Category: Uncategorized

Today’s Devotional:

Day 4: Discerning the Vlice of God by: Priscilla Shirer

Ultimately, submission centers us directly in the will of God and gives us the opportunity to experience the best we could ever imagine.

Surrender. That’s the key. Orient yourself toward a posture of obedience—up front!—that’s how the door flings open for His voice to be heard and His will to be accomplished. The Lord says to those of His children who freely submit their wills to His: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Ps. 32:8).

So hold it in your hands today. The key, I mean. Right now, in your mind’s eye, picture God’s guidance and directives to you as a large, ornate, silver key. It runs the full length of your palm, extending beyond your fingertips on one end and beyond your wrist on the other. It’s unlike any other key you’ve ever seen or used before—that’s how you know it must be able to unlock something you’ve never experienced before. It’s worth it. This key. It’s as unique as your own fingerprints. And it’s yours. It is God’s specific assignment and calling for you.

Now, right here, right now, make the commitment to use this key. I promise He will give you opportunity for it throughout this study and in the days beyond. Choose right now, before you do anything else, to receive this key and take seriously the privilege of using it.

I know it’ll require courage and tenacity. Yet even without full clarity as to what He may ask you to do or where He may instruct you to use it, either now or in the future, make the choice in advance to say “Yes, Lord,” sure that this key of obedience will unlock every good and perfect gift your Father intends for you.

Think back to the things that are keeping you from surrendering to God in every aspect of your life. Offer each of them to Him.

Then, be brave enough to let God search you further. Ask Him to reveal any calloused places that may be blocking you from clearly hearing His voice. Yield to Him any area where you sense resistance and doubt.

You’re making a “key” decision here, crucial to being able to experience what walking confidently in His will is all about.

Today’s Devotional

Day Three: Discerning The Voice of God by: Priscilla Shirer.

I want you to know, I’m well aware of how difficult surrender can often be. Take it from me—a girl with a heart that, apart from the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, can be so steely and apathetic. So when I reached out to my Twitter family, asking them to name the usual suspects that often keep them from surrendering to the Lord, I recognized many of their responses. Things such as fear, pride, laziness, impatience with God’s timing, busyness with personal ambitions, or concern that we might be hearing God wrong.

As we dive headfirst into this study and plunge fully into the freedom of hearing the voice of God again (or maybe for the first time), we’re leaving these robbers behind. They’ve distracted and disoriented us long enough. We want to hear God clearly now.

Look at Jesus’ sentiments in John 5:30; note what He did not seek and what He did seek.

Clearly Jesus was not ignoring the fact that He possessed a will of His own. Yet He was committed to honoring His Father’s will above it. He heard the voice of the Father more clearly than anyone to ever walk the earth. The defining characteristic of His life was that He was always postured to obey. He was steeped in humility and available to do His Father’s bidding over His own sentiments and ambitions as a man.

You and I have our own will too. And that’s fine. We don’t need to pretend otherwise. Our problem comes from not surrendering that will to the Father’s superior will. His perfect will. His all-wise will. His all-good will. His “if you only knew what I could do in you, you’d never doubt Me for a moment” will.

Most of us fear the loss of our hopes, dreams, and ambitions should we ever submit ourselves entirely to the Father’s will. We imagine them being crushed and discarded, never to be fulfilled. Honoring God’s directives will indeed require adjustments on our part, but it will never leave us lacking. The will that is submitted to Him is not extinguished; it is simply surrendered. It becomes like clay in the Potter’s hand—pliant and moldable—the raw material for His most stunning masterpieces.

We don’t lose. We win.

In what ways, if any, have you been concerned about “losing yourself” if you surrender completely to God?

Daystar

Lead me Lord, I’ll follow. Anywhere you open up the door
Let your word speak to me, show me what I’ve never seen before
Lord I want to be your witness, you can take what’s wrong and make it right
Daystar shine down on me, let your love shine through me in the night https://youtu.be/mvIN7v9A-GY

It’s crucial to understand whom you are following. Are you following Jesus or the world?
1 John 2:15-17 King James Version (KJV)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

John 17:16-26 King James Version
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Let His word speak to you. If you are in His word daily you will be able to tell the difference between His voice and that of the devil.

John 10:27-29 King James Version
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Show me what I have never seen before. If you allow Him to lead you then He will show you things you have never seen before.

To be His witness you have to be born again. To let Him fix what is wrong and make it right. You have to believe in Jesus admit you are a sinner anc confess to Him. You have to have a chamge of heart that only God can bring about. Without it you won’t fully grasp the concept of what is wrong in God’s eyes and change to make things right in His eyes. Your life will do a 360 if you allow Him into your heart. He will give you life more abundant. God will give you the desires of your heart. You must decide you want Jesus.

Let your love shine through me in the night. No matter how dark the night or how dark the days seem God’s light still shines in those who are His children. We are His light in the world in times of darkness. We are to shine so brightly with His light that others see the chage and the difference between us that they themselves want that in their lives. Who doesn’t want peace and love as only the Father can bring. In this world filled with pain and sorrow they are seeking some kind of release and freedom and we can show them what God has done for us and let God break the chains that hold them captive. If we go out and spread the good news. We are called upon to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth not to except Jesus and do nothing with it. We are His people and we are meant to share with others so that they might know the Lord. If we don’t share the good news to others how will they coms to know Him. We must be about His business of reaching out to others and to not sit idle. We have good news, wouldn’t you want to share good news with others?