Devotional Booklet 10 February - 3 March

Transcription

1 Devotional Booklet 10 February - 3 March

2 10 February - 3 March Our leadership team has felt an overwhelming call for our Church Family to spend time seeking the Lord, for no other purpose than to love Him more, experience deeper intimacy with Him, and to learn how to worship him in a greater way. We feel incredibly excited about this, and can t wait to see what will happen as we all seek God together in this way. One Thing comes from Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. The Bible says that the purpose of our lives is to love and worship God, and that we are only complete when we are in deep relationship with Him. The Psalmist says: In your presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), and we are excited about what it will mean to be seeking His presence together as a church community. Our whole church community will be focused on this season throughout February, and we will have special nights of worship, weekends of prayer, teaching on intimacy with God, and times of prayer ministry and refreshing. We invite you and your family to join us in intentionally taking steps to come close to Him through fasting, prayer, worship, teaching and fellowship.

3 Thoughts about Fasting One Thing is a time of prayer and fasting, where we as a church want to focus on our relationship with God, and to come closer and be more intimate with Him. We are not asking people to give up food for the full 21 days, but are inviting you and your family to pray about spending some time fasting and praying during that time. The idea is to give it a go and maybe go without some meals, or decide to just eat very simply for some meals. It is vital that if you have a medical condition or are taking medication, that you consult your doctor first, and if you can t fast food, you may consider some other area to sacrifice, so that you have more time to pray e.g. going without TV, electronic entertainment, books etc. As far as food is concerned, you may consider fasting sweet food or desserts for the 21 Days, or maybe skip a meal a day, or have one or two days in the week that you go without food, or maybe over a weekend. Many children take part in the annual 40 hour famine, so even kids can take part under supervision. It is vital to just remember to keep fluids up! As well, many kids may want to fast other forms of distraction. This can be done in a fun way to learn the principle of prayer and fasting. Fasting is about making a sacrifice of things we love and get pleasure from, to put God in the highest place of priority. The idea behind fasting is to take our eyes off the appetites of our body, and focus what God is doing in our spirit. This allows us to become more attune to hearing God speak. It also frees up a lot of time to spend praying. It can be a great opportunity to start good new habits such as a personal devotion time, a prayer journal, attending Prayer Meetings, family devotions, attending a Life Group, starting to tithe regularly, beginning to read the Bible in full, starting a daily devotional book etc. Most importantly, if you are fasting don t forget to pray!!! Otherwise you are just dieting! Events During the 21 days, we have regular public prayer meetings at City and Beach Campuses, some special guest speakers, evenings of Prayer and Worship, special nights of teaching, and the two prayer rooms will be open 24/7 for people to come and pray. All the details of meeting times and locations are on our website

4 Building a Devotional Relationship with God. Our desire over the ONE THING season, is to build a more intimate relationship with God. We do this by practicing Spiritual Disciplines. If you are new to these, they can seem foreign, and somewhat boring, but as you persist and start to sense God s Presence, you will come to really enjoy building your relationship with Him. We recommend having a Daily QUIET TIME, where you find a quiet place and take time to do some of the Spiritual Disciplines listed below. Here are some of the Spiritual Disciplines that help us grow close to God Reading the Bible As we read God s Word, we come to know about him, but also come to know him intimately. If you read God s Word every day and ask the Holy Spirit to make it come alive, and speak to you, you will come to know and love God more. You can buy a good Bible, or get a free one online or as an App on a Smartphone. There are many versions of the Bible, but the most popular and easy to understand ones are: The New International Version (NIV) The New Living Bible (NLT) The English Standard Version (ESV) Worship Worship is when we pour our love out to God. We can do that by the way we live and also the ways we are creative, such as through art, poetry and dance, but the most common form of worship is music. When you sing to God, or listen to worship music, something supernatural happens in your heart. It is a great thing to have worship music in your home, car, computer or ipod. You can buy CD s or get music online at a store like itunes. Some great Church Worship Bands and artists are: Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Soul Survivor, Hillsong, Parachute Band, Bethel, Jesus Culture.

5 Prayer Prayer is way more than just telling God what you want! It is a two-way conversation where we speak to God and then listen to Him. There are a number of different types of prayer, and all of them are important. They can be remembered by the word A.C.T.S Adoration telling God how much we love him Confession telling God about our sins and asking for his forgiveness Thanksgiving thanking God for all he has done and all our blessings Supplication asking God to supply all our needs When God speaks to us, he usually does it through our thoughts, impressions and feelings. When we read the Bible, we can suddenly feel strongly that a verse may apply to us, or it may prompt us to adjust our lives to please God more. This is a way God speaks. God will never say anything that contradicts the Bible! Not every thought you have is from God you have to test it by lining it up against the Bible, and consulting wise, mature Christian friends. A great way to learn to hear God speak is to get a JOURNAL, and everyday as you have your QUIET TIME and read your Bible, ask God to speak to you, and then write down what you think He might be saying to you. After a while, you learn to recognise his voice. Remember, the more you take time to listen to him, the easier it is to recognise His voice. Life Groups Joining a Life Group is a quick way to learn about God and mature as a Christian. You learn faster in a group, it is easier to learn to hear God speak, and you have a group to keep you on the right track. Also you tend to see God move in greater power in a group. Life Groups are for those who are really serious about growing spiritually.

6 Daily Devotional Resources As you study the Bible, it can be very helpful to have a Bible reading plan, and a devotional to make it more interesting. Reading the Bible for yourself is vital, and you need to read the Word and then allow God to speak to you personally every day. In addition though, you can learn a lot about the Bible by reading a daily devotion, where an author makes a comment about the Christian life, or gives a mini sermon on a passage of the Bible. Excellent Devotional Apps for Smart Phone Users: Bible in One Year (By Alpha) You Version Bible Devotionals Daily Faith Our Daily Bread. Read the Bible in a year: Online Daily Devotionals: Physical Books: My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers. One Year Bible (Available at Christian Bookstores)

7 Week One DESIRE READ: Psalm 84 Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37 (NIV) How do we make God the greatest love of our lives? Anything else we love more than Him is an idol. He wants us to choose Him. We choose that we want Him MORE. More than: We choose this because we recognise our need for: Jesus, the source of forgiveness The Father, who redeems and transforms us The Holy Spirit, our power source and wisdom

8 Week One: DESIRE Day One As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thinks for God, for the living God. Psalm 42:1-2 The deer pants for water when hunted, he has a physical thirst but water also allows him to escape from the hunter - how desperate is our thirst for God? What are you desperate for?

9 Week One: DESIRE Day Two May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NIV) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters. Colossians 3:23 (NIV) Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people... Ephesians 6:7 (NIV)

10 Week One: DESIRE Day Three You can hold onto your small hopes and dreams, your agenda, your fear, your ambitions for yourself...or you can lay it down and exchange it for the glorious, unknown, expansive, safe, beautiful plans of heaven. What do you desire more? READ: Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 55:9, Psalm 37:25

11 Week One: DESIRE Day Four I desire to know you more and so I choose to spend time in your presence But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry... Psalm 106:44 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waxes of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Psalm 107:29-30 Then I will go to the altar of God, my joy and my delight. Psalm 43:4

12 Week One: DESIRE Day Five He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:10 What wasteland are you in? Are you hiding or will you let yourself be found?

13 Week One: DESIRE Day Six The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy, went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44 (NIV) Prayer God, you alone know my deepest desires, you know the ways I have acted selfishly and when I have turned my back on you. Holy Spirit, would you change my heart where it is hard, would you give me a new passion for you? Jesus, you alone have the words of life, in you all things hold together. Help me Lord to desire your will above my own, your ways above my comfort. Let my heart live for your Kingdom and let me be always belonging to the Lord. For your glory forever. What is my treasure?

14 Week One: DESIRE Day Seven READ: Psalm 42 As the Deer Panteth for the Water Martin J. Nystrom As the deer panteth for the water, So my soul longeth after Thee. You alone are my heart s desire, And I long to worship Thee. You alone are my strength, My shield; To You alone may my spirit yield. You alone are my heart s desire, And I long to worship Thee. You re my friend And You are my brother Even though You are a King. I love You more than any other, So much more than anything. You alone are my strength, My shield; To You alone may my spirit yield. You alone are my heart s desire, And I long to worship Thee. I want you more than gold or silver, Only You can satisfy. You alone are the real joy-giver And the apple of my eye. You alone are my strength, My shield; To You alone may my spirit yield. You alone are my heart s desire, And I long to worship Thee. Spend some time listening to this song let it be the song of your heart today. (You can find this song on YouTube)

15 Week Two SEEK When you desire something with all your heart, you naturally begin to seek after it. You align your behaviour/time with the things you want. The wise men set out on a vast journey carrying with them precious gifts, so great was their desire to seek after their desire to meet the newborn King. In week two, we set our hearts to seek His face. My heart (desire) says of you, Seek His face! Your face Lord I will seek Psalm 27:8

16 Week Two: SEEK Day Eight READ: Luke 15 Jesus told a story about a woman who lost a coin and who searched for it until she had found it. Is there something you have given up seeking for? Are you seeking the TRUTH? Are you seeking His PRESENCE? You will know the truth and the truth will set you free John 8:32

17 Week Two: SEEK Day Nine You will seek for Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

18 Week Two: SEEK Day Ten READ: 1 Kings 19:11-13 Sometimes seeking is not about a great journey to an unknown and distant destination. Sometimes seeking is about looking very closely at something until the unnoticed detail becomes clear. Today, listen for the still, small voice.

19 Week Two: SEEK Day Eleven READ: Matthew 7:7-11 Ask Seek Knock Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7

20 Week Two: SEEK Day Twelve What are the things that take us away from God? What things block us from being close to Him? READ: Psalm 66:18, Revelations 2:4, Galatians 5:16-25 DISTRACTION UNFORGIVENESS UNREPENTANCE DISAPPOINTMENT FEAR

21 Week Two: SEEK Day Thirteen request quest yearn investigate long chase endeavour strive entreat want explore SEEK query desire inquire crave scout petition look for hunt pursue be after follow How hungry are you for a relationship with God? READ: Psalm 1, Psalm 119, Matthew 13:44-46

22 Week Two: SEEK Day Fourteen Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant seeking goodly pearls; who when he has found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46 The Pearl of Great Price Sir John Everett Millais

23 Week Three ENCOUNTER Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you James 4:8 We pray this is a week of fresh encounter for you, as you have re-set the desires of your heart, as you have been seeking earnestly after Him we hope and believe that we will all have a new encounter. With God Author of Life The Great I Am The Way, The Truth, The Life Hope Victorious All Powerful Lover of the Broken Let this be a week of expectant and joyful encounter. In the morning, I lay my expectations before you and wait with expectation. Psalm 5:3

24 Day Fifteen Week Three: ENCOUNTER Then Jesus asked him, What do you want me to do for you? Mark 10:51 What do you want?

25 Week Three: ENCOUNTER Day Sixteen READ: Psalm 27 What does it mean to wait on God? What does it mean to seek His face? W orship A sk I ntimacy T ime

26 Day Seventeen READ: Isaiah 62:2-7, Ephesians 1:2-14 Week Three: ENCOUNTER What do you call me? My identity is in you.

27 Week Three: ENCOUNTER Day Eighteen When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reched out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said. Be clean! Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Matthew 8:1-3 I need your touch Jesus The Creation of Adam Michelangelo

28 Day Nineteen Week Three: ENCOUNTER...because she thought, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. Mark 5:28 She pressed through the crowd. How can I press through today to touch Him?

29 Week Three: ENCOUNTER Day Twenty Where two or three are gathered together, there I am in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20 Gather together today. Wait for His presence. Seek His face.

30 Day Twenty-One READ: Psalm 100 Week Three: ENCOUNTER...and forget not all his benefits I will enter his courts with praise In gratefulness and with praise I enter into your presence The unknown is now known, and he s calling for a radical life change. Acts 17:30 (The Message)