S: Matthew 7:7 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
O: Jesus was saying that God has good things to give us but we need to be diligent and unceasing in our prayers. If a sinful parent has good things to give when a child asks, then God who is good will give us gifts that are even better. The condition here however is to continue to pray. This is the true test of faith - persevering in prayer. Seeking is to look, so Jesus was also saying that we need to seek out or look for what God wants us to be praying for.
A: My prayer life is weak at best. If I don't get what I'm praying for then I stop praying. I am like my 4 year old. I get upset when God doesn't answer the way I want him to. Faith is believing that God has my best interest, he has good gifts to give me. I don't give Graham everything he wants because it isn't always what is best for him. I need to continue to ask,seek and knock and God promises to give me what is best for me.
P: God help me to go back to prayer requests I have dropped because of my lack of faith. Help me to persevere in prayer by keep asking. Would you give ideas on what I am to be praying for. Lay burdens on my heart that I need to be asking for. I believe, help my unbelief.
S: Matthew 7:12 "Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you."
O: Jesus was saying that the Old Testament could be summed up by one sentence...saying that we should treat others the same as you want others to treat you.
A/P: Dear God, help me to treat Ellie and Graham and any of my friends the same way I would want them to treat me.
"S: Joshua 24:15-24 (AMP) 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
19 And Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
23 Then put away, said he, the foreign gods that are among you and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel. 24 The people said to Joshua, The Lord our God we will serve; His voice we will obey. "
OBSERVATION 1. Joshua tells them to choose which God/gods they will serve. 2. Joshua lets them know that he and his family will serve the Lord. 3. Joshua warns them that God cannot be served/'worshipped in a haphazard manner. It requires all diligence, because he is Holy and jealous. 4. If we want to serve God.... then we need to 1) put away other "gods", 2) incline our hearts to the Lord 3) Obey His voice
APPLICATION Every day is a new day. It is a fresh do-over. But that can be both good and bad. Every day I need to freshly recommit to serving God, and God alone. The only day I can serve God is today. I can't change yesterday, and I can't serve God tomorrow, because it isn't here yet. I need to waken every morning, and go before God, acknowledging that I want to serve him in this new day. I also need to diligently worship him by putting away other gods in my life, such as food, TV shows, pride, and incline my heart to God (by meditating on his word, praying, and listening to praise music) and obey his voice.
Prayer Lord, sometimes I ignore that you are absolutely Holy. Or I think that you will not mind if I just have a couple areas in my life where I tolerate a few "small gods" which I call my weaknesses. I trivialize them, and treat them almost as household pets. But Lord, they are not innocent little personality quirks. They are absolute defiance of your Lordship over my life. Lord, help me to call sin, sin. Lord, I do not want to live like Israel, living a few years in victory, followed by many years of defeat. But Lord, you know my frame. You know my weaknesses. You know how my heart can convince me that I deserve to have a few small areas in my life which I can manage myself. But soon these few small areas become enslaving, and my desire for holiness turns into an overwhelming sense of guilt and frustration. Lord I ask that today, you lead and guide me. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. Help me to walk with you Lord, choosing to serve you, in every aspect of my life today. Amen.
Title: Persevering Prayer
ReplyDeleteMentor: Jesus
S: Matthew 7:7 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
O: Jesus was saying that God has good things to give us but we need to be diligent and unceasing in our prayers. If a sinful parent has good things to give when a child asks, then God who is good will give us gifts that are even better. The condition here however is to continue to pray. This is the true test of faith - persevering in prayer. Seeking is to look, so Jesus was also saying that we need to seek out or look for what God wants us to be praying for.
A: My prayer life is weak at best. If I don't get what I'm praying for then I stop praying. I am like my 4 year old. I get upset when God doesn't answer the way I want him to. Faith is believing that God has my best interest, he has good gifts to give me. I don't give Graham everything he wants because it isn't always what is best for him. I need to continue to ask,seek and knock and God promises to give me what is best for me.
P: God help me to go back to prayer requests I have dropped because of my lack of faith. Help me to persevere in prayer by keep asking. Would you give ideas on what I am to be praying for. Lay burdens on my heart that I need to be asking for. I believe, help my unbelief.
Title: Treat Others the Same
ReplyDeleteMentor: Jesus
S: Matthew 7:12 "Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you."
O: Jesus was saying that the Old Testament could be summed up by one sentence...saying that we should treat others the same as you want others to treat you.
A/P: Dear God, help me to treat Ellie and Graham and any of my friends the same way I would want them to treat me.
Choose who you will serve TODAY
ReplyDelete"S: Joshua 24:15-24 (AMP)
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
19 And Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
23 Then put away, said he, the foreign gods that are among you and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.
24 The people said to Joshua, The Lord our God we will serve; His voice we will obey. "
OBSERVATION
1. Joshua tells them to choose which God/gods they will serve. 2. Joshua lets them know that he and his family will serve the Lord. 3. Joshua warns them that God cannot be served/'worshipped in a haphazard manner. It requires all diligence, because he is Holy and jealous. 4. If we want to serve God.... then we need to 1) put away other "gods", 2) incline our hearts to the Lord 3) Obey His voice
APPLICATION
Every day is a new day. It is a fresh do-over. But that can be both good and bad. Every day I need to freshly recommit to serving God, and God alone. The only day I can serve God is today. I can't change yesterday, and I can't serve God tomorrow, because it isn't here yet. I need to waken every morning, and go before God, acknowledging that I want to serve him in this new day. I also need to diligently worship him by putting away other gods in my life, such as food, TV shows, pride, and incline my heart to God (by meditating on his word, praying, and listening to praise music) and obey his voice.
Prayer
Lord, sometimes I ignore that you are absolutely Holy. Or I think that you will not mind if I just have a couple areas in my life where I tolerate a few "small gods" which I call my weaknesses. I trivialize them, and treat them almost as household pets. But Lord, they are not innocent little personality quirks. They are absolute defiance of your Lordship over my life. Lord, help me to call sin, sin. Lord, I do not want to live like Israel, living a few years in victory, followed by many years of defeat. But Lord, you know my frame. You know my weaknesses. You know how my heart can convince me that I deserve to have a few small areas in my life which I can manage myself. But soon these few small areas become enslaving, and my desire for holiness turns into an overwhelming sense of guilt and frustration. Lord I ask that today, you lead and guide me. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. Help me to walk with you Lord, choosing to serve you, in every aspect of my life today. Amen.