today's devotional from prime time with God

Today's Prayer
March 12, 2006
Dear God, I pray today for parents who have broken hearts over their children who have substance abuse problems. God, help these parents know what to do, what to say, how to do and say it, what not to do or say--guide them through this most difficult thing. I pray for the children, whether young and at home or grown and out in the world, that You will work in their lives to draw them to You and to help them overcome these addictions. Give them willpower, strength, and support from the right people. Help them to see how their problems are affecting their loved ones as well as themselves. God, please intervene in this situation. Give comfort, where comfort is needed. Give boldness, where boldness is needed. Give mercy, where mercy is needed. Give strength, for it is certainly needed. I pray the blood of Jesus over these strongholds, that they will be broken and these children freed from the chains of addiction and whatever else is holding them down. I pray they will be free in Christ, and receive a fresh start. Bless them all. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Understanding the Source of Anger
TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. - Proverbs 29:11

The workplace can be a pressure-packed world. The demands that are often put on us can bring out things that we never knew were there. Sometimes we begin to think that the source of that pressure is to blame for our response to the pressure. It could be an event, a spouse, a boss, a client, a child, or even a driver who cuts us off in traffic.

I recall responding to a close friend one time, "If you had not done that, I would never have responded that way." Later I learned that this response had little truth to it. We all choose to get angry. No one else is to blame for our anger.

"The circumstances of life, the events of life, and the people around me in life, do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am" [Dr. Sam Peeples].

This simple quote has had a profound impact on how I view my anger now. Anger only reveals what is inside of me. I can't blame anyone but me for my response to a situation. I have learned that anger is only the symptom of something else that is going on inside of me. This quote now resides on my refrigerator door as a daily reminder of the truth about my response to life's situations.

It has been said that anger is like the warning panel on the dash of your car. It is the light that tells us something is going on under the hood and we need to find out what is the source of the problem. I discovered that the source of anger is often unmet expectations or personal rights. We believe we are entitled to a particular outcome to a situation. When this doesn't happen, it triggers something in us. At the core of this is fear, often a fear of failure or rejection, fear of what others think, fear of the unknown.

If you struggle with anger, ask God to reveal the source of that anger. Ask Him to heal you of any fears that may be the root of your anger. Ask God to help you take responsibility for your response to difficult situations.