The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "GOD’S POSSIBILITIES" for Monday, 23 May 2016 with Scripture Matthew 17:14-21

The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "GOD’S POSSIBILITIES" for Monday, 23 May 2016 with Scripture Matthew 17:14 As they came up to the crowd, a man approached Yeshua, kneeled down in front of him, 15 and said, “Sir, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and has such terrible fits that he often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your talmidim, but they couldn’t heal him.” 17 Yeshua answered, “Perverted people, without any trust! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” 18 Yeshua rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, so that from that moment he was healed.
19 Then the talmidim went to him privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because you have such little trust! Yes! I tell you that if you have trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there!’ and it will move; indeed, nothing will be impossible for you!” 21 [Matthew 17:21 Some manuscripts include verse 21: But this kind does not go out except through prayer and fasting.”]
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Jesus looked at [the disciples] carefully and said, “It’s impossible for human beings. But all things are possible for God.”[Matthew 19:26 (CEB)]
I am part of a small ministry based in the United States that raises funds to do work in Guatemala, and our board recently returned from a week-long mission trip there. Unlike many other missions, where work is done by groups traveling from the US, the work that we fund is done by Guatemalan youth. In an area beset by poverty and crime, involving youth is a great way for this ministry to thrive. Not only have the youth learned from weekly Bible studies, but they have also found that by serving others with these projects, they are serving Christ. Over the six years that we have been in existence, we have seen a big increase in the number of youth that are active within the ministry.
As we were having dinner one night on the trip, I asked our founder if she had envisioned the growing impact of the ministry when it first started. “Not at all,” she said, “but God did.”
We often limit our vision to what we believe is possible. But God’s realm of possibility is very different from ours. I know that God will not grant us everything we ask for, but I have seen God respond to people who ask with faith. No request is too big; all things are possible with God.
The Author: John Bown (Minnesota, USA)
Thought for the Day: No prayer request is too big or too small for God.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for listening when we ask for your help. Help us to serve others as a way of serving you. Amen.
Prayer focus: INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES

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