Staying close

I will not let you go, unless you bless me. ~ Genesis 32:26b

Always maintain the habit of prayer: be both alert and thankful as you pray. ~ Colossians 4:2 (Phillips)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord wants a close relationship with each of us.

PRAYER:

Loving God, thank you for initiating a relationship with me. I'm so grateful that you want to be close to me. I want that, too. But I am prone to drift with my feelings. I am easily distracted. That means I need you even more and I appreciate your patience with me. Help me to make prayer a habit. Help me to pray with an alert mind and a thankful heart. I'm going to stay close. Amen.

Lead me home

I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your ancestors. ~ Ezekiel 20:41b-42 (NLT)

God doesn’t take back the gifts he has given or forget about the people he has chosen. ~ Romans 11:29 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

I need to trust God because he keeps his word.

PRAYER:

Lord, I'm grateful that you can be trusted. You will not go off and change your mind on a whim. You are reliable. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop me from worrying over the details. I need to stop the worry. Or maybe I need you to stop the worry in me, I don't think I can do it on my own. But I'm going to start moving in that direction. Lead me home. Amen.

Solid teaching

Shout praises to the Lord! The Lord blesses everyone who worships him and gladly obeys his teachings. ~ Psalm 112:1 (CEV)

But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ~ 2 Timothy 3:14-15 (MSG)

KEY IDEA:

That which we learned from God's message to us is worth hanging onto because it will guide us into faith and salvation.

PRAYER:

Praise to you, our Lord and God! I'm so thankful for the way that you have been speaking into my life from way before I realized it. On the days when I am tired and drained -- I'm too ready to give up and forget about how your teaching has made my life better. Don't give up on me. Please continue to speak wonderful words of encouragement into my mind and heart. I'm going to stick with what I've learned and believed. Amen.

Fruitful communication

The First Sunday in the Season of Advent

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. ~ Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)

And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. ~ Mark 16:20 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord's word always produces fruit.

PRAYER:

Lord,

THANKS: Thank you for sending your message out and for the way that it produces fruit.

REGRETS: I need to give more attention to preaching your word with my life and my words.

INTERCESSION: I pray for all those who hear me speak and preach. I pray that they would become fruitful for you and your kingdom.

PURPOSE: I'm going to focus more of my energy on preaching the good news of Jesus.

Amen.