Fruitfulness

They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves... ~ Psalm 1:3a (CEV)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. ~ Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

God wants to produce good fruit in my life. I need to let him.

PRAYER:

Lord, I'm not a very impressive tree. Oh, I pretend that I'm big and beautiful. But I am really short and scrawny. On my own I have very little to offer. Yet, you have replanted me to be by your living water so that my roots are well fed.  The fruit I produce is all yours. If it were not for you I would be fruitless. Please, I want to continue producing fruit -- more fruit -- even better fruit. It gives me real satisfaction. Amen.

God's doing

We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it. ~ Proverbs 16:9 (MSG)

What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ~ James 4:15 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

We may think we're in charge of life, but really, it depends on God making it happen.

PRAYER:

Lord:

THANKS: Thank you for all the wonderful opportunities that you have given to me.

REGRETS: I'm prideful and take too much credit for all the good things that have come my way.

INTERCESSION: Help me to recognize the many things you do on my behalf. Help me to become humble.

PURPOSE: I'm going to recognize that everything depends on your will.

Amen.

Christ lives

I know that my redeemer is alive. ~ Job 19:25a (CEB)

Paul writes: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all! ~ 1 Timothy 1:15 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

Christ lives in order to save people like me.

PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord, for rescuing me from death. Forgive me when I forget that I've been freed. Help me now to live out the resurrection life that I am certain is my future. I'm going to become a living testimony to new life. Amen.

Faith and obedience

Noah did everything the Lord told him to do. ~ Genesis 6:22 (CEV)

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. ~ Hebrews 11:7a (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

Faith and obedience walk hand in hand.

PRAYER:

Lord,

THANKS: I am grateful for the direction you give to us. Sometimes what you say sounds crazy -- always challenging.

REGRETS: Unlike Noah, I worry too much about what might happen if I follow your directions. Actually, I don't worry so much about what people think but I'm concerned that I'm not hearing you correctly. 

INTERCESSION: Help me to know the difference between the crazy things you are asking me to do and the many crazy things that my own mind generates.

PURPOSE: I'm going to trust you to give me discernment.

Amen.