Daily Devotion for Men

HonorBound Devotion: September 3, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Building Character

Read Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

 

The Seat of Leadership in Your Home- Fill It! (Part 2)

I have watched strange things happen in the workplace. I have found that if you do not take responsibility for what you have been given, others will take the leadership roles. The same is true in the home. As a man of God you should give loving and firm leadership in your home. It doesn’t mean that you have to win every argument. Nor does it mean that the others in the home should cower at your words or presence. But it does mean that your family looks to you for strength and direction in the critical times of life. It means that you can be trusted as a tower of stability when the storms are assaulting your family. The enemy is after your family sir! You cannot regulate the fight to your spouse or child. If you do, your family will fail. My challenge to you today is to stand up to the post God has given you and be the man God made you to be.
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: September 2, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Building Character

Read Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

 

The Seat of Leadership in Your Home- Fill It! (Part 1)
 
Every generation has had its voids in leadership. But it seems to me that we are really challenged with lack of leadership today. Nowhere is this void seen more clearly than in the home. Men have varied reasons for why they do not fill the seat of leadership in their homes. It may be that they believe it is an expression of love to his family to be quiet and undemanding. It could be that the wife or child has claimed that seat of power in the home. But men, the scripture is clear; you, as a godly man, should fill that seat.

– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: September 1, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

 

Building Character  
Read Colossians 3:8 – But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.   Rid Your Life of Ugly Irritability (Part 2)
 
Men who are developing character in their lives will want to develop a pleasant disposition. It is a contagious outlook to have. The very attribute acts as a magnet to people. It will open more doors than anything one can do. Practice being pleasant today. When something goes wrong see it as an opportunity to practice being pleasant. Remember: practice makes perfect but being irritable will make you lonely.
 – David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

HonorBound Devotion: August 31, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

 

Building Character  
Read Colossians 3:8 – But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.   Rid Your Life of Ugly Irritability (Part 1)

The older we get the grumpier we become. It is a slippery slope to the land of grumps! I heard someone ask a movie star how they looked so young at their age? They responded, “When you get a certain age you have a tendency to grunt as you get up from sitting. It makes you sound old and become old; I refuse to do it.” The older we get the easier it is to just feel irritable. Sometimes we need to tell ourselves to shape up and be happy! The psalmist was always talking to himself in encouragement. Do the same and tell yourself you are going to be happy today. Find some things to laugh about. You have to fill your life with joy, happiness and fun so irritability has no place to live. Whatever you are full of will be what spills out when you are tipped. – David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

HonorBound Devotion: August 30, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Read Nehemiah 1:6 – Please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. (NKJV)

 

The Prayer Life of a Working Man

 

Nehemiah’s first request was that God would hear his prayer. Nehemiah seems to indicate that he prays day and night for this situation. We know from reading the Book of Nehemiah that he was working on rebuilding the wall, leading people and encouraging people, so obviously he was not doing an around-the-clock prayer meeting. What Nehemiah is indicating is that the need he presented to God was continually on his heart. Throughout the day and night he was periodically sending up short prayers to God. The working man can pray short prayers throughout the day. Make this kind of prayer part of your life.

– Cecil Culbreth serves as the Arkansas District Secretary and Missions Director.  He also leads Men’s Prayer Force in partnership with national Men’s Ministries.

 

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 27, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Building Character

Read Romans 14:10 – You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.

 

Use Praise to Destroy the Cancer of Criticalness (Part 2)

You might be able to do a task better. You might know more than someone else on a given subject. But hold your tongue. Life is not just about you. Children think that the world revolves around them. But men of character know it revolves around much more than them. Someone said, “If you cannot say something good, then say nothing at all!” But you can say something good if you try and you can be kind and concerned for others. Step off that critical throne today and denounce it with powerful words of praise for others.
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 26, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Building Character

Read Romans 14:10 – You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.

 

Use Praise to Destroy the Cancer of Criticalness (Part 1)

To wear the robe of criticism is to put yourself on a throne. There you sit on that seat and express your negative thoughts to the world. The biggest problem is that your throne is lonely and unloved. Not only that, it is a mirage in your mind that makes you view yourself as better than others. Bitter old men are molded from critical young men. As a man of character, replace those critical thoughts and words with power words of praise. You have to look for good things about people to see them. When people receive your compliments and not your criticism they will love you and lift you up. Men who have learned the power of praise are surrounded by people who want to be close to them.

– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 25, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Building Character

 

Read Ephesians 6:4 – Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

 

Be More Than a Parent; Be a Father (Part 1)

 

Be a father that your children can be proud of. Say positive things to them about their lives. Affirm them at every junction in life. Challenge them to reach for great things. Call them to accountability for giving less that their best, but accept them when their best is less than other children’s. Let them see you love them for who they are. You only have a few years with them in your home and then they are gone. But if you have been more than just a parent to them, when they are gone they will have the confidence to make it. Exasperated children grow up to be unsure of themselves and their decisions. But children whose fathers softly and tenderly mentored them know that they can succeed in life. God has called you to be a father; there is no greater calling as a man!

– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 24, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Building Character

 

Read Ephesians 6:4 – Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

 

Be More Than a Parent; Be a Father (Part 1)

 

What a great honor God has given men to be fathers! Nothing is as precious and wonderful as the task of raising children. Now, anybody can parent a child. No real effort or commitment is needed for that at all. But being a father is far more important and valuable than being a parent. Your fathering teaches your children how our heavenly Father is. You are His example to them of His great love, care and concern for them. It is so sad to counsel a person who never had a father involved in their life. You should take upon yourself the mantle of a father to your children. There is no way you or I can be perfect, but we can be loving, caring and committed to the well-being of our children. As a father, your expressions to your children will last much longer than the toys you give them. It is not the allowance that will make them love you, but rather the attributes of a father you display.

– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 23, 2010

54 min 38 sec ago

Read Nehemiah 1:5 – And I said: "I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments.” (NKJV)

 

The Prayer Life of a Working Man

 

For the most part men have a tendency to be self-dependent.  We think we can always work out our problems and come up with a solution by ourselves.  Nehemiah was a man’s man, yet he understood that the situation he faced was much bigger than he could handle.  When Nehemiah started praying, he first acknowledged the greatness of God.  The first step for the “working man” to be effective in prayer is to understand that there is somebody bigger and more powerful than us.  Nehemiah also understood that God was merciful and wanted to help him.  That is why men can approach God at any time, even when working.

– Cecil Culbreth serves as the Arkansas District Secretary and Missions Director.  He also leads Men’s Prayer Force in partnership with national Men’s Ministries.

HonorBound Devotion: August 20, 2010

Fri, 09/03/2010 - 05:26

Building Character
 
Read Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

 

Be More Than Married; Be a Husband (Part 3)

Many newly married men will end up divorced because they never become a husband to their bride. The divorce statistics in both the church and in the world are a sad indication that our young men never learned from a man of character how to be a husband in front of their children. Men, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church; give yourself for her. Give yourself to her as an example to your children of how to be a man of character.

– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 19, 2010

Thu, 09/02/2010 - 05:16

Building Character
 
Read Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

 

Be More Than Married; Be a Husband (Part 2)

Many times husbands are like the man who when asked by his wife, “Why don’t you ever tell me you love me?” responded, “I told you I loved you when I married you. If that changes, I will tell you!” A great husband is made not by building himself but by building his bride. You cannot diminish her and not diminish yourself. It is not enough to have walked down an aisle with her to be married. She is not your property because she chose to live with you. She is a precious gift that deserves your kind remarks and acts on a regular basis.
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 18, 2010

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 06:16

Building Character
 
Read Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

 

Be More Than Married; Be a Husband (Part 1)

How long have you been married? Congratulations, and many more years to you and yours! But how long have you been a husband? You thought they were the same? They should be but they are not. There is a major difference in being connected by a ceremony, certificate or even a child and having a consecrated love for your bride. I heard a man say that after forty years of marriage he was more in love now than on his wedding day. How could that be so? He had learned to love his wife as Christ loved the church; he gave himself for her.
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 17, 2010

Tue, 08/31/2010 - 04:56

Building Character

Read 1 Corinthians 13:11 – When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
 

Be More Than Male, Be a Man! (Part 2)

Men, I’m not asking you to leave your recreation and hobbies, but reconsider what is your life’s passion and focus. God put you here to be a man of Christ’s character to affect our world. Our churches need men of clear convictions and consciousness to give spiritual leadership. Our communities are crying out for men who express their values to its children. Your family needs a man of character to be the role model of love and manhood. No one else can release the man that is inside of you, absolutely no one! Look in the mirror and see what God sees. You are a leader that Christ is waiting to lead.
 – David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 16, 2010

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 05:56

Read Nehemiah 1:3-4 – And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (NKJV)

 

The Prayer Life of a Working Man

 

Nehemiah was not a preacher. In fact, he was a civil servant who was actually working in a foreign government. He would be classified as a “working man.” Yet we see very quickly that Nehemiah also was a man of prayer. When he heard the condition of Jerusalem, his homeland, he immediately went to prayer. He wanted to see God intervene and work at home. Working men can be men of prayer. Each Monday, for the next few months we will examine the prayer life of this working man. Prayer is for ALL men, not just the preacher.

– Cecil Culbreth serves as the Arkansas District Secretary and Missions Director.  He also leads Men’s Prayer Force in partnership with national Men’s Ministries.

 

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 13, 2010

Fri, 08/27/2010 - 05:18

Building Character

Read 1 Corinthians 13:11 – When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
 

Be More Than Male, Be a Man! (Part 1)

Have you grown up yet? Someone said that a man will always be a boy, his toys will just cost more. The average male is looking out for himself and what he wants. He feels he has to have more, be more and keep more than the next male. Aside from this thinking being foolish it is evidence of a male who has never become a man. A man of character doesn’t live for the things the world affords. Character puts value on the priceless, not price on the valueless. Look at what you have accumulated that grips you as “must haves”. Do they really represent what is of the highest value in life? There is a time in every man’s life when he must realize “I am a man! I have man-size responsibilities that I must embrace. My legacy will be my life, not my toys, titles or tasks.”
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 12, 2010

Thu, 08/26/2010 - 04:31

Building Character

Read 2 Timothy 2:24 – And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Real Men are Steel Wrapped in Velvet

The strongest men I know are those who have the strength to be gentle. It seems like an oxymoron for a man to be gentle, but it isn’t. You might be able to win all the marbles in any game you play, but if you always have to prove you’re “the man” then you haven’t made it to manhood yet.  A man of character has no trouble being gentle with one who is not as strong or skilled as himself. He is not afraid to speak softly when the occasion calls for it.  He is not afraid to let a tear course down his cheek. Children are not fearful of reaching up for him because they know he will reach down for them. Jesus was a real man and a gentle man. He was man enough to walk to the cross for us. He was beaten on our behalf without a complaint. He was also gentle to the children that wanted to come to him. He was a Savior to the woman caught in an affair. He was a healing hand to the blind and the deaf.  He was a man of steel wrapped in velvet.
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 11, 2010

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 05:47

Building Character

Read Titus 2:6-8 – Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
 

Know When to Be Silent and When to Speak Up (Part 2)

There are times when a man with character has to speak up for what is right. This is even harder when the person who is wrong is someone you respect and love. But even those we love can be wrong. A sound word is a valuable treasure. Tragically, you may find that your friend is upset with you for speaking the truth. But if you are a man of character you will always choose the truth over friendship. Believe me, you will not lose a true friend over taking a stand for what is right. Both silence and sound speech help to create a man of character. Just be sure that you do both of them at the right time.
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 10, 2010

Tue, 08/24/2010 - 06:18

Building Character

Read Titus 2:6-8 – Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
 

Know When to Be Silent and When to Speak Up (Part 1)

A difficult task for a man is to be silent when he wants to speak out about something. Likewise, it is difficult to speak up when he wants to be silent. But a man with character knows that there are times for both silence and speech. Many times anything that comes up that we have an opinion on is a trigger for the mouth to release. There are times that a man just needs to listen and seek to understand what is being said and why it is being said. You can learn a lot by watching a person as he speaks. Sometimes the person talking has no real aim or intention. But the wrong word can make that which has no meaning become something ugly.
– David Raley serves as the Field Representative for Light for the Lost.

 

HonorBound Devotion: August 9, 2010

Mon, 08/23/2010 - 05:27

Read 1 Chronicles 12: 39-40 – And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen — provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.  (NKJV)

 

Fight Like a Man

 

The atmosphere was like a festival – there was joy and feasting. What was the reason for their joy? First, they were joyful because David, an obedient follower of the Lord, was being proclaimed king. Second, they were joyful because men from every tribe of Israel were taking their place of ministry and leadership. These men were using their unique gifts and skills to serve the Lord. There is security and joy when men take their rightful place of leadership and ministry. God has blessed you with unique gifts and skills. Fight like a man by using those gifts and skills to serve the Lord and those around you.

– Cecil Culbreth serves as the Arkansas District Secretary and Missions Director.  He also leads Men’s Prayer Force in partnership with national Men’s Ministries.