Day 40: Praise Him in His House

Praise Him in His House

As the church gathers together, His House becomes a place where we can bring our hearts, voice, music and words to sing and give praises to our Heavenly Father. The strength of worship in community is the encouragement it brings to one another in our different seasons of life.

Our freedom in worship allows others to feel free to worship, creating an atmosphere of sincerity where people can be real with God as they encounter Him through praise. It lifts those silenced by weariness and puts a new song in their mouths.

There is an undeniable sense of JOY when the church gathers to worship - a joy not dependant on circumstance, rather a characteristic of being renewed by the Holy Spirit.

Music enriches our worship. There are anthems sung around the world declaring the greatness of God. Some of these have begun as an expression of our House and have now become a resource that enriches local churches, leading people into the presence of God through praise.

Take a look at the praise song beginning in 1 Chronicles 16:8. Read it aloud as you prepare your heart for tomorrow’s services. Give Him praise for all He has planned to do.

GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD, PROCLAIM HIS NAME; MAKE KNOWN AMONG THE NATIONS WHAT HE HAS DONE. SING TO HIM, SING PRAISE TO HIM; TELL OF ALL HIS WONDERFUL ACTS.GLORY IN HIS HOLY NAME; LET THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO SEEK THE LORD REJOICE.

1 Chronicles 16:8-10 (NIV)

Day 39: Faith-Filled

Faith-Filled

One can not study the revivals of history without being struck by stories of great faith - men and women with a Hebrews 11:1 kind of faith who were confident in what they hoped for and assured of what they did not see.

Phoebe Palmer, for example, was a bold evangelist and writer in the 1800s and was considered one of the founders of the Holiness Revival in America and the United Kingdom. Greatly criticised for speaking publicly as a woman and for addressing mixed crowds, she was so assured of her calling and confident in relying on God, that she was not shaken from her hard work and persistence. As a result, thousands of men and women came to know Christ under her teaching.

If faith comes from hearing the message of Christ (Romans 10:17) and faith without good works is dead (James 2:17), then let us today take God at His Word and do something!

Write down the name of someone who you would like to share the message of Jesus with. Do something to actively build the relationship or strengthen your friendship with them - it is relationship that will make a way for you to share Jesus with them! What other areas in your life are you believing God for breakthrough?

NOW FAITH IS CONFIDENCE IN WHAT WE HOPE FOR AND ASSURANCE ABOUT WHAT WE DO NOT SEE. THIS IS WHAT THE ANCIENTS WERE COMMENDED FOR.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (NIV)

Use the hashtag #40daystoCONF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to share what God is speaking to you through this devotional. 

GT Worship Conference is on August 21st-23rd w/ worship guests William McDowell, Josh Baldwin of Bethel Music, Gabriel Wilson, Chase Wagner, Tyler Howell & more! Tickets are $10 and are available at www.gtworship.com.

Day 38: Influence

INFLUENCE

We all influence those around us whether we are aware of it or not. Perhaps it is when we lead in some sphere of life as a parent, teacher, team leader, captain of a sports team or board member. At some point in life there will be people looking up to you or observing you, especially if you are a Christian.

We need to reflect Christ to those who do not yet know Him. Selwyn Hughes, founder of Crusade for World Revival, posed this question, “By our attitudes are we nullifying the Christian message? Does our behaviour contradict the very truths we are trying to get across to others?”

Take a moment to consider Hughes’ question. Does your lifestyle reflect one that is completely in love with Christ and submitted to God? Invite God to work in these areas so that you can be a better influence on others for Him.

DEAR FRIENDS, I URGE YOU, AS FOREIGNERS AND EXILES, TO ABSTAIN FROM SINFUL DESIRES, WHICH WAGE WAR AGAINST YOUR SOUL. LIVE SUCH GOOD LIVES AMONG THE PAGANS THAT, THOUGH THEY ACCUSE YOU OF DOING WRONG, THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS AND GLORIFY GOD ON THE DAY HE VISITS US.

1 Peter 2:11-12 (NIV)

Day 37: Empowered to Bear Fruit

EMPOWERED TO BEAR FRUIT

One of the most wonderful things about living a life that is led by the Holy Spirit is that we are empowered to bear fruit. That means we can actually expect that the work we put our hand to would achieve good results, be that in business, in our relationships, in our creative pursuits, in our character and even in our efforts to share Jesus. As we see evidence of this and it becomes one of our foundational beliefs, we live with greater confidence and faith.

Psalm 92 is a ‘Song for the Sabbath Day’. Make time this weekend to allow it become your own song. Copy verses 12-15 down and put them somewhere visible for the coming days. Choose to have a mindset that expects everything that you put your hand to, to flourish!

YOU DID NOT CHOOSE ME, BUT I CHOSE YOU AND APPOINTED YOU SO THAT YOU MIGHT GO AND BEAR FRUIT--FRUIT THAT WILL LAST--AND SO THAT WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME THE FATHER WILL GIVE YOU.

John 15:16 (NIV)

THE RIGHTEOUS WILL FLOURISH LIKE A PALM TREE, THEY WILL GROW LIKE A CEDAR OF LEBANON; PLANTED IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, THEY WILL FLOURISH IN THE COURTS OF OUR GOD.

THEY WILL STILL BEAR FRUIT IN OLD AGE, THEY WILL STAY FRESH AND GREEN, PROCLAIMING, “THE LORD IS UPRIGHT; HE IS MY ROCK, AND THERE IS NO WICKEDNESS IN HIM.”

Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)

Day 36: Declare Jesus

DECLARE JESUS

We’ve all experienced seasons in life when we have felt that our life - perhaps due to relationships, work or finances - has become overly complicated. Thank God that we can call on the name of Jesus at these times! Unchanging and always present, Jesus’ name can simplify life as we lift Him up as the focus of our praise.

Likewise, sharing our faith does not need to become complicated. The Holy Spirit convicts (John 16:17) and we are released to simply declare Jesus’ name by sharing our story and show others that there is a Saviour who deeply loves them and has a plan and purpose for their lives.

Make a list of any challenges that you are currently facing. Beside each of them, write the name of Jesus. Begin to praise God, focusing on Jesus and declaring the power of His name over your situation.

IT IS BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED BUT WHOM GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD, THAT THIS MAN STANDS BEFORE YOU HEALED.
JESUS IS

“‘THE STONE YOU BUILDERS REJECTED, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE.’

SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MANKIND BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED.

Acts 4:10-12 (NIV)

THEREFORE GOD EXALTED HIM TO THE HIGHEST PLACE AND GAVE HIM THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH,

Philippians 2:9-10 (NIV)

Day 35: How Often Should We Pray

HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE PRAY?

In Acts 1 Jesus has just ascended to heaven and left the disciples with the instruction to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. While waiting for Jesus’ promise, they prayed; they prayed together and they prayed constantly. The disciples knew that they were living in pivotal times and sought God through prayer for what He was about to do.

Meeting in the same place, at the same time with a shared love for God, they were united in belief and their prayers were also. These were a people passionate about spreading the Gospel and they grew quickly in number.

Paul’s letters to the early church also upholds the importance of persevering in prayer, with him instructing the church in Thessalonica to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5.17) and again encouraging those in Rome to be ‘faithful in prayer’.

As we consider Paul’s instructions on prayer today, it would be inconsistent with what he writes about the unmerited nature of God’s grace, for us to take them too legalistically. Rather, let us allow Paul’s words to encourage us to develop an attitude of prayerfulness that is characterised by persistence and consistency, and that comes from pursuing a personal relationship with God and being in His presence throughout the day.

THEY ALL JOINED TOGETHER CONSTANTLY IN PRAYER, ALONG WITH THE WOMEN AND MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS, AND WITH HIS BROTHERS.

Acts 1:14 (NIV)

Day 34: Transformation

TRANSFORMATION

As a result of being in relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit living within us, we are on a journey of transformation. This is the process of purity. The change is slow, steady and unobtrusive; our thoughts, desires, responses and attitudes are shaped into the image of Christ as we allow Him to work in our hearts. Outwardly our bodies will perish as we age - an inevitable fate of humans. But our inward person - our soul - is renewed and refreshed through our relationship with God.

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul is careful to mention that the renewal of our soul is a daily process set in motion by the Holy Spirit. We will never be perfect and complete until we meet with Christ face-to-face. As we grow in Him and mature in our faith, so we will start to reflect more of who God is in our own nature and conduct.

What characteristics of Christ would you like to most reflect? What areas in your life do you feel most challenged to shape-up?

THEREFORE WE DO NOT LOSE HEART. THOUGH OUTWARDLY WE ARE WASTING AWAY, YET INWARDLY WE ARE BEING RENEWED DAY BY DAY.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV)

DEAR FRIENDS, NOW WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, AND WHAT WE WILL BE HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE KNOWN. BUT WE KNOW THAT WHEN CHRIST APPEARS, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS. ALL WHO HAVE THIS HOPE IN HIM PURIFY THEMSELVES, JUST AS HE IS PURE.

1 John 3:2-3 (NIV)

Day 33: How to Pray

HOW TO PRAY

People often feel overwhelmed when it comes to prayer wondering what to say or pray for. However, there is no formula to prayer. Prayer is simply conversation with God.

As we become more comfortable, we find it easier to speak to God from the depths of our hearts. This ‘dailiness’ of talking to God can often be consumed with our personal world, but it may also touch on the needs of our larger world - for healing, salvation and justice.
In ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ (Matthew 6) Jesus taught us how to pray, providing a good example for anyone who is starting to build the habit of talking to God daily. It begins with the earnest request that Heaven be established on earth, according to God’s will.

During this season, as we pray for God to move miraculously as He has done in the great revivals of history, let us determine to make Jesus’ example of prayer our ‘true north’- that our prayers reflect heaven’s priorities, and that we might be ever submitted to our Father’s will.

THIS, THEN, IS HOW YOU SHOULD PRAY:

‘OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME, YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD. AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN OUR DEBTORS. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE.’

Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

Day 32: Joy Comes in the Morning

Joy Comes in the Morning

Will Bolden

For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.[c]
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

Psalms 30:5 Esv.

The best part of waking up, is when you know that with the morning, comes joy. Hallelujah! Not just any joy, but the joy of the Lord. The joy that is your strength. When you awaken in the morning to the joy of the Lord, it comes with side items, such as, mercy and grace. Don't forget that there's favor for a lifetime too. You can have joy because God has provided a brand new mercy for you everyday. You can count it all joy that His grace has covered you even while you were asleep and you can walk in His favor for the rest of your days.

Romans 15:13 says, May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

We need this type of joy that causes us to trust in God, right at the start of our day. Peace that empowers us by the Holy Spirit to understand that we have a future and a hope that is in Christ Jesus.

I pray God, for Your hope to overflow in our hearts as we awaken in the morning with that joy unspeakable joy... We put our trust in You from the rising of the sun. With Joy in our hearts we give you thanks! In Jesus name, Amen!

Day 31: Do You Mean What You Sing?

Do You Mean What You Sing?

By Jevon Bolden

“These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. In vain do they worship Me…” (Mark 7:6, MEV).

If we could stop and think about it for a minute… We sing some pretty scary stuff during worship: “My life is not my own. To You I belong. I give myself. I give myself to you.” Or, “Fill me up, God. Fill me up, God…. Less of me; more of You.” Do we mean them? The words. Do we mean them?

Like, is submission and obedience to the Lord our sincere heart’s cry and true desire?

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep My commandments.” Obey Me. Do as I have asked of you. Keep My Word. Be holy as I am holy. Be humble and serve, as I am humble and have served.Then I will know you love Me.

Obedience is what ministers love to God’s heart. The self-denying act of obeying and submitting to God is His love language. (Thank you, Christine Caine! #GC15)

We can talk about sacrifice if we want to, but He has already said that that is not what He wants. Yet we keep thinking that we are doing something He wants when we sacrifice our time, talents, or treasures in some capacity. Listen, if we are in a placeor doing a task that God has not assigned us to, we aresacrificing in vain.

From King David, the one who spoke God’s love language (the man after God’s own heart):

“For You do not desire sacrifice, or I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:16, MEV).

And from the prophet Samuel (this might hurt):

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? [I would insert the answer, NO, here] To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22, NIV). Brokenness. Contrition. Obedience. God’s love language. The end.

So it’s nice that you wake up at 5:30 every Sunday morning to get to your 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. worship rehearsal. Is it easy for you to do that? Probably not. Would we call something like that a sacrifice? Perhaps. But are you broken? Are you broken enough to sing “I give myself away so You can use me,” and still say, “Yes, God,” in your spirit when the song you usually lead has been given to someone else this week? Or, you’re not on first string for acoustic? Or, for this big worship event someone else is going to drum?

Those are tough changes to swallow for passionate music creatives like us. But realize these may be the changes God desires so that He can bring about His plan in our lives and in the lives of the people our teams minister to.

Prayerfully times like these forty days of fasting and prayer make it easier for our spirits to find joy in the times when God graces us with the opportunity to be humbled. Being humbled at critical times in our journey with God is a gift and blessing. Let. Him. Do. It. And, worshiper, you will count it all joy. (See James 1:2.)

We’ve made our decision to give our lives to God, to let Him order our steps. Our lives are no longer our own. We will shifted and moved around in ways that will bring us so low. Count it all joy. Count it as a measure of grace and favor over your life. Count it a blessing that God would be kind enough to work things in your life to keep you from pride and self-worship. Hallelujah!

You really can’t fully know the things He is ultimately preparing you for, so don’t be so quick to find offense when things don’t go how you thought they should have. Eyes have not seen; ears have not heard the things that God has prepared for those who love (obey and submit to) Him.

This is the spiritual challenge put out there by God for every worshiper who dares to embark on a journey of fasting and prayer: Let Me increase in you. Less of you, My child, and more of Me. Let Me be lifted up in your life that I may draw humankind to Myself. Let Me make you fit to carry My glory in the earth.

Do not let your worship be vain. Do not sing your songs without real commitment to what they mean. Do not come before the Lord with lip service. But let your worship come from a place full of the Spirit and truth—truth that God really does reign in your life, that your life really has been given away to Him so He can use you.

Day 30: Scripture

The Process of PURITY

SCRIPTURE

One of the best ways for us to grow in purity is by reading the scriptures. His Word is alive and a guide for us to learn how to live a life that is not only pleasing to Him but also best for us.

The great preacher Charles H. Spurgeon explained Psalm 119 and his Treasury of David saying, “God’s Word is His witness or testimony to grand and important truths which concern Himself and our relation to Him. If we keep God’s testimonies they will keep us right in opinion, comfortable in spirit, holy in conversation and hopeful in expectation.”

Spending time reading God’s Word - allowing it to flood our hearts with a revelation of His character and His love - will affect the way we speak, think, and live. It will produce in us a life that reflects who He is... One of purity.

The honest truth is that it’s a challenge to find time and motivation to read the Bible every day but let’s not allow the challenge to beat us down. Make a plan today to set aside time every day to be in the Word, whether that be starting a reading plan or listening to an audio reading of the Bible.

FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE. SHARPER THAN ANY DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, IT PENETRATES EVEN TO DIVIDING SOUL AND SPIRIT, JOINTS AND MARROW; IT JUDGES THE THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES OF THE HEART.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

BUT IF ANYONE OBEYS HIS WORD, LOVE FOR GOD IS TRULY MADE COMPLETE IN THEM.

1 John 2:5 (NIV)

Use the hashtag #40daystoENCOUNTER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to share what God is speaking to you through this devotional.

*Daily devotions are taken from www.hillsongcollected.com.

Day 29: Be Refreshed

Be Refreshed

In Acts 3 we learn that a time of refreshing is the immediate comfort we can expect when we repent and accept Christ as our Saviour. Where does this sense of refreshing come from? It comes from being in the presence of the Lord; from His Holy Spirit. Our sins are wiped out and we receive a refreshing from the Lord? This is an incredible and incomprehensible exchange for our sin.

Does this mean we repent once and that sense of refreshing is always present? No. In our human nature, we want our actions to follow a genuine heart to change but we will fail. It is crucial for us to continually turn back to God, remember all that He has done for us, and hold onto the anchor of His hope.

One way we can do this is to praise God regardless of how we feel emotionally, by bringing what the book of Hebrews calls a ‘sacrifice of praise’ (Hebrews 13:15). As revivalist Thomas Charles of Bala, wrote in 1791 “those who have struck the deepest note of penitence can reach the highest note of praise.”

Take a moment to remember when you first met Jesus and the sense of ‘refreshing’ that came with finding joy in the Lord in the midst your circumstances, past failures and hurt.

REPENT, THEN, AND TURN TO GOD, SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE WIPED OUT, THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY COME FROM THE LORD,

Acts 3:19 (NIV)

Day 28: A Heart of Selflessness

A Heart of Selflessness

Being selfless - placing other’s needs above our own - is not a natural human characteristic. Our natural instinct is to look after ourselves and loved ones first and consider others as a secondary priority.

In contrast, Jesus’ example was one of servanthood. Continually, He served those who were around Him putting aside Himself to prioritise others.

Take some time today to wander through the gospels (the books Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and look for your own examples of Jesus’ selflessness, allowing them to challenge you personally. Mark them in some way so that you can be challenged by them at a later time.

Consider how selflessness and generosity go hand in hand. How can you put your own wants and needs aside to be generous with your love, time, words, skills and gifts?

Make a list and highlight three that you can do today to serve someone else.

DO NOTHING OUT OF SELFISH AMBITION OR VAIN CONCEIT. RATHER, IN HUMILITY VALUE OTHERS ABOVE YOURSELVES, NOT LOOKING TO YOUR OWN INTERESTS BUT EACH OF YOU TO THE INTERESTS OF THE OTHERS.
IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER, HAVE THE SAME MINDSET AS CHRIST JESUS:

WHO, BEING IN VERY NATURE GOD, DID NOT CONSIDER EQUALITY WITH GOD SOMETHING TO BE USED TO HIS OWN ADVANTAGE; RATHER, HE MADE HIMSELF NOTHING BY TAKING THE VERY NATURE OF A SERVANT, BEING MADE IN HUMAN LIKENESS.

Philippians 2:3-7 (NIV)

Day 27: Celebrate His Grace

Celebrate His Grace 

In Old Testament times, there was only one entrance to the tabernacle – the place where one would go to meet with God. Once an Israelite entered the gate into the outer court with his sacrifice he was standing on “holy ground”.

Under the new covenant, Christ is the gate; the ‘one way’ by which we enter into God’s presence. The Psalmist reminds us here that it is not the act of walking into a physical building or a gathering of the church that we enter into His presence, rather it is in recognising that Jesus is the only way by which we can come before God. A heart of praise sees the grace of Christ - that by His sacrifice alone we are once again in His presence - and it is in His presence that we are revived and renewed.

In a place of ‘ruins’, we most need the presence of God, yet it is in those very places that we often don’t feel like we can come before Him.

Remember that it is not by our own efforts that we can stand before Him, but by His grace alone. Instead of being consumed by a list of worries and needs, pause to remember Jesus Christ, and enter into His presence with boldness.

ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE; GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME

Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

Day 26: Revival

One can not study the revivals of history without being struck by stories of great faith - men and women with a Hebrews 11:1 kind of faith who were confident in what they hoped for and assured of what they did not see.

Phoebe Palmer, for example, was a bold evangelist and writer in the 1800s and was considered one of the founders of the Holiness Revival in America and the United Kingdom. Greatly criticised for speaking publicly as a woman and for addressing mixed crowds, she was so assured of her calling and confident in relying on God, that she was not shaken from her hard work and persistence. As a result, thousands of men and women came to know Christ under her teaching.

If faith comes from hearing the message of Christ (Romans 10:17) and faith without good works is dead (James 2:17), then let us today take God at His Word and do something!

Write down the name of someone who you would like to share the message of Jesus with. Do something to actively build the relationship or strengthen your friendship with them - it is relationship that will make a way for you to share Jesus with them! What other areas in your life are you believing God for breakthrough?

NOW FAITH IS CONFIDENCE IN WHAT WE HOPE FOR AND ASSURANCE ABOUT WHAT WE DO NOT SEE. THIS IS WHAT THE ANCIENTS WERE COMMENDED FOR.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (NIV)

Day 23: A Heart Moved with Compassion

A Heart Moved with Compassion

“Jesus went ashore and saw a great assembly. And He was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14, MEV).

COMPASSION IS A special force that should never be minimized to a human feeling or emotion. Compassion was the center piece to the miraculous ministry of Jesus Christ. It is also the key to our seeing miracles, signs, and wonders released in our lives and the lives of others.

Have you ever looked through the Gospels at the various mentions of the miracles Jesus worked in people’s lives. The word compassion usually shows up in some form during His interactions with the multitudes.

Compassion is a heart motivation set toward an intense desire to see someone moved from a poor state of being to a significantly better state—mind, body, and spirit. You won’t find this definition in Webster’s,so don’t look. This kind of supernatural compassion is a spirit-enabled, spirit-implanted state of heart that can only be worked into someone’s being by the power of God.

We have declared and cried out in prayer our desire to see miracles, signs, and wonders released in our midst. But we will not see this prayer answered without first having a heart that overwhelmingly cares for the people we hope to impact with these things. 

Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the crowds, because they were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36, NIV). Jesus cared deeply for their plight. And He has shown us that we will not be able to harness a cure for the people we come in contact with except from a place not of this world. A heart moved by compassion will grant us access to the supernatural power of God sothat we can bring healing and deliverance to them, set them in their right minds, feed them, and start them on their way—just like He did.

Listen, the multitudes weren’t filled with perfect Christ-followers, who walked in perfect unison and agreement. They weren’t all “saved.” Some were hateful or hypocritical. Some were bigots. Some complained about everything. Some wanted them to shut up! Others could have been cheaters or killers.They were riffraff, like us and our neighbors, schoolmates, and coworkers. Who knows what else made up their diverse demographics? But Jesus had mercy upon them all and healed all their sick.

Many times we lack the compassion of God because we lose sight of who the real enemy is. It’s not people. No matter what it looks like with our natural eyes, people (groups of them or just one) are not our enemies. The Bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against unseen rulers and powers of darkness (Eph. 6:12)?

If we don’t get heaven’s perspective on this, we will fast and pray with the right endgame but the wrong heart and see no results. No miracles. No signs. No wonders.

We must have compassion for the people who live in the places we pray so desperately for. We can’t just blindly pray for a revival or a move of God without a heart for the people who would be caught up in it. People—good, bad, and ugly—are in desperate need for a divine encounter with the mercy, compassion,and kindness of God and we are commissioned to bring all of it to them.

Like Jesus, the Pharisees also prayed and fasted regularly, yet they showed no signs of having been with the Father. They did not walk in the miraculous. They did not have compassion on the people.

But like I tell my children, this does not have to be our story. God will give us a heart of compassion, and we will see miracles, signs, and wonders released. Released! RELEASED!

I truly believe that a heart of compassion for the people who come will transform the atmosphere at thisyear’s worship conference. May we be knocked off our feet by what He does.

My prayer

God, move my heart with compassion! Let me truly take on Your heart. Let me be moved by other people’s pain so much that I am compelled to do something about their situation. Let me not be psyched out by their pseudo confidence, their unrequited anger, their aloofness, or just simply their difference from me. Let me not allow what I see of their needs in the natural to overwhelm me or keep me from accessing heaven’s storehouse on their behalf. Let those I touch be made WHOLE. Help me to feel humanity the way You do. I seek Your heart, O God. I desire that You may be revealed through me as You revealed Yourself through Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Use the hashtag #40daystoCONF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to share what God is speaking to you through this devotional. 

GT Worship Conference is on August 21st-23rd w/ worship guests William McDowell, Josh Baldwin of Bethel Music, Gabriel Wilson, Chase Wagner, Tyler Howell & more! Tickets are $10 and are available at www.gtworship.com.

Day 22: Grateful

Grateful

Every now and then, life presents us with the opportunity to cultivate a grateful heart. A moment when we are suddenly aware that we have much to be thankful for and that we haven’t been thankful at all. A moment when the phrase ‘spoilt-brat’ comes to mind.

Sometimes we shake it off. Other times, with the best intentions, we realign our perspective, only to find it soon slipping away again.

Why do we fail to maintain a grateful heart when we try so hard?
Perhaps the answer lies in the question itself.
Perhaps it is because we try.

A Spirit-led life is one characterised by responding to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. It can be as simple as encouraging someone when we feel that ‘nudge’ in our spirit. When we live empowered beyond our human limitations in this way, we can not help but be astounded by God’s grace, wondering: How can it be that Almighty God chooses to be intimately involved in my life, prompting me by His Spirit? It is too much.

And we find that over time, the Spirit -led life shapes us into someone who is genuinely grateful and doesn’t take life for granted. To be that kind person who makes people want to get right up close and ask ‘why?’

Today, share with someone the daily things you are grateful for and the work of God in your life.

REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY CONTINUALLY, GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES; FOR THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Use the hashtag #40daystoCONF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to share what God is speaking to you through this devotional. 

GT Worship Conference is on August 21st-23rd w/ worship guests William McDowell, Josh Baldwin of Bethel Music, Gabriel Wilson, Chase Wagner, Tyler Howell & more! Tickets are $10 and are available at www.gtworship.com.

Day 21: Give Thanks

GIVE THANKS

A heart overflowing with gratitude and thanks results in praise. When we pray and experience God moving and answered prayer, our natural response is praise in gratitude, which in turn creates an opportunity for further prayer to God and praise! Thanksgiving brings glory to God and makes Him known.

Yet, even in difficult times, gratitude has power. Novelist, theologian and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis said, “We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because it is good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.”

The expression of gratitude and thanks to God magnifies His majesty and power. As we bring our attention to His sovereignty, whilst still remembering what He has done for us, our faith is stirred up and our hope for what is to come is increased.

Give thanks daily – write down or tell someone two things you are thankful for at the end of each day. Perhaps make it a regular dinner-time activity. Be determined to develop a spirit of thankfulness and praise.

I PROCLAIM YOUR SAVING ACTS IN THE GREAT ASSEMBLY; I DO NOT SEAL MY LIPS, LORD, AS YOU KNOW. I DO NOT HIDE YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN MY HEART; I SPEAK OF YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND YOUR SAVING HELP. I DO NOT CONCEAL YOUR LOVE AND YOUR FAITHFULNESS FROM THE GREAT ASSEMBLY.

Psalm 40:9-10 (NIV)

Day 20: What's in Your Hand?

What's in Your Hand

Several years ago Pastor Brian Houston preached an outstanding message about ‘Using what’s in your hand to establish what’s in your heart.’ Sports people, business people and others were encouraged that their love for God and desire to serve Him could be outworked in their sphere of influence and were encouraged to excel. It was a mindset-changing message at the time for our church, releasing many people to pursue success in whatever it was that they were gifted in and on whatever platform they had as a result of their gifting and effort and to do it for God’s glory!

Now, many years on it has become second-nature to our church to understand that we each have gifts, passions and ‘tools’ in our hands that we can use to achieve what it is that God has set in our heart.

What is in your hand? An instrument, a pen, a paintbrush, a computer, a hammer, a drafting board or a camera?

What is it that God has set in your heart? Have you considered the connection between your heart and hand recently?

How well are you stewarding both?

WHATEVER YOUR HAND FINDS TO DO, DO IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT…

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV)

WHATEVER YOU DO, WORK AT IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AS WORKING FOR THE LORD, NOT FOR HUMAN MASTERS, SINCE YOU KNOW THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE AN INHERITANCE FROM THE LORD AS A REWARD. IT IS THE LORD CHRIST YOU ARE SERVING.

Use the hashtag #40daystoCONF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to share what God is speaking to you through this devotional. 

GT Worship Conference is on August 21st-23rd w/ worship guests William McDowell, Josh Baldwin of Bethel Music, Gabriel Wilson, Chase Wagner, Tyler Howell & more! Tickets are $10 and are available at www.gtworship.com.