May It Be So

 

     It has been a week of challenging ourselves to move beyond our own  needs and desires, to bring ourselves closer and closer to Jesus. In getting to know Him more intimately, in growing in wisdom and knowledge, in our times of prayer and within the grace He provides daily, we can continue to bring glory to Him. Our faith pleases Him. Our time with Him delights Him as much as it fills us.

     As I continue to challenge myself in the faith and allow God’s Holy Spirit to do His work, I leave you with this. I pray it over each person reading today. May it be so!

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord, and please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-10

Amen!

All Glory

 

     As we grow in spiritual maturity and in the grace of God, we finally figure out that it’s not about us. It’s all about Him. We are His children, His beloved friends, His inheritance, His disciples. When we live our lives in honor of Him, it brings us out of ourselves into living a life filled with His Spirit.

     All glory goes to Him, and all of this glory will move with us into heaven one day.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen 2 Peter 3:18

     I love this thought. Bringing glory to God doesn’t mean pleasing others. It doesn’t mean a show of faith and how much we are doing. It might consist of just being in His presence, of being thankful while cleaning the kitchen, or stopping to enjoy the sunrise. He will definitely use us in the lives of others, but our greatest desires should include spending time with Him, and changing other lives so that they, too, can know Him.

I will give thanks to You, O’ Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever. Psalm 86:12

     As we mature and grow in the faith, everything we do, will be about Him. Both Peter and Paul lead us into living our lives for His glory.

Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified, through Jesus Christ, through whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen 1 Peter 4:11

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Father,

We are always in Your presence. You will provide what we need, when we need it, wherever we are, with the people we meet. You are everything and to You belongs the glory. Bless this day to Your glory.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Increase Our Faith

 

     If you are struggling with faith, or in trusting God, or in growing in your faith, join the club! The disciples were filled with doubt and fear. They stumbled along the way. They let Jesus down when they fell asleep after He asked them to pray. They were afraid of the storm when He was in the boat. Peter denied knowing Him when he thought he was in danger. The list goes on and on in their lives and in ours. Here is a prayer we can use, just as the disciples cried to our Savior.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Luke 17:5

     Our faith and trust in God please Him. Trusting in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus saves us forever. God rewards us as we continue to seek Him and to know Him better, to continually increase our faith.

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. Hebrews 11:6

Jesus,

Increase our faith! Show us more and more of You. We do believe that You exist and we earnestly seek You. Bless us with all of the spiritual riches that belong to us because of You.

Amen

 

Spiritual Growth

 

     Training our spiritual muscles takes time and training. Our knowledge of God and our faith-filled life can grow through struggle, through blessings, through tragic times and joy-filled moments. God weaves and works through all of life, if we are willing to let Him change us and train us.

     Our spiritual food is necessary for our souls. Our training in the Scriptures and in prayer brings a harvest of fruit into our lives. Don’t be afraid of disciplining yourself to spend time with Jesus. Just as our bodies sometimes cry out when we push them through some physical training, our spiritual disciplines can test our patience and take up our time. Paul reminds us, it is worth it!

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

     God tells us just what our spiritual harvest will look like, as Jesus works on our hearts through our time spent with Him. Think about what this spiritual fruit looks like in your own life.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

     When God works on any one of the fruits listed above, He will provide all of the challenging situations and experiences necessary to grow us spiritually. Have you gone through times that tested your patience and learned from them? Have you learned to discipline yourself in a certain area of your life that wasn’t healthy? Have you blessed someone that is difficult to be around and felt a peace in your soul? There are so many ways in which God grows this fruit.

     If you are being tested in some way right now, take it as a good sign. God may be growing the spiritual fruit necessary to become more like Him. It will bless your life and the lives of others.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:1-3

Father,

Continue to grow us even when we are struggling through our tough times. Teach us Your ways that do not come naturally to us. Keep us rooted in the vine that is Jesus. He will grow the fruit for us that brings true value to our present lives and the lives to come.

In His name we pray,

Amen

Worship

 

    I’ve been guilty of attending church and thinking the message didn’t resonate, or the music was too loud, or wondering why they did things a certain way and not another. You, too? We all have our ideas about what we need and how worship should be done.

     What would happen if we went in with a mind so full of love for Jesus that we brought that selfless spirit in along with us? It would change the nature of our thoughts and maybe bring a smile to someone else, not to mention having a heart full of true worship.

     Paul tells us we, are called to become more mature. It is our responsibility to soak up God’s word, to feed on it, to nourish ourselves with it as if it were as imperative as the food we eat to strengthen our bodies.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Hebrews 5:12

     Just as babies move from needing only milk, to needing and desiring solid food, so, we too, need to develop a hunger and a thirst for more of God. And maybe, we will bring our hearts so full or worship, that we feel God’s presence no matter where we are with a loving Spirit along with us.

God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. John 4:24

Lord,

Draw us deeper into your Word and into your ways. Let us delight in the spiritual food you offer us on a daily basis and grow us into mature, active believers.

In Jesus name,

Amen