TGIF! Thank God I'm Forgiven! PTL and Amen! What are you thankful about? Raise those praises!
Good Morning Focused, Forgiven, Followers of Jesus! He is creator, sustainer, redeemer, re-newer, and with us always! PTL! Are those on your gratitude lists? What other character or property traits of God can you add? Do it and praise the Lord as you abide in His loving presence throughout the day ahead! yes rejoice and keep focused. He does have plans for you . Prepare and follow well!
I had all kinds of things for , BUT God! PTL! He said come and worship and keep lifting those praise as you abide and refocus. So here we are! Let us worship our awesome God always!
He is awesome and worthy of all praise, glory and honor and worthy of all my heart in worship as I follow Him ! Abide! Worship! Follow well! That's enough for ! And everyday! Amen! and PTL!
Good Morning Grateful, Provided for, Agents of Change! God provides where He guides and uses us through that provision to become agents of change for individuals, communities and even the nation. PTL! Right? And it all begins with humble, grateful, surrendered hearts. It carries on as we flow from to seeking to receiving to following and we are blessed all along the way which leads to more gratitude and that leads to more blessings to be used to bless and change situations and even change us. We get to worship, praise, team up and go live and love like Jesus just as we are and created to do. Again joy flows into that and peace as we follow Jesus with grateful hearts. People notice our joy and peace and want that. This world needs much love, joy and peace and we are sent to bring it alive. I just love being a child of God doing what I'm made and gifted to do! How about you?
God is creative. He is in us creating new hearts, new minds, new attitudes, and leading to new opportunities to shine. How might His creativeness flow through you to find creative ways to bless others? (Really meditate on that!) Who needs to see your faith and loving care in action? How might you find a way to bless them? How has God provided as He guided and how do you steward those blessings well? Much to ponder and process with your team and then make plans to be doers too. Go live and love like God creatively as you follow His provision. He does have great plans for you and us! Let's pray for creative ideas for how to step into those and bless others and God!
All this thinking flows for the Harvest Connection blog and Our Daily Bread and Upper Room devos for . Did you catch the thread. has the Holy Spirit pinched you? How might God be wanting to apply this and bring it alive in and through you? Ask Him and process with some friends. Get creative! Steward well! Go love as you are created and gifted to do for such a time as this! Overflow with gratitude as you choose joy and obedience always. Amen!
Connection Blogs:
- Are You an Agent of Change?
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called , so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).
May I suggest a short prayer that you and/or your family can lift up each and every day? "Lord, show us the people You want us to help or encourage . Lead us to those who are hurting or in need and we will trust you for the means to do something about it." I can promise you that your loving Father will answer if you will listen and obey. He will trust you with small things first and then He will stretch you to be obedient in His bigger plans and purposes.
Being the answer to the prayers of others is one way to be used by God. Being the answer to our own prayers is an astonishingly powerful privilege. There may be situations in the lives of people you know, or perhaps He will choose to use your prayer to work in the lives of those you may never meet. Prayer is a great mystery, but God has chosen to use us to be His agents of answered prayer. Knowing this makes prayer such an honor. It encourages us to pray more and to listen better! We should always be ready to stand in the gap when the Lord places a burden or need on our hearts. He may not always use you in certain situations, but because of your prayers, He may have touched the heart of others to respond. A good prayer when those you are praying for are far away is, "Lord, would you put one of Your willing servants into the path of this person who can be a blessing to them?" The family of God is extensive and worldwide. He will use every heart that is willing to listen to His voice.
Lord, show me the people You want me to help or encourage . Lead me to those who are hurting or in need and I will trust you for the means to do something about it. Stretch my obedience and grow my desire to be Your agent of change in this hurting world. Give me joy in being a house of prayer for all the nations of the earth, as well as for each person into whose life You send me!
Praise God as the Father of the fatherless and the defender of the helpless.
Give thanks that, even in large cities, God’s eye is on the small and defenseless and alone (Jon. 4:11).
Confess those times when you have not remembered by prayer or material aid those in your community who have needed your help (Mt. 25:35-40).
Commit yourself to looking at others through the compassionate eyes of your Father.
Ask him to pull you out of your comfort zone and into the needs of others.
Ask God to help you see where other family members feel helpless or alone and to allow you to bear their burdens with them (Gal. 6:2).
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.
My dear friend Sally wanted to give a birthday party for one of her friends. She knew her friend had been experiencing a tough time, and Sally desired to help lift her spirits. However, Sally was unemployed and didn’t have extra money to purchase food for a nice party. So she looked in her refrigerator and cabinets to see what was available. She then created a nice spread consisting of many items she’d previously purchased and had in her home.
When Sally shared with me the creative menu she had come up with, I thought about the story of Elijah and the widow (1 Kings 17:7-16). The widow didn’t have much. In fact, she told the prophet Elijah that she was going to prepare her final scraps of food for herself and her son “and [then] die” of starvation (v. 12). And she only had a small amount of flour and olive oil, just enough for their final meal.
But Elijah ensured the woman that her “jar of flour . . . and the jug of oil [would] not run dry” until God sent rain again (v. 14). By trusting in what God revealed through Elijah—even though she didn’t think she had enough—the woman found that God provided what she needed even though her kitchen was barren.
Just like my friend, the widow found what she needed. Following their examples, let’s live generously and rest in God’s provision for us.
By Katara Patton
REFLECT & PRAY
What’s causing you to resist sharing with others ? How can you give generously even when it seems like you’re lacking resources?
Heavenly Father, please help me to share with others as I trust You to provide what I need.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The story of the Phoenician widow (1 Kings 17:7-24) appears in the middle of a series of contests between God (Yahweh) and the false god Baal. Yahweh closed the clouds and stopped the rain (v. 1)—a direct attack on Baal’s supposed control over agricultural fertility. Yahweh then sends Elijah to Zarephath and performs a series of miracles through the prophet (vv. 7-24). Yahweh, not Baal, provided food for the widow and her family and also showed that He has power over life itself. No matter how desperate the situation, God alone will care for His people.
Jed Ostoich
UR: Grateful Heart
Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:20 (CEB)
For weeks I had been battling feelings of stress, irritation, and anger. I felt frustrated with everyone and everything. While getting ready for work one day, I told God I didn’t know why my attitude was so bad, but I wanted to change it. I asked for God’s help to reveal what I needed to do to reverse course. One word immediately settled into my heart: gratitude.
I spent the remainder of the morning and my commute to work expressing gratitude to God for big and small things. I thanked God for clean water to bathe in; for the scrambled eggs I enjoyed for breakfast; for a car that works; for my sweet dogs who make me laugh; for God’s mercies that are new every day; and for so much more. As I continued to express thankfulness, my sour attitude became sweeter and sweeter.
’s scripture reading reminds us to make music to the Lord in our hearts and to give thanks to God for everything. When we practice gratitude and center our hearts on thankfulness, we not only honor God, but we are more joyful, peaceful, and loving.
's Prayer
Dear God, help us to nurture within ourselves a heart of gratitude and toward you. Amen.
DONUT DAY!!! 10-12. Come enjoy a day of food, fellowship and fun as God uses you to bless neighbors in need! Come and see how God wants to use you and bless you!
Good Morning Doers of the Word! We are all about being who we are created to be and doing what we are created to do as gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit in us--doers of the Living Word! May it come alive in, to and through us Lord as we step out in faith to do what You have revealed. Amen! Are you a doer? Talk to God as you open His Living Word and ask Him to speak to your heart and move your feet as He shows what to do. With obedience comes blessings and those blessings are part of His provision that leads to what's next and more blessings. It's a great cycle of love in action. Blessed to bless and then blessed back because of our obedience! What joy and an easy yoke God has for us! He is with us revealing, helping, encouraging, providing and protecting! AMEN!
we discussed James 2 and the Upper Room uses James 2:26 which triggered this train of thought and had me put other devos I meditated on aside. Check it out below and Our Daily Bread which reminds us and threads through this all to remind us that Jesus is revealed through the whole Bible. He is the Living Word and His Spirit brings His Word and Him alive in and through us. PTL! Part of our job is not only recognizing when Jesus is at work but being a doer by joining Him and doing our part. But we are also called to bring Him alive and His Word to those He is sending and to those we are partnering with as we become doers by working at living and loving like Jesus and by doing our part in His Good News Delivery Company. Spurring each other on to good works God prepared for us is part of why God gifted us as He did as well. Praying, serving, helping, encouraging are all parts of the company and come alive as we become doers and not just hearers, as we trust, step out in faith and obey. What's God got for you ? What will you do about these pinches to try something, encourage someone, and/or go love well? Who are you processing with?
May we be a people of living faith that reveal Jesus and bring God's Word alive as we go do our part to connect to others, connect them to God and make disciples. "To make a disciple, you need to be a disciple" is a quote from a friend of mine who has planted 100's of churches and made countless disciples. Are you a disciple of Jesus? How does He want to grow you and use you to reproduce what He's doing in and through you? That is part of our mission. Remember discipleship can be defined as "the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were me." Have you entered the process?Do it! And enjoy the fun and joy of being who you are created to be and doing what you are created to do. What a joy! Think about how to bring alive our EC vision statement: "To know Christ and Make Him known". That is being and doing as you are created and empowered. Know! Make Known! Live and love like Jesus, disciple and disciple-maker! Pronounce that over you and our Body! And may God's Word not come back void but produce good and lasting fruit in and through you and us! Amen!
UR: Living Faith
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. - James 2:26 (KJV)
I knew my friend was going through a hard time. She was out of work and had three children to feed. I imagined a gift of a few groceries might help to ease her burden. So I headed to the supermarket and picked up a few essentials for her and her family. When I delivered the groceries, her look of surprise was quickly replaced by one of sheer gratitude. As she placed the items in her near-empty cabinets, she said, “You know, I’ll take these over thoughts and prayers any day.” That moment was a wonderful lesson for me.
How many times, after learning of someone’s hardship, do I promise to keep them in my thoughts or include them in my prayers? I know the right things to say, but do I act on them? We must pray for those in need, of course, but people also need tangible help. A bag of groceries, a ride to a doctor’s appointment, an afternoon of babysitting so that a weary parent can rest — these are simple ways we can meet an immediate need.
’s quoted scripture reminds us that “faith without works is dead.” When we put our faith into action, our faith is alive. In what ways can we show our living faith to those in need? Even a small act of kindness can make a big difference.
's Prayer
Generous God, show us how to put our faith into action, and give us the strength and courage to follow through. Amen.
ODB:
Recognizing Jesus
Their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. Luke 24:31
When Carlotta was young, she thought her mother had a remarkable gift for recognizing other people. But it was Carlotta who was remarkable. She had a rare condition called prosopagnosia. She couldn’t recognize or remember faces.
Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples walking from Jerusalem seemed as if they had such a condition when they encountered someone they should have recognized. The two were talking about the exciting news of the past few days (Luke 24:14), but the third person seemed unaware of the events. They gave Him a quick summary, only to be surprised as this unknown person (Jesus) “explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v. 27). Then Christ broke bread with them (v. 30)—something He’d done many times before. At that moment, “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight” (v. 31). They hurried back to Jerusalem to tell others (vv. 33-35).
Those disciples didn’t recognize Jesus when they were with Him, and they hadn’t recognized Him in the Old Testament—something they read often and thought they knew well. They needed Jesus to reveal Himself to them because they couldn’t see on their own.
We need that help too. Let’s ask God to open our eyes to see Jesus on the pages of the Bible and in our lives.
By Matt Lucas
REFLECT & PRAY
When have you failed to recognize God’s presence in your life? Why do you think this happens?
Dear Father, thank You for revealing Jesus to me so that I may follow Him.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Luke 24, we see that despite Jesus’ promise to rise from the dead (9:22; 18:32-33), His disciples weren’t expecting His resurrection. Women went to the tomb with spices to anoint a decaying body (24:1), not to investigate whether Christ had risen. Even after the women shared the angels’ announcement that Jesus had risen, the other disciples didn’t believe them (v. 11). And on the Emmaus road, even when Jesus Himself walked with two disciples, they didn’t recognize Him (vv. 13-16). Only after Christ shares bread are their eyes opened (v. 31). By God’s grace, we can also see our need for Jesus and come to Him.
Monica La Rose
Prayer starters from harvest prayer
Prayer Points
Praise Jesus, who is “declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4).
Thank the Father for having given us his “incomparably great power . . . the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Eph. 1:19-20).
Confess the times when you have not taken into account the mighty power of God in your life.
Commit yourself to meditating daily on the Scriptures and on the power of God (Mt. 22:29).
Ask God to use your weaknesses to “show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7).
Pray for God’s power to be unleashed in the life of the unsaved people you know, that their eyes will be opened to God’s love for them.
Good Morning Weeping in Prayer for this Nation Intercessors! Please continue! I thought God had a Word from us from our devotionals, and He does! Engage with those on your own. I came to the Prayer blog from harvest and heard God say, "Just post that". So hear it is! What's He saying to you? How is He informing your prayers? Continue to pray and intercede for this nation, our neighborhoods, THE Church and our church. Thanks! God hears! Maybe use this with your prayer partner(s) too.
5 Powerful Prayers for the Church to Pray in this Hour
Our nation and the nations of the world have been caught up in the midst of a long season of fear, violence, anger, indecision, confusion and distrust. Divisiveness has split communities, families and even churches. Here are some prayer points and scriptures to help navigate these turbulent waters. May the Scriptures and topics inform your prayers as you press into the Father, the One who has already “overcome the world!” Please feel free to copy and share these with others who will use them!
Pray for the Church to stand against the enemy’s attempts to damage and paralyze the Church:
“But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
“And now you have become living building-stones for God’s use in building his house. What’s more, you are his holy priests; so come to him—you who are acceptable to him because of Jesus Christ—and offer to God those things that please him” (1 Peter 2:5).
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Pray: Almighty God, wake up Your Church to stand firm in this moment! Help us to remember that through Your authority and in Your power, we can take our stand against the Devil’s attempts to do damage. We have Your strength and Your Spirit! Give us great courage to stand together in unity as communities, families and churches. May we be recognized as Your loving children, adorned in Your holiness. May we function as salt and light in order to be Your hands and feet in this hour!
Pray that God’s people will overcome anxiety about world events with peace:
“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” (Joshua 1:9).
“I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
Pray: Father, we ask you to help us overcome our anxiety with Your perfect peace! We ask You to give us strength and courage in this hour! May we always remember that You are with us wherever we go and that You stand beside us in the midst of every circumstance! Strengthen us when our hearts are discouraged and when we see violence, destruction and disasters occurring with regularity. Show us how to be courageous Christ-followers who respond with love and action in the midst of darkness and difficulty.
Pray for the end of fear across the nations of the earth:
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday” (Psalm 91:1-6).
“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
Pray: Most High God, we ask for Your divine hand of protection over Your people! In the Name of Jesus, we ask You to bring healing and courage into lives and hearts for the glory of Your Name. May people across the earth see You move so that there is no doubt about Your power and Your goodness! Draw the lost peoples of the earth to Yourself through our prayers and actions! We may not understand all that is going on around us but we trust Your heart!
Pray for the Church to step into the gap to provide supernatural generosity and help for those who are in need:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12).
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11).
“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10).
Pray: Lord Jesus, there are so many people in need of a touch from You right now. Open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind so that they are able to see You! Help Your people to give peace to the anxious, to give kindness to those who are struggling, to find resources for those who are without, and to give comfort and encouragement to those who are sad or alone! May Your Church shine Your light into the desperate, anxious hearts and lives of those around us so that ALL peoples of the earth will know that You alone are God and give You honor, praise and glory!
Pray for Revival and Spiritual Awakening to be poured out across the earth, so that the Gospel is brought to our homes, communities, and the nations!
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him” (Psalm 22:27).
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Pray: King of kings, You have commissioned Your people to go into all the world, from next door to across the earth. Thank you for the added benefit of technology that is available to help Your people to spread the Gospel at an amazing rate! Father, would You open hearts and minds, would You remove the scales and blinders from eyes, and would You speak to people in dreams and visions in every nation, tribe and tongue on earth? We ask that Your creativity would continue to explode the message of Jesus Christ across the earth so that Your Name will be the name on everyone’s lips. You are able and You have the power to accomplish it through Your people! We trust You for an outpouring of Your Spirit unlike anything we have ever seen in our lifetimes!
Good Morning Activated and Empowered, Able-to-Do-Greater than Jesus Apostle!!! YES LORD! PLEASE!!! We are knocking Lord! Open the door and hear our prayers. Thanks! Bring revival and may it begin in me and Your Church. Thank You! Lord turn the world right-side-up! Send us as Your vessels to do our parts. Thanks! Come Jesus! Fill us! Activate and empower us. Bring our gifts alive. Unite us on mission. May we become a dynamic movement changing the world as we change and grow in You. May love overflow us and draw others to You. Thanks! Teach us to walk with You in Your ways for Your glory! May we bless You, each other and those you are sending us to and to us. Thanks Lord! Your Kingdom come and will be done and Jesus raised up high. Amen!
He has a perfect plan for you and He's calling you by name to come, to pray, to love, and to go love. What's He saying to you about that? Check out the devos below beginning with the Connection one as you continue knocking and praying and inviting Him to come. We are created and chosen for such a time as this! Meditate on ODB. And then look for some teammates as you pray through the I to We devo. God is stirring us to these things and he has equipped, empowered and is sending us! GO! Make disciples and teach them to walk in Jesus' way. Amen!
Connection
- Turning the World Right Side Up
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
Jesus told his disciples that their prayers would be combined with ministry. He promised that they would be able to do what He had been doing and “even greater things” than He had done. Think of what that means! During His days on earth Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, multiplied bread and fish to feed thousands, stilled storms, and raised the dead. He drew large crowds, spoke with unparalleled brilliance, boldly tackled corruption in the temple, and stood up against the most powerful leaders of the day. Would they be able to do all those kinds of things? The answer is yes, they could, and they did. Those first disciples took Jesus’ words to heart. They really prayed! And they really worked! They did the “greater things” that Jesus talked about. They spoke to great crowds. They stood up to the leaders who challenged them. They planted a church that lived by prayer and ministered with power. They prayed for signs and wonders, and Christ responded in power. They saw thousands come to faith. In the years that followed they were accused of turning the world upside down. They really turned it right side up.
Father, it seems as if the “greater things” are always for someone else to do and not me. Please give me the faith that steps out believing in Your ability to work through such a weak vessel! Some days I feel that I have failed miserably to represent Jesus to others. Teach me to be a world changer! Stretch me beyond the comfort of what I think I know to grow into what You know about me…that in You I am able to do “even greater things.”
As Franco Zeffirelli prepared to film his critically acclaimed version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, he made a daring decision. He chose two unknowns to play the lead characters and insisted they be close to the age of the characters as Shakespeare had penned them. Zeffirelli ultimately selected seventeen-year-old Leonard Whiting as Romeo and sixteen-year-old Olivia Hussey as Juliet.
Some might think that Jesus took a similar risk with the selection of His disciples, who later took His message of forgiveness to the world. That’s when the religious leaders arrested and questioned some of them. Then Acts 4:13 says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished.”
Any assumed risk was more than overwhelmed by the real story behind these simple fishermen: “They took note that these men had been with Jesus” (4:13). The seemingly unqualified disciples had not only been with Christ, but they also had His promise to be with them always (Matthew 28:20). We share that promise as well (Hebrews 13:5) and can be assured that, in His presence and with His grace, no task set before us will be too great for Him.
By Bill Crowder
REFLECT & PRAY
When you have felt overwhelmed, how have you typically responded to the pressure? How might you invite Jesus to help you during those challenging times?
Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the times I try to forge ahead in my own strength and wisdom. I want to rely on You in all of life’s moments.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Acts 4 describes the Sadducees being “greatly disturbed” by the apostles’ teaching because they were “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (v. 2). The Sadducees were one of two prominent groups of Jewish religious leaders mentioned in Scripture; the other was the Pharisees. A primary division in belief between them was the doctrine of physical resurrection. The Sadducees denied the existence of both an afterlife and a future bodily resurrection, while the Pharisees believed in both. While confronting the Sadducees, Peter was empowered by the Spirit to boldly proclaim Christ’s resurrection (vv. 8, 10). As believers indwelt by the Spirit, we can also experience Jesus’ presence and grace.
Come and worship! What a great day to worship our King! (everyday is a great dat to worship!) We get to gather and worship, learn and fellowship, pray and serve ! Yes, come and worship and praise the Lord! See you at 10 in person or on Zoom!
Good Morning Very Blessed, Saved By Grace, Co-Laborers! Amen! Praise God for those things too and prepare your hearts to worship, receive, pray and go love like Jesus. we look at James 2. What's God saying to you as you worship?
Check our the Upper Room's discussing on a season of change. Yes we were all one way changing into another. God knows that and made and equipped us for such a time as this. We all have purposes along the journey to Christlikeness and we all need help to get there! What gifts has God given you to help others? Whose gifts might compliment yours in this journey? Check out the I to We devo too speaking about our teammates and purposes we are transitioning to. God has a plan for and everyday of your life and He is moving you towards great fruit and joy as we work to become more like Jesus, doing what we can with what we've been given. May we be the best stewards of His grace and love through all the transitions of life! Amen! And doing so is an act of worship that leads to more worship! Amen!
See you soon!
UR" A Season of Change
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NRSVUE)
When I began my teaching career many years ago, I was responsible for decorating the bulletin board in the front entrance of the school. The board needed to be appealing, inspiring, and creative. It would also require a lot of time and preparation. Many times, I was unable to complete the board in one day, so I put up a sign that said, “Pardon me! I’m changing; I’m a work in progress!”
Since my retirement, I have experienced many challenges and changes in my life. I can’t do the things I used to do; at times I feel inadequate. I wonder
whether I am still able to do God’s work. Can God still use me? In this season of my life, despite my fears, I know I still need God’s pardon and grace. Yes, I am still a work in progress.
Then I think about the scripture that reads, “[God] who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). What a comfort it is to know that God still heals, still restores, still gives us whatever we need to change from our way to God’s way!
's Prayer
O Lord, help us understand that change is a necessary part of life. Help us to use change in a positive way for our good and the good of others. Amen.
Good Morning Team! Rah Rah sis boom bah! Go Team! Amen! Let's start with the Upper Room and A Prayer for Help...HELP!!! What help are you longing for? What desperate situation has you scratching your head or wondering if God really has a plan or hears your prayers? What thing are you bringing on yourself from foolish choices? Man, What a can of worms those questions open!!! HELP!!!! BUT GOD! He is there! He knows and cares! He will help you in your time of trouble! Do you trust Him? Have you invited Him in to your trouble? Have you repented of any sin that may be hindering His help? Try those and watch for Him to come alongside of you and walk with you, maybe even carry you, through this dark valley to the other side. What stories do you have to share of His faithfulness to do so in the past? Who needs to hear them? Who might be able to help you and pray with you and hold you accountable? Who might God be stirring you to spur on, pray with or allow Him to use you to redirect, comfort and walk with? Do it!!! God is there always and always trustworthy! Amen and PTL!
Then check out the I to We devo. This one broke my heart as I realized God was addressing me and some of my choices through it. Am I trying to do everything? I thought I repented of that? Have I? Am I inviting others to step into their anointed giftedness? What do I do when no one wants to? How do I spur on and encourage and invite to try? Do I even consider that before acting? Lord help me to take every thought, word and action captive before You and only say and do what You have for me? Help me to invite help and gifts into my leadership. Help me to repent of the mentality that I can do it all and invite others in more quickly. Thank You for all the gifts, talents and abilities you have given me. Help me steward them well and invite in, teach and spur others onto do what You created and gifted them to do. COME! HELP! Keep me from overload, busyness, and striving in my own strength. Thanks! Unite us as a team and move others to step into their anointing! Thanks. May we be Your team and Good News delivery Company doing what You created each of us to do! Amen!
Then check out the Word for You . I think this speaks into many if us--feeling useless, unable, unqualified, not worthy and longing to do what we are created for but not finding our niche or not being asked to help. Ask to help! What is God spurring you to try? Do it! Who might you ask to help you? Pray into this! We all have a part and we do really need each other to do their parts? Who are we missing that has a role from God? What gifts do we need to compliment ours? Ask someone to join you! Team up to produce more fruit. Stop having a pity party and offer help and see what God will do! he has great plans made for you. What might some of those be? Are you willing to be bold and courageous and step out in faith? Try it! And then invite someone else to join you or look for someone to come beside. That is how the best fruit buds!
I'm trying to only do what I can with what I've been given for and each day and such a time as this. I get frustrated when others won't step into their parts and then try to do their part. I get weary and worn out doing more than God has for me. He has given me and the vision team some great ideas that are awaiting His provision which includes some of you! What's your part? What's God stirring you to try? Do it! Who needs to hear the ideas He has stirred in you to begin praying and planning and walking with you? Share them! And the receive and know God's peace as you do what you can with what you've been given and equipped to do. Amen! Seek to fulfill your purposes in Christ! Then you will know true joy and peace and produce the fruit you are created to produce. Amen! Come Jesus Come! Revive me and us! Stir us to Your best. Thanks! Unite us as Your Team on mission! Thanks! Bring the fruit alive! Amen!
Now off to another over-committed day in a stretch of several over-committed weeks. Help me Lord to repent and carry me through all the appointments and busyness. Thanks! Amen!
UR: A Prayer for Help
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. - Psalm 20:1-2 (NIV)
It is a quiet, peaceful winter morning. The sky is still dark, and my children are asleep. Before the day dawns, I take a moment to thank God for a new day and ask God to help me through it.
My prayer for help reminds me of the prayers in Psalm 20. When King David was about to head to battle with his troops, the people of Israel prayed for his protection. David’s victory meant life and freedom for his people, so they sang: “May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.”
David experienced God’s protection as he fought and defeated Goliath. So David responded by saying, “Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.”
As the day dawns and the cares of the day await us, we can trust in the name of the Lord. The Lord will answer us when we are in distress — protecting us, sending help, and granting support.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to rely on you and trust you even when we have lost hope. Help us to see that you are our ever-present help in trouble. Amen.
I to We
TWFYT
Connection
- Becoming a Better Listener
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:15-17).
It happens to all of us! We see a homeless person, come upon the scene of an accident…or hear of a family in financial need. Immediately we may think to pray in each of these situations, "Lord, please help that person. Send someone to meet that need!" What if God wants to use you and your family to be the answer to your prayer? Are you prepared to back up your prayers with action if the Lord directs? I believe that our Father wants us to learn how to be the hands and feet of His Son to hurting or lost people.
Since Jesus lives in us we should consider as we pray what He would do to meet this need or help this person if He were physically present – because He is! He is physically present in the midst of every situation because He is incarnate – in us! Could this thought and realization change the way you respond to the prayers that you pray? Instead of thinking that you have done the right thing by praying and then moving along to the next activity of your day…do you need to take your prayer to the next level by listening to what the voice of the Spirit speaks to your heart? How many opportunities have we missed because we have not acted in response to the impulse of the Spirit urging us to make Jesus known in the midst of lives or situations?
I believe that many prayers we pray can be answered quickly and with amazing results if we become better listeners to the voice of the Holy Spirit. If we could learn to change our mindset as we pray, I believe we would be used of God in mighty ways to be His agents of transformation. Can you imagine how fulfilling and exciting your lives would be if your family would continually wait upon the Lord to see how He may want to use you to be the answer to prayers that you pray?
Holy Spirit, my spiritual ears are often plugged up as You seek to guide my heart towards Your purposes! How often I miss Your promptings to be the answer to the prayers I pray! Please teach me to be Jesus to the people I pray for so that I might partner with the Father in meeting the needs of those who are seeking a touch from His hand.
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
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.
Get your worship on and PTL! Thank God I'm Forgiven is a day we focus on all we are thankful for in Christ and for our salvation! Rejoice! Count your many blessings--one by one!
Good Morning Thankfully Praising Redeemed of the Lord! Amen! What joy we know and gratitude drives our actions! Yes, PTL!
Eph. 2:10 comes up in our devotional time again . memorize, internalize and step into it because it is who you are and reveals the first steps God's plans for you: "You are God's masterpiece, made new in Christ to do the things He created you to do and planned for you from long ago." And when we come to Christ we are gifted, activated and empowered to go do those things according to our uniqueness in Christ. Thanks Lord! That is Jesus' easy yoke for us weary of striving and tired of falling short. We are Hi. He calls us by name. He knows us and still loves us and He has great plans for you and us as His gathered and sent Body. PTL!
Check out the devos below that thread this thinking all together for and worship, load up, partner up and go live and love like Jesus! It's gonna be a beautiful day to get out and enjoy this life in Christ. Share your joy and gratitude with some that Jesus is leading you to. Go! he is with you and you are made for such a time as this! Amen! Only you can do for Christ what you are created and gifted to do! rejoice and follow well! I'm praying for you and to know the peace of being you in Christ and doing what He has for you!
Sarah Young
Upper Room: Uniquely Made
God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27 (NRSVUE)
On a recent walk, I spotted an oak leaf lying among maple leaves. The fallen beige leaf stood out on the golden carpet of maple leaves. Its rounded lobes contrasted with the sharp points of the other leaves surrounding it. Still, together, the leaves were beautiful.
How often do we notice someone who is different? Skin color, style of clothing, hairstyle, age, and other features may set them apart from the crowd. Maybe we are the unique people where we work, live, or go to school. Sometimes people stand out, and that’s just fine.
God creates each person with unique gifts and abilities. Even though we are different from one another, we all bear the image of God. Together with one another and the Divine, we collaborate to establish justice, make peace, and promote love.
Some people may desire that everyone conform to the same appearance, style, or belief, but God creates variety. The diversity of the natural world and humanity bring wonder and joy in their myriad expressions of God’s creativity. Let us embrace God’s work of love and our calling to celebrate that labor.
's Prayer
God who delights in diversity, thank you for creating each of us. Help us to appreciate the variety you have made and to treat every person with kindness. In Christ’s name. Amen.
The Word for You
I to We
Connection blog
- The Prayer of Jesus’ Life
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you. . . . I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was” (John 17:1, 4-5).
Here it is plain that the phrase “yours is the glory” was in fact the prayer of Jesus’ life. The thrust of the text is that through His joyful obedience to God throughout His earthly life, God’s reputation, renown, and power were revealed in and through Him.
Here, to glorify God is to accomplish the things that God wants done. Jesus did that—and so can we.
To glorify God is to know Him intimately. It is to receive “marching orders” from God, and it is to carry them out. It is to look back on our day, our week, our month, or our life and say, “I did what you asked me to do. It is accomplished.”
Then it is to take a further step. Jesus could do this like no other. He requested a return to the glory that He had as the preexistent Word of God. In His case, it was a magnificent return to a wondrous reality—to be not only in heaven with God, but to be the center of heaven and to be God. In our case, we ask for the heaven we have never known before.
Our reward will be different in character, though it will be magnificent beyond all human existence. Jesus Christ the Lord is the center and we never can be. But we can be joined to the center and shine with His borrowed radiance forever. We shall share His glory and find ourselves seated in Him and with Him forever.
Lord Jesus, You truly are the center of life, as well as the very center of heaven! You are my God, the King of Glory! Teach me the ways of heaven through Your kingdom on this earth so that I might continue to glorify You every moment until I walk with You in the heavenly kingdom! Transform my heart, and please give me that joyful obedience that reveals You to others!
--Adapted from Power Praying by David Chotka.
Prayer Points
Read Ps. 73:23-26 and give praise to the one who holds you every day by your right hand.
Thank God for guiding you by his wise counsel.
Confess any time you have desired some earthly trinket more than the riches of your heavenly Father.
Commit yourself to staying close to God .
Ask God to be “the strength of [your] heart and [your] portion forever.”
Pray for any unsaved friends or relatives by name.
Ask that they will embrace the peace that comes with having God hold them by the hand.
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.
What an awesome night of feasting and fellowship last evening! Thanks for all who came and hung out! Maybe a third of those there are not members. Cool! Our . gathering is Rita's Night . at 6. Mark your calendars and bring some friends! Evenings then resume Sept 17th. It's cool to just chill with friends and God!
Good Morning Good Morning Trusting in the Lord Team! Pronounce that because things said out loud do have power as a prayer. I always try to use a salutation that flows from our devotionals and into our prayers and pronouncements. We trust in the Lord as we repent of leaning on our own understanding. We are gathered, teamed up and gifted and empowered to go live and love like Jesus and as we join with Him and each other we find this joy and peace as He uses us as we go. It's always about trusting and growing and going in Christ and we are made to do so as a team. Who are your partners? What has God revealed for you as you pray ? What thinking do you need to let go to put on the mind of Christ? Talk to God and your team about that and pronounce and pray for revival as we abide, receive and team up to go live and love like Him! He has great plans for you and us and maybe even a new believer ! Rejoice! Trust! Team up! Go live and love like Jesus! Amen! Pronounce it! Believe it! Receive it! Unite and go! Amen! God really loves you, is with you, is calling you by name to come to Him and walk in His peace . Accept the invitation and let me know what happens! Shalom!
I to WE
UR:A Change of Perspective
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
I was working on a puzzle with my three-year-old granddaughter. It was from a set of puzzles of different shapes and sizes. This one had only eight pieces. Four of the pieces went together easily, but we couldn’t make the others fit. I finally said, “Summer, we must be missing a piece, or these pieces are from a different puzzle.” And I gave up. But after a minute, Summer said, “Grandma, I got these two pieces to fit.” And she had! It turns out that we had been looking at the puzzle from the wrong perspective; changing our perspective enabled us to finish the puzzle easily.
In ’s scripture reading from Isaiah, the Lord says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (v. 9). And Proverbs encourages us to “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart and lean not on [our] own understanding.” My three-year-old granddaughter reminded me of this spiritual lesson. Sometimes I need to change the way I’m looking at a situation. I need to ask for God’s perspective. God is the only one who sees and knows how all the pieces fit together.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your wisdom. Help us to see as you see and to trust your vision. Amen.
Tim’s hotel room seemed extra dark at night. What if he got up at night and slipped and fell because he couldn’t see? But when Tim did get up, he was surprised to see a bright light shining from underneath the bed—lighting his path. A motion sensor had activated it. The light only worked, however, if he got up and started to walk.
The Bible says we’re to walk with intent in God’s light. As Paul told the new believers in Jesus at Ephesus, “Follow God’s example . . . and walk in the way of love” (Ephesians 5:1-2). But what does it look like to walk that way?
As we step into Christ’s loving light, we turn from our sins—that might include immorality, impurity, idolatry, and coveting. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,” Paul said, “but rather expose them” (v. 11). Pagan worship thrived in Ephesus, but the apostle’s words steered the new believers aright. “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (v. 8 esv). He added, “The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” So, “find out what pleases the Lord” (vv. 9-10).
The benefit? The light of Jesus “will shine on you” (v. 14), lighting your path. “Look carefully then how you walk,” Paul concluded (v. 15 esv). Walking confidently in Christ’s light, we’ll bless others as we point them to Him—the source of true light.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
How do you actively walk in Christ’s light? How has He shined His light on your ways?
Dear Jesus, this world is dark. Please shine Your light in me.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians follows a pattern similar to some of his other letters, such as Romans and Colossians. Ephesians opens with a section of teaching or doctrine (chs. 1-3) followed by practical application of that teaching (chs. 4-6). This means, in a sense, that what we believe should directly impact how we behave. Ephesians 5:8-15 lands in the middle of that application section, concluding with verse 15: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” The apostle then goes on to deal with marriage relationships, parent-child relationships, and the relationships between masters and slaves. Believers in Jesus in Ephesus lived in a pagan culture, so this wise counsel would have equipped them to live distinctive lives that would’ve looked very different from the surrounding culture and thus point others to Christ. As He provides what we need, we can also confidently walk in His light .
Pizza and Ice Cream Party at 6 in Fellowship Hall. All welcome! Bring a friend!
Good Morning Loving because Loved, Reaching because Reached Disciple Makers! Now pronounce that over you and us and step into it and your part in His Good News Delivery Company! Pray into this and release God's power over you, us, your team to go love, reach and invite to learn about Jesus and His ways. Pray for revival. It is at hand!
I did a funeral after church for a guy I am pretty sure did not make it to heaven. Only God knows for sure. But it was weighing on me early that I didn't do more to introduce him to Jesus. I shared the gospel with those partying in his memory but also may have given false hope that he is in heaven. Forgive me Lord. Thanks! But this story is one that happens all too often for most of us. We just don't feel comfortable interceding and stepping into a friends life to speak truth in love and share our hope and Good News. Who of your friends or family are you thinking of right now that you are pretty sure is going to Hell? Many come to my mind. And many of them will never come to Christ, but some might? Who are you praying for and watching for God to be at work with and joining Him. Who is He preparing you for or for you? What will you do about that. I don't want to get to heaven and hear, "You missed your chance with so and so." We are called by name to come to Jesus, join Him and walk with Him which includes leading some to Him or teaching them His ways as we make disciples. We, as God's gathered people, His Church, are being sent as well. Who are your teammates? at Bread Ministry we experience a team of servants doing what they can with what they've been given to represent Jesus and love on those we get to serve. Some are being drawn and we are focusing on those. Some are observing and wondering and we are patiently loving them. And some will never come but we still lovingly serve them and represent Jesus as best we can.
God has given us an open door in this country right now where we have freedom to share Jesus, His ways and the Truth of God's Word. Let us pray into that, prepare and seize the moment--doing what we can with what we've been given for such a time as this! How does God want you and us to go live, love, represent Jesus and make disciples like Him? Ask Him and partner up to fulfill your purposes! I'm praying for you and seeking God for what He has for you and us. I am also praying that we would have His eyes to see, heart to love and feet willing to follow and go. Join me! Jesus said, Come. Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." It's time to go fishing!
Check out these devotionals reminding us of loving our neighbors and that we only have so long to grow like Christ and fulfill our purposes before we are called home. Our Daily Bread asks us to read James 1:19-27 that we studied and then uses James 2:8 that we will study this week. It speaks of the Royal Law: Love your neighbor as yourself." That reminds me of the Golden Rule where we are called to treat others as we want to be treated. I'm thankful for those neighbors who loved me to Christ! And that leads me to want to do the same for others. Who is on your mind right now? Do something about it! Talk to me if you have any questions. You are being covered, prepared, protected, provided for and called by name for such a time as this! Go! Love well! Be a doer of the Word!
ODB
Loving Our Neighbors
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8
After a late summer thunderstorm ripped through our city, we had to deal with tree damage to our house, plus a major cleanup of our leaf-and-branch-strewn yard. As I spent the following day dealing with the damage and the tree debris, I tried to humor myself by repeating, “We don’t have any trees!” It’s true. Other than three tiny, three-foot-tall pines, we don’t have them. Yet I spend considerable time cleaning up after storms or falling leaves due to neighbors’ trees.
Neighbors. How do we interact with them—even when something they’ve done or grown or said bothers us? Scripture is clear on this: it states “love your neighbor as yourself” nine times—including Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Mark 12:31, Galatians 5:14, and James 2:8. In fact, this is the second greatest commandment God has given us. The first is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . soul . . . strength and . . . mind” (Luke 10:27). One of the keys to showing love to neighbors is how we interact with them. James explained this by saying, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (1:19).
This isn’t always easy. It goes against our nature. Yet loving our neighbor is to be our first response. As God helps us, let’s shine Jesus’ light of love on those who share life with us—our neighbors.
By Dave Branon
REFLECT & PRAY
What’s bothering you about a neighbor? How can you handle this issue in love?
Dear Father, thank You for my neighbors—whether next door or the people I interact with daily. Please help me to love them with Christlike love.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
James says to “love your neighbor as yourself” (2:8), and we do that in part by our actions (1:19-20). Luke 10 also contains a reference to this commandment, but it goes one step further by answering the question “Who is my neighbor?” (v. 29) and illustrating what that entails. In an interaction with “an expert in the law” (v. 25), Jesus answers the man’s query by telling the parable of the good Samaritan (vv. 30-37). This parable reveals that God wants us to love our neighbor regardless of nationality, political party, or other distinction. Our neighbor also includes anyone who’s in distress. Just as Jesus had compassion on us, we’re to have compassion on others. When we love our neighbor, we “are doing right” (James 2:8). As Paul stated, “[Love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered . . . . Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:5-6).
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