"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me,
or seen in me - put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you."
(Philippians 4:9)
MORNING DEVOTION- "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee..." (Psalm 63:1)
Scripture Reading: Luke 6:12-16
It has been said that "practice makes perfect." There is no place this statement is more true than in the secret place of prayer. For it is in the secret and quiet place of the presence of God that the soul is perfected. Jesus made it the priority of His mission to illustrate the importance of cultivating the stillness and silence in which the Father could be heard. He went to a place where He could be undisturbed and uninterrupted. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed" (Mark 1:35). He continued in prayer, all night as was necessary, until He heard from the Father; and He wasted no time in implementing all that He had received from the Father. "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spend the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles." (Luke 6:12, 13). Everything Jesus did, and every decision He made, was first met with prayer. His work was kingdom work, and it could only be accomplished with God's wisdom and power. "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6).
Jesus, the "supreme apostle" (reference Hebrews 3:1), was "sent" by the Father to begin the work of building the kingdom of God; a work that would be continued by "prayerfully" selected apostles who would act in His behalf as authorized agents for the Kingdom. This all important decision, selecting those who would build His church and become His messengers to the world, required serious and fervent prayer. Jesus spent the entire night with His Father, and when the sun rose the next morning, "He called His disciples to Himself." This is an important lesson in prayer that all disciples of Christ need to put into practice: No decision should be made until we first inquire of the heavenly Father (We will learn quickly how much easier the work is when we consult Him first)!
Heavenly Father,
Help me to view everything I have to do
through Your eternal lens.
May I learn to inquire of You first,
praying more diligently and fervently
before I make any decision, so
I will know that in all things I am doing only that which You
have purposed for me to do.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
When was the last time we spent all night in prayer with the Lord? Is there any burden that might be weighing heavy upon our hearts that would warrant spending so much time in prayer? Is there not even within us the slightest desire to spend a night of communion with our heavenly Father? If we only understood how much the Father longs to spend time with His children, we would not deny our Father what He desires most, or be afraid that we would not be able to hold up our end of the conversation. If we would simply begin to put into practice the pattern the Lord has shown us with His own prayer life, we would begin to feel the weight of our burdens lifting, and have them replaced with joy and peace in His presence. Let us praise Him this morning that His throne is a throne of grace. Let us go there often, and for extended periods of time, "with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
AFTERNOON DEVOTION -"Evening, and morning, and noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice" (Psalm 55:17, KJV).
Scripture Reading: Matthew 10:1-16
Jesus' disciples watched with wonder and awe, as He performed miraculous signs and wonders and spoke with authority. Soon their faithful Teacher would send them out of the classroom and into the world, with the authority "to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (v.1). It is no wonder the Lord spent the night in prayer before making this all important selection. The apostles would be acting on His behalf. Jesus chose twelve of them to represent Him (just as there were twelve tribes of Israel). They would become His hands and feet to trample on the devil and reveal the destruction of his kingdom, and to bring hope and healing to the world.
Jesus prepares His disciples today, just as He prepared His disciples then. There is no greater preparation for a disciple of Jesus Christ than that of communion with the Lord. How can we expect to serve Him, if we do not know Him or His work? How can we expect to be entrusted to lead others to experience a life of abiding intimacy with Christ, if we have not first spent time with Him ourselves? This is the value of the life of prayer that our Lord modeled for us in His earthly life. In order to give of ourselves to others, we must first receive from the Father what He has purposed for us to pass on. How vital it is that we become diligent students of the Word of God and of prayer. We have been entrusted with His kingdom, and He has committed to us His message of reconciliation. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20a).
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the honor You
have given me to spend time
in Your presence; to learn from
You and have access to Your unlimited power.
Give me the strength and energy I need each
day to stay awake and persevere in prayer
so that the people You have laid on my heart
today will receive Your grace, experience
Your goodness, find the remedy for their
illness, come to know You as Savior,
find rest for their weariness, peace for
their trials, and hope for their future.
May You use me as a vessel of Your mercy
so they will receive the answer they so desperately need.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
There is no faster way to learn than to put into practice the lesson being taught. Jesus taught His disciples in degrees. First, He called them to Himself, and then He sent them out. They had to spend time with Him and learn from Him before they could be entrusted with the work of His kingdom. Theirs (as well as ours) would be a sacred trust. When Jesus finally sent them out He gave them power and authority for their work. It was vital that they understood how to wield the power that they had been given. This afternoon, let us come before the all-sufficient, infinite throne of grace and draw from heaven the limitless love of the Father and pour it out on those He has placed in our path today. "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8b).
EVENING MEDITATION -"...and on His law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2)
Scripture Reading: Psalm 23
When we put into practice all that our faithful Shepherd has taught us, our faith is strengthened. Jesus is our Good Shepherd who calls us to Himself and provides for all our needs. In His presence is fullness of joy. His Word promises us that we "shall not be in want." When we pray to the heavenly Father, we come to the all-sufficient One. In His presence in prayer we find the quiet and contentment we need in the midst of an chaotic and uncertain world. Jesus is all that we need. When we dwell in the secret place of prayer we learn to feed on divine love, and we are fully satisfied. Soon, we discover that what was once our duty is now our highest joy. "...He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul." In the prayer closet we find refreshment as His kindness leads us to repentance and we are restored to His presence. How blessed we are to walk the road of righteousness He has prepared for us, knowing He is guiding us safely through the course of life to the other side into His eternal presence. We have nothing to fear in this life, for He has given us His Word to guide us and His Holy Spirit to comfort us. There is nothing that can separate us from His love (reference Romans 8:35-39). He will never leave us nor forsake us (reference Hebrews 13:5). Let us praise our Father in heaven for His presence this evening. May we learn to practice His presence each day, so we will experience His peace and be filled with His love to be able to minister from a place of power and strength and continue to advance His kingdom in this world. "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
Heavenly Father,
How tender is Your love and care for Your children.
We praise You for You are our Good Shepherd.
You gather the lambs in Your arms
and You carry them close to Your heart.
There is no place we would rather
dwell than near Your heart this day.
Thank You for leading us safely through the trials of life, and directing
us to green pastures and separating us from the filth of the world.
You have taught us to feed on You, so we can be nourished
and fully satisfied. You are all that we desire. Help us to put into
