This Meditate Monday we invite you to read the following scripture as we prepare for our week focused on God’s provision.
Deuteronomy 31:8 — The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 1:30 — Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf.
Psalm 139:5 — You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Isaiah 52:12 — For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.Isaiah 45:2 — I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
In Matthew 6:5-6 MSG Jesus says — And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for fifteen minutes of fame! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
I love the Message version of these verses. These verses strip away all the show and fanciness we sometimes feel we need in our prayer life. Instead, Jesus calls us to retreat alone to a quiet place and focus on God. Jesus tells us God isn’t after a show. He just wants quiet time alone with each of us.
Examine your prayer time. Do you retreat to a secluded place and spend time alone with God? Do you feel pressured to have fancy prayers to God? How is God speaking to you today about your time alone with Him?
Let’s pray. Thank You Jesus for instructing us on how simple it is to pray to God. Forgive me for times I feel I need to be showy when all You ask of me is a quiet, secluded focus on You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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The basis of our blog is found in Matthew 14:29 when Jesus calls Peter out of the boat to walk on water as Jesus was already doing. Have you ever paid attention to what Jesus was doing just prior to this?
Matthew 14:22-23 MSG — As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
Wow! I am not sure I have ever paid attention that prior to walking on water, Jesus spent time alone praying with God. Jesus is our perfect example. If He realized the need for quiet time with God, shouldn’t we? Isn’t it amazing that after His quiet time alone with God, He walked on water? We too, can do the same.
Over the years since I have set aside daily quiet time with God, I have come to realize that when I am feeling like I am distanced from God it is because I allowed myself to get sucked in by my busy schedule and the noise around me. God hasn’t moved, I have. The only way for me to rectify this distance is to pull away from the noise and draw close to God.
Do you feel distanced from God? If so, be intentional about spending quiet time with God. Turn off the noise and draw close to Him.
Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for the examples Jesus gives us. Forgive me when I have moved away from You. Help me to embrace the quiet and draw close to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Click the link below to watch today’s YouTube short.
Psalm 46:10 NIV — He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Last week Julie shared with us about the presence of God. This week let’s examine our need for quiet time with God.
The world we live in is a constant state of busy noise. We can control some of the noise such as the TV or radio, but there’s some noise that is constant. For example, we always have the low hum of the refrigerator or the welcomed lull of the ac/heat. Unless you live alone, you may also have the noise created by those around you. Talking, the sound of movement or the activities of the house are never ending.
Do you set aside a daily quiet time with God? How do you find a way to “be still” and be with God? Do you value and protect your quiet time?
Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for our quiet time together. Forgive me for days that I fall into the trap of my busy schedule and fail to protect our quiet time together. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Click the link below to watch today’s YouTube video.
Mark 1:35 NIV — Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Luke 5:15-16 NIV — Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
