Good Morning Forgiven, Thankful, Worshipers, Warriors, Watchmen and Workers! AMEN!!! Thank God we are forgiven! Some of us have a lot to be thankful about concerning forgiveness! (like me! Thank God I'm forgiven, restored and cloaked in Jesus' righteousness!) That thankfulness for our salvation and God's love, grace and mercy overflows to worship, leads us to pray, prophesy as we hear God speak and want to share, know when to sound the alarm and call to prayer and action, and motivates us to get moving and doing the things God has for us. I pray all the time for God to raise up worshipers, prayer warriors, watchman on the wall and harvest workers. These are different roles/stations in prayer and action for God. What's yours station or role? Someone has said (find this in the Harvest blog below) “God has chosen prayer as the key by which his church does its work. Through prayer we impact the world for God.” —Anonymous
Last evening we had our Support and Vision Team meetings. Thank God for our leaders that trust and follow God as we discern and pray and begin to plan what's next. Pray for your leaders to hear and discern well and for wisdom to lead. Pray for God to raise up prayer and the prayer stations above. Pray that we would become a house of prayer for the nations. Pray for many to find and step into their God created purposes for such a time as this as prayer warriors and intercessors. Nothing of value done in the Kingdom and for God has come about without prayer. Prayer is vital! We are working on a prayer guide for all to use to inform and direct powerful, providing, protecting prayers for our Good News Delivery Co. Watch for it and plan to use it. We need you to pray earnestly! I'm waiting on God in prayer right now for some things He is birthing through our prayers. (God has even answered a big prayer of mine to teach me to wait on Him and move with Him. Thanks Lord!) He will teach you how to wait in prayer and release His will as you pray informed prayers because you sit at His feet, spend time and listen to hear. COME! Speak. Inform or prayers. Teach us to pray in power. Raise up worshipers, warriors, watchman and workers of Your harvest. Thank You! Amen! And what motivates us to do anything of Kingdom value? God's overflowing love for you that leads to overflowing gratitude. YES TGIF! I was checking out a Sarah Young devo about practicing the presence of Jesus. She reminds us that He is calling us by name. He knows us, loves us and created us for today. He is with us and wants to cover us with His amazing love and presence. Be still in His presence, love and peace for a bit this morning and allow Him to inform your prayers and to prepare you for what He has for you today. What a blessing and gift God has prepared just for you this morning as you still yourself in His presence and listen and receive.
Let's start with Harvest Prayer blogs this morning as we do the hard work of praying first before moving. Charles Stanley then reminds us to wait on Him. (help Lord!) Be still and know that He is God. Expect Him to move and plan to join Him as He does. Our Daily bread reminds us not to forget (as if we could) that God is Love and His love is active and moving and leading. They ask, "How can you share Jesus' love in simple and practical ways?" That's one of the things the Vision Team pondered last evening. God is calling us to love on and serve those in need. Right now one of the greatest needs is companionship, friendship and needing to feel loved and knowing that you matter to someone. Who is God stirring you to love on? How can we or some friends help you do that? The Hebrews Passage (13:15-21) they use reminds us to continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. God inhabits our praise! Amen! If you want to hear God start with some praise. Then be still and listen as He comes to you and blesses your heart and mind. The author reminds us, "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority...Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden..." We are held accountable for how we lead. Good leaders seek God, follow His lead and allow Him to use them to make His plans and lead His people. I can testify that is our St. Matts leaders. Trust and bless them and determine to help them as they lead and follow God. Pray for them. Cover them. Encourage them. Thanks! We are blessed to be a blessing and blessed back when we bless. We need each other and are better together. God has great plans for us to put His love into action and we all have a part in His Good News Delivery Co. Amen! What's your part? What are you doing about discovering and doing it? Who is helping you? That is another thing we are feeling led to develop: more small group gatherings and opportunities. How might God be stirring you to start or be involved in that? Pray for it to come alive and for boldness for some to step up and lead. The Upper Room reminds that we can discover and focus on the pattern as we open God's Word and apply it. Jesus has discoverable and doable plans just for you and for us together. PTL! Seek first His Kingdom. Don't lean on your own understanding. Allow Him to lead. Finally The Word for You Today reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! AMEN! Where are you feeling weak or inadequate? Invite God into that and align with some friends that will help you walk with Him to His best. Amen
God has called us to pray and serve, to live and love more like Jesus, to work on becoming more like Jesus and doing the things He created us to do. We all have a purpose and purposes in His Kingdom for such a time as this. Everything will be birthed in prayer, directed by prayer, empowered, provided for, covered and protected by prayer. We know the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effect. You are a righteous person because you are cloaked in Christ's righteousness. PTL! And we need each other to do this life in Christ well. Ask God who He has for you and for boldness to try some new things He has planned for us to prayer, small groups, table ministry and accountability. Be still and know and then plan and go with Christ and your teammates! Amen!
I can't wait to see what God has planned as He is leading us to multiply disciples! In Dec. we prayed to add one new member a month. We had ten by march. Last night we prayed for God to add 12 more by Dec. Pray hard into that with thanksgiving and expectation. Then ask God who He wants you to invite and bring along and do it! He does have plans to prosper and expand His territory through us! Rejoice! Listen and follow well! And know His peace and that we are doing what we can with what we've been blessed with for His glory. Amen!
Harvest:
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August 9 - Faithfully Praying the Price
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"Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place." (Mark 1:35)
It’s a simple phrase but telling. Most fail right here. When called by God to rise early and make their way to the secluded place, they simply roll over in their beds thinking a few hours’ sleep is more valuable than personal communion with the Eternal.
If you study history, you will discover that men and women who were great for God made any sacrifice to spend time alone with Him. It was the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl of great price.
John Hyde, missionary to India, discovered the value of prayer. Work was hard, and people were not coming to Christ. He decided to take more time—often hours—in prayer. Soon, he found that he would walk from a morning in prayer and people would be standing at his door asking, “What do I need to do to be saved?” He discovered that we don’t pray and then work. Prayer IS the work!
A.J. Gordon said, “You can do more than pray after you’ve prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you’ve prayed.”
Those who faithfully pay this price discover this is not merely about getting a few verses for the day or a quick breeze through a laundry list of prayer. God has been waiting for them. He longs for His children to be with Him, knowing certain things are accomplished only in seclusion.
Father, forgive my quickness to accomplish Bible reading and prayer in order to get on with my day rather than pressing into Your presence and seeking You in Your word until I hear from You and know what You want me to do each day. I cannot do anything apart from You. There is nothing I can accomplish for Your kingdom that is more purposeful than aligning myself with Your purposes. Give me a deeper desire to rise early and take a long drink from Your well rather than a small sip of water. Show me how to throw off the things I think I need to accomplish so that You can give me a fresh perspective to become more like Jesus.
---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
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- Read Ps. 86:15-17 and praise God for his marvelous compassion, grace, love, and faithfulness to you.
- Thank him for turning to you and having mercy on you.
- Confess any lack of appreciation for God’s saving work in your life.
- Commit yourself to loving God wholeheartedly in response to his love for you.
- Ask God to give you a sign of his goodness.
- Ask that people in your neighborhood who do not yet know Jesus will be drawn to him by observing your Christlike behavior. Pray that they will have the boldness to ask about the faith they see in you.
Prayer Pointer
“God has chosen prayer as the key by which his church does its work. Through prayer we impact the world for God.” —Anonymous
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Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here. |
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CS:
ODB:
The single mother lived next door to the older gentleman for more than five years. One day, concerned for her welfare, he rang her doorbell. “I haven’t seen you for about a week,” he said. “I was just checking to see if you’re all right.” His “wellness check” encouraged her. Having lost her father at a young age, she appreciated having the kind man watching out for her and her family.
When the free-to-give and priceless-to-receive gift of kindness goes beyond just being nice, we’re serving others by sharing the love of Christ with them. The writer of Hebrews said believers in Jesus should “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15). Then, the writer commissioned them to live out their faith, saying, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (v. 16).
Worshiping Jesus by professing His name is a pleasure and privilege. But we express true love for God when we love like Jesus. We can ask the Holy Spirit to make us aware of opportunities and empower us to love others well within our own families and beyond. Through those ministry moments, we will be sharing Jesus through the powerful message of love in action.
By Xochitl Dixon
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How can you share Jesus’ love in a simple and practical way with someone? How can you be more intentional about consistently putting your kind thoughts into actions?
Dear Jesus, please help me worship You by expressing love for others through the things I say and do each day.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The book of Hebrews is a theologically rich letter that highlights the work and ministry of Jesus as the mediator of God’s love for humanity by offering His life for the forgiveness of sins. In chapter 13, the writer says to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (v. 15) and “to do good and to share with others” (v. 16). It’s interesting that we’re to offer this sacrifice “through Jesus” (v. 15). The theme of Hebrews is that it’s only through Jesus that we can approach God (see 4:14-16). So, it’s only through Jesus that we can offer Him praise because it’s through His blood that we’re reconciled to God (9:11-28).
J.R. Hudberg |
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UR: Focusing on the Pattern
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. - Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
I enjoy crocheting, particularly while watching TV. I often start a project when I hear that a friend is expecting a baby. I dig out my favorite patterns — those that aren’t too complicated. I usually pick a pattern I have made in the past and that I’m confident I can complete.
My recent project, a sweater, was progressing nicely until I was instructed to “join yarn at center under arm.” I studied the cloak-shaped garment. Under arm? I thought, There are no arms! I read back through the instructions. To my dismay, I realized that as I happily crocheted, I had overlooked an important step in the pattern. Annoyed, I ripped out two-thirds of my work.
Reflecting back, I realize that all too often we do this in life as well. We know enough of God’s word to proceed, assuming from our past experiences that we know God’s will. But if we aren’t continually refreshing our minds with the guidance God offers in scripture, it is easy to miss vital points — particularly with the noise of the world in the background. Keeping God’s word firmly in mind and reflecting on it helps us to follow God’s leading.
Today's Prayer
Loving God, draw us often to your word so that we can more closely follow your will. Amen.
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