Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
A Powerful Statement
"Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord." --Isaiah 2:5
Walking is a powerful statement. We've spent a few days this week on the subject, but there are a few biblical faces I wish I could see as they put one foot in front of the other. Try to imagine Abraham's anguished face as he walked with Isaac toward the altar; a wide-eyed Moses when his feet touched the Red Sea's floor; a groggy Lazarus coming out of the tomb; a soon-to-be-blind Saul heading to Damascus. The visionary Paul pacing in prison writing, "We walk by faith". Picture the crippled boy carrying his bed through town, or a once-blind Bartimaeus -- now turned follower -- not letting Jesus out of his sight. I'd love to have seen Simone the Cyrene heading to Jerusalem, or Simon the Cyrene leaving Jerusalem. The two mourning disciples shuffling along the road to Emmaus just before their eyes were opened, or Peter's look of wonder as he strolled across the water.
Oh, we could go on and on, right? Some of the greatest moments of all-time occurred during one of life's most basic yet powerful actions. Whether they were called, healed, leading, following or reminiscing, we get to imagine their faces of faith as they walked. But I don't think the best evidence of its power is found on the floor of the Red Sea. It's not on the island of Patmos or somewhere along the road to Damascus.
How does the Bible describe the miracle moment of the Word becoming flesh? He walked among us. Of all the ways God chose to relate to us, making footprints was one of them. And those precious feet wouldn't stop until they were nailed to a Roman cross. The hill of Calvary didn't require Paul's brilliant mind, Job's resilience, Mary's innocence, Luke's precision, Joseph's persistence or the positive encouragement of Barnabas. No, Calvary required the perfect, spotless, blameless, loving, grace-giving walk of the Savior.
Evidence of faith, of agreement, of courage, of vision, of passion and purpose, of love and amazing grace. Walking is a powerful statement.
--Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: We know the specialness of a walk, don't we? The bride in her aisle. The soldier exiting the plane home. The surgeon walking out to family with good news. What walk are you about to make? What steps of faith will you take to get your soul where it needs to go? Make no mistake, your walk is powerful statement. Say something with it today.
Sister Powell Update: Hey everyone, Sister Powell received the prayers and thoughts from everyone. She's traveling from the jungle of Cambodia en route home. Thank you guys for blessing her and me with your words. Here is her reply to you all:
"Jimmy, I am honored by your kindness and your generous spirit toward Henry and me. I praise the Lord that Henry lived long enough to see the Godly man you have become. I thank the Lord we both saw the stable marriage you and Loretta have. And, I thank the Lord for my PrayFit partners. I just received this e-mail and devotion. I am humbled and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support.
You are like the steel girders under the bridge, holding me up. I cannot even express the encouragement you deliver to me through your words and responses. Encourage means to put courage in another. Truly, you have and continue to do that for me. I am both humbled and grateful."
DID YOU KNOW?
High blood sugar can sour your mood. In a recent study, researchers found that people who drink two and a half cans of soda daily are three times more likely to be depressed and anxious than those drinking less pop. What's more, the depressed have a heightened risk for Type II diabetes. The reverse also holds true: Diabetics are twice as likely as others to suffer depression.
Of Walls and Temples
"When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God." --Nehemiah 6:16
Read: Nehemiah 6 When Nehemiah heard the news of Jerusalem his heart broke. The walls had been toppled and the temple destroyed. Through prayer, trials, and trust, the faithful people of Israel rebuilt the wall in just 52 days, which was miraculous because the wall had been laying in ruin for 140 years. It's a wonderful, powerful story of God's accomplishment. I urge you to read Nehemiah with us.
I was reminded of that story earlier this year when Loretta and I traveled to the wonderful city of Asheboro, North Carolina. We had the pleasure of speaking to hospital staff, encouraging their continuous effort to extend the dreams of the sick. We rallied with community business leaders, reminding them that our health enables us to be better servant-leaders. And we joined the mission of a small group of believers who, like Nehemiah, have a broken heart for the temple and are building walls to protect it.
You know, the bible says that when Jerusalem's walls were rebuilt, the enemies "lost their confidence" because they knew God had accomplished it for them. Wow. Constructing walls, rebuilding temples. Keep going, Asheboro. How blessed we are to witness your work; humbled to have been given a brick.
--Jimmy Peña
Question: What walls does your church, community or business need to build to protect and honor health? Have you broken ground?
MAKE YOUR CHURCH NEXT: Life is not about the body. Our health is a means of praise. This fundamental message, which has become the heart of PrayFit in the last several years, has always been at the heart of Jimmy's philosophy on exercise and nutrition. But to put it in a paragraph here doesn't do it justice -- to hear it from the man himself is a convicting experience for anyone who has the opportunity. Let us help you bring this message to your church or community event. Contact us today at [email protected].
>> To read reviews of PrayFit and interviews with Jimmy in the media, click here!
Of Walls and Temples
"When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God." --Nehemiah 6:16
Read: Nehemiah 6
When Nehemiah heard the news of Jerusalem his heart broke. The walls had been toppled and the temple destroyed. Through prayer, trials, and trust, the faithful people of Israel rebuilt the wall in just 52 days, which was miraculous because the wall had been laying in ruin for 140 years. It's a wonderful, powerful story of God's accomplishment. I urge you to read Nehemiah with us.
I was reminded of that story last week when we traveled to the wonderful city of Asheboro, North Carolina. We had the pleasure of speaking to hospital staff, encouraging their continuous effort to extend the dreams of the sick. We rallied with community business leaders, reminding them that our health enables us to be better servant-leaders. And we joined the mission of a small group of believers who, like Nehemiah, have a broken heart for the temple and are building walls to protect it.
You know, the bible says that when Jerusalem's walls were rebuilt, the enemies "lost their confidence" because they knew God had accomplished it for them. Wow. Constructing walls, rebuilding temples. Keep going, Asheboro. How blessed we are to witness your work; humbled to have been given a brick.
--Jimmy Peña
Question: What walls does your church, community or business need to build to protect and honor health? Have you broken ground?
HEALTH TIP: Cold Remedies Cold and flu supplements have become a multi-billion dollar business. As the cold weather rolls in each year, consumers fork over a pretty penny for anything that promises to keep them healthy or get them better. Are these supplements all they’re cracked up to be? PrayFit contributing nutritionist Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC weighs in.
>> Click here to see what really works.
>> COMMUNITY & FELLOWSHIP: Our family has grown by leaps and bounds in five years. Interact with fellow faith-and-fitness devotees by joining our forums today. Here, you can share successes and struggles, swap recipes, pray for one another or just catch up with like-minded friends. Already a member? Sign in here.
Carry Your Purpose
"'Go into that village over there,'" he told them. 'As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.'" --Luke 19:30
Read: Luke 19
Earlier this week, in my message about Billy Graham, I happened to mention the donkey that Jesus rode on Palm Sunday. I know for certain I'm not the first person to teach this, but I may be the latest to find this story so amazing.
There he was. Tied up. Who knows how long he'd been waiting? The most insignificant of animals with an inconsequential life. No thoroughbred blood running through his veins. His next meal was his only solace between chores. A helpless laborer, a meaningless creature. When all of a sudden...
If you're like me, you've questioned your significance. Is this really what I was meant to do? Well, the next time you ponder your purpose, think of that donkey. Jesus asked for him specifically. Sure, the Lord could have chosen any method of transportation, but He chose him. Uniquely qualified, his purpose was to carry Jesus to His.
Forgive my imagination, but I like to think that a donkey nobody had ever ridden knew exactly who he carried. I figure he did his best to make Jesus proud. We don't know what Jesus said to him as He got off and walked away, maybe nothing. But this writer likes to think that as the crowd took Jesus the rest of the way, that little donkey stood taller than ever. After all, Jesus, the Maker, needed a ride.
--Jimmy Peña
Question: Have you ever pondered your purpose? Ever wondered what Jesus could use you for? No matter what your life's calling or trade, there is someone you know or someone you don't who is empty and lost. You're hand-picked. You may be the carrier of their only hope. So, deliver.
PRAYFIT NUTRITION: MILK There’s a good alternative for those sensitive to cow’s milk
If you’re sensitive to cow’s milk, you might try the goat variety. Did you know that goat’s milk has more essential amino acids and more omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium than cow’s milk? With all that said, its protein is easier to digest than cow’s milk and has less lactose. Wondering about the taste? It’s a bit on the sweeter side.
TEMPLE TEMPER
October 12, 2010Read: Proverbs 22
"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." --Proverbs 22:24-28
Jesus was love. He healed the sick, caused the blind to see and fed the masses.
Jesus was Lord. He hung from the cross, only to defeat death both spiritually and literally.
But Jesus was also man. He bled, he cried, he loved.
With His humanity came another very human trait: anger. One of the most famous anger-fueled outbursts in recorded history was the scene He caused at the temple in Jerusalem in the days before His crucifixion. Upset that the moneychangers that had more or less converted the temple in Jerusalem into an early-A.D. Wall Street, He shouted, threw coins and turned over tables. This depiction of a enraged Jesus is a stark contradiction to the gentle Savior that most of us like to think about but it's important to remember that his anger was purposeful and divine while ours is often petty and misguided.
In a society rife with stress-filled workplaces, conflict-riddled homes, polarizing political debate and seemingly interminable commutes, it is not uncommon for us to give in to our temper -- to lash out at those around us or have a Jesus-at-the-temple kind of outburst. But we are taught in Proverbs and hundreds of other places in scripture that anger is a destructive and polluting force in our lives. In anger, we tend to exhibit the least Christ-like parts of ourselves. Our tongues sharpen, but our sensitivity to those around us dulls. We sling harsh words or worse, often leaving a shameful wake of hurt and despair.
James 1:20 reminds us that man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. As with other sin, our goal should always be to get better everyday -- to systematically stamp out behavior that can harm us (or those around us). It's not to say that you won't have a fleeting moment of fury the next time you are wronged, but how you deal with it (Ephesians 4:26-27) means everything, both to those around you and in the eyes of the Lord.
--E.V.
OBESITY: AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD The high cost of America's weight problem in the workplace
Those who struggle with their weight sometimes come to the conclusion (read: rationalization) that obesity is a "victimless" crime -- that they are somehow only hurting themselves. Well, there's a mounting body of research that is proving just the opposite -- that rising obesity numbers are costing our country billions each year. A new study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, states that the U.S. economy suffers a hit of over $70 billion as a result of an obese work force. This number is measured by a variety of factors including lost work days and down productivity.
For the full story on the Duke University study, click here.
>> SECURITY THREAT: To find out how America's weight problem has become a national security issue, visit Mission: Readiness.
>> PRAYFIT HEADLINES: PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena spoke to the Tyler Paper to promote his upcoming guest-speaking appearance. Read the full article here.