Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 3, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

(Philippians 2:13).

Before God can work through us, He must work in us. God only uses clean, broken, and empty vessels to serve Him. We can only take others as far as He has taken us.

In the preceding verse, Paul told the Philippians, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). God work in us is often painful; for we must face up to our pride, self-will, stubbornness, and disobedience.

We must acknowledge our sin and repent, and ask for forgiveness. God only changes those who want to be changed. He works in us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

At the very beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). God’s will takes precedence over our will. We can ask ourselves, “Does God have precedence in my residence?”

When we yield our hearts and put Him first, He will work through us in a mighty way. Bill MacDonald commented, “This means that it is God who puts within us the wish or desire to do His will in the first place. Then He also works in us the power to carry out the desire.”

Have blessed day in the Lord’s will which is good, acceptable, and perfect. Stay safe and healthy.

To have a great workout, we must have God’s great work in.

Dean

-October 2, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“Nor give place (or opportunity) to the devil.”

(Ephesians 4:27).

The devil is extremely crafty. Though he is a defeated foe, he tries his utmost to bring us down. He uses all his wicked schemes such as fear, anxiety, and most of all discouragement.

Jesus called the devil a thief, a murderer, and a liar. In speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

As believers we must be on guard every waking moment. If we leave a door unlocked or a window open, the devil can slither in like a snake. He did this when he tempted Eve in the Garden.

The devil is not only a liar but a thief. Jesus told us in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” Our Savior warned us in Matthew 24:43, “But know this, if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.”

The devil wants to steal our joy, our peace, and our spiritual wellbeing. We must be on guard. The best way is to pray and to read, study, and meditate on the Word. We can’t give the devil any opportunity. Let us put on the armor of God daily and be watchful.

Have a blessed day staying close to the Lord, and keeping our eyes and ears open. Stay safe and healthy.

The devil is most dangerous, not as a roaring lion, but as angel of light with a Bible in his hands.

Dean

-October 1, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“Call upon Me in the trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

(Psalm 50:7).

There is no better place to run to than the presence of the Lord. He hears us and delights to answer and deliver us. Sadly, we wait until we have exhausted every possible resource and solution in our own wisdom.

I woke up this morning thinking of this expression, “On A Wing And A Prayer. I was wondering where it originated. It was from WWII. In 1942, there was a film, entitled, “Flying Tigers.” In the movie, John Wayne asks a hotel clerk, “Any word on that flight yet?” The clerk replied, “Yes, it was attacked and fired on by Japanese aircraft. She’s coming in on one wing and a prayer.”

As believers we often find ourselves in a troubled situation with no way out. We must “Call on the Lord in the day of trouble.” He promises to deliver us so that we can glorify Him. David wrote in Psalm 86:7, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.”

The odds may be against it, there may seem no hope of deliverance, but God is able to answer us at just the right time. We have hope because we have the Lord. Jesus told us to ask, seek, and knock.

One of my favorite hymns, and I have many, is, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The first verse says, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

Have a blessed day calling on the Lord first and relying on Him fully. He will hear and answer, and come through for you. Stay safe and healthy.

When we’re on a wing and a prayer, God will help us soar through the air.

Dean

-September 30, 2025-

Good morning my dear friends, happy Tuesday,

“For each one shall bear his own load.”

(Galatians 6:5).

Yesterday we considered the verse on bearing one another’s burdens, and well we should. Today we will look at bearing our own loads. God brings loads on us help us grow in faith and rely fully on Him.

The word load is defined as, “a heavy or bulky thing that is being carried or about to be carried; a weight or source of pressure borne by someone or something.” We face so much pressure in life.

Our lives are filled with loads that we must carry alone. God gives us the grace to get through them. There are times we try to carry more than we can handle. Injuries and accidents can result, usually one’s back goes out.

What load or loads do you have to carry today? One of the heaviest loads is the death of a loved one. Or it may be a job loss, or a health issue. We have to bear it. Even so, the Lord wants us to cast it upon Him. Psalm 55:22 tells us, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved (or shaken).”

We must lay down our personal loads at the throne of grace and leave them there. So often we bring time but we don’t leave there them there. The temptation is to take it back.

Someone once commented on this verse, saying, “This verse is about each individual carrying their own burdens and being responsible for their own actions and decisions before God.”

Have a blessed day carrying your own burdens but giving them over to the Lord who will direct your path. Stay safe and healthy.

The songwriter said it well, “I can smile as walk along life’s road; I can smile if I carry a heavy load, I can smile because I walk with Jesus.”

Dean

-September 29, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Paul loved the brothers and sisters and bore their burdens. He prayed for them and helped them, not seeking to be a burden to them or on them. Therefore, he made tents to support himself and give to the work of the Lord.

We all need a helping hand. You may be discouraged, sick, injured, or recovering from a surgery. Paul tells us to look around us and see how we can bear their burdens.

The word burden is defined as, “a load, typically a heavy one; something that is carried.” Paul uses the Greek word baros, meaning weight. It comes from the Greek root barus, denoting something heavy. It is used five times in the NT.

There are several types of burdens we can bear for and with others: spiritual, physical, mental, material, and financial. Each one can be hard to carry by alone. There are many burdened people around us who need a text, email, or phone call.

One of the greatest and heaviest burdens is loneliness, especially among the elderly. But younger people can be lonely as well. So many live alone and feel isolated.

The question is, “how can I help?” We all have our own issues and problems To be a burden bearer, we must be a love sharer. It can’t be just out of duty. When we do, we are fulfilling the law of Christ, the law of love.

Have a blessed day serving others and bearing their burdens. Stay safe and healthy.

Christ bore our burden on the cross; let us bear the burdens of others wherever we walk.

Dean