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Sunday, January 15 2012

Day 8: Expect Awesome Worship (Psalm 100)

Summary:  David exhorted worshippers to rejoice as they prepared to enter into God’s house.  For Christians, Sunday morning is a time when believers should awaken with a sense of expectation even before leaving home.  All too often, we allow the enemy to turn Sunday into a “routine”, devoid of any sense of awe or wonder.  The ultimate agenda for Sunday should be WORSHIP.  When all of us come to church ALREADY prepared to praise and worship our God, God works MIRACLES in our midst!

Action Step:  Determine in your heart to believe that God is going to do something AMAZING when we come together in God’s house on Sunday.  Begin to praise and thank God IN ADVANCE!  God will do it!

Day 9: Give Yourself First (Romans 12)

Summary:  The word “consecrate” means to set apart or devote for sacred use.  Consecrating ourselves means reserving ourselves (mind, body, spirit) for God’s use.  While it is appropriate to make a sacrifice by setting apart our possessions or resources for God, the sacrifice that God REALLY wants is for US to be consecrated first.  When God has your heart, then God can work your gifts, and God’s love can emit from you.

Action Step:  Verbally tell God that EVERY part of you belongs to God.  Ask God to use your ears hear people’s cries, to use your eyes to see people’s needs, to use your mouth to encourage people’s souls, to use your heart to give love and compassion, and to use your hands to help someone today.  Then watch God move and celebrate it!

Day 10:  Resistance Gives Clarity and Strength (Luke 4)

Summary:  As God did with Jesus, the Spirit of The Lord has led us into a season of sacrifice and testing.  By now, the enemy has probably made all kinds of “offers” to you to sidetrack you from your spiritual focus (Food in front of your face, invitations to do other things during quiet time, etc.).  However, when Jesus stayed focused and resisted, God clarified his mission and anointed his ministry.  Similarly, as we stay focused during this 21 day journey, we can expect increased clarity on what God wants us to do, and a greater anointing for effectiveness in serving God.  We may face rejection from some of those around us, but others will be blessed by the change.

Action Step:  When Satan tries to get you off course (through negativity, appetites, distractions, etc.), resist him by keeping in mind that you have a better offer from God.  Each time you successfully resist, give God a praise.  Each time you resist will make you stronger.

Day 11:  Getting Answers (James 1:5-8)

Summary:  God wants to answer our prayers and give us direction.   If you are seeking direction from God during this consecration, God WILL provide it.  However, we should not come to God half heartedly, thinking God MIGHT answer if God gets around to it.  You have to BELIEVE that God will speak to you and provide insight and direction.  You might think that if you’ve sinned or made a mistake that God will stop speaking to you.  But if you (a) acknowledge your mistakes before God, (b) ask God for wisdom, and (c) refuse to doubt that God will respond, God will show you what you need to know when you need to know it, without finding fault.  God WANTS to show you His will (and not confuse you) so you can bring God glory.

Action Step:  Write down a question that you want God to answer and begin seeking God diligently for a response.  Believe God to give you the answer right when you need it.

Day 12: Stress Relief  (2 Corinthians 1:3-11)

Summary:  Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life.  Constant stress can be a cause of significant mental, emotional, and physical damage to a person.    But the Spirit of our God, known as The Comforter, provides us with a shelter from the stresses and strains of life.  The assurance that God, who is our deliverer, will see us through the things that we cannot see the answers to now, keeps the trials and stresses of life from becoming overwhelming. Our task is to learn to rest in that assurance.

Action Step:  List five things that cause you to feel stressed on a piece of paper.  Fold the paper in half and place it under your Bible.  Place your hand on your Bible and say “covered”.  Begin to praise God for dissipating your stress and delivering you from your stressful situations.

Day 13: House Cleaning (1 Peter 2:1-2, Philippians 4:8)

Summary: There are things in our spiritual lives that need to be removed so that we can grow spiritually.  There are times that we wonder why we don’t experience the kind of peace, breakthroughs, or revelation that we seek from God.  Sometimes the problem is that there is too much other clutter in our spirits that is keeping us from experiencing God’s power.  Consecration is a time for getting rid of the garbage that “crowds out” the Holy Spirit’s fullness that could be ours.  Things like jealousy, refusal to forgive, dishonesty (small or great), or unyielding resentment of people limit the anointing on your life and keep God from using you the way God could.  Rid yourself of it by replacing the negative talk in your head with God’s Word.  Make it your business to meditate on God’s promises in the Bible rather than negativity.

Action Step:  This week, as you empty the trash in your home, use the occasion to consider whether there is any “garbage” in your spirit that needs to be removed.  Write it down on a piece of paper and throw it in the trash.  Then read Psalm 19:14 aloud.

Day 14: You Make A Difference (2 Corinthians 4:7, Matthew 5:13-14)

Summary:  Your presence as a believer makes a difference.  When you become a believer in Christ, The Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you.  Within you then is the most valuable treasure that exists.  You may not feel like it, but that which is in you is something that people around you desperately need.  Jesus describes us as “salt” and “light”.  Salt (in this context) is a preservative that keeps things fresh, and a seasoning that gives flavor.  Light gives direction and guidance that leads to safety.  These need to be shared.  Don’t let fears or a focus on your own inadequacies and problems keep you from sharing a word from God with someone that could refresh them, give them insight or direction, or perhaps even lead someone to salvation.  Regardless of how little influence you think that you can have, your word might just be the thing gives somebody in despair a reason to carry on another day. You may feel insignificant next to someone that’s “big or important”, but you plus God make a majority.

Action Step:  Commit yourself to encourage at least one person with a promise from God’s Word today.  Regardless of how they receive it, when you get by yourself, praise God for allowing you to plant a seed.  You made a difference!

Posted by: Pastor Jay AT 12:01 am   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
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