Devotionals

<BODY BGCOLOR="FFFFFF" BACKGROUND="../images/pix/devobk.gif" VLINK="000000"> <CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="-2"><A HREF="../geninfo/index.htm"><B>Changing Church Info<B></B></B></A>- <A HREF="../prodres/index.htm">Resources</A>- <A HREF="../conferen/index.htm">Conferences</A>- <A HREF="../perspec/index.htm">Perspectives Newsletter</A>- <A HREF="../devotion/index.htm">Devotionals</A>- <A HREF="mailto:changing@changingchurch.org">Feedback</A>- <A HREF="../index.htm">Home</A> </FONT></B></CENTER> <CENTER><IMG SRC="../images/logos/banner.gif" ALT="Changing Church Logo"> <H1>Devotionals</H1></CENTER> <HR> <P><FONT SIZE="-2"><STRONG><BR><A HREF="#O7">October 7-October 13</A><BR> <A HREF="#O71">1</A> <A HREF="#O72">2</A> <A HREF="#O73">3</A> <A HREF="#O74">4</A> <A HREF="#O75">5</A> <A HREF="#O76">6</A> <A HREF="#O77">7</A><BR><A HREF="#O14">October 14-October 20</A><BR> <A HREF="#O141">1</A> <A HREF="#O142">2</A> <A HREF="#O143">3</A> <A HREF="#O144">4</A> <A HREF="#O145">5</A> <A HREF="#O146">6</A> <A HREF="#O147">7</A><BR><A HREF="#O21">October 21-October 27</A><BR> <A HREF="#O211">1</A> <A HREF="#O212">2</A> <A HREF="#O212">2</A> <A HREF="#O214">4</A> <A HREF="#O215">5</A> <A HREF="#O216">6</A> <A HREF="#O217">7</A><BR><A HREF="#O28">October 28-November 3</A><BR> <A HREF="#O281">1</A> <A HREF="#O282">2</A> <A HREF="#O283">3</A> <A HREF="#O284">4</A> <A HREF="#O285">5</A> <A HREF="#O286">6</A> <A HREF="#O287">7</A><BR><A HREF="#N4">November 4-November 10</A><BR> <A HREF="#N41">1</A> <A HREF="#N42">2</A> <A HREF="#N43">3</A> <A HREF="#N44">4</A> <A HREF="#N45">5</A> <A HREF="#N46">6</A> <A HREF="#N47">7</A><BR><A HREF="#N11">November 11-November 17</A><BR> <A HREF="#N111">1</A> <A HREF="#N112">2</A> <A HREF="#N113">3</A> <A HREF="#N114">4</A> <A HREF="#N115">5</A> <A HREF="#N116">6</A> <A HREF="#N117">7</A></STRONG></FONT> </P> <HR> <P><A NAME="A24"></A></P> <H2>Week of October 7-October 13</H2> <P><A NAME="O71"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day One: </FONT></A>What is a Passionate Follower of Jesus?-Jesus has invited us to follow him. What does it mean to passionately follow Jesus? Once you have said yes and taken that first step, what's next? Read Luke 17:5-10. The first lesson Jesus has for us is to be humble and trust in him. Read 1 Peter 5:6-7. If we are to be a student, a disciple, a learner, we need to rid ourselves of our own pride, preconceived ideas, and previous learnings, and be open to letting Christ fill us again. A passionate follower of Jesus is someone longing to learn from Jesus and is willing to humbly walk on his journey. Have you taken that first step and said yes to following Jesus? Increase your faith by casting all your anxieties on God and letting God care for you in your prayer time. </P> <P><A NAME="O72"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Two: </FONT></A>Why Be a Passionate Follower of Jesus?-It is hard to believe that by becoming a follower, we actually become a leader who can change the world. Luke 17:6 reminds us that even the faith of a mustard seed can move a mulberry tree. Read Matthew 13:31-32 and 17:20-21. The mustard seed was the smallest seed known to the people of Jesus' time, yet, it could grow to become a huge tree. Imagine moving a mountain-left to human abilities, it would be impossible. Anything is possible when it is left to God. What are the mountains in your life right now? Faith in God can move them. What areas do you need to grow in? Faith in God can take the smallest bit of hope and grow it into something transformational! Pray for the mountain you need moved or the seed you need grown. </P> <P><A NAME="O73"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Three: </FONT></A>How Can I Become a Passionate Follower of Jesus? Prepare Your Heart-Becoming a passionate follower of Jesus is not a one-time event, but a process that takes years. There are steps we can take to keep us focused on our journey. If we are to become a passionate follower of Jesus, we need to examine our heart and prepare it for service. Read Psalm 51:10-13 and 19:14. These two Psalms are prayers for purity and faithful service. Reread Psalm 51:10-13 and look for the action words and the ultimate goal the writer hopes for. Our hearts are to be pure so we might help others turn away from their sin and return to God. Luke 12:34 reminds us that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where are your treasures? What is your heart focused on? Pray for a renewed heart. </P> <P><A NAME="O74"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Four: </FONT></A>Study the Guide-Another part of walking daily with Jesus is being in God's word. God is revealed to us through the scripture! 2 Timothy is a letter written by Paul to encourage Timothy. Paul stresses the importance of relying on scripture and of living a life of discipline. Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17. (Paul had experienced many hardships in his life, but God's Word carried him through.) God's word can do the same for you. It has been given to us to inspire and equip us for service. Are you spending time being inspired and equipped for your daily life? Have you emptied yourself of earthly learnings and filled yourself with God's teachings? Read Psalm 1:1-3 and imagine your life focused on God's word in your prayers today. </P> <P><A NAME="O75"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Five: </FONT></A>Be in Relationship-Being a passionate follower of Jesus means being in relationship with him, being in relationship with others who also follow him, and initiating relationships with others who need to hear about Jesus. Prayer and scripture reading with other followers will only strengthen those individual relationships. Read Matthew 18:20 and Acts 2:42-47. When we gather with other believers, we are changed. Our behaviors are challenged, the needs of the community become known, and God's love is shown in tangible ways. Take a look at your relationships. Is Christ at the center? Commit to talking with another person about your faith. Pray that God might open his/her heart and give you the words to say. </P> <P><A NAME="O76"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Six: </FONT></A>Putting Your Faith into Action-If our faith is going to move mountains, it needs to be put into action. Early in his ministry, Jesus told the people what his life was to be about. Read Luke 4:16-21. Jesus' ministry included praying with others and teaching them about God's kingdom, but Jesus' ministry also included healing the blind and freeing the oppressed. As passionate followers of Jesus, we have been given gifts and talents to use for God's purposes. There are many needs in our world, but there are so many people with so many gifts. If we could connect those two, the world would be transformed. Read Matthew 5:14-16 and pray that God might give you opportunities to let your light shine! </P> <P><A NAME="O77"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Seven: </FONT></A>Giving of Your Resources-In addition to gifts and talents, God has given each of us resources to share. Passionate followers of Jesus know the resources they have first came from God and are gifts to be multipled! Read 2 Corinthians 9:11-15. In giving, we once again return to where we started-keeping our heart focused on God. When we remember all we have is God's, we remember God is the creator of the universe and calls us to passionately follow Jesus. In giving, we are blessed to experience a taste of what it is for God to share these gifts with us in the first place. How is your giving life? How is God calling you to share your resources? Make a list of all the blessings God has given you and pray for ways to share those resources! </P> <P><A HREF="#top">Top of Page</A> </P> <P><A NAME="A24"></A></P> <H2>Week of October 14-October 20</H2> <P><A NAME="O141"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day One: </FONT></A>Real World Disciples Don't Take God for Granted-Living in the real world where faith and life intersect is filled with joys and challenges. This life is also filled with the presence of a faithful Lord. Read Psalm 46:1-3. It might be easy to take this faithfulness for granted or to see God's presence as something that we have earned or somehow deserve. Read Luke 17:11-19. With whom do you relate? How do you think the ten lepers felt after they encountered Jesus? Why did only one return? Do you suppose that the other nine actually were doing what Jesus commanded them to do? Did they take God's goodness for granted? Spend some time praying for an open and grateful spirit. </P> <P><A NAME="O142"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Two: </FONT></A>Lord Have Mercy-The ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 were people in need. Cut off from family and community, they found their misery was doubled in the presence of one another. Have you ever felt cut-off and lonely because of an illness? It is in these times of loneliness that we can turn to our God and cry out Lord, have mercy! Read Psalm 123:3-4. Have you ever felt like praying these words? Have you ever felt you've needed some reassurance concerning God's love and mercy for you? Read 1 Peter 2:9-10 and commit these words to memory today. When you sense a need for God mercy in your life, remind yourself that you are God's treasure. </P> <P><A NAME="O143"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Three: </FONT></A>No Where to Go Except Jesus-Imagine being alone, no people, no phones, no magazines or newspapers, no internet. Alone. Is that a frightening thought for you? Are you uncomfortable being alone? When you are alone, do you ever think of praying? EVen in the moments that we feel most alone, the Lord is with us. That is the promise of scripture, that God is always with us. The lepers had no one to turn to except Jesus. If you had no one but Jesus, what would you say to him today? Read Psalm 69:16-18. Make this your prayer as you focus on Jesus for the day ahead. </P> <P><A NAME="O144"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Four: </FONT></A>Mercy Revealed-God moves in mysterious ways. Sometimes God uses strange events and people in order to show us mercy. Think of some of your closest encounters with friends and family in the last days. Was God in those interactions? As you think back, are you able to see God's fingerprint in the events and people around you? Read Psalm 111. Which verses stand out for you? Where do you sense God speaking to you? In your prayers, ask God to use you to touch someone you know. Ask God to use you in a significant way to bring mercy to someone in your life who is in need. </P> <P><A NAME="O145"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Five: </FONT></A>Turning to Jesus-Turning and returning: Important words in the vocabulary of the Christian disciple. Turning our hearts toward Christ can be a daily event. It is in the returning each day we discover the heart of an amazing God who returns to us over and over again. What does it mean to you to turn to Jesus today? How are you impacted when you discover that God has turned himself toward you in Jesus? Read Ecclesiastes 7:23-25. How does the wisdom of Christ help you to understand your turning toward God and God's turning toward you?Take some time in your prayers to be silent in the presence of God and see what God might be saying to you. </P> <P><A NAME="O146"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Six: </FONT></A>Re-turning to Jesus-Are you a thankful person? Do you remember to thank those who serve you in some way? Read the passage from Luke 17:11-19 and pay close attention to verse 15. Our first response is usually to comment about this one man's superior act of gratitude-after all, ten were healed and only one returned to say thanks. Could it be, as we pondered in the first of this weeks' devotions, that the other nine really just were doing what Jesus had commanded? What are you thankful for? Make this your prayer as you spend some time in the quiet of God's Spirit. </P> <P><A NAME="O147"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Seven: </FONT></A>Get Up and Go On Your Way-What is God's purpose and plan for you today? We must be a people of prayer in order to know what God has for us. In your daily prayer time, who talks more, you or God? In the story of the healing of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19, we discover at the end, the one person who did return to say thank you to Jesus was told to get up and go on his way. What did he do? Where did he go? To whom did he tell of the great miracle? Where and to whom is God sending you today? What is your mission? Spend some time in your prayers simply listening. Read through the scripture passage onceor twice and see what message God is giving you. When you are finished, get up and go on your way. </P> <P><A HREF="#top">Top of Page</A> </P> <P><A NAME="A24"></A></P> <H2>Week of October 21-October 27</H2> <P><A NAME="O211"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day One: </FONT></A>Real World Disciples...Don't Ever Give Up-One of the most compelling characteristics of faithful Christians is a tenacious spirit. It is the sense that Jesus shared with his followers in Luke 18 when he encouraged them to "pray always and not lose heart." Read Luke 18:1-8. What relationship do you see between prayer and hope? How would you characterize your faith life; hopeful, steadfast, shaky? Why do you think Jesus told the disciples this parable? Think about where you need to be steadfast in your faith life and pray for the strength to remain hopeful. </P> <P><A NAME="O212"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Two: </FONT></A>The Heart as a Place of Hope and Decision-What influences the decisions you make from day to day, your head or your heart? It has been said when Christ moves into our lives it is like having heart surgery. It seems that the heart is the place where the Holy Spirit creates hope so decisions can be made. Read Psalm 20:1-5. How do these words connect with you? Take some time and think about the decisions you have made in recent days. How has the Holy Spirit been involved in those decision-making processes? Pray about any upcoming decisions and ask God to give you wisdom and guidance. </P> <P><A NAME="O213"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Three: </FONT></A>Opportunity in Oppression-We all experience disappointment and there comes a point when those disappointments can pile up and overwhelm us. Disciples who never give up understand that opportunity can come, even out of oppression. Read Romans 5:1-5. How do the words in verses 3-5 strike you today? Pray about the issues that weigh you down. In your prayers, ask God to give you endurance, character and hope. </P> <P><A NAME="O214"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Four: </FONT></A>The Temptation of Self-Pity-Self-pity can be a dangerous behavior. A little might even feel good for a while, but too much of it can turn against us. In the story from Luke 18, the widow refused to succumb to self-pity and found a way to meet her needs. Read the story again from verses 1-8. When are you most prone to self-pity? How do you handle the temptation to let it over-take you? Pray for your closest friends who may be struggling with the urge to give in to self-pity. Ask God to strengthen your spirit. </P> <P><A NAME="O215"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Five: </FONT></A>The Danger of Stopping too Soon-The widow in the passage from Luke 18 kept returning to the judge in order to have her case heard. He finally relented. In a way, it was as if the widow was praying. She was faithful and tenacious to do so. What would have happened if she had given up? She might not have reached the outcome she desired. Do you give up too soon? Do you ever wish you had hung in there just a little longer? In our prayer lives, we're called to pray constantly. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 and pray for spiritual strength to wait on God's timing in your life. </P> <P><A NAME="O216"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Six: </FONT></A>Challenges and Endurance-What makes a Christian strong? How does one grow in faith enough to trust God in all things? In the midst of living out our Christian callings each day we live between challenge and endurance. The world will always serve up challenge.The Holy Spirit is the one who supplies endurance. Read Luke 8:4-15. How does the parable of the sower and the explanation assist your calling to endure for the sake of Christ? How will you sink your seeds more deeply in the soil of the gospel this week? Spend some time in quiet prayer and ask God to give you endurance. </P> <P><A NAME="O217"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Seven: </FONT></A>Challenges and Prayer-Prayer continues to be at the heart and soul of the growing disciple. How do you understand prayer? Are you able to be quiet and listen for God? Do you wonder where your thoughts and phrases go when you do pray? When you feel challenged in your life, are you more apt to pray to God or deal with the issues yourself? Read Philippians 4:4-9 and as you read, pray through the words and ask God to equip you to be a person of prayer in the midst of challenge. </P> <P><A HREF="#top">Top of Page</A> </P> <P><A NAME="A24"></A></P> <H2>Week of October 28-November 3</H2> <P><A NAME="O281"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day One: </FONT></A>Building Your Dream Home from the Ground Up-One doesn't have to go far in order to see building projects in various stages of completion. A bare lot here, a foundation there, walls and roofs taking shape all around us. All of this building represents someone's dream, someone's plan for the future. In Matthew 7, Jesus has some words for those who would build their spiritual houses. Read verses 24-26 and ask yourself what kind of spiritual home you are building. Why did Jesus say that those who hear as well as act on his words will be wise? Consider today giving the building plans for God's work in you back to God. Pray for the ability to let God be the master architect in your life. </P> <P><A NAME="O282"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Two: </FONT></A>Stewards of the Big Dream-A steward is a person who has responsibility over something or someone. A steward is a care-giver, a helper, a manager. God has made us stewards, or those responsible for what God wants to do in and through us. In fact, God has set us in charge of the "Big Dream" or caring for the unfolding kingdom of God. Are you equipped and up to the challenge? God will do that work in you. Read 1 Peter 5:1-4. Who is in your care right now? In what ways has God called you to be a steward? Pray for the wisdom and insight to give the care that God has called you to give. </P> <P><A NAME="O283"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Three: </FONT></A>How Big Are Your Dreams-What is God's purpose your life? If that question is too big, then how about God's purpose for you today? When we think about what God wants to do in and through us, we tend to think smaller rather than bigger. God wants to do great things in our lives today. Are you ready for that? Consider this: What would God want to do in you today that was so big and so critical that only God could make it happen? Would you be willing to pray for that? Read Joel 2:28-29 and expect God to bring to fruition the dreams the Holy Spirit has placed within you. </P> <P><A NAME="O284"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Four: </FONT></A>Is Bigger Better?-Our culture seems committed to an understanding that more is better, that bigger is even better. Jesus, on the other hand, seemed to convey to his followers that less is more, that bigger just might be confusing. Read Matthew 6:19-21. What treasures of yours strengthen your spiritual life? What might be in the way of a deeper relationship with God . Pray for a renewed vision about how you build your spiritual dream home. </P> <P><A NAME="O285"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Five: </FONT></A>Firm Foundations-The man who built his home on the sand watched it all wash away with the first storm that came along. We all tend to do that from time to time. Think about on which you are building your spiritual house. How can prayer, worship, reading scripture, serving others, and building spiritual relationships firm up your foundation? Read Matthew 7:24-26 and pray for your co-workers, friends, and family members who desire stronger foundations in Jesus Christ. </P> <P><A NAME="O286"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Six: </FONT></A>True and False Assumptions-In the building of our spiritual dream home, it might be easy to assume that what we build and how we build it is up to us. I'll build it myself, it's mine, I'll do it my way are all attitudes that could wind up compromising the integrity of our spiritual structure. Read Psalm 127:1 and commit this verse to memory. In your prayer time, ask God to specifically root out the false assumptions you might have about who is really guiding your life. This may involve a time of confession. Know that God is faithful and just and will forgive us when we bring our shortcomings to God. </P> <P><A NAME="O287"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Seven: </FONT></A>There is No Rock Like Our God-The old hymn, Rock of Ages, reminds us that in Jesus Christ there is a place of refuge and hiding for us. In the new worship song, Rock of Ages, we are reminded that God is the rock of salvation that cannot be moved; that God has proven to be faithful and true. Whether an old hymn or a new praise song, the message is the same. When the storms blow against us and we are threatened , God is our help in times of trouble. Read Psalm 46:1-7. Bring your Bible with you, and whenever you sense a need to be lifted up, read or pray the words. </P> <P><A HREF="#top">Top of Page</A> </P> <P><A NAME="A24"></A></P> <H2>Week of November 4-November 10</H2> <P><A NAME="N41"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day One: </FONT></A>A Solid Framework-As we focus on building our faith lives from the ground up, we move from last week's focus, our relationship with God, to our relationship with others. Read Matthew 22:34-40. The second command is that we love our neighbors as ourselves. To love others is an active love that gets something done. We must move beyond the notion of simply claiming Jesus Christ as our Lord and look at the ways that our Lordship to Christ changes our relationships with those around us. How has your Lordship to Christ changed the way that you love those around you? Is your love of others simply a feeling or do your actions portray love? </P> <P><A NAME="N42"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Two: </FONT></A>The Best Materials- Read Isaiah 58:6-8. A lot of research goes into beginning a project. In building a home you must start with location, move onto a floor plan, choices must be made about room sizes, wood types, and color schemes. In our homes, we want to find and use the best materials possible. In building a framework of love, we must see that the Bible calls us to make love an action. What action words do you find in the Isaiah text? How can you take the best materials in this text and put them into practice? What benefits are promised to you as a result of your obedience to this set of verses? </P> <P><A NAME="N43"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Three: </FONT></A>Choose Your Outlook- Read Matthew 5:43-47. When you are legitimately wronged, how do you respond? The first reaction most of us take is to protect ourselves and become defensive. When we are hurt, we want to make sure that we somehow gain the upper hand by being right or choosing sides. To build a new kind of framework that is based on love, our philosophy needs to change. Jesus asks us to love the unlovable. We are called to love beyond the point of comfort. Do you love those who are difficult to love? Do you pray for your enemies? We will not feel like responding to love in this way-we must choose our outlook. What choice do you need to make today? </P> <P><A NAME="N44"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Four: </FONT></A>Choose Your Position- Read Matthew 25:31-46. Have these verses ever come to life for you? Last summer, my husband and I were having dinner out on our deck. We noticed a woman moving through our neighborhood knocking on doors. I wanted to finish dinner and get inside before she saw us enjoying our meal together. She approached us before we finished, and to my amazement, I heard my husband's voice inviting her into our house for the last of our grilled chicken. I had to choose my position-would I follow my husband's lead and love this woman or turn my heart away from her? The verses for today ran through my mind and I chose to love this woman as if she were Christ. She stayed in our home for an hour, and while my husband went outside to pray, I had to privilege of sharing Christ's love with her. What a joy! Choose the position to love a stranger. </P> <P><A NAME="N45"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Five: </FONT></A>Caring versus Competing- Read Matthew 23:1-8. Can you identify with the Pharisees in this passage? Competition is part of our nature and it doesn't disappear in the realm of the religious. We often get caught up in making sure that we look good even at the expense of others. What would it look like to love those around us rather than compete for position? What kind of position do you have at work, in your family, at church? Are you competing with those around you? Do you use competition as an excuse to keep yourself from the vulnerability of caring for the people in your midst? Ask God to reveal any areas of unhealthy competition in your life and to replace those areas with love and care. </P> <P><A NAME="N46"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Six: </FONT></A>Let Love Keep Score- Read Matthew 18:21-22. As we strive to build a healthy structure in our relationships, it is tempting to keep score as to how well it is that we are doing. When we keep track of the offenses of others, we are not choosing the best materials on which to build. Jesus' words are clear: we must offer forgiveness to an extent that we cannot even keep track. We must let love keep score-not our self-righteousness. Are you withholding love or forgiveness toward someone because you feel they do not deserve it? Go back to Jesus' words in Matthew 18 and ask God to show what it means for your life, to let love keep score. </P> <P><A NAME="N47"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Seven: </FONT></A>Our Relational World- Our giving response in our relationships constructs a solid framework for the "house" of this life. God has called us to be relational people. We have opportunities to live out that calling in our families, communities, and the world. Read Matthew 22:34-40. As Christians, we are called to love others in a unique way: as ourselves. Think about the radical kind of impact a love characterized by the Bible would have on your life and on the world. Spend time praying that God would build a solid framework of love in your life that would make an impact on our world. </P> <P><A HREF="#top">Top of Page</A> </P> <P><A NAME="A24"></A></P> <H2>Week of November 11-November 17</H2> <P><A NAME="N111"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day One: </FONT></A>Building From the Ground Up: A Sheltering Roof-It cannot be overstated that the foundation of a home is the most important element. If the foundation is not true, the rest of the house will reflect that. In the same way, a sound roof is essential for protecting all that is contained underneath. In our spiritual lives, the foundation is Jesus Christ. The roof, one might say, is the Holy Spirit: the one who covers and protects us. Read Psalm 68:4-6 and Psalm 140:6-8. Pay attention to the themes of covering and protecting. Are you at a place in your life where you can trust God to cover you with protection? Are you building a faith life from the ground up? Pray for an open mind and heart to receive what God has for you this week. </P> <P><A NAME="N112"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Two: </FONT></A>Remembering A Faithful God-Take a minute and think about those people who have been most faithful to you. What characteristics of those people do you treasure the most? Have you ever had a friend who simply overwhelmed you with generosity and faithfulness? These people give us a glimpse into the heart of God. God is faithful. Faithfulness is God's character. Read Psalm 46:1-3. These words were written by someone who knew firsthand of God's faithfulness. Read also Deuteronomy 8:14-18. This reminds us of our generous God. Read Luke 12:22-31 to discover a God who continually provided . Choose to show faithfulness to those around you. Pray for a faithful heart in all of your relationships. </P> <P><A NAME="N113"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Three: </FONT></A>All That We Have Is Thine Alone-The words to the old hymn go like this: "We give Thee but Thine own, Whate'er the gift may be. All that we have is Thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee." Think about what you've eaten today, the clothing you've put on, the vehicle you've driven, the breath you've breathed. Where do these things come from-ultimately? All of these things are from the Lord. Absolutely everything we have is given to us from a God who loves to provide. Read Deuteronomy 8:17-18. Commit these words to memory and remind yourself that what you have is really "on loan" from God. Make a quick list of everything you can think of that God has given you today and pray a prayer of thanks for your many blessings. </P> <P><A NAME="N114"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Four: </FONT></A>Don't Worry.Consider the Lilies, Luke 12:22-31-Are you a worrier? One could argue that there is a great deal to worry about in our world today: safety, terrorism, financial security, etc. Sometimes worries can represent legitimate concerns. At other times worries can undo us. God invites us to consider another mindset. Read Luke 12:22-31. These verses invite us to consider God's extravagant love and care. Are you not of more worth than the ravens, the lilies, the grain in the field? Spend some time in prayer giving your worries and concerns to God. Trust the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. </P> <P><A NAME="N115"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Five: </FONT></A>Needs Versus Wants-Human history is a chronicle of need and accomplishment. The need to communicate created language. The need to learn created writing and paper and computers. The need for adventure led to discovery. The need for security led to ethnic and national identity. The need for health led to medical discoveries. The need for meaning in life led to spiritual growth. Think about your needs and wants. What is the difference between those two things for you? Read Genesis 22:13-14. Be aware of all of the ways that God provides for you. Pray about your needs. Ask God to teach you about your wants and the difference between wants and needs. </P> <P><A NAME="N116"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Six: </FONT></A>Out-giving God is Impossible-Here's a challenge: Read Malachi 3:10 as if the Lord was saying these words to you specifically. What do these words means to you? What's the encouragement? God is inviting us to put God to the test. God says "Trust me!" Trust me by giving me a tenth of what you have, and see if I won't open the flood gates of blessing to you. How do you give to God? Do you see what you have as yours alone, or do you see God caring for you as you give back to God? Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. These verses encourage Christians to engage God in a mission of giving. Pray for a giving heart. Ask God to give you a sense of mission for giving today. </P> <P><A NAME="N117"><FONT SIZE="+2">Day Seven: </FONT></A>Under the Strong Roof of God's Abundance-What is the hardest part of trusting God in your life? It is often easier to talk about trusting God than to do it. Read Psalm 37:3-4. What is God's invitation to you? How do these verses find root in you right now? Since God is inviting you to "sow bountifully," how do you interpret that? Are you willing to follow the Lord who wants to cover you with blessing? In your prayers today, offer thanks for the things you have. Ask God to show you how to live in trust under the roof of God's abundance. </P> <P><A HREF="#top">Top of Page</A> </P></BODY>