Good Morning Friends! We are friends of God and each other. God loves us and we love God and others. God is One and we are one in God. Amen! We are created in his image and yet unique creations for unique purposes. We need each other to achieve God's best. We are made for relationships with Him, each other and others. love comes alive through relationships. PTL for love, unity, relationships and His ever-present help that often comes through our friends. He is working all things together for good and he does have great plans for you and for us, His gathered and sent Body. PTL!
I have to fly, but want to leave you with our devotionals and blogs for . God is calling you by name to come and sit with Him and chat. Talk to Him about the thread through these devos and how they apply to you. Ask Him for His Kingdom to come and will to be done in, through and around you. Talk to Him about what He may have for you or for you to work on this year and about some teammates for the journey. He is speaking to you and speaking His love over you. be still and know then prepare and go live and love like Jesus . I'm praying for you! Shalom shalom!
TWFYT:
ODB:
Focus on God
My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. Haggai 2:5
At least he passed, Jess thought, holding the test paper. He’d been helping his son with math, but with house chores and extra work from his boss lately, studying together had been tough. Discouraged, Jess thought of his wife, who’d passed away: Lisa, you’d know what to do. I’m not as good a keeper of the home as you were.
On a bigger scale, such discouragement may well have been what Zerubbabel felt. The governor of Judah had been called by God to lead the Israelites in rebuilding the temple after captivity in Babylon. When they’d laid the foundation, “many . . . who had seen the former temple, wept aloud” (Ezra 3:12). The memory of Solomon’s glorious temple lingered again now, as construction of a smaller structure resumed. Ours isn’t as good, everyone, including Zerubbabel, must’ve thought.
“But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” God said, as He did to all involved: “I am with you . . . my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (Haggai 2:4-5). Zerubbabel could take heart in God’s guiding presence, bound by His covenant with them (v. 5). Also, “The glory of this present house will be greater,” God said (v. 9), pointing to when Jesus Himself would visit the temple (John 2:13-25).
We may feel discouraged in a task God calls us to do, comparing our results with those of another season. Let’s focus on His plan for this season, because the work and its purpose are His, not our own.
By Karen Huang
REFLECT & PRAY
What task has God given you? How can You focus on Him while carrying it out?
Dear God, please help me as I embrace the task You’ve called me to do.
Centuries before Joshua the son of Jehozadak heard the command to “be strong” (Haggai 2:4), Joshua the son of Nun heard similar words when tasked with taking God’s people into the promised land (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18). Though Moses was dead (vv. 1-2), God was alive and present. He declared, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (v. 9). People change and assignments change. But God’s plan and purpose for us doesn’t. When we’re discouraged, focusing on this truth can strengthen and embolden us for the tasks at hand.
Arthur Jackson
UR: It Takes Time
Jesus told his apostles, “Wait for the gift my Father promised.” - Acts 1:4 (NIV)
When my brother Einar and I were young, our mother sometimes needed to distract us when we were a little too noisy. If she needed to concentrate, she gave us each an egg in two bowls, gave us forks and a dash of sugar, and told us to whip eggnog — we both loved eggnog!
Have you ever tried to whip eggnog with a fork? Let me tell you, it takes time! A lot of time! I remember that we would sit on the kitchen floor and start whipping. Finally, when we had our eggnog, we ate it with great satisfaction. “Sometimes it takes time to get something good,” Mom said to us. She knew how to motivate us to stick with a time-consuming task.
In our spiritual life it is also a good thing to have patience and wait for the Lord’s timing. Jesus told his disciples that they should “wait for the gift my Father promised” — the Holy Spirit. My thoughts go also to Ecclesiastes 11:1 — “Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back” (NRSVUE). When we persevere with patience and faithfulness, we will see God’s provision at work in our lives.
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's Prayer
Loving Savior, open our hearts and help us patiently await your blessings. Amen.
Connection Blogs:
- Scriptural Prayer for Revival
Loving Father, revival is about Your presence being real in my life and in the church. Oh, Lord, let me know Your presence. Manifest Your presence in my life and in my church. Lord, send revival. Teach me to be sensitive to Your voice. When You tell me to depart, to get away from the ungodly influences of my world, enable me to obey quickly as Moses did (Exodus 33:1).
Father, drive out the enemies of Your people, expose them for what and who they are. In my community, expose those who oppose and resist You. In the political arena, local governments, schools, and churches, expose those who oppose You and drive them out (v. 2).
Show me how I am stiff-necked and stubborn. Enable me to yield those areas to You (v. 3). Show me that special place of meeting with You where I can run, that place where I can get away from the distractions of life and be alone to meet You. Oh, Lord, let others see my devotion to You, not to brag or puff myself up, but for Your glory (vv. 7–8).
Father, put a separation between me and the outside world, as You did with Moses. Put Your pillar between me and the distractions of life, so I can commune uninterrupted with You (v. 9). Speak to me as You did to Moses. Let Your Word, Your truth, be ever consuming my mind.
Father, I long to be Your friend (v. 11). I long to know You. Let me find grace in Your sight (v. 13). I long for Your presence. Teach me to seek Your presence, and show me any substitutes I have made for You (v. 15). Father, just as You knew Moses’ name, thank You for knowing my name. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayers (v. 17).
Give me spiritual eyes, Father, to behold Your glory, just as You did Moses. Show me anything that hinders my walk with You and separate me unto You (v. 18). Teach me separation. Show me my place by You. Enable me to be still and wait on You. Let me know Your presence. Cover me with Your hand (v. 21). Place me on the rock that does not move. You are my Rock. In life, I may shake and quiver, but my Rock never does. Father, You are honey in the rock. Thank You (v. 22).
Father, forgive me of my sin. Burden me to intercede for the church and give me joy in prayer and a desire to pray. Move in me and through me for Your glory. Let others see Your work in my life and in the church. Send revival to Your people. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thank Jesus that he himself is our peace, breaking down the barriers and the dividing walls of hostility (Eph. 2:14).
Confess any areas where you are not at peace with another believer or group of Christians.
Commit yourself to making every effort to live in peace with all people (Heb. 12:14).
Ask God to help you bear with others and forgive whatever grievance you have against them, forgiving them as the Lord forgave you (Col. 3:13).
Pray that the church may “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3), realizing that as members of one body we are called to peace.
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.
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