcome of praying for your enemies? What if you gave your money to a worthy cause rather than buying that thing you’ve been wanting? Think about what it would look like if you lived out God’s Word.

Internalize it. The best way to meditate on God’s Word is to memorize it. When we get it inside our heads, it enables the Spirit to bring it to mind in “clutch” situations.

Personalize it. Don’t just think of the Scripture in vague terms, but insert personal pronouns and pray the passage back to God using “I” and “me” so that His Word is directed right to your heart.

Soon you will find yourself saying with the psalmist, “Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97).

Lord, we want Your commands to be “written” on our hearts. Help us to learn what it means to meditate on Your Word—to visualize, internalize, and personalize it—so that we can live by Your principles and bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Journey…

• Are you struggling with any biblical principle today? What would it look like if you were to fully surrender in obedience in that area?
• What are some verses you could memorize to help you in your struggle? Write them down and post them on your mirror, in your car, or wherever you will see them on a regular basis.
• What are some ways you can personalize the Word of God?

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/v-i-p-treatment/

Tozer Devotional-Concepts of Spirituality

Concepts of Spirituality

The concept of spirituality varies among different Christian groups. In some circles the highly vocal person who talks religion continually is thought to be very spiritual; others accept noisy exuberance as a mark of spirituality, and in some churches the man who prays first, longest and loudest gets a reputation for being the most spiritual man in the assembly. Now a vigorous testimony, frequent prayers and loud praise may be entirely consistent with spirituality, but it is important that we understand that they do not in themselves constitute it nor prove that it is present. True spirituality manifests itself in certain dominant desires. These are ever-present, deep-settled wants sufficiently powerful to motivate and control the life. . . .

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=596

Tozer Devotional-Resisting Monotony By Means of Variety

Resisting Monotony By Means of Variety

Some of the purest souls have written of the dangers of continuous spiritual exercises uninterrupted by lowlier considerations. Von Hugel speaks of the “neutral cost” of prayer and advises that we should sometimes break off thoughts of heavenly things and go for a walk or dig in the garden. We have all known the disappointment felt when returning to a passage of Scripture that had been so fresh and fragrant the day before only to find the sweetness gone out of it. It is the Spirit’s way of urging us on to new vistas. I notice that in the wilderness God kept Israel moving. One may wonder what would have happened if they had camped in one place for forty years. The lives of the great Christians show that they differed not only from each other but from themselves at different periods of their lives. Spiritual exercises that helped them at one stage of their development later became useless and had to be changed for others.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=594

Tozer Devotional-Utilizing Our Spiritual Resources

Utilizing Our Spiritual Resources

I think that most Christians would be better pleased if the Lord did not inquire into their personal affairs too closely. They want Him to save them, keep them happy and take them to heaven at last, but not to be too inquisitive about their conduct or service. But He has searched us and knows us; He knows our downsitting and our uprising and understands our thoughts afar off. There is no place to hide from those eyes that are as a flame of fire and there is no way to escape from the judgment of those feet that are like fine brass. It is the part of wisdom to live with these things in mind. God is love and His kindness is unbounded, but He has no sympathy with the carnal mind. He remembers that we are dust, indeed, but He refuses to tolerate the doings of the flesh. He has given us His word; He has promised that we would never be tempted above what we were able to bear; He has placed Himself at our disposal in response to believing prayer; He has made available to us the infinite moral power of His Holy Spirit to enable us to do His will here on earth. There is no excuse for our acting like timid weaklings.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=590

Tozer Devotional-Being Participants in Truth

Being Participants in Truth

Truth cannot aid us until we become participators in it. We only possess what we experience. St. Gregory of Sinai, who lived in the fourteenth century, taught that understanding and participation were inseparable in the spiritual life. “He who seeks to understand commandments without fulfilling commandments, and to acquire such understanding through learning and reading, is like a man who takes a shadow for truth. For the understanding of truth is given to those who have become participants in truth (who have tasted it through living). Those who are not participants in truth and are not initiated therein, when they seek this understanding, draw it from a distorted wisdom. Of such men the apostle says ‘the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit,’ even though they boast of their knowledge of truth.” Here is a simple but neglected doctrine that should be restored to its rightful place in the thinking and teaching of the Church. It would work wonders.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=573

Tozer Devotional-Spiritual Remedies for Spiritual Problems

Spiritual Remedies for Spiritual Problems

The solution to life’s problems is spiritual because the essence of life is spiritual. It is astonishing how many difficulties clear up without any effort when the inner life gets straightened out. If half the time we spend trying to fix up outward things were spent in getting our hearts right, we would be delighted with the result. Strange as it may seem, harmony within our own hearts depends mostly upon our getting into harmony with God. Morning comes not by our pushing out the darkness but by waiting for the coming of the sun. Church difficulties are spiritual also and admit of a spiritual answer. Whatever may be wrong in the life of any church may be cleared up by recognizing the quality of the trouble and dealing with it at the root. Prayer, humility and a generous application of the Spirit of Christ will cure just about any disease in the body of believers. Yet this is usually the last thing we think about when difficulties arise. We often attempt to cure spiritual ills with carnal medicines, and the results are more than disappointing.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=456