Simple Devotion

 Acts 2:42 "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."

In light of the last blog, God has been putting it on my heart to really start to devote myself to scripture and prayer on a daily basis. (Fellowship and eating with people are my default which i love to do so it doesn't require as much discipline.) I personally have felt led to shoot for 2 hours of prayer and 2 hours of the Word a day. I don't make it the full time everyday, but that is what i am going for. When I don't make it, I repent and go for it the next day without getting hung up in legalism, guilt, or condemnation.

From time to time you might here these amazing stories of God moving in crazy ways through people around the world, but let me tell you these are just a highlight reel. If you look at people who God is doing amazing things through, behind the amazing things is simple devotion.

To be honest, as I have been in prayer, I don't feel much or get much and often feel unproductive. And when i read the Word I don't remember too much of what I have read and don't get tons of revelation. But what I have been finding is that, in the past 2 months of doing this, I have never grown more in my life!! It is not about feelings or us getting something out of it. It just isn't about us! It is just that he is worthy to be sought after. And yet simply being in the Word and in prayer changes you. It is incredible! I am finding I have more faith, more boldness, more passion, more knowledge, and more authority when I speak, than ever before! But it has all come from committing to getting in the Word and prayer everyday. This is not for the spiritually elite, there is no such thing. This is for everyone who is in Christ.

There is no certain amount of time, no formula. It is simply that the more you are in the Word and prayer, the more you are changed into the likeness of Jesus. Right now, I urge you ask God how much time he would have you commit a day for this and if there is "no time in your day" then what would he have you delete from you schedule? This is easier said than done. But Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, and quite simply, he is worthy to be sought after with all of our heart, mind soul, and strength. His love is what drives us, seeing his work on the cross, the price he paid to be with us. And when we encounter his love in the word and prayer, it makes it worth it all. So let's submit to Christ and surrender our lives and schedules to him and go after him like never before!

Two songs of surrender:
Finally, I Surrender - Misty Edwards
I Surrender - Kim Walker

The Glory of God

"It's all for his glory!" was really cliche to my most of my life, but something is happening recently that has left me starting to take a serious look at this phrase and its implications.

On my January 17, my 25th birthday, I woke up and found myself praying this: "God I thank you for 25 years but quite frankly if you won't be incredibly glorified, and your kingdom radically advanced through the rest of my life, I would rather you just take me now." As I thought about what I just prayed in my hazy, just-woken-up state, it hit me that if this life is all for his glory...then it just isn't about me, my wants or desires. And it's not that God says I can't have desires, but rather as I am changed by being in his presence his desires become my desires.

I do believe that life is all for his glory, all over the Bible God is quoted saying, "I will do ____ for the sake of my name." Thus we need to look at the implications of this. Two of the many areas that I have noticed the implications in are in worship and relationships.

Worship: I used to go into worship to get something out of it, whether feeling, revelation, or just a good time with friends. The implication of it being all for his glory...it is not about me getting something or whether i feel like worshiping. The truth is he is worthy of my worship and his worth doesn't change based on my feeling like worshiping or not. So I just have decided to sing my heart out and worship with everything i have, especially when i don't feel like it. And it has been amazing!

Relationships: Specifically, guy-girl dating relationships. In the past I found that my motivation for wanting to get into a dating relationship has been either: "I like her", "She likes me", "I'm lonely", "We really like each other", "She is perfect", etc... In all of those scenarios, it is all about me.  In the Bible God clearly lays out his reason for people to be married. It is to put on display, to the world, Christ's love for the church. It just isn't about us. Now if people have gotten in relationships for selfish reasons I do believe God can and does work despite this in very cool ways through them. But what if we were to be willing to wait on God to lead us into these relationships? I am not saying you have to have a radical dream or vision as confirmation but rather just the peace of know without a doubt that you are in obedience in marrying a person. The example of Christ is that he woos into marriage. Dating today (in general) really has just turned into practicing for divorce. When the feelings are gone or times get tough, they break up. But if people were getting into relationships to display God's love for the church to the world, there would be no more divorce in the church, because God doesn't break covenant no matter how awful his church gets.

Since that day I have been waking up and praying, "God you woke me up today, so you must receive your glory through my life and your kingdom must be advanced through me today." And everyday I have prayed that, God has given me and opportunity to advance his kingdom some how, whether in a big or little way, through praying for someone, sharing a testimony, healing a sick person, going out of my to show God's love to someone who people don't give the time of day, etc... This has really helped me humble myself in a lot of situations by just simply remembering that it just isn't about me. To Him be the glory forever.

My friend wrote a great note about relationships if you are interested here.
Also this song says it all so beautifully: Jesus, Lover of My Soul