Good Morning Seeking, Listening, Praying Friends of God! Keep knocking. Keep listening and discerning. Keep working on your relationship with God and each other. Pray about a close group of friends that you can partner with to seek, pray, discern, pray some more, listen some more and process with. God is speaking. Are you hearing Him clearly? Are you discerning well or do you need to have some others help you to process. We all need each other in this journey towards Christlikeness. God has some partners just for you and He will speak, lead and guide you as individuals and together better as you continue to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness. Turn off the noise. Refocus. Be still and know, process and go in the strength and blessings of the Lord to live and love like Jesus. Amen! Check out the Upper Room about discussing and discerning and planning around the table. We do this with Family Ministries and our Adult huddles. May God grow this kind of praying and processing. Amen!

God awoke me at 3 am. I tried to resist but by 3:30 realized I needed to get up and spend some extra time in prayer and study. It is now 4 hours later and I think I have discerned how He wants to piece this blog together. (I don't think I could share all I am hearing and processing--it's just too much and would overwhelm you.) BUT He did really grab my heart today and the way He is putting our devotionals together verify and bring clarity to what He wants me to share with you. The rest will be for my continued prayerful consideration. So let me start with the first things He highlighted to me from a study that we don't all have and that is the constant call to die to self, take up cross and follow Jesus. Read and meditate on Mark 8:31-36. What does it mean to follow Jesus to you? How do we do that well? What does He expect? Well it starts with dying to self and crucifying some things. Today for me that meant arising early and spending extra time in prayer and meditation. It meant crucifying my desire to sleep in and my plans to be out the door early this morning being about my agenda. But let me tell you how worth it it is. I am still abiding in this extra close presence of the Lord right now and hearing His voice as I type this. (It's now 5 hours since I got up--God will redeem!) And I expect He will go before me with favor today, redeem this extra time, bring His plans alive and use me well. Do you really want to be a follower of Jesus? What does He say to do? Read it below and talk to Him about that. Process it with some friends too. Jesus asks in V. 37, "Is anything worth more than your soul?" Really think about that. What have you placed above your soul and your relationship with Jesus? In what things are you leaning on your own understanding? Where are you giving God advise, or correcting, like Peter? What does it mean to you that Jesus said if you want to follow Him you need to deny self, die to self, give up your own way? I am praying that I and all of you want to and really work at becoming a true follower of Jesus. My word for this year keeps coming to my mind: earnestness. Help me Lord! Help us to earnestly pursue you, die to self, crucify the things that hinder your working and ways, put on Your yoke and follow Jesus well. Lead us and move us to some accountability, processing partners too. Thanks! Amen! Come! Have all of me!

The rest of our devos thread through what God has been revealing to me this morning. What's He saying to you as you engage with them? Charles Stanley besieges us to choose His Spirit. He talks about crucifying self will and ways and control. You really are not God despite what the world keeps telling you. Choose to walk by His Spirit today. The Word for You Today reminds us to take every thought and action captive before God. I pray this over myself all the time and am chipping away at progressing towards doing that quicker and more often. It's a journey worth the effort as we allow God to change us and our ways and free us to be fully His. Then we wrap up with Our Daily Bread's reminder that people are watching us? Are they seeing Jesus in a good way and being drawn? They ask two important questions at the end that we need to answer. Ask these two questions first: Who is this man Jesus? How has He affected my life? Then process the other questions with some friends: "How does your life reflect God's ways to others? What do you need to change to represent Him better?" Selah (That means take a dramatic pause and allow the previous to penetrate)

That is what God has been talking to me about all morning. I have a lot of work to do yet! Thank God I'm forgiven and being helped to achieve His best for me. Thank God for some close accountability partners. Thank God for grace, which is sufficient and new mercies everyday! We are called to be the aroma of God. To some that's a stench. Don't focus on them. But some will be drawn by that sweet aroma of Jesus living and loving through us. Those are the ones God is preparing for you and you for them. Focus there as you focus on God. Follow earnestly and well, just as you are. He has great plans opening up for you today. Rejoice! I am very interested to hear what God is saying to you and Sarah and I are available to help you get started process. The best is to find some close friends to do that with. I have and continue to thank God for all of you and pray for His Kingdom to come and will to be done in, through and around each of you and us together! Yes Come! Thanks Lord! Your will. Your way. Amen

UR: Chocolate Chip Brownies

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

Often when I was young, my mom would make her famous chocolate chip brownies, and sometimes we would sit together after school to chat as we ate them.

During high school,

a friend of mine became pregnant at 16. Some of my friends’ mothers were shocked, and I can still recall their words of disapproval. But over a pan of chocolate chip brownies my mom and I talked about ways to help. Mom suggested that we host a baby shower for this expectant mother and invited some friends to our home to plan it. The shower was lovely, and my friend and her mom were teary-eyed and appreciative. I learned, through my mom and her brownies, the importance of adapting to life situations through prayer and not letting discouragement get in the way of finding joy.

As a parent, I have continued the tradition of making chocolate chip brownies, and I enjoy the conversations that crop up at our house as the brownies are served. Reliving memories of discussions from my childhood are treasures that I am blessed to share with those who now gather at our family table.

Today's Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to show your love to others. We pledge to love them for the sake of the Christ we follow. Amen.Mark 8:31-38...Father, open this Word to us. Holy Spirit come and speak. Amen! What's God saying to you? Maybe write it down, pray about it, and discuss with some friends?

31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.

33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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ODB:

Good Morning Surrendered, Empowered, Following Friends of Jesus! Amen! May that be me and us Lord! May we surrender, earnestly seek and follow You. Empower us in our weakness to be all in and about Your business Your way. Thank You for hearing our prayers, being with us, molding us and going before us with favor. When we are weak, You are strong and Your grace is sufficient. You are all we need! Come! Fill us and lead us to our purposes today. Mold us, Potter. Send us! Use us for Your glory! Your Kingdom come and will be done. Send me! May we see and follow well, unite in small groups that connect to neighbors and do what we can with what You have provided and to sow lavishly. Thank You! Help us to be in the world but not of it. Forgive us for our Pharisaical, judgmental ways. Purify us that we would be ready when You lead. Give us prepared hearts and willing hands and feet. Thank You. May we become your dynamic movement and the people and gathered group You have made us to be. Yes Come! Be glorified as we learn to live and love like Jesus more in '24. Amen.

I keep seeing all these pharisaical posts about the last supper spoof at the Olympics. First of all I don't have cable or pay much attention to anything on TV. They have their liberal agendas front and center and are very worldly. Why fill your mind with that crap? They do what worldly people do. Should we be appalled or expect anything different? NO! Should we be on the look out for every sin and attack on God like the Pharisees and want to force people to our standards? NO! Jesus said to love--even those who persecute you and to expect hateful attacks. He also reminded His disciples to expect it because they hated and attacked Him and they would continue to laugh at, mock and even persecute His followers. We are called to be different. We are no longer citizens of this worldly kingdom led by Satan. We are missionaries here. Would you travel to a jungle tribe that never heard of Jesus that did ungodly things and point fingers and demand to conform to your ways? No! You'd go, try to connect and help them to come to know God and then help them to embrace God's ways and then to change. Hate for Jesus, His ways and His followers is to be expected. We are to be different. We are to love always and be more like Jesus. He promises to help us. Keep your focus on Him and chose to walk in His ways who loved us while we were enemies. He prayed this for us in John 17: 13-19. What's He saying to you?

13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

Stop the finger pointing! We were once sinners too. But by the grace of God we have been saved. Who do you see Him at work on and how might He want you to go love them and be His hands and feet? Who are you praying for earnestly for God to transform and bless. Stop complaining and go change the world by His love! Yesterday after teaching us about Ephesians 3, Sarah reminded us that God and His ways are a mystery and beyond comprehension. We often think we have it all figured out and surely our ways and preferences have to be His instead of allowing His heart and mind to transform and lead us. He knows those who will come and is at work in uniting them into His Body. It's our time to focus on those people. It's our time and mission to go love and make disciples like Jesus who actually ate and partied with tax collectors and sinners. Sarah asked, "How do you view yourself in the Kingdom?" She reminded us that Paul called himself the vilest of sinners...BUT GOD! God transforms us, our hearts and choices as we die to self and allow Him control. Don't be a noise maker and clanging gong and finger pointer. Instead remember God's grace and love that continues to hang out with sinners like us and mold us to His image. Then go love like Jesus. Turn off the noise. be still, listen and follow His whispers. Allow Him to use you to transform the world around you one soul at a time that He has prepared for you. Thank Him and ask for His help. Keep earnestly praying and following and processing with friends of Jesus. One day, one step of faith at a time with Jesus. That's all God asks and is Jesus' easy yoke for you. Now what will you do about that today? What is the next step the Holy Spirit is stirring you to take? Follow Him and just be and bring love. Sink your roots deep into Love and draw His grace deep into your soul. May we be known as the people who love like Jesus, not the finger pointing Pharisees people of the world think we are and keep trying to trigger. Die to self. Just love! Know peace. Let God work. Follow Jesus! Amen! And know joy! And remember, we cannot do this well on our own. We need God and each other! PTL!

God is calling us to repent. That's admitting we are sinners that fail often, confess, change our thinking and ways. That becomes possible because we have come to Christ and are forgiven. Ask God to give you His eyes. ears, heart, mind, passion and compassion in preparation for His new things for you. Ask Him to purify you and us as His set apart (holy) people and to sanctify and ready you and us to go and love well. You know sometimes it feels like when we play hide and seek and He says, "Ready or not here I come!" May He find us ready!

Charles Stanley talks about repenting and learning to walk more like Jesus. Our Daily Bread reminds us that God is at work and wants to be King of our hearts. Is He? He tells us to not fear and like Mary and Daniel heard, He can say to you, "You are highly esteemed" in God's eyes. He doesn't point fingers. He lovingly receives us as we are and gently corrects. That's our model and example to follow. The Upper Room reminds us that He is with us always, even in the unknown and hard things. Keep trusting Him. Don't lean on your own understanding. The Word for You Today reminds us to keep depending on God. I have prayed to not be called to anything that I can do on my own, that I would need to depend on God. He's gracious to answer that prayer. It can be scary stepping into the unknown in faith. That is required, though, and He promises to be there and to walk with us. He is enough and His grace is sufficient. Amen! 

You are custom made for such a time as this, not to do your own thing your own way. We are called to die to self, follow earnestly and go live and love more like Jesus. How does the Holy Spirit want to help you with that today? William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) said, "Work as if everything depended upon work and pray as if everything depended upon prayer." Really, that's earnestly pursuing God and for doing His ways earnestly. I am not sure what has changed in me to pursue this earnest living, except that I have earnestly prayed for God to take control of me and help me to earnestly pursue His plans and best for me. I am feeling a change and becoming different from what and how I was. Please continue Lord and sustain me. Would you consider praying that over you and our Body and then taking the next step of faith God is revealing? He has great plans awaiting you to discover as you do. Daylights burning! It's time to get earnest. God is pursuing and preparing this remnant for some awesome things to come--His Kingdom to come and will to be done! Amen!

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UR: God in the Unknown

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. - Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

I’m recovering from a strained calf muscle, my second in a few short months. This, along with creaky joints when I get out of bed in the morning and a glimpse in the bathroom mirror, remind me I’m getting older. I sometimes wrestle with aging and the fear of the unknown future. What will become of me if I lose my spouse? What if my body or mind fail and I can no longer care for myself or live in my home?

And then I remember my source of peace and turn to the words that calm my fears: “Even in your old age and gray hairs I . . . will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you: I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isa. 46:4). These words help me to settle into God’s loving embrace and to look to the future with more anticipation than dread. I have no need to fear the unknown because God will not abandon me.

Even though I cannot know the future, I feel safe and secure under God’s protection and take comfort in scripture. I know my body will change, but God’s love for me will not. And I look with anticipation and great joy to the end of my earthly journey, when I will meet Jesus face to face. Until then, I will trust in the One who calms all my fears and walks with me through the unknown.

Today's Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your promise to be with us through all the days of our lives. Amen.TWFYT:

Harvest

July 29 - Lord of the Sabbath Constantly people looked at Jesus and watched what He and His disciples did. In particular, the Pharisees observed with critical hearts, and challenged Jesus concerning the disciples’ activities on the Sabbath. Why did they break the Sabbath laws? As Jesus taught the Pharisees, let Him also teach us: Mark 2:25-28: “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry—how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread, which is against the law for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?” … “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”  Mark 3:3-5: So he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Stand up among all these people.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or evil, to save a life or destroy it?” But they were silent. After looking around at them in anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts,  he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Lord isn’t legalistic. He established the Sabbath as a time of rest because humanity needs rest. On the Sabbath He wants to bless us, not to confine us. He doesn’t want to keep starving disciples from eating, endangered animals from rescue, or sick or injured people from healing. Yes! You’re Lord of the Sabbath. You’re Lord of everything. I acknowledge and bless You for that. I serve a spectacular God! Lord, I repent for when I’ve behaved in a legalistic fashion. When I’ve applied a godly rule while missing Your intent. Reveal in my life where I might be doing this. I desire to follow Your law congruently with Your heart’s intent. I desire to bring godly tenderness into every situation. I desire to serve You uprightly and according to Your ways, not the ways of humanity. I declare that all my choices will be based on my personal relationship with You. I declare that I will walk uprightly and love You, Lord, with all my heart, soul, and strength, and that I will look at Your Word with the understanding of Your heart. Thank You for opening my eyes to legalistic, ungodly behavior. Thank You for breaking me free from oppressive misunderstandings of Your Word. Thank You for expanding my heart to reflect the fullness of Your heart. Thank You for letting me rest in You. I praise You that You’re a merciful God, operating with the best intentions and practices. I praise You for establishing rest for Your people. I praise You for Your consistency and perfect virtue. I cherish You, Lord. --Adapted from Praying What Jesus Says by Natasha Miller. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Prayer Points Praise God that birth and conception are miraculous and a special gift from God. Thank him for planning all your days before you were even born (Ps. 139:16). Confess any dissatisfaction over the gifts and abilities God has given you. Commit yourself to God daily and, like Paul, be content in whatever situation he has placed you (Phil. 4:11). Ask God to bring personal peace as a member of your family. Pray that children in your family circle and among your friends may be blessed with godly parents who are good examples and who discipline them in love (Prov. 22:6). 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.

Good Morning Seeking, Listening, Fruitful Followers of Jesus! AMEN! Pronounce that over you and us in prayer today. Believe it! Live it! God has great plans for you today! Rejoice and follow well!

I gotta fly to my, hopefully, last cardiologist appointment. And I am meet for lunch with some leaders and brothers from Emmaus for lunch to discern what God may have for us together. I covet your prayers for God to speak and lead us.

Check out the thread through our devotionals today. What a reminder! We must always depend on God! As we do and follow well, we will turn the world right side up! We are sent, like Jesus, and with Him in us to love and change and lead people to Truth, Hope and new life. We are made to live a full and fruitful life and that comes available and alive when we come to Christ. How are you living the hyphen? God has plans for you just as you are and for whatever season of life you are in. Listen, receive, process and go love well today! Keep seeking, listening and trusting as you take each step of faith through this day. God is with you and will lead, protect, provide and transform you and situations and people around you. Rejoice, Trust. Listen. Follow well! And know true joy and peace. Amen!

Shalom shalom!

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CS

UR Merciful Lord

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. - John 8:36 (NIV)

I was resting one morning when my wife called me outside. When I got there, I saw a little bird playing with a string. A while later the bird’s neck became entangled in the string. It was fluttering its wings and trying to get free, but the harder it tried the tighter the string became. When I tried to help the bird, it bit me. Finally, my father held the bird, and I removed the string to free it.

Later as I reflected on this incident, I realized that I, too, make bad choices. When I give in to temptation, everything seems fine at first. But ultimately I find myself in a situation that is nearly impossible to escape. I tend to try to get out of the situation on my own, but eventually I am like the bird, helpless and trapped.

Though all our efforts may fail, Jesus never fails us. When we call on him in prayer, he is always ready to free us from our bondage, be it something from our past, an addiction, or guilt. Only Jesus can save us. If we repent and believe in Christ, he will set us free.

Today's Prayer

Merciful Lord, thank you for coming to deliver us from our sins. Redeem us and renew us so that our lives may be pleasing to you. Amen.Harvest

July 30 - Repentance Unlocks the Kingdom Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, resisted the temptations of the devil and began His ministry. He spoke His message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17) and began recruiting messengers: “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people!” (Matthew 4:19) Repentance forms a vital part of our relationship with God. It unlocks access to the Kingdom of Heaven, to intimacy with the Almighty. Without repentance, we remain ignorant observers of the King and His kingdom. With repentance, we can engage the King and His kingdom. When engaging in repentance, belief and faith overcome the soul and we remain not only followers of Jesus, but messengers powered to turn others into followers, too. Lord, I value my relationship with You above all other living beings and things. I desire full alignment with You, Your will, and Your ways. I repent generally for all my known and unknown sins, and I believe over time, You will specifically show me what I’ve done, said, or thought that’s wicked or displeasing in Your sight. At the point of Your revelations, I will repent specifically.   I declare over myself that I’m quick to repent, and my life reflects the fruit of repentance. I thank You for the gift of repentance and for every opportunity I can repent. As a lover and follower of You, I desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. I desire my life to reflect Your kingdom and to build Your kingdom. I repent for any time I resisted Your nudge to share the truth about who You are. I recognize that You, Jesus, are my Lord and Savior. Lord, I declare I want to follow You in every aspect of my life. Thank You for the grace and mercy You unconditionally extend to me. I’m excited that You will teach me how to capture people for the Kingdom of Heaven. I praise You that I will be fearless. I praise You that I will be strengthened to love others as myself. I praise You that for all my days I will love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. --Adapted from Praying What Jesus Says by Natasha Miller. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Prayer Points Praise “God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” Thank him for being your Father through Christ Jesus. Confess tendencies to act like a spiritual orphan. Commit yourself to more consistently remembering the responsibilities and privileges of being God’s child. Ask him to help you bring honor to the family name. Pray that your local congregation will bring pleasure to the Father through its weekly worship times. Ask God to help all members and regular attendees act with true family love toward one another. 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.

Good Morning Love and Joy Incarnate! Huh? God is Love! Jesus is the Joy of our salvation. Love lives in us when we come to faith. Joy is a choice that becomes available as we choose to trust Jesus and not lean on our own understanding. It is a choice that is available because we trust Jesus no matter what. Jesus sends us to love as He loves us. That's agape, sacrificial, dying to self kind of love. That command is fulfilled as we actually go love like Jesus. That is incarnating His love. Today's devotionals are about Love and incarnating it as we go, love, serve, and bless from what we've been given, just as we are. God so loves you that He calls you by name and created you in His image to love as He has loved you, to bless as He has blessed you, and to grow more like Him as you do. That is the mission journey our church is on--living and loving more like Jesus and doing More in '24 as we continue to become like Jesus more in '24 and do His will more in '24. What's He encouraging you to do today to be and to incarnate love, healing, hope and joy? Offer yourself and what you've been blessed with, even your circumstances (good or bad) to God to be used for His glory and to bring His love alive. He does have some great plans just for you, just as you are for today and throughout this life. PTL! Go! Live and love like Jesus more in '24, even today! Amen! There is no fear in love. Love drives out our fear! As we dwell in God's love, He encourages, sends and delivers us from fear and evil. He corrects in love too--always. Listen to the voice of love. We are the Bride of Christ and love abounds and overflows. However, just like in marriage, we need to be all in and invest in our relationships. How are you investing in your relationship with Love, your marriage and friendships, our fellowship and in incarnating love to all you encounter. That's what God revealed to me to share today. What's he saying to you and what will you do about it, incarnater of Jesus and His love? May His love overwhelm and overflow you and us! Earnestly dwell in and incarnate His love today--always. Amen! Ask God to help you to seek and know Him and His voice and to follow and bring Him alive wherever you go today. he does have some great plans for you today! Amen! Know Love and bring it alive more in '24!

ODB:

UR: Serving Without Fear

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

I was on a 24-hour train ride and decided to use the time for prayer. Despite the large number of people around, I managed to focus my thoughts by putting on my headphones, turning on some worship music, and closing my eyes. As I prayed, I heard the voice of God clearly saying one phrase that I will never forget: “Do not be afraid, child.” To my surprise, I responded, “I’m not afraid of anything. I am ready to follow you at any cost.” But as I continued to contemplate the meaning of those words, my eyes filled with tears. I realized that God had spoken to the very depths of my spirit, knowing all my problems and fears. I had been afraid of not living up to God’s expectations, of making mistakes as I tried to live in obedience to God.

As I have matured in my faith, I now know what it means to serve God out of love, not out of fear. I have tried to stop feeling unworthy. When I make mistakes, I find it easier to repent because I know God will forgive me, not reject or punish me. As a result, by relying on God’s love I have gained more energy, more joy, and have been able to serve God and God’s people much more effectively!

Today's Prayer

Dear God, help us to experience your love, which drives out our fear. Teach us to serve you joyfully. Amen.

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TWFYT

Harvest:

July 27 - Following the Voice of Christ Author Marilyn Heavilin offers five principles to remember as we seek to discern what words are God’s and what words are not: 1. Christ convicts; Satan condemns. Is the voice you are hearing condemning or simply lovingly convicting? “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Satan is the “accuser of [the] brethren” (Revelation 12:10, kjv). Heavilin writes, “When I hear the voice of condemnation, I try to remind myself that God loathes sin but loves me and would never declare me worthless. Then I give my favorite order to Satan: ‘Scram!’ It works every time.” 2. Christ clarifies; Satan confuses. Satan will try to confuse us with the world’s philosophy. He will try to twist Scripture: “That can’t really be what God is saying.” Our protection will be to seek God and to spend time in His Word. Heavilin advises, “Pray that [God] will give [you] a sound mind and protect [you] from confusion as [you] listen for His voice. 3. Christ confirms; Satan contradicts. God never contradicts His Word, the Bible. “Satan, however,” says Heavilin, “will arrange circumstances to look like we are experiencing divine intervention in an attempt to blind us to contradictions to God’s truth.” 4. Christ chooses; Satan captures. Satan delights in tripping us. When he comes to us, he will put subtle thoughts into our hearts that it is okay to do something we know is contrary to God’s Word. Christ chose us with no strings attached. His voice will be loving, pointing us to the truth. 5. Christ compels; Satan constricts. God’s voice will be constantly moving us forward, taking us deeper into our relationship with Him. It will compel us to seek truth. Satan’s voice will constantly put rebellious thoughts into our hearts: Is that what God really said? Again, how do we discern God’s voice? Spend time with Him in prayer and reading His Word. Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for Your loving conviction when Satan wants to condemn me! Thank You for giving me clarity when Satan wants to confuse me and twist Your words. Thank You for always confirming Your truth when Satan tries to contradict it. Thank You for always choosing me and loving me when Satan just wants to cause me to stumble. Thank You that I can always trust You to draw me closer and lead me more intimately into Your ways when Satan wants me to doubt Your goodness. Keep my focus upon Your beautiful face, Lord, so that I am not tempted to follow any voice that isn’t Yours. --Adapted from The Power of Personal Prayer (Learning to Pray with Faith and Purpose) by Jonathan Graf. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Prayer Points Praise God, who teaches you to pray “not as I will, but as you will” (Mt. 26:39). Thank God for his counsel as you set the Lord always before you, thus keeping you from being shaken in any circumstance (Ps. 16:7-8). Confess your struggle with God’s will when you are tempted to fail him as you see the world prospering (Ps. 73:1-22). Commit yourself to God anew today, knowing he holds you with his right hand, guides and counsels you, and will take you to glory (73:23-28). Ask the Lord for the assurance that whenever you come to him, he will never drive you away (Jn. 6:37). Pray that God’s kingdom will be advanced by your willingness to do whatever God may require of you and to do it joyfully (Acts 21:13-14). 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.

Rise! Shine! Give God the Glory! Rise up in praise this morning! Go out and shine bright! And give God control and the glory in all you think, say and do and that will lead to more praise, shinning and glory for Him! Amen! That is being part of His dynamic movement.

Good Morning Worshiping, Dynamic Movers of God! Yes PTL! He is on the throne and in control. He has great plans for you and us even in all this chaos. Let go of your strangleholds, turn off the noise, focus on Him, sink your roots deep and chose joy.

What strangleholds, tough circumstances, chaos, noise, and consequences are overwhelming you and keeping you from drawing closer to God, more trust, His plans for you, and the new things He is about to do that have already begun? What will you do about it? Be still and know He is God. Stop looking in the rearview mirror of your past and the way things were. You are a new creation in Christ! PTL! You were one way and now another and you keep morphing into your new nature and more of the image of God. Build on the strengths of the past and follow God to the new things He has for you and us, things He planned long ago and custom made you to do and gathered us to accomplish. 

Check out the UR about allowing God to transform you, your thinking and ways as He leads you step by step forward to His new things. Think about ODB reminder of transforming worship. Turn off the noise and tune into God with much praise and worship. Allow that to overflow to your choices as God continues to lead you from glory to glory and His next steps and new things. Keep worshiping and He will give you more and more to praise. Charles Stanley reminds us to examine our hearts and surrender them to God. Cover each other for protection and pray for open hearts and minds to see weaknesses and correct. Join with some accountability partners to help you see the blind spots, cover you in prayer and help you to correct. Ask God to examine your heart and give you the mindset to change your thinking and ways. And follow the advice from The Word for You Today to honor God's healthy rhythm of working from rest. Be still, recharge and know that He is God and then follow Him to His new things refreshed and ready to produce good fruit. Sink your roots deep and dwell in and then release His Living Water!

God has some great plans for you and us! PTL! He is not content to allow us to remain the way we are. He wants to lead us to His plans, new things and best for us! PTL! He wants us to chose Him, His ways, healthy rhythms and produce good fruit. He is with us and working all things together for good. Turn of the noise! (Like the news and Olympics and political chaos--what can you do about this fallen world anyway--give God your anxiety!) Be still, reload, refocus, renew your thinking and follow Him to His new things for you today and worship! Amen!

Have a worshipful and wonderful day! Rejoice! reload! Follow well, dynamic movers!

Upper Room: Freedom Rose

The Lord said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” - Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Upon my release from prison, I took a clipping from a rose bush my dad had planted and potted it. This grew into my “freedom rose.” For almost three years it grew nicely with sunlight and very little attention. One day, I decided to re-pot it. I carefully trimmed the roots and placed the plant into new soil, but it eventually died. My freedom rose was gone.

I wondered if the death of this plant was God’s letting me know it was okay to let go of my past. As I pondered that, I was reminded of the Israelites and their journey through the desert to the Promised Land. During that time, God told them to forget the former things because he was making a new way in the desert for them.

God still makes a new way for us today, no matter our situation. In order to follow God’s path for our lives, we need not dwell on the past but focus our attention on the future.

Today's Prayer

Dear God, give us the wisdom to see the new things you are doing in our lives. Amen.ODB:

CS:

TWFYT:

Harvest prayer Starters

July 28 - Extraordinary Prayer Jonathan Edwards was perhaps the greatest theologian America has ever produced. He was a brilliant but also a deeply spiritual and passionate pastor and leader. He is the principal name associated with the First Great Awakening that began around 1735. He stood in the revival fire of God’s movement in which 15% of the nation came to faith in Christ.   When the revival began to wane, Edwards wrote a small, but vitally important book in 1746. This book framed much of the religious thinking in America for the next 100 years. The title is telling, as was often the case in his day.   “An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union Among God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth, Pursuant to Scripture-Promises and Prophecies Concerning the Last Time.”   The great revival historian, J. Edwin Orr, said that to read the title was to have read the book! Each word must have been chosen with prayerful precision by Edwards and are worth examination, particularly since they were written by such a great theologian who had experienced a nationwide revival in his day.   “An Humble Attempt To Promote” Edwards was seeing the wane of revival fires. His book was an attempt (just like this book) to awaken people to what was happening—the spiritual emergency—and rouse them to action.   “Explicit Agreement” One man might say, “This is the problem in our nation,” while another cries, “No, it is something else.” Edwards believed that to ignite a movement that would move the heart of God, there must be agreement about the problem and solution. Edwards believed the problem was (and is today) that people had forgotten God and wandered from Him. And the solution was an outpouring of revival and awakening.   “And Visible Union” Edwards knew that something extraordinary happens when people are united. Throughout the Bible there are multiple phrases or its equivalent like this: “And all the people cried out.” Each time there was such desperation that led to a united cry, God heard and answered. A.T. Pierson was right when he said, ““There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.”   “Among God’s People” It is to His children that God directs the commands to pray for revival, for only these understand and are spiritually capable to do so. This is why the great promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 begins with a conditional phrase:    If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.   “In Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth” What was the means that Edwards believed would usher in revival and awakening? Was it a fresh program? A new or novel idea? A united campaign? A catchy method? What does God call for in times of national, spiritual emergency? Edwards knew through Biblical understanding and practical experience that there was one thing we must do: we must pray and pray in an extraordinary way.               Lord, teach us to humble ourselves and pray!   ---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org. Prayer Points Praise God for his compelling love (2 Cor. 5:14). Give thanks for that love that holds us as in a vice, never letting go (Jer. 31:3). Confess those times when you fight against God’s love, wanting to go your own way or seek glory for yourself instead of for him. Commit yourself to being comfortable in that “love grip” of God so that you willingly live for him, serving him gladly (Prov. 3:3-6). Ask God to give you a greater appreciation of his eternal blessings and to be glad with the joy of his presence (Ps. 21:6). Pray that God’s compelling love may keep believers from fear and lead them on in the daily work of ministry “in Jerusalem, and Judea . . . and to the ends of the earth” (Joel 2:21-27; Acts 1:8). 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.

Thank God I'm Forgiven! I often say this and praise God for His forgiveness and help to repent as I come with a humble heart and confess those sins. God was stirring me to that this morning very early at 2 am and to pray earnestly into His plans for me and us! And let me assure you that God does have great plans for us to pray into existence and to bring to life as we step out in faith! PTL! Confess and agree that we are all sinners that fall short of God's standards. BUT GOD! And by His grace we are forgiven! Amen! We have put on Jesus' righteousness and are stepping in faith more fully into our new nature in Christ and wanting to step faithfully into His good plans for us. That all is available because we are forgiven. Stop now. Meditate on how God's gracious forgiveness has changed your life and how that will lead to His perfect plans for you. Worship!

Good Morning Forgiven, Faithful, Praying and Serving Friends! We are God's family gathered for such a time as this and we need each other and to actively pursue our created purposes in God's Good News Delivery Co. What's your part? Who is helping you to do it? Ask for clarity and helpers. I need you and your prayers, encouragement, and co-laboring! We all need each other if we are to become a dynamic movement of God. I am praying for you by name and asking God to bring you dreams, vision, ideas and motivation to step into your part. God has great plans for you and us to discover, release in prayer and to step into doing! PTL! and thank God you are forgiven and being prepared for such a time as this!

Maybe just thinking about some of that has you anxious, thinking God can't use you or has no plans for you that are doable. Remember, all things are possible for God and when we are weak He is strong. Remember also that we are not of this world and that God has chosen the weak, marginalized, and downtrodden of this world to be His vessels. Humble yourself. Die to self and take up your cross daily and follow Jesus! Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness. And find some partners to pray, plan and follow Jesus with. Isaiah 43:1-2 reminds us that Our creator God has and is calling us by name. He knows us and the plans we are created to accomplish. He has redeemed us and We are His--always! Amen! Memorize that verse and Eph. 2:10, You are God's masterpiece. Made new in Christ to do the things God planned for you from long ago. Amen! PTL!

I don't think I am quite ready to put into words the things God has been doing in me and leading me to lead over the past few months and now more intensely over the past week. He is hearing and answering my prayers and revealing some of His plans more clearly. In a couple of weeks our vision team will gather to process, pray and seek God for His plans. In the Become More in '24 Challenge, I have chosen to continue to work on my two words from last year, agape (dying to self kind of love) and disciple making. This year God gave me the word earnestly to add to those. And through earnestness, dying to self and much seeking, God is bringing some clarity to His custom made plans for me and us as I continue to pray for Him to teach and use me to make disciples and for our building to become a house of prayer for the nations and a disciple making hub for such a time as this. Jesus commanded us to love like Him and commissioned us to go make disciples and promised to be with us always and sent His Spirit to us to be able to accomplish our parts with all of that. Our call is to live and love like Jesus more in '24 and add to that for some of us to pray, teach, lead and make disciples like Jesus more in '24. What's God revealing to you right now? Write it down and share it with me or someone and pray into it earnestly. Pray for wisdom for me to lead well and for all of us to have ears to hear and hearts to follow well.

Part of all of this is our call to prayer. Earnest prayer is powerful and effective! We all can and are called to pray. Please mark your calendars for the first Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 to gather to fast and pray for our denomination and church to become a house of prayer for the nations and a dynamic movement of God that makes disciples that make disciples and to plant churches that plant churches. Our first gathering will be in the fellowship hall and on Zoom Wednesday Aug. 7th at noon. Come! Let us seek God together earnestly and release His will together.

Some of you reading this need to know that God has brought your name to mind to earnestly pursue the plans He has for you and us together. Is God stirring you? Are you getting nudges, ideas, dreams and visions of things God is leading you and us to do? Don't fight Him. Receive and ask Him to reveal, guide and provide. Then talk to me and let us seek, pray and process together. God is raising up a remnant that He will use to bring revival and to start His new things. He is also raising up an army of intercessors. What's your part? Thank God that we are forgiven, made new and gifted and empowered to do the things He planned for us long ago! He is calling you by name! He has redeemed you for such a time as this! Rejoice and trust Him!

I am finding myself a bit anxious because what God is leading me to will cut my salary as I give up janitor to more earnestly pursue Him and His plans. It will also require more work and commitment to invest more earnestly in some of you. (I thought I was heading to retirement and winding down, but I'm guessing I am to be like Caleb at 80 because I have earnestly pleaded with God to lead me to and give me this mountain.) But God is calling His people to earnestly pursuing Him and the plans we are created for. And He promises to guide and provide. All He asks is obedient trust and He will lead to His best. I need your prayers for protection, provision, faith the size of a mustard seed, clarity and wisdom and for some partners that are all in. Charles Stanley began my quiet time with stirring me to ask, am I too busy to do what God desires? Am I too comfortable? Am I on my own agenda? Am I earnestly abiding and following from rest? Check out the upper room and their reminder to run to the light. May that be me and us! God is for us! Then pray through the Harvest prayer blog and for us to cling to God and His promises and to follow Him well. The Word for You Today reminds us that nothing surprises God. He knows us and all we will do and our hearts and still calls us by name and wants to lead us to his best plans for us. And the Our Daily Bread reminds us that we are forgiven and to ask God to cleanse and purify us and consecrate us for service. Yes humble yourself, confess, repent, receive and follow well, my friends. 

Daylight is burning and God does have great plans for you too for such a time as this! Rejoice and earnestly seek and follow Him with me! Let us stay connected to the True Vine and allow God to prune and prepare us! I am praying for you! Please pray for me and for the harvest workers God is raising up. We are God's Forgiven, Faithful, Praying and Serving Friends! Amen! Let us rejoice and choose to dwell in those proclamations of faith! Let us become more than just hearers and knowers. Let us be earnest doers of all God has for us! Amen!

CS:

UR: Run to the Light

[Jesus] said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12 (NIV)

My husband, Gary, and I returned from a trip to hear strange scratching noises inside our woodstove. Gary cracked the stove door just enough to spot a big squirrel amidst the ashes. Apparently the chimney cover had come loose, and the squirrel had fallen down the flue. But how on earth could we safely get him out? Finally a pest removal person told us: “Turn off the lights and cover all the windows. Then open the front door wide. The squirrel will head for the light.” We made the room as dark as possible, opened the woodstove door, and stood back. After a moment of silence, the squirrel emerged. It paused to glance around then zipped out the front door like it was shot from a cannon, running toward the light.

Sometimes animals seem smarter than humans. How often do we stumble about, trapped in worry, doubt, addiction, or whatever weighs us down even after God has shown us the light? Perhaps we choose to stick with the familiar rather than risk change. Or maybe we don’t trust that God’s way really is best. Jesus is the light of the world. Whatever our problems, we can find help if we run to Christ’s light.

Today's Prayer

Dear God, teach us to run to your light when we don’t know which way to go. Amen.

Harvest 

July 26 - A God-Sized Promise The Bible is crowded with 7,000 promises from the God-of-All-Faithfulness. The One who has never failed in all He has promised. In Christ’s final conversation with His disciples, He gives a promise so expansive that it is hard to believe. But it is found right before us in the red letters of the inspired, inerrant Scripture. "Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." (John 16:23-24) Fully answered prayer seems too good to be true, but Jesus puts only one limitation on our asking: "In my Name." This restriction is enough, though, to properly align our prayers. To pray in Christ’s name is to carry all His authority and power before the Father, for Jesus said we could come in His name. But, we must listen in prayer to make sure we are praying in accordance with Christ’s desires. We must “abide in (Him) and let (His) words abide in us” so that His will becomes ours; His desires, our desires (John 15:7). Prayers prayed in the Name of Christ are prayers aligned with His will and for His glory. These are prayers initiated by God himself, through the humble, listening believer. And God delights to answer these requests. God’s promise declares that such prayers are always answered. Our problem is not that God won't answer, but that we won't stay long enough in the Throne Room to let His heart mold us to His will. Further, we often won’t believe enough to ask boldly. We measure God by our own standards, in humanistic terms. "He couldn't possibly do that," we reason. Because WE can't do something—or we’ve never seen it done—we assume HE can't do it either. Sadly, we shrink God to our level. As J.B. Phillips wrote, “Your God is too small.” This is precisely what God longs to avoid. He wants to show us that He is God and there is no other. And the way He has designed in this age to accomplish that is through unceasing, God-sized prayers. Lord God Almighty, I bow before Your authority and gratefully acknowledge Your sovereignty in my life! Show me how to stay rooted in Your throne room until You reveal Your perfect will to me. I deeply desire to align my will with Yours and to obediently ask for what is on Your heart! Thank You for the promises of Your word that allow me to ask for anything in Your name! Give me the confidence to pray unceasing, God-sized prayers, and to wait expectantly for the answer! ---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org. Prayer Points Praise God for the example of servanthood given when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (Jn. 13:5-15). Thank Jesus for his promise that you will be blessed in being a servant, following his example (13:17). Confess those times you are quarrelsome and resentful, not wanting to be a servant (2 Tim. 2:24). Commit yourself to God as Samuel did and respond: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:10). Ask God to reveal clearly his assigned task for you, even as he did for Paul (1 Cor. 3:5). Pray that your church will faithfully learn the joy of servanthood in every area, fixing their eyes on Jesus, not growing weary or losing heart (Heb. 12:2-3). 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.

TWFYT

ODB:

Good Morning Masterpieces of God, Made New in Christ, for His Purposes, Surrendered Servants! Amen! So be it Lord! May that define me, us and Your Good News Delivery Team at St. Matts! Come! Fill us! Refine us! Prepare us! Move us to go live and love like Jesus and to do our custom made parts for such a time as this. Unite us as teammates too. Raise up prayer warriors, teachers, leaders, workers as you lead us to the harvest. Thank You! Bring your dreams, visions, plans alive. Help us to die to self, choose boldness and follow well to Your best. May we pursue with passion Your perfect plans and run and finish our races well. May we honor and glorify You! Thank You for custom making and gathering us for such a time as this! Here we are! Send us! Your Kingdom come and will be done. Amen

Earnestly pray through this and offer yourself to God. Ask Him to reveal his plans for you today and for the weeks ahead. Ask Him to gather your team and to lead you. Ask Him to empower you, your gifts and to prepare your heart. Ask for His passion, heart and mind to overflow into love, hope and help for many. Pray for Him to connect us to some new people this week and to multiply the harvest. Thank Him for the custom purposes each of us are created to do. Thank Him for being with us always. Thank Him for His perfect plans!

God never ceases to surprise and affirm as He reveals glimpses that we are following His plans. Just look at how He has threaded our devotionals for today through yesterdays message and affirms that we are hearing His still small voice and following Him to what He has planned. I often struggle in prayer and have shared before how I feel like I am a broken record saying and encouraging the same things over and over. BUT GOD! I share what I am hearing daily and my journal notes and it's God that keeps saying, sharing these plans and affirming that we are hearing and following and on the right track. Can you see that? Are you encouraged? What's God saying to you right now? Write it down and process it with someone. God really does have great plans for you and us to discover and enact. What might they be? What's your part? What will you do about it?

God has given me this passion and burning desire to lead us to become a house of prayer for the nations by reaching out to more connection points and connecting more people to Jesus and making more disciple making disciples. He's given me a vision of starting and multiplying some small groups that gather in neighborhoods and homes that might lead to some church plants. It's a picture He's given for how to move beyond adding new followers to multiplying many new disciples. It's the Jesus way and the way the early church blossomed and multiplied much good fruit. At the same time God was stirring this vision in me and some others, He was also stirring it in our bishop as he has felt God calling us to work on and pray in to our EC vision statement. "We will become a dynamic movement of God, led by pastors and laity that have a burning passion for God and missionary zeal to reach the lost." That is a vision that will come to life in different ways because of where God has placed us and how He has gifted and empowered our Body of believers and for such a time as this. That vision is birthed, grows and flourishes through much prayer. The bishop has called our churches to monthly fasting and prayer for this vision on the first Wednesday of each month. I have not pursued this because that is bread day, but I believe God is wanting us to join Him in this. So, every first Wednesday of the month I am calling us to fasting and prayer, however God leads you to do that. The next one is Wednesday Aug. 7th. I will be at the church for bread and then gather any that want to to pray in person and on Zoom for a half hour or as long as the Spirit leads from 12-12:30 or ??? Mark your calendars and plan to fast and pray for revival and be a part of releasing God's will and power for us to become His dynamic movement. I have invited our district to join us in this.

That is just the beginning of the things God is stirring me to earnestly pursue, plan and lead over the next few months. What is He stirring you to? What has He made you to do for such a time as this to help to bring alive and do your part in His GN delivery co? 

Before this gets way to long, I am stopping and allowing you to hear God's affirming, guiding voice through the thread of our devotionals today. Yesterday we processed Ephesians chapter 2. Today God is speaking through Our Daily Bread's interpretation of Eph. 2:4-10. Thanks for the affirmation Lord! Speak to and direct our hearts! Amen! Chas. Stanley reminds us of God's Good plans and the reminder that we are created for custom works that sometimes require dying to self, our plans and agendas. TWFYT reminds us to go when God says to go and the Upper Room calls us to pray into His plans as does the Harvest blogs. There is no denying that God is speaking, revealing and wanting to lead us to His perfect plans. He is affirming and revealing. What's He revealing to you and what will you do about it? Who are your teammates? Keep knocking and seeking. God is speaking! Ask for ears to hear even the whispers and His mind to process well and His heart to go and follow. Amen! You are His masterpiece with custom made purposes! Go and live and love more like Jesus each day as you run and complete the race He has prepared just for you! AMEN!

ODB:

CS:

TWFYT:

UR: Light in the Darkness

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:5 (NIV)

Why should I continue to pray? Why should I continue to read Bible verses that I have read hundreds of times? Our messy world and the challenges people face in their daily lives make me question my morning routine. Everywhere I look, the world is a mess. Not a week passes without learning about a relative, friend, or neighbor who is facing a crisis of some kind. I have learned that no one is immune from trouble.

And then some mornings, a total stranger from another part of the world will touch my questioning heart. Their heartfelt words in The Upper Room will give me hope. That hope in the darkness pushes me to revisit these words from John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” To overcome the darkness in the world, all of us must hold fast to Christ’s light.

TODAY'S PRAYER

God of us all, help us always to seek your light and cling to that light in all circumstances. Amen.

Harvest:

July 22 - Learning to Hear the Right Voice Indeed, the biggest problem in hearing God’s voice is discerning between His voice, the voice of our own flesh, and Satan’s voice. Gaining more and more knowledge of Scripture helps us to discern the difference. But so does spending time with God in prayer. You will learn to recognize His voice the more you hear it. The boy Samuel in the Old Testament shows us this truth. One night as he was trying to sleep, he heard someone call his name, “Samuel, Samuel.” He ran to Eli, his mentor, saying, “Here I am.” But Eli told Samuel he hadn’t called. This happened three times before Eli realized the Lord was speaking to Samuel. So he told the boy to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” the next time the voice called out (1 Samuel 3). In the midst of these verses lies a telling fact: “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7). That may be the case for many of us. We have not yet heard the Lord, so we find it difficult to discern His voice. The last verses in the chapter give a different picture of Samuel’s life: “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word” (1 Samuel 3:19- 21). Wouldn’t it be great to have the same thing said of our lives at the end—that none of God’s words fell to the ground. The more we listen, the more we will discern. Lord God, learning to hear Your beautiful voice is my deepest desire. Your word says that if I draw near to You, You will draw near to me. Help me to spend all of my days drawing closer to You – leaning in to hear You speak to my heart as I pray, as I read Your word, and as I sit in the stillness. Show me how to know You so well that I never confuse Your voice with my own, or with the voice of the enemy. May I be as obedient a listener as Samuel, and throughout my life may none of Your words fall to the ground! --Adapted from The Power of Personal Prayer (Learning to Pray with Faith and Purpose) by Jonathan Graf. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Prayer Points Glorify God as the one who fills all of your desires and needs with his presence alone. Thank God for being sufficient for you even when every other source of joy or support is taken away. Confess your dependence on other people or situations to make you content and happy. Commit yourself to making Jesus your “pearl of great price,” and ask him to make you willing to give up all you have for the sake of his kingdom, if necessary (Mt. 13:44-46). Ask God to bring to your mind the material needs of an unsaved acquaintance so that you will be able to help meet those needs and bring that person closer to the kingdom. 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.

Tomorrow Night (Wed at 6) Rita's fellowship and outreach gathering. All welcome~! Wear your St Matts T-shirts. Let's party! In case of rain (it is forecast for intermittent showers) we will move indoors across the street at the Creamery. Watch for a last minute adjustment.

Good Morning Very Blessed, Celebrating, Trusting, Followers of Jesus! How long is your gratitude list that we have been building. Mine is like one of those long scrolls that keeps unrolling! We have so much to be thankful about! Counting our many blessings is something that never ends as God provides, guides, protects, delivers, forgives, redirects, encourages and continues to bless beyond measure. We always need to celebrate God and all His workings in our lives, our church and what He is doing all around us. We even show our trust as we expectantly pray with thanksgivings. As we pray for God to use us tomorrow we start and end with thanksgivings. Thank You Father for all you are doing, for leading and using us. Thank You for the harvest and connection points You are preparing for tomorrow. Thank You for going before us with favor. Father may our joy and thanksgiving and celebration as we fellowship overflow and draw many to You and Your Living Water that flows from us. Thank You! Your Kingdom come and will be done! We can't wait to see what You will do. Thanks! Amen.

Oh yeah baby, we do have so much to celebrate and be thankful about! Amen. The more we share the stories of God's faithfulness and celebrate, the more confident we become and we grow in trust. Plus that becomes contagious as we celebrate and live and love like Jesus. Check out Our Daily Bread reminder that it is time to party! Charles Stanley teaches us how to overflow into being a channel of blessing. The Word for You Today reminds us that even when God leads us in a round about way, it's for His purposes and plans and we can celebrate His goodness, wisdom, refining, preparing and perfect plans. The Upper Room reminds us to refocus in praise and celebrate that God is always with us, hears us and provides all we need when we need it. And Harvest Prayer reminds us of past revivals and how, at just the right time, God breaks through for His earnest, repentant, faithful remnant with deliverance, provision, and revival. Pray along and praise and offer thanksgiving for God readying this nation and the world for massive revival and for using you and your prayers. He knows, cares, loves, is able and is on the move! Rejoice! Celebrate and lift much worship and thanksgiving today! Hallelujah! Amen! We are very loved and blessed, growing in trust and celebrating followers of Jesus! Celebrate that!

CS:

TWFYT

UR: Finding What I Need

I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. - Psalm 81:10 (NRSVUE)

Early on summer mornings, as I pray and read my devotional for the day, a hummingbird makes trips to the feeder hanging outside my window. I keep the feeder filled with the sugar water he needs, and his frequent visits indicate that he knows he will always find necessary nourishment waiting on my front porch.

This morning during my time with God, I prayed about a critical situation in my life that I am unable to resolve. I was struggling with feelings of anxiety when I saw the hummingbird land on the feeder again. Suddenly, it became clear to me that in the same way my visitor simply trusts that his nectar will be there, God anticipates my needs. I can come to God and trust that the resources I need are always waiting.

If I can be faithful to one of God’s smallest creatures, how much more can I trust God to provide abundantly for me. Like the hummingbird, I realized suddenly that I had “landed” in peace beside the never-ending Source of all I will ever need.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, help us look to you and not just to our own resources for protection and provision in difficult times. Amen.Harvest:

July 23 - United, Fervent Prayer If you love the cause of world missions, you should pray for revival. When God revives His people, their hearts begin to beat in sync with Him who came to “seek and save that which is lost.” A quick study will reveal that every major mission movement in history came out of the fires of revival.   The mission advance with Count VanZinzendorf and the Moravians began with the Moravian Pentecost, igniting a prayer meeting that lasted 100 years and sending missionaries around the world in a day when this was unheard of. Most Moravian missionaries left with their goods packed in a coffin, vowing to give their lives on the field for the cause.          The modern mission movement with William Carey and the Haystack Prayer meeting happened in the early 1800’s in the fever-heat of the Second Great Awakening. Hudson Taylor, George Mueller, and William Booth were all men touched by extraordinary movements in their nations. If we love missions, we must pray for revival!          We cannot manipulate God to send such movements, but we are charged by God to unite our hearts in repentant prayer for such awakenings. There is a clear cycle in the Bible and human history. As the church declines, God sends His disciplining judgments. This is the mercy of God. Like pain to the human body, this is remedial and intended to wake us up and bring us back to Him. When we get desperate enough, we begin to cry out to God in united, fervent prayer. And there is something uniquely irresistible to God about a united cry. In answer to this cry (orchestrated by God Himself) He hears and answers, sending the revival and awakening we need.   Merciful Father, You are waiting for a repentant people to cry out to You in desperation to send another move of the Spirit. Stir me up to be keenly aware of my great need for revival in my own life. Help me pray more fervently for the sleeping Church to awaken and for a great spiritual awakening to sweep across our nation once again! Plant a desire deep within me for those who are lost and face an eternity apart from You! May Your Church lift up a united cry before Your throne!   ---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org. Prayer Points Praise God for not leaving you “as orphans” but for giving another helper to be with you forever (Jn. 14:16, 18). Give thanks for God’s presence and power, and trust him to continue to energize you, keeping you on the right course. Confess the times you are dissatisfied or frustrated in your walk with the Lord. Commit yourself anew to God and let his Spirit help you in your weakness, especially in prayer (Rom. 8:26). Ask him to reveal himself to you today in a new and fresh way. Pray that your family and friends will have the joy, peace, and stability that comes from knowing God personally and spending time daily with him (Col. 3:15-17). 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.