Rise and shine and give God the glory for this is the day He has made and we get to worship in it! Amen!
Good Morning Abiding, Fruit-Bearing Worshipers! Prepare your hearts to draw close, abide, receive, follow and worship . God has great plans just for you, maybe even for us, as we gather and are sent. PTL! Trust and obey . Check out the devo and blog that inspired this line of thought and just sit at God's feet and worship! Then, go live and love as you are designed as the fruit comes alive. You are God's masterpiece made for Him and His plans for you so be still, absorb from Him and allow Him to lead you to that good fruit and enjoy the journey.
Connection blog:
- Abiding
In Jesus’ last conversation with His disciples He said in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
Abiding in Christ carries the core notion of connection and non-activity. A branch does no work except to receive from the vine the nutrients and pass them along. For Westerners one of our greatest failures as Christ followers is a lack of attentiveness to the vine. Our busy lives consume our energies, creativity, and time so there is little space to be with God. We make the mistake of equating God’s will with kingdom accomplishments rather than quiet attentiveness. Finding ways to be still allows for the Spirit to work naturally in our souls without expectation of gain. Sometimes a dry well is an invitation to simply sit quietly with God.
Father, when my well seems dry for a season, I long for Your rain to come! When my life is running on empty from the busyness of striving to serve You, slow me down and draw me near to Your heart. I want to be like Mary, sitting at Your feet…just listening to Your voice and soaking in Your words. I long to be like John, resting my head against Your chest, simply listening to Your heart beat. Send Your rain to refresh my weary spirit on days when, as Your branch, I struggle to abide in You. I don’t need any divine revelation , Lord…I just need You.
Praise God as the one who protects you from life’s roaring waterfalls and waves (Ps. 42:7).
Give thanks that even in the stormy times of life God is always near.
Confess those times when you’ve questioned God’s presence or doubted his protection.
Commit yourself to staying by his side no matter what comes your way.
Ask God to lead and guide you through the stormy as well as the calm seasons of life.
Thank God for the work and witness of missionaries around the world. Pray that they will go on the wings of a praying church back home.
Intercede especially for world missionaries supported by your church.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus. - Philippians 1:6 (CEB)
One summer morning I noticed a lily blooming in my garden. It was such a pleasant surprise! This species of lily generally blooms during the rainy season, not during the scorching summer. But there it was, standing tall, waving in the wind.
Even though I had been unaware of it, my lily’s bloom had been developing for a long time. The plant’s cells organized to form a bud, nutrients and water nourished the plant, and the lily gradually grew a blooming flower. God had prepared the plant in advance to produce a flower, but the preparation was unseen.
Just like my lilies, life often brings beautiful, unexpected surprises that rejuvenate our soul. These events don’t happen out of the blue; they are all planned by the Lord.
Many times we wait hopefully on the Lord for our desires to be fulfilled. We may not even be aware of the preparation taking place in our lives. Who knows what is best for us better than the Lord? We might feel like our life is dull or unproductive, but as we wait upon the Lord, he prepares us for what is still to come. The next thing may unexpectedly bloom one day, just like my lily.
's Prayer
Caring God, we trust you with our needs and our desires. We lay our burdens at your feet, believing that you are preparing us for what lies ahead. Amen.
ODB:
Dependence on God
The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:14
“Oh, you look so serious!” I said to my ten-week-old granddaughter Leilani. She was studying my face with a knitted brow as I talked to her. “I’d be serious too,” I continued, “looking at this world. But you know what? Mama loves you, Daddy loves you, and Baba and Papa [our nicknames as grandparents] love you too. But best of all, Jesus loves you! And that means everything!”
Then it happened. Like a cloud letting the through, the furrow left her brow and her little face lit up with a smile that melted my heart. Like most grandparents, I’d like to believe she understood me, though that may be a stretch. But perhaps she caught some of the joy behind my words. The simple, innocent joy that shone on her face brought to mind Jesus’ words that we must “receive the kingdom of God like a little child” (Mark 10:15).
Jesus said those words as “people were bringing little children” to Him so He might “place his hands on them” and bless them (vv. 13, 16). But “the disciples rebuked them,” thinking Jesus too busy or important. That troubled Him (vv. 14-15).
Children are naturally humble and dependent. To receive God’s kindness to us in Christ, we too must turn from pride and admit our need for Him in everything. As we do, He exchanges this world’s hopelessness with the promise of life with God forever. And that should make us smile.
By James Banks
REFLECT & PRAY
In what ways do you need God? How can you declare your dependence on Him ?
Abba Father, please help me to humbly live in Your kindness and also share it with others.
In Mark 10:13-16, Jesus seized the moment to teach a very crucial lesson about how things function in the sphere of heavenly rule and order. “Let the little children come to me,” He said, “and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 14). Christ’s illustration and teaching are consistent with the principle stated in the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Bible teacher Kent Hughes offers these words: “What Jesus has in mind here is an objective state that every child who has ever lived, regardless of race, culture, or background, has experienced—helpless dependence. . . . Children of the kingdom enter it helpless, ones for whom everything must be done.” Those who are impoverished in spirit are those who are needy and know it. When we acknowledge our dependence on God, we come to Him with open hands and heart.
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