“…find out what pleases the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:10 (NIV)

I was excited when Rachel Olsen announced that today’s Devotion Carnival’s theme was “Pleasing God”. The Bible tells us to “Find out what pleases the Lord” in Ephesians 5:10. A few years ago, I started to journal scriptures that I came across during my quiet time which tells me what pleases the Lord. Finding out what pleases the Lord is found right in His Word!! I just love that! Here is some of what I have found. Please feel free to leave a comment and share what you have found! (Also below are some of the blessings of pleasing the Lord….I love them!)

1 Timothy 2:1-4 – Live Peaceful and Quiet Lives in All Godliness and Holiness
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Proverbs 15:8 – Prayer
“…prayer of the upright pleases Him.”

Colossians 3:20 – Children Obeying Their Parents
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

Hebrews 11:6 – Faith in Christ
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

Psalm 69:30-31 – Praising God’s Name in Song and Glorifying Him With Thanksgiving
“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 – How We Live
1 Thessalonians 4 — Living to Please God

“Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

1 Timothy 5:3-4 – Helping Widows, Family and Those in Need
“Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.”

Romans 14:13-18
“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

The Blessings of Pleasing God!
Ecclesiastes 2:26: “To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness…”

Psalm 37:23-24: “If the LORD delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand.” Woo hoo!

Proverbs 16:7: “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” WOW!

Oh, I do believe I am over that 650 word maximum! And really, they aren’t my words…they are God’s words. What a great way to fill the computer screen! Rachel said, “Just be sure that the devotional teaches or illustrates your verse and draws our heart towards God – that’s the purpose of a devotional after all.” I do hope these scriptures have drawn your heart towards God. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4