Deuteronomy 28 Blessings & Requirements - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 24, 2021

God's blessings are available to everyone. We just have to do what's necessary to qualify and receive.

First, let's look at some of the blessings of the Lord. Deuteronomy 28 offers a pretty concise list and here are a few of them:

1. Deuteronomy 28:3 - You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

2. Deuteronomy 28:5 - Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

3. Deuteronomy 28:7 - The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

4. Deuteronomy 28:11 - The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.

5. Deuteronomy 28:12 - The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.

This same chapter also tells us what we need to access these and other blessings. Deuteronomy 28:1- If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.

And this leads to the question of how do we fully obey the Lord? You see, God knows we are human and can't do everything perfectly. This is exactly why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for each of us. As such, it shouldn't be a surprise that it is through Jesus that we fully obey and thereby receive the full blessings of the Lord.

As humans we sin constantly. We get angry, ungrateful, or selfish. Those sins are arguably tame. We all know there are many more iniquities I could list. However, no matter how blemished we are, Jesus died on the cross to erase every sin and wash us clean over and over again.

We take advantage of that great gift by acknowledging His sacrifice, proclaiming Him our Savior and praying in His name for forgiveness of our sins. After that starting point, we endeavor meditate on the word of the Lord daily, to fast, and to pray. Also, we strive to live a God-led life that displays the fruits of the Spirit.

If you are yet to begin, there's no better day like today. How about you call on God to help you take that first step toward Him? Keep in mind that as a mere human, you need God's strength and might to help you. As such, you can't afford to not ask for it. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, we are told His grace is sufficient for us - meaning, it is all we need.

And for those who already do these things, bravo! Keep it up. Now ask for more grace. Ask for it for the very same reason newcomers to the faith ask. You need it! There will never be a time where we don't need the grace of the Lord to walk in a manner that pleases Him and ensures our spot in Heaven. We give all the glory to God!

Remember, we all need Jesus to help us. May the blessings of the Lord fall down on us. Indeed, may God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him according to Psalm 67:7 (NIV). IJMN, Amen.

Join us at Noon EST for today's Praise & Pray (for others) fellowship, where we'll obey the Lord by giving Him our worship and caring for the needs of others via intercession. God bless you.