ISBN: 1-59286-717-0

Good Morning Father, Christian Devotional -- Out now from Publish America If you’re looking for an inspirational devotional, look no further. Author Raynene Burgess provides you with her own personal insight to having a closer walk with God. Good Morning, Father! was written with quiet time in mind for people who want to make time for their spiritual growth and relationship with their heavenly Father. It was written as a result of the insights and lessons the Lord has given the author since 1989. The purpose of Good Morning, Father! is to guide readers to a closer, more personal relationship with Jesus Christ. BUY (Search by Raynene Burgess) | Read Excerpt

January 1

                                                                 WILLINGNESS

                                                             Read Luke 22:39-44

            "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."  Luke 22:42 (NIV)

            Jesus knew the pain that faced him and also the glory and joy that would follow.  He knew people would not understand or care why he was being killed -- only that they could silence him.  His family did not even understand -- for awhile.
            Jesus felt tremendous separation from his Father when he took our sins on His shoulders at the Cross.  He had to go through a struggle to grow and come through victorious.
            How often I go to Him with hurts, wanting to hear anything other than what I am supposed to do.  The Lord is teaching me to do and be what He wants me to be; He is doing this to all of us.
            Sometimes we create our own trials when we stray from His will and it gets harder to hear Jesus when we are on our own.  We can see others not being open to Him but we think we are following Him.  As this New Year begins, daily ask that the Lord's will be done in your life for that day only.  Remember that He gives us our daily bread!

January 2

                                                                   ROAD MAPS

                                                             Read Isaiah 55:8-13

            Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?        Proverbs 20:24 (LIV)

            As a child, whenever my family would go on long trips, I would constantly ask my father, "Are we there yet?"  And he would always answer me, "Not yet!"  A few minutes later my next question would be, "When will we get there?"  That inquiry would be followed with, "How much farther do we have to go?"  My father was always so patient with my constant queries, and always reassured me that we would soon reach our destination. 
            Do you have children who ask those same questions?  Do you often go to your Heavenly Father with the same questions about happenings in your life?  I certainly do.  I always want to know the end of the story, so to speak.  What I am coming to realize is that the Lord knows my "road map" with all the detours and turns it has.  I have no need to worry about the rough spots in the road.  I just have to let Jesus show me where to go. 
            God's ways are truly higher than mine are, and I will never be able to understand His thoughts until Jesus returns for me.  Then I will learn all I could ever want to learn in Heaven with Jesus.
            The next time you are asked by your children, or even a friend, "When will we get there?" or "How long will it take?” just remember that the road map has been laid out by Jesus, and He is in your driver's seat!

January 3

                                                                      ABIDING

                                                              Read John 15:1-17

            "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."  John 15:7 (NIV)

            This Scripture is so clear to us today, but did the disciples understand what Jesus was saying?
            Jesus wanted the disciples to realize they would have to stay connected to Him.  They would have to pray constantly and go to the Lord for help.  We are to do the same thing.  Walk daily with Jesus and obey Him.  We are to bear fruit only in Him.  We cannot bear fruit without the Holy Spirit.  We must spend time in the Word. 
            Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to apply the Scriptures to your daily life.  Sometimes the lesson may hurt, but that is discipline we all need to remain in Him and be fruitful.  This process is for His glory so we can be better fruitbearers.
            Jesus is our Teacher and Best Friend.  He encourages us and disciplines us.  As branches in the Vine, we must stay connected to the Vine.  How can we survive on our own?  Sometimes we want to bear fruit apart from the Vine, and we find that we simply cannot.
            Get in the Word and learn to bear more fruit for Jesus!

January 4

                                                                EXPECTATIONS

                                                        Read 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

            But O my soul, do not be discouraged.  Do not be upset.  Expect God to act!  Psalm 42:11 (LIV)

            Have you ever had expectations of someone, only to not have them fulfilled?
            There is a promise in 2 Corinthians and in the Psalms that says God will act.  We are to live expecting God to help us.  Go to Him in prayer and thank Him for helping and guiding us.  We must spend time with Him so we can learn to look for His acting in our lives.  We are not to just sit around and wait for the Lord to act.  He wants us to move in faith, expecting His help.  2 Corinthians says we live by faith, not by sight.
            Have you ever advised someone and then taken steps to help that person when help is needed?  Parents do that for their children.  Spouses help each other.  Children go to dads and ask them to fix broken toys.  A child has no worries when dad is fixing a broken toy; the child has faith dad can fix anything.
            Jesus does that for us.  He wants us to go to Him in prayer for help, advice, requests for needs to be met or wants to be filled.  He wants us to ask Him how to do things or to just ask the Lord to please solve some problem we may have.  Then we are to just leave the prayer with Jesus.  Then, we are led, nudged, and pushed by the Holy Spirit and the Lord starts to act in our lives.  What a promise fulfilled!  Sometimes He may not answer right away.  He may not answer in a way we think He will, but the Lord always answers us.  Do not be discouraged, He is acting! 

January 5

                                                                        GRACE

                                                           Read Hebrews 4:14-16

            Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16 (NKJ)

            Today, my daily devotional talked of complaining.  It is not wrong to complain, just do it to God.  We always go to Jesus for requests, hurts and joys.  Sometimes, though, we are afraid to complain.  Will Jesus listen or want to hear us if we have a grievance or negative thought?  Of course He will.  He sits with us all the time, anxious to hear all we want to tell Him.  Paul, in his letters to us, tells us to pray continually about anything on our hearts.
            We have a Father who always has time for us.  Do we make time for Him?  Do we spend time at His throne, talking and -- more importantly -- listening?  At Jesus' feet we can learn what He wants for us.  He alone can give us both the mercy to love anyone and the grace to help us keep going.
            No matter what our complaint, take it to the Lord and leave it there with Him at the Cross.  He knows how to solve the situation better than we ever will!