What’s Happening on the Inside?

What’s Happening on the Inside?
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 
A familiar prayer in Scripture is “Thy kingdom come...”  Where does God want to establish His kingdom?  Our tendency is to only think of His Kingdom coming outside of ourselves—a kingdom that He will establish when Jesus Christ returns. As we wait for His kingdom to come upon the earth in the future, God wants to establish His kingdom within us today.
Romans 14:17 tells us that the kingdom of God within us is established in only one way, through the person of the Holy Spirit. Our problems come when we try to establish God’s kingdom in our lives through our own efforts or systems. We cannot produce or establish anything that is of God.

We cannot, by doing outward things, however good they appear, make ourselves into what God wants us to be.

There are three things the Holy Spirit works within us to establish God’s kingdom: righteousness, peace, and joy. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to produce all three. God does not want one-third of His kingdom established within us, or two-thirds, but the whole. The kingdom does not come within us in sections or on the installment plan. God doesn’t say, “Be good and I will give you righteousness. Be very good for a long time and I will give you peace. Be very, very good for a long, long time and I will give you joy.”

People become restless and joyless when they try to establish their own righteousness. What we do outwardly does not change us inwardly. The Scribes and Pharisees who lived during the years of Jesus’ ministry were a group of outwardly religious people who went about trying to establish their own righteousness through their works and by keeping their man-made rules and traditions.

They worked hard at it, but it did not produce any joy or peace within them. Instead, they were without faith, hard, demanding, angry, critical, and judgmental. Their outward form of righteousness left them empty. And, when they were confronted with the reality of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, they became more miserable.

We cannot walk in daily peace and joy if we carry unrighteousness in our hearts. The unrighteousness of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness, will rob us of our peace and joy; the unrighteousness of worry, fear, and anxiety will quench the flow of the Holy Spirit within us.
Everything about righteousness is good, pure, clean, wholesome, and healthy to our inner-man.

Attitudes of unrighteousness will quench the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit, but righteousness will release them. The fruit of righteousness is not sour grapes.

Inward righteousness comes from the Holy Spirit, not disciplines or rituals.  Inward peace comes from the Holy Spirit, not from ideal circumstances or times of silence. Inward joy comes from the Holy Spirit, not from entertainment or good times. As believers in Jesus Christ we need to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to produce the life of the Kingdom within us. Let Him anoint you with the oil of joy and clothe you with the garment of praise; let His peace rule in your heart and guard your mind; let His righteousness bring health and wholeness to your spirit.

Today, may your prayer be, “Lord, let your kingdom come in me.”

For the Kingdom of God is...living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17 NLT).

#devotional #righteousness #fruitfulness #holyspirit #inwardjoy #kingdomlife #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

My Morning Prayer, Conversations 1

My Morning Prayer, Conversations  1
-Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, 
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment 
You shall condemn. 
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, 
And their righteousness is from Me,” 
Says the Lord.
Isaiah 54:17 [NKJV]

Welcome to a new short series that will be featured on Our Morning Prayer postings each Monday. The series is titled Conversations and its focus is upon Biblically based responses to the temptations the enemy brings into our thoughts. We pray that this series will help equip you with the power of Biblical truth to combat the internal conversations that challenge you in your daily spiritual walk the Lord.

Conversations 1
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
The tempter said to me:
You are a nobody and nothing you do is important.
 
I answered:
I am content. I’ve placed my life into the hands of the One who truly is Somebody and He can do all things.
 
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36 NKJV).

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

My dearest heavenly Father, thank you for being trustworthy and dependable. Thank you for all that You provide for me, for guiding me and leading me by Your Holy Spirit. Your foundation is the strength of my life. I AM content. I trust You to do all things and manage all of my difficulties for Your glory. Your will is all I desire in my life and I want nothing more than what You will provide in my life. Please help me to recall scriptures to combat the lies of the enemy. Place God-following people in my path to lift me up and help me remember WHO I am and WHOSE I am. I know You love me, and it is because of Your kindness towards me, a sinner, that I am led to a deeper place of love with You. I am yours. In Jesus's name, amen.

#mymorningprayer #conversations #devotions #devotion #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #prayer #marinabromley

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Prayer and photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Timely Tidbits of Truth 48, Peace

Timely Tidbits of Truth 48, Peace
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
Songs, and cheers, and festive places,
bring no peace to anxious faces;
All that tries to calm and please,
Brings peace like a swarm of bees.
Nothing bought can bring true peace,
But helps to keep it out of reach!
 
Peace in hardship, peace in fear,
Peace not distant, always near.
Peace from heaven Jesus brings—
Peace that comforts, peace that sings.
Peace He freely gives to you,
Peace in all you’re going through!
 
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27 NKJV).

#timelytidbitsoftruth #meetinginthemeadow #devotional #roylessin

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Success and Trials

    Success and Trials
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
Have you ever noticed that your greatest trials can often appear shortly after your greatest times of success? Why does this happen? God allows this for love’s sake. He allows it to keep your heart from entertaining the one thing that can bring you down quicker than any other sin—pride!

    God wants to bless you, use you, and cause you to prosper. God is a good Father, and for love’s sake, He does not want any of His blessings or favor to puff you up or lead you away from His presence and into self-confidence or self-sufficiency.

The next time you experience a great trial after a great success, keep these four things before you and hide them in your heart:

1.     Without Jesus I can do nothing. 
2.     God is using this trial to show me my weakness and to help me to continue abiding in His strength.
3.     I have more grace working for me than the trial that is working against me.
4.     Anything that exposes my weakness and helps me to be fully dependent upon God is something I can respond to with thankfulness.

    A final reminder…
Put your hand down if you’re trying to pat yourself on the back. Lift it toward heaven instead!
 

    I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT).

    #devotional #successandtrials #pride #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

    ©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

My Morning Prayer: His Wonderful Name

My Morning Prayer: His Wonderful Name
-Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley
 

His Wonderful Name
-Roy Lessin

The name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9 AMPC).
 
Wonderful Counselor: Place yourself at His feet, hear His words, follow His wisdom, go with His plan, yield to His strategy. Do not set any limits upon what He can say to you.
 
Mighty God: What a King! Warrior. Victor. Lord. Without flaw or weakness. Clothed with glory. Crowned with majesty. Do not set any limits upon what He can do for you.
 
Everlasting Father: He is the best. Kindest. He is full of compassion. Grace. Lovingkindness. Draw close to Him. Walk with Him. He is always the same. Do not set any limits upon what He can be to you.
 
Prince of Peace: He is Peace. Perfect peace. He can use you as His peacemaker in a restless and troubled world. Do not set any limits upon what He can do through you.

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Good morning, Father. Thank You for sharing Your names with us, that we might know You better. I need to remember who You are so I can remember who You want to be to me. 

Help me to turn to You for counsel and advice instead of turning to the popular opinion and ideas that others may have. You are my Wonderful Counselor and I need to bring my concerns to You. Help me to listen for Your voice, Dear Lord.

When I need to be led through difficulties remind me that You are my Mighty God, and You are the Creator of all things. You make all things new and can set my feet in the right direction. Remind me that You desire to work in me beyond what I can imagine!

When I am disappointed in myself and those around me, help me to remember that You are my Everlasting Father. You will not let me down and Your ways are always perfect. You love me as your child, and I can revere you as my Father. Remind me that You desire to have a relationship with me, and You love me as only a Father can

And with all the discord in the world, I need to lean on You as my Prince of Peace. Lord, there is so much fighting going on, in our homes, our communities, our churches, and our countries. Our world needs you to be our Prince of Peace, not as a political person, but as our Spiritual Leader. Remind me to take my concerns to You instead of creating strife in my relationships. Help me to turn to You, to pray for Your will, and to accept Your answer and timing in events and circumstances. Lord, use me as only You can, working in me and growing me to be all You desire me to be for Your kingdom and glory.

I love You God, and do not know why I forget your names so easily. In Your names You are everything I need, and more! In Jesus' Name, amen.

#morningprayer #prayer #devotion #devotional #namesofgod #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow #marinabromley

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Prayer and photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Timely Tidbits of Truth 47

Timely Tidbits of Truth 47
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5 NKJV).

Ever since that perfect time came for Jesus to be born, anytime is the perfect time for you to be born into God’s family through His Son.

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV).

#timelytidbitsoftruth #devotional #devotion #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

2025, Come Holy Spirit!

2025, Come Holy Spirit!
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 
The River of the Holy Spirit begins at the throne of God. He flows from the highest place in heaven and descends to the lowly place of every humble heart that calls upon the name of Jesus and drinks from Him.
 
The Holy Spirit is God’s River, not His pond. Life, not death, happens where His river goes. The Holy Spirit doesn’t sit motionless or become stagnant in the heart of the one who receives Him. He is fresh water. He flows! He renews, revives, restores, and refreshes.
 
The Spirit-filled heart overflows its banks to bring His Life to others.
 
Come Holy Spirit!
 
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38 NKJV).
 
Everything will live wherever the river goes (Ezekiel  47:9 NKJV).

#devotional #HolySpirit #2025 #ComeHolySpirit #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.