Dear God, thank You for this new day and for the truth that eternal life isn’t something I have to wait for, it’s already mine. Your word in John 5:24 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” God, I’ve heard Your word and I believe in You, and that’s enough to pass me from death into life right now. Help me really understand the weight of that today and not just read past it like it’s ordinary. I don’t want to live like eternity is something far off. I want to live like it’s already mine, because it is. I give You all the praise for a salvation I could never deserve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. -Psalm 23:6

Gods Promises
Hebrews 13:16

New King James Version

But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

A NUGGET OF TRUTH
God’s moral law was never intended to define sin for Israel alone.

Paul states plainly:

“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law… these… shew the work of the law written in their hearts.” —Romans 2:14–15

Gentiles could be judged as sinners because the moral standard of God applied to them also. Paul adds:

“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law… for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” —Romans 2:12–13

The law reveals sin:

“By the law is the knowledge of sin.” —Romans 3:20

And sin is not limited to Jews:

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23

The same God justifies both Jew and Gentile through faith:

“Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.” —Romans 3:29

And that faith does not abolish His law:

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” —Romans 3:31

The New Testament therefore presents one God, one definition of sin, one gospel, one Saviour, and one moral standard for humanity.

Salvation is not earned by obedience. It is received by grace through faith. But the faith that saves does not erase God’s law—it writes His law upon the heart and produces obedience.

One Saviour. One Gospel. One Moral Law.
One way of salvation for Jew and Gentile.

Amazing Facts.
Daily Devotionals

Where is the line between persisting in prayer and vain repetition?

August 24, 2026

Prayer is not for informing God; rather, it draws us up to God. The Lord wants us to pray to Him for our benefit, and not because He wouldn’t know what’s going on if we didn’t pray. It binds us to God. He knows what you need even before you ask, so the Lord lays certain burdens on our heart, and as long as those burdens are there, we should keep praying for them.

The heathen would utter the same prayer several times in one sitting. That’s not prayer. Prayer is the intelligent cry of your heart to the heart of God. Prayer elevates you. When you pray, you should think about the prayer and what you’re saying really means.

The Greek word for “vain repetitions” is only found in this one place in the New Testament. It means “to babble” and to “rattle off without giving much thought to what is being said.” Is this how Jesus wants us to pray? What follows in verses 9–13 is a simple example of how we might pray. But it’s not intended to be a magic formula that will do wonders if we vainly repeat it.

There are some Christian denominations that tell people that when they sin, they should say a certain prayer over and over again in order to right the wrong they did. That’s not biblical.

Then you’ve got people like Elijah who knelt down and, seven times, asked God to send the rain. I don’t think he prayed the exact same prayer seven times. Rather, seven different times he pled with the Lord to fulfill His Word and send the rain. People who have children wandering from God pray for their salvation every day. That’s not praying in vain repetition. You can be sure that Jesus prayed for the disciples every day (John 17).

Key Bible Texts
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (Matthew 6:7 KJV)

The theme of God as a divine warrior (see Exodus 14:14) spans the landscape of Scripture. Exodus 15 poetically depicts God at war with Pharaoh’s army, saying, “The Lord is a warrior” (v. 3). One Bible encyclopedia has this to say: “In the New Testament, the Divine Warrior theme is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the imagery shifts from physical battles to spiritual warfare, the essence of God as a warrior remains. In Revelation, Christ is depicted as the ultimate Divine Warrior who will defeat evil and establish His kingdom.” Today, when faced with temptation, we can rest in God, who fights for us.

The father of Will Smith asked him whether he could build a wall when he was a child . He said he couldn't. The father then got him to start building one. Everyday they laid a few bricks; and soon they had a wall . Many people think of success as a quantum leap but it is not . Think of your success like a house you are building . You put one brick on top of the other until you get a house . Be more interested in WHO YOU ARE BECOMING rather than what to do.Your success will be more lasting that way. If you focus on what to do it will have a temporary effect. When you BECOME a better person your results will reflect the new person you have become. If you improve your skills 1 percent every day in any area of your life, you will be 365 percent better in that area a year by this time. This means everyday you must wake up with the intention of BECOMING better than yesterday. The day will come when you will then see the compounded effect of what you have been bdoing. The Bible says the path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter unto a perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). This means it's all about getting better and better day by day. Have a lovely day

TEEN MISSIONARIES GET MARRIED AFTER MEETING ON A MISSION TRIP, 24 HOURS LATER THIER LIVES WERE TAKEN.

A Young Christian couple who dedicated their lives to missionary work had just stepped into marriage when their story took a devastating turn.
They met while serving as missionaries in South Africa, both passionate about sharing the Gospel and living out their faith on the mission field.
Their love grew quickly, rooted in their shared calling and devotion to God.
Soon, they were engaged-and believed they were stepping into a lifelong journey of ministry together as husband and wife.
They held a simple courthouse wedding surrounded by close family.
It was a moment of joy, faith, and new beginnings.
But just one day after saying "I do," tragedy struck.
The newlyweds were involved in a fatal car crash, cutting their marriage story down to less than 24 hours.
One passed away at the scene, and the other later died in the hospital from injuries sustained in the crash.
What should have been the start of a lifetime together became a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile life truly is.
Yet even in the sorrow, those who knew them continue to speak of their deep faith and devotion to Jesus.
Their lives may have been short, but their testimony of love for Christ continues to speak.
In the midst of grief, many are reflecting on a deeper biblical truth found in Isaiah 57:1: '
"The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout people are taken away, while no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil."

Though their time on earth was brief, their legacy of faith, love for Christ, and missionary devotion continues to speak.

When doing street ministry, you often encounter individuals with strange ideas. Yesterday while witnessing to a group of people in Jacksonville Beach, one woman declared, “I believe in Jesus, but not the Bible.” I pointed out that’s a contradiction since John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Bible is the only book that you can never finish. It is alive! You will see new things each time you study it.

Last week I asked the question every new author eventually asks:

I wrote the book, but would anyone read it?

Well... someone did.

Then someone else did.

And some of them even took the time to tell me what they found in the stories.

Today's blog is about that strange and wonderful moment when a story stops belonging only to the person who wrote it—and begins belonging to its readers.

Someone Read It

Read the new post on my blog:
https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog

#ChristianAuthor #AuthorJourney #ChristianFiction #ChristianMiddleGrade #KidsAdventureBooks

2 Corinthians 5: 17 -Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.