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Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary writer.

Becoming more like Jesus. This doesn’t mean your life will externally look like a first-century robe-wearing Jewish man. It does mean that your life—as a plumber, pastor, teacher, knowledge worker, or full-time parent—becomes ever more permeated with the rhythms, actions, and reactions Jesus would have if he were you. That last idea, living your life as Jesus would if he were you, is one I’ve heard to the point of overfamiliarity. But it revolutionized the way I think about being a disciple today. Even now, if I take the time to chew and digest that picture through my imagination—Jesus working my job, Jesus raising my kids—I feel nourished by what life can be. Nourished… and sometimes discouraged. The Enemy always distorts what’s good. Thinking about how Jesus would live our life may lead to shame if we focus on the distance between where we are and where we want to be (or, ought to be, if our thoughts are mired in measurements).  But the Holy Spirit invites us to focus on Jesus and the mystery that he’s in us and already at work. Jesus is with us to guide and teach. He is patient and ready to forgive. He is able—with our cooperation—to unbend us so that his actions and words bubble up naturally from our hearts.

Prayer:

Written by Cheryce Rampersad, contemporary Christian author and contributor to the ChristiansTT prayer website. 

Draw near Oh Lord, as I step out today into this unholy land. Let each and every step I take be a step closer to You as I begin the journey of thinking and acting as my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

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Written by Lewis and Sarah Allen. Lewis is a contemporary pastor and Sarah a teacher and women’s ministry leader. This is an excerpt from their work: “Resilient Faith: Learning to Rely on Jesus in the Struggles of Life.”

In some circles, it’s been fashionable to downgrade the place of the weekly worship gathering. The reasoning is that God wants all of our lives to be worship, as he has redeemed every area to be filled with his praise and service. After all, doesn’t Paul tell us that, whatever we do, we are to do it “to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31)? Surely, then, worship can be working, golfing, traveling, sleeping in, and everything else besides? So let’s not lift the Sunday experience higher than the Bible does, or so goes the popular wisdom. Some might say, “But how much do you worship God when you focus on the golf ball? How conscious are you of the Lord and his goodness, and happily responding to him in thanksgiving when you’re navigating a stressful relationship at work?” Yes, these are real areas for you to develop your awareness of the Lord and satisfaction in him; but worship is a conscious, intentional bringing of mind, heart, and body to the Lord as we praise, thank, pray to, listen to, and enjoy him. That’s what the Bible teaches us in both Testaments. In the vast majority of its uses, the main word for “worship” in the New Testament speaks of the church on earth and in heaven praising and adoring God together. It is something Christians stop everything else in order to do. We turn aside from the good (enjoying God in all of his gifts) to focus on the best (enjoying conscious fellowship with him in the gathering and shared worship of fellow believers). This worship strengthens faith. We worship, and our faith is deepened. We don’t wait until we have deep faith before we worship God. We take the little we believe, the little we know, the thanks and the praise we have—aware that it feels so little—and we bring it to him. And he meets us.

Prayer:

Written by William Bright (1824-1901), an English ecclesiastical historian and Anglican priest.

 O most loving Father, you want us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but losing you, and to cast all our anxiety on you because you care for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have shown us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Written by Louie Giglio, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.  This is an excerpt from his book “Seeing God as a Perfect Father.”

Our understanding of our new identity changes everything for us. By nature, we are not lost spiritual pilgrims. We are not simply churchgoers. We are not trying to be “do-gooders.” We are not merely shined-up sinners. Who we are now at the core is this: We are born of God. He is our perfect Father. We have received Christ, and we believe in His name. We are new creatures whose DNA is being transformed by the One who made us. When we wake up to our true identities in Christ, we are no longer bound by the chains of our earthly burdens. 

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from “The Vally of Vision” – a book of Puritan Prayer.

I was dead in iniquities, having no eyes to see thee,

no ears to hear thee

no taste to relish thy joys

no intelligence to know thee;

But thy Spirit has quickened me,

has brought me into a new world as a new creature…

thou hast drawn me with cords of love. Amen.

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Written by L. B. Cowman (1870-1960), a missionary and author.

People so often say, “How do you get the voice of the Lord?” Here is the secret. They heard the voice when they stood and let down their wings. We have seen a bird with fluttering wings; though standing still, its wings are fluttering…Do we not sometimes kneel or sit before the Lord and yet feel conscious of a fluttering of our spirits? Not a real stillness in His presence. A dear one told me several days ago of a certain thing she prayed about, “But,” said she, “I did not wait until the answer came.” She did not get still enough to hear Him speak, but went away and followed her own thought in the matter. And the result proved disastrous and she had to retrace her steps. Oh, how much energy is wasted! How much time is lost by not letting down the wings of our spirit and getting very quiet before Him! Oh, the calm, the rest, the peace which come as we wait In His presence until we hear from Him!

Prayer:

Written by L. B. Cowman, the author of today’s meditation.

“Be still! Just now be still!
Something thy soul hath never heard,
Something unknown to any song of bird,
Something unknown to any wind, or wave, or star,
A message from the Fatherland afar,
That with sweet joy the homesick soul shall thrill,
Cometh to thee if thou canst but be still.

“Be still! Just now be still!
There comes a presence very mild and sweet;
White are the sandals of His noiseless feet.
It is the Comforter whom Jesus sent
To teach thee what the words He uttered meant.
The willing, waiting spirit, He doth fill.
If thou would’st hear His message,
Dear soul, be still!”

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Written by authors Brent Curtis (1947-1998) and John Eldredge. This is an excerpt from their book “The Sacred Romance.”

Satan’s strategy is to disconnect us from our heart and the heart of God toward us by any means possible. He wants to kill the desire that would lead us back to the One who loves us, using all the forms of shame, contempt, apathy, numbing, and perversion at his disposal. He wants to get us to question whether God has anything good in mind in His plans for us. He does this through the wounds we have received from life’s arrows. He dismantles our true worship and replaces the love affair with a religious system of do’s and don’ts that parch our hearts.

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from the North America Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church.

God in heaven, you have helped my life to grow like a tree.  Now something has happened.  Satan, like a bird, has carried in one twig of his own choosing after another.  Before I knew it he had built a dwelling place and was living in it.  Tonight, my Father, I am throwing out both the bird and the nest.

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Written by Adam Dooley, a contemporary pastor and  author. This is an excerpt from his book “Hope When Life Unravels.”

Surveying the various good outcomes God frequently produces from our agonies requires a careful word of caution. Because knowing the mind of God is impossible (Romans 11:33-34), discerning His intentions demands humility. Though it is true that God may have a singular goal for our afflictions, His desired end is often multifaceted and complex. You may understand something of God’s design for your hardships, but the full breadth of His intentions is often incomprehensible. Grasping for understanding of what God might be teaching you is commendable, but speaking dogmatically for Him is not. We should be proactive in order to grow, without being presumptuous regarding the Lord. 

Prayer:

Written by Kenneth Copeland, a contemporary pastor, evangelist, author, and speaker.

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I thank You that You have plans for Me exceedingly, abundantly above what I can even imagine—plans for good that will give me a future and a hope. I praise You and thank You that this is Your will for me! God, I know You want to prosper and bless me in every way possible, and I desire to fully put my trust in You and relinquish my will for Yours. I submit my will to Your will in Jesus’ Name, and I thank You that Your plans for me are beyond my imagination. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Written by Robert J. Morgan, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his book “Then Sings my Soul.”

The Bible contains promises for every problem and a word of assurance for every need. When faced with anger or anxiety, we can always find a word from God to nudge us onward and upward — if only we’ll open His Book. That’s what Darlene Zschech did one dark day in 1993. Darlene was born in 1965 in Brisbane, Australia, and she grew up singing. When she was about fifteen, her father, who had recently given his life to Christ, enrolled her in a Christian scouting program; and through that program she received Jesus Christ as her Savior. Years later, one day in 1993, Darlene faced a daunting and discouraging personal problem. In her heaviness, she entered the study of her home and sat at the old and out-of-tune piano her parents had given her when she was five. Opening her Bible, she started reading Psalm 96. As Darlene meditated on that psalm, her fingers pressed the keys of the piano, and the music and words began to flow. In about twenty minutes the song was done. For several days she sang it to herself as the truths of the song ministered to her own heart. She had not previously called herself a songwriter, so Darlene was reluctant to share it with anyone. But mustering her courage, she finally asked the music pastor at her church to listen to it. She was so nervous she kept stopping and apologizing. She even asked him to stand over by the wall and turn away from her while she sang it. He assured her the song was wonderful, and shortly afterward they sang “Shout to the Lord” during the offering at church. The congregation took to it quickly, standing and joining in the song, though the words hadn’t been prepared for bulletin or screen. Darlene’s pastor, Brian Houston, predicted it would be sung around the world. And so it has.

Prayer:

Written by Darlene Zschech, a contemporary Australian worship leader and singer-songwriter. These are some of the lyrics to the song “Shout To the Lord.”

My Jesus, my Savior
Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In You. Amen.

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Written by Albert Benjamin Simpson (1843-1919), a Canadian preacher, theologian, and author. This is an excerpt from his book “Days of Heaven Upon Earth.”

Some of us are shivering and wondering why the Holy Spirit does not fill us. We have plenty coming in, but we do not give it out. Give out the blessing that you have, start larger plans for service and blessing, and you will soon find that the Holy Spirit is before you, and He will present you with blessings for service, and give you all that He can trust you to give away to others.

Prayer:

Written by Natalie Regoli, a contemporary Christian author and lawyer.

Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us that as You are, so are we in the world. Your Holy Spirit lives in us, and through His power, we are Your representatives. Jesus, You said that we would do the same works that You did, and even greater, through the power of Your Spirit. As we make ourselves living sacrifices, pour out the power of Your Holy Spirit on us and enable us to do Your works on earth. Amen.

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Written by Brother Lawrence (1614-1691), a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in Paris. This is an excerpt from his book “The Practice of the Presence of God.”

May all our energy be devoted to knowing God. The more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him. Knowledge is commonly understood as a measure of love. The deeper and more extensive our knowledge is, the greater will be our love. If our love of God is great, we will love Him equally in pain and pleasure. Let us not amuse ourselves by seeking God or loving God in order to receive blessings from God, no matter how lofty those blessings may be. Such blessings, however great, cannot bring us as near to God as one simple movement of faith. Let us seek Him by faith often. He is within us; do not seek Him elsewhere. Are we not rude and blameworthy, if we leave Him alone and busy ourselves with trifles, which do not please Him and may even offend Him? These trifles will one day cost us dearly. Let us be devoted to Him earnestly. Let us cast away everything else from our hearts. He desires to possess them exclusively. Beg this favor from Him. If we do our part, we shall soon see the transformation within us that we desire.

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from the Roman Breviary ,a book of the liturgical rites  of the Latin Church. Published in 1482, it became known as the Liturgy of the Hours.

Most gracious God,

to know and love your will is righteousness,

enlighten our souls with the brightness of your presence,

that we may both know your will and be enabled to perform it;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary writer and director of communication for Renovare (an organization for spiritual formation).

The modern cultural consensus is that people fail to flourish because they have low self-esteem. But the opposite belief prevailed for much of human history: people don’t flourish because they think too highly of themselves. Which is it? Do we need more self-esteem or less? … In his book The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Tim Keller …  points out that most of us derive our self-worth from others or ourselves, from how well we measure up to their standard or to our own. But the gospel of Jesus offers us something altogether different: your worth and identity come from God. You are who God says you are. And because of the work of Jesus—because we are adopted into God’s family and share in Jesus’ inheritance—you are, incredibly, who God says Jesus is: the beloved in whom he is well pleased. Our identity and worth is in Jesus. That’s fantastic news. So why is it so hard to live from this new-life-in-Christ? Because of ingrained habits of thought and action. Because of little and big “T” traumas. Because of any number of other things that actively fight against who God says we are. But it is possible, with God’s help, to grow into an accurate picture of self that leads to the freedom and joy of self-forgetfulness. Another word for this healthy self-identity? Humility.  James Bryan Smith suggests a simple practice to help move us in this direction. You might try memorizing this phrase and saying it aloud, perhaps with your hand on your chest: “I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights. And I live in the strong and unshakeable Kingdom of God.”

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from the PC-USA Book of Common Worship.

More than ever I find myself in the hands of God.

This is what I have wanted all my life from my youth.

But now there is a difference;

the initiative is entirely with God.

It is indeed a profound spiritual experience

to know and feel myself so totally in God’s hands.

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