Prayer Works Morning Devotion: October 8, 2025

Thus Says The Lord-Who God Says He Is, His Commandments and Promises

Isaiah 51:4-6: "Listen To Me, My People And Give Ear To Me Oh My Nation: For Law Will Proceed From Me, And I Will Make My Justice Rest As A Light Of The Peoples"

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Good morning, good morning, Prayer Works family. This is Pastor April. I haven't had an opportunity to really minister and be with you guys for a while. I've been busy, busy, busy at this hospital. 

But it's such a privilege and an honor to come together um and speak on the topics that Pastor Zee has laid out he gave me the scripture this morning uh he is on his way to North Carolina pray for our pastor he is uh on his way with projects of hope on a missions trip to Kenya. 

And then pray for me because I have these kids okay. Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning giving your name all praise, all glory and all honor. We enter into your presence with thanksgiving. We enter into your courts with great praise.  

We are thankful unto you and we bless your holy name. We thank you Lord for your word for truly is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway and the interest of your word brings light and we walk in the light as you are in the light.  

We fellowship with one another and we are certain that the blood of Jesus Christ your son has cleansed us from all sin and wrongdoing. Father I pray that as we go before you come before your people today with your word uh that your word would illuminate us and strengthen us. 

Your word will be illumined in us and light up a pathway before us father uh thank you for this word that is a that is a roadmap that you have given us that will show us the direction we are to go.  

We know the steps of a righteous man, a righteous woman, are ordered by you. And so thank you for ordering our steps this morning. Thank you for being with us this morning. Just be glorified and magnified in all that we say and do in Jesus name we pray, Amen.  

Our assignment this morning October 8th can you guys believe it's October already 2025 is just about done wrapping up. Isaiah 51 4-6 says listen to me my people and give ear to me oh my nation for law will proceed from me and I will make my justice rest as a light of the people. 

Verse 5 my righteousness is near my salvation has gone forth and my arms will judge the peoples the coastlands will wait upon me and on my arm they will trust lift up your eyes to the heavens and look on the earth beneath. 

For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, the earth will grow old like a garment and those who dwell in it will die that in like manner but my salvation will be forever and my righteousness will not be abolished. 

We are being exhorted here in this passage to listen and take heed to the Lord because there is a law and a way of doing things that are right in the Lord's eyes. It is very important to understand that we must not live according to what we believe is right in our own eyes.  

But we are to focus on the law that proceeds from the Lord and allow that law to be a light. We live in a world full of darkness. This this nation is unfortunately filled with dark and evil people, and we can see that by what's been happening in our nation just recently from the killing of Charlie Kirk.  

Now I didn't agree with him or his views, all of his views. Some of the things that he said, you know, were ok, but a lot of his views were dangerous, but I don't believe that he deserved to be murdered. 

And when we think about the killing of the Minnesota Congresswoman, Melissa Hartman, Hortman and her and her husband, and even the actions of these ICE agents, the actions and the vitriol that is being spewed from both sides of the political parties. 

We need our Lord to be the light and to bring us into the light. So, here's what this passage says, that his justice will rest upon us as a light to the people. This passage says that his righteousness and his salvation are near.  

In these dark times, we have to look to him. We have to rest in his arms, like this passage says, and lift up our eyes to heaven. His salvation, the beautiful thing that we can rely on and trust in and have joy in and give us hope is that his salvation is forever and his righteousness will not be abolished. 

As I was reading through this passage this morning, and I didn't have that much time because I dropped Zee off at the airport around 4:30 this morning, and he said, honey, can you do the prayer call?  

And I said, okay, sure, let me do the prayer call. As I was reading through this passage, and I saw where it says, for law will proceed from me, the thing that that jumped out to me or what I felt impressed on my spirit was for us to go through the Ten Commandments.  

So, let's look at the Ten Commandments because the Ten Commandments, I believe, is a roadmap, um, and that's the laws that that came from or proceeded from the Lord. Um, and these laws or these Commandments can govern us and really bring us light.  

So, number one you shall have no other gods before me. So, making sure that we focus on the Lord, making sure that we make him Lord. Making sure that there's no one that is greater no one that is higher that our focus, our main focus is on giving him the worship and the praise. 

That he alone deserves when you say there are no other gods before me. That means that before you make any decision decisions before you make especially major decisions and really even as you just govern your day. 

You're focusing and asking the Lord for his guidance for his direction, you're praying for his wisdom you're saying I'm not going to put anything above the Lord. That you are, you are the my number one top priority. 

You're Lord over my marriage, you're that you're Lord over my job, over my ambitions, over my future, anything that I'm endeavoring to do, I'm not going to put anything above that. Nothing should come above our living a life that is pleasing to our God.  

Number two, you should not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven, above or beneath, on the earth, below or the waters, beneath or the, okay. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  

You should not bow down to them or worship them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents of the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but also showing love to the thousands generations of those who love me and keep my commands.  

So don't make any images, meaning, uh, uh there there's uh our how do I explain this you know some people believe that it's you know a picture or some type of you know necklace or something. 

But the thing the thing that we have to um remember and understand is that um there are other religions where there are certain things, statues or, or things that that that they believe that the power comes as you're bowing down before this particular thing or that, you know. 

We can't making any graven images, meaning that that that we cannot create something as the creation, we cannot draw something, build something, sculpt anything that is the creator. 

That it's like we can't be above him that should have no other gods before me but we also should not make any graven images meaning that that thing becomes a symbol or has power in our lives. 

That we're praying to that thing if that makes sense we're holding on to some type of rosary or beads and we think and we believe that this thing, if I don't have this thing in my hand if I don't have this particular Bible if I don't have this particular thing then then that's where that power comes from. 

No we have to understand that God is omniscient he is omnipresent he's everywhere all at the same time and that we're not tied down to something that we've created as a human being and then given that that thing or that that you know make it make it sacred. 

It's sacrilegious to do that. So, you know, I can't, I can only worship if I'm in that church. I can only, you know, so that's what that basically means. Okay number three, you should not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.  

Now, Pastor Zee, um, he gave a perspective on this one that I absolutely love a lot of people think you know don't take the Lord your God's name in vain meaning don't use his name in a curse word. 

I agree with that you shouldn't just be you know using the Lord's name and cursing people and you know curse words right using the Lord. Or just calling out his name and in a derogatory way. 

But what the way the Zee talks about how you know we know that the when Moses went to the to Pharaoh and he said let my people go and Moses said who should I say you are say I am that I am sent you. 

So that I am it is indicative of who God is that he is the I am so when you say I am and then you put something negative behind it you're using the Lord's name in vain because we're made in his image in the likeness of God. 

So God says we're fearfully and wonderfully made right God says that we um that we are to think of ourselves above only and not beneath that that we're to think the best of ourselves so when you as his creation as his daughter as his son say I am stupid, I am ugly.  

I am worthless then you're using the Lord's name in vain because you're saying something negative About yourself that that's cursing. That's a curse. Don't ever because the power of life and death is in our tongue. 

So we are to speak life over yourself. You are to say I am able to do exceeding and abundantly. I am above, I am. So using the Lord's name in vain misuse of the Lord's name is so detrimental and it's one of the Ten Commandments that we are to make sure that we are speaking life. 

Number let's see that's one two three number four. Remember the Sabbath day, keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God.  

On that day, don't work, not your sons, your daughters, none of you guys should work on the sixth day the Lord made the heaven and earth and the seas and all that was in them, and then he rested.  

So, you ought to have a day just set aside that you rest. It's so important. And I mean, I'm feeling convicted even just saying this, because as much as Zee and I are working and these kids, I always say to him, honey, where's our Sabbath?  

Where's our Sabbath? There's got to be a day that we just don't do anything. We ought to just have a day. And so that can be a struggle. And I'm not going to say that we're always successful, especially that Zee guy getting rest. 

But I just I'm going to speak this again and again that that is so important. If the Lord rested, if God, the Lord, the Savior of this world is the creator of the nation, of the universe rested, we all need to rest. 

And it's so important because when we see these commandments, it's, this is the law that proceeds from the Lord. This is the law that's going to bring light. This is the law that he says, you know, that his righteous righteousness will not be will not be abolished, that his salvation is near, that is forever. 

This is how when we abide by these when we take heed to this, that will make our light shine. I just heard in my spirit that, you know, all the working that we're doing if we don't rest then then that light gets dim.  

You know, it's like a light bulb after a while you got to change it out. It's like putting gas in your car after a while you got to put more gas in there. You can't just keep running, running, running on fumes.  

So find a day to rest. I love that Calvin and Veronica even now for Veronica's birthday, happy birthday Vee. He took his wife away and, and, and they're resting and they're spending some time some quality time to celebrate her birthday.  

And so let's, let's make sure that we do that. Number five, honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land, excuse me, the Lord your God has given you. This is a tough one for some people because not everyone's mother and father are necessarily honorable, right?  

But we are to honor our parents honor the ones that brought us into this world. There's just  a place of honor that they deserve. As even those that were born maybe to a teenage mom or a young mom or a young father. 

The fact that they persevered through and did not abort you, that in and of itself, in and of itself alone deserves honor, right? That we are to honor those who gave us life and there are mistakes that may have been made, even by good moms and good dads, no one's perfect, but that position as a mother, a father deserves honor.  

Number 6, you shall not murder. Don't kill nobody. But the thing about it is not just as simple as taking someone's life. But thou shalt not murder. You shall not murder. You sometimes we can, we can kill people with our words.  

We can try, don't, don't be someone who's going to kill someone else's dream. Don't be someone that's going to kill someone else's hope. Don't be someone that is, that is walking around just spewing, you know, negative things that in and of itself can really murder someone's future, right?  

So not just the actual murder, I mean, meaning, you know, you kill someone and they're no longer living. But let's be careful that we are someone that will not be even in just, let's just be careful.  

You should not commit adultery. Meaning obviously that you're married, you stay faithful to that spouse. And if you're single, you don't commit adultery, excuse me, with someone who is art, who was given their vow and commitment to someone else.  

You shall not steal. Taking something that does not belong to you, very simple. Do not steal. But it can go even further that, you know, there are some things that in the same manner in which I said, don't, don't kill someone's dreams.  

Don't steal someone's idea. Don't, you know, there are people sometimes that, you know, I saw this movie one time and, and this girl said an idea and then the next thing you know, uh, one of her coworkers went to the boss and, and stole her idea.  

It's more than just feeling like being a thief and going into a store and taking something and walking out. But there are other ways that we can steal, we can steal someone's joy. And you can be someone let's try not to be someone that's going to steal someone's joy. 

But you want to you want to be someone that when you see someone that's joyful, even if you're having a bad day, let that joy bring your day up. Let someone's happiness bring you some joy, right? 

Sometimes we can get so focused in on some of our own frustrations and our own disappointments that we found that now we're stealing people's joy. Don't be the dark cloud that walks into a room.  

Don't steal someone's light. Can we say that? Don't steal someone else's light. Let your light shine. And if your light is a little dim, you know, it's almost like when you're a candle, if you're the candle has gone out, you don't you don't have to throw that candle out.  

All you got to do is get near another candle that's lit and lean up against them, right. And then the second to last one is you shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. I guess that's number nine. I lost count.  

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor, meaning you're not going to lie. You're not going to be deceitful. If someone comes to you, they ought to believe that you can be trusted to tell the truth.  

That when someone is going to come, let's speak to let's speak to April about it. Because we know even if it's to a detriment, to maybe something that's that may, you know, she's going to tell the truth.  

She is going to tell the truth. Be someone be a truth teller, be someone that is trusted, their word is trusted. So that when you say it happened, they're not questioning you at all. They're not questioning you. 

And finally, you shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male, female servants, his oxen, his donkeys, anything that belongs to your neighbor.  

Don't covet. Now covetousness, is something, it's not like if you see something that your neighbor has and you admire that or you allow that to give you some motivation. That's not covetousness.  

Covetousness being to covet something means that you want his thing. You want to, you look at your neighbor, he has a new car and you like, I want that car. I want him not to have it. I want to have it.  

That's, that's covet. When I see his car and I'm like, ooh, that's nice. I'm gonna go buy my,  me a BMW. Then that's not, that's different. He's motivated you. He's inspired you that if he can do it, you can do it. 

But to actually want to take something from someone else so that they lose and you gain, that's what covetousness is. Okay, so these, these 10 commandments are our roadmap to live by that if we take them and apply them, um, we will be the light that this dark world needs.  

I really hope that this time together and me going through, I'm sure you guys know the Ten Commandments, but it's so important to just go back sometimes over some of the foundational truths that we build our lives upon run through them and know like this this passage here in Isaiah says. 

The law will proceed from him from the Lord that he will make justice rest as a light to the people that his righteousness is near his salvation has gone forth and that we can rest in his arms we can rest and trust in his arms. 

So we can look lift up our eyes to heaven um and his salvation will be forever and his righteousness will not be abolished. Um there was a song um that I that I was saying Lord you know what is it that you would have me to just kind of minister towards the end of this message. 

Um and there's this new song I don't know if it's new but there's an elevation worship song I trust in God or trust in God and the chorus just simply says. 

I trust in God, my savior the one who will never fail, he will never fail I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. And then the chord, the verse says, I the Lord and he heard and he answered. 

I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust him. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered.  

I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered that's why I trust him that's why I trust in God my Savior the one who will never fail, he will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. 

God we thank you that we can trust in you, we thank you that we can trust in your word for truly your word is a lamp unto our feet a light unto our pathway. thank you for your word thank you for the Ten Commandments that we can look through and chew upon and know Lord God that this is the way that we are to go. 

That your law can bring light and we thank you for that we're so glad that your righteousness is here for us that your yourself salvation is forever that your righteousness will never be abolished. 

And we thank you Father for this time together we pray Heavenly Father that as we go throughout the rest of our day those of us that are at work or on our way to work those that are doing different things. 

Be with us throughout this day, shine your light upon us and allow your light to shine through us. We will allow your light to shine so that man can see your good works in us and give you the glory to the to know, Lord God, that we are yours, that you are our king, that you are our Lord. 

Gives us such joy and such hope and knowing, Father God, that we can trust in you, that you'll never fail us. God, we thank you for your faithfulness and for your peace and for your joy. We give your name all the praise, glory, and honor in Jesus name we pray, Amen.