Beware of thinking of our Lord as only a teacher. If Jesus Christ is only a teacher, then all He can do is frustrate me by setting a standard before me I cannot attain. What is the point of presenting me with such a lofty ideal if I cannot possibly come close to reaching it?
I would be happier if I never knew it. What good is there in telling me to be what I can never be— to be “pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8), to do more than my duty, or to be completely devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as my Savior before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of a lofty ideal which only leads to despair. But when I am born again by the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come only to teach— He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The redemption means that Jesus Christ can place within anyone the same nature that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives us are based on that nature.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces a sense of despair in the natural man— exactly what Jesus means for it to do. As long as we have some self-righteous idea that we can carry out our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to continue until we expose our own ignorance by stumbling over some obstacle in our way. Only then are we willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” This is the first principle in the kingdom of God.
The underlying foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possessions; not making decisions for Jesus, but having such a sense of absolute futility that we finally admit, “Lord, I cannot even begin to do it.” Then Jesus says, “Blessed are you…” (Matthew 5:11). This is the doorway to the kingdom, and yet it takes us so long to believe that we are actually poor! The knowledge of our own poverty is what brings us to the proper place where Jesus Christ accomplishes His work.
Lord, this devotional really strikes home with me. Most of my early Christian life was spent wondering how all those people in church were able to always “color inside the lines” except me? I would leave church depressed when the preacher would focus on sin management and how “good Christians” didn’t do this and wouldn’t do that. I thought I was the only one in the congregation that was not able to stay on the path. I sure would have appreciated a bit more transparency. So now I understand that we will always fail without You living through us, and that our very best service, in our own power, counts for nothing.
And God says…”As Chambers said in the devotional, Jesus is not to be considered a good teacher; He is to be considered your life. Chambers said it well…”Jesus Christ can place within anyone the same nature that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives us are based on that nature.” Jesus gave you insurmountable standards, NOT so you would give up on becoming a “Christ like disciple”, but so that you would quit trying to achieve the standard on your own power. And recall it is not a partnership. It is not a 1940s movie entitled “God is my co-pilot”. Becoming the man or woman that Christ describes is only possible when you are surrendered to His power, and connected via the Holy Spirit. Then you can do all things through this power of Christ Jesus. And when you are not surrendered and connected to Jesus, My grace is sufficient for you and fills the gap. Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything else you require, including the power to live to the impossible standards set by Jesus, will be provided.”
Those who wait on the Lord…shall walk and not faint. —Isaiah 40:31
There is no thrill for us in walking, yet it is the test for all of our steady and enduring qualities. To “walk and not faint” is the highest stretch possible as a measure of strength. The word walk is used in the Bible to express the character of a person— “…John…looking at Jesus as He walked…said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ ” (John 1:35-36). There is nothing abstract or obscure in the Bible; everything is vivid and real. God does not say, “Be spiritual,” but He says, “Walk before Me…” (Genesis 17:1).When we are in an unhealthy condition either physically or emotionally, we always look for thrills in life. In our physical life this leads to our efforts to counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit; in our emotional life it leads to obsessions and to the destruction of our morality; and in our spiritual life, if we insist on pursuing only thrills, on mounting up “with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31), it will result in the destruction of our spirituality.
Having the reality of God’s presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually. Our problems arise when we refuse to place our trust in the reality of His presence. The experience the psalmist speaks of— “We will not fear, even though…” (Psalm 46:2)— will be ours once we are grounded on the truth of the reality of God’s presence, not just a simple awareness of it, but an understanding of the reality of it. Then we will exclaim, “He has been here all the time!” At critical moments in our lives it is necessary to ask God for guidance, but it should be unnecessary to be constantly saying, “Oh, Lord, direct me in this, and in that.” Of course He will, and in fact, He is doing it already! If our everyday decisions are not according to His will, He will press through them, bringing restraint to our spirit. Then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.
Lord, Chambers tells us in this devotional that to walk with You is a statement about our daily connection with You…”To “walk and not faint” is the highest stretch possible as a measure of strength. The word walk is used in the Bible to express the character of a person—“. In the language of our day, we use the terms, “surrender and connection”. We have believed and are operating on the notions that; to be surrendered and connected is in fact keeping the Lord before us in all things. Is it the same Lord?
And God says…”Indeed the meaning is the same. However, keeping the Lord before you is often difficult because of the many distractions; spouses, children, family, church service, work, friends, recreational activities, education, hobbies, entertainment. And I could go on and on and on. Your distractions get especially cumbersome when you are well funded and very busy with work trying to sustain and increase your levels of earnings. Humans too often believe that stored income equals security; when in fact true peace and security can only come from Me.”
“However, those that wait upon the Lord…are surrendered, connected and curious are in fact walking with the Lord, and can be confident that their strength will rise, and they will rise up with the wings of eagles. You will walk and not grow weary.”
“How can you do this day after day after day? How can you “walk” or be surrendered, connected, and curious about what I will do in your life every day? I can create needs, or allow your needs to become intensified. I can use your circumstances to bring you into surrender and connection. And, or, you can choose to be surrendered, connected and curious by simply seeking Me and placing the Lord in front of you every day, hour and minute. But you can be certain I will finish the work I began in you.”
“Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you need, including your desire and opportunity to walk with Me every day, I will also provide the grace to cover you when you do not. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart; you will rise up as if you are flying on the wings of eagles.”
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom… —1 Corinthians 2:4
Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “…as though God were pleading through us…” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.“And I, if I am lifted up…, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
Lord, I get this devotional; that we should not try to use elaborate music, words, or anything else when we talk about You to others. We should simply allow you to show through our lives. Is this the message for me today?
And God says…”Yes that is the message for today, however, how you allow Me to show through you is another issue altogether. Allowing Me to live and show through you starts with a surrender of your own talent and skills, and does not begin and or end with a special time or day for telling others about Me. Sharing your faith is less a revival, invitation song or a time to share the four spiritual laws than it is a time to simply live out your life surrendered, and connected to Me. Some of your most powerful words and “silent” testimony will come when you are not even aware of it, when you live your life out in a surrendered and connected state; when you are simply living your life. Seek first the kingdom of God, and everything else will be provided, including your life testimony. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. And when you are surrendered and connected with Me, they will always see Me in you.”
…how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! —Matthew 7:11
Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct in this passage for those people who have His Spirit. He urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it. Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those people who have His Spirit, and it works on the following principle: God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?
Jesus said there are times when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but you should trust Him. At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not; He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not. Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. “Ask, and it will be given to you…” (Matthew 7:7).
Lord, thank you for this reminder of your faithfulness. I asked myself the other night why I continue to worry about certain difficulties, when I have been schooled to read and believe the scriptures about Your faithfulness? When the storm clouds of life overtake me, I try to remember all the times You have swooped in to calm the seas and deliver me. And You have done this time after time after time. So then when new difficulties arise, why must I see and fear the storm instead of remembering Your promises and all the times You have rescued me? Why do I focus so much on the train barreling down the track instead of Your faithfulness and promises?
And God says…”Your senses and environment are constantly bombarded with information and images about how the world avoids pain and can increase your pleasure. And combined with your human desire to seek pleasure, and avoid uncertainly and pain, your natural inclination is to focus on the trial, difficulty and or pain or potential pain that accompanies troubles in your life. This is a natural response. But I have given you the Holy Spirit and He will lead you to a supernatural response. You can allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and provide the peace that passes all understanding by consciously surrendering your life and circumstances to Me and trusting Me to make certain that all things are worked out for your good. When you seek Me first, your natural responses of fear, anxiety and pain are overwhelmed by My reassurance and you simply “know” that I will work all things out for your good. Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else you require will be provided. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, do not rely on your own understanding….or senses and I will make your paths straight. Simply get in the habit of surrendering your fears, anxiety, hurt and pain to Me, be connected to Jesus, and watch with wonder and eager anticipation as I transform you and create the good that I promised.”
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians… —Romans 1:14
Paul was overwhelmed with the sense of his indebtedness to Jesus Christ, and he spent his life to express it. The greatest inspiration in Paul’s life was his view of Jesus Christ as his spiritual creditor. Do I feel that same sense of indebtedness to Christ regarding every unsaved soul? As a saint, my life’s spiritual honor and duty is to fulfill my debt to Christ in relation to these lost souls. Every tiny bit of my life that has value I owe to the redemption of Jesus Christ. Am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His redemption into evident reality in the lives of others? I will only be able to do this as the Spirit of God works into me this sense of indebtedness. I am not a superior person among other people— I am a bondservant of the Lord Jesus. Paul said, “…you are not your own…you were bought at a price…” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ and he said, in effect, “I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the gospel of Jesus; I am free only that I may be an absolute bondservant of His.” That is the characteristic of a Christian’s life once this level of spiritual honor and duty becomes real. Quit praying about yourself and spend your life for the sake of others as the bondservant of Jesus. That is the true meaning of being broken bread and poured-out wine in real life.
Lord, once again, Chambers seems to offer up guilt and emotional and spiritual “hooks and leverage” as vehicles for motivating us to evangelize and help others…. Am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His redemption into evident reality in the lives of others? I will only be able to do this as the Spirit of God works into me this sense of indebtedness. Lord, You have been working on me and this issue for some time and have been clear that I should not do anything out of guilt or obligation. You have been clear that everything I do for You or for others should come out of love. And You have taught us that the love and faith necessary for serving You and others can only come from the surrender of our own abilities and motivations to You and then our connection that allows us to simply live it out daily. Should we feel indebted? Should we feel obligated to serve You and others?
And God says…”Read 1 Corinthians 13 and then answer your question. When you use your own discipline and power to serve Me, I cannot look upon it and give it any value. And the most impact you will ever make as my disciple, will occur when you are not even aware you are impacting others. When you are operating out of the love, faith and grace provided by the Holy Spirit, I can use you in many, many ways. When you operate out of your strength, you will quickly be used up. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and do not rely on your own strength, discipline or devices, and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will give you everything else you require for your life, including the discipline, focus, faith and love necessary for our intimate relationship and your work and service.”
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. —Matthew 5:39
This verse reveals the humiliation of being a Christian. In the natural realm, if a person does not hit back, it is because he is a coward. But in the spiritual realm, it is the very evidence of the Son of God in him if he does not hit back. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but you must make it an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. And you cannot imitate the nature of Jesus— it is either in you or it is not. A personal insult becomes an opportunity for a saint to reveal the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not, “Do your duty,” but is, in effect, “Do what is not your duty.” It is not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the other cheek, but Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will always do these things. We will not say, “Oh well, I just can’t do any more, and I’ve been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist on having my own rights, I hurt the Son of God, while in fact I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I will take the blow myself. That is the real meaning of filling “up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…” (Colossians 1:24). A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor.
Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself. We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.
Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
Turning the other cheek and going the extra mile … it’s pretty easy to see when demonstrated in others… also the lack of such is easy to see. But it’s pretty easy to fall into self protection and self promotion when left to our own devices.
Yes, so dont leave yourself to your own devices. Come to me daily and surrender your own devices. My devices, (which include a cross to get past your devices) bring you into a higher and better way of thinking. After you’ve surrendered your thinking and your feelings you can accept this other cheek and extra mile type of thinking. Until then, it will only be academic, you can recognize it but you won’t be able to live it. So connect with me. Surrender your “rights” and need for justice, and peace and power to live this life will flow into you.
OK Lord, I get that. But what about Bonhoffer? when he decided it was time to assassinate Hitler to stop the evil of the holocaust, or our founders who threw the tea in the harbor? Or Luther’s 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Door. Or Peter when he said that he must obey God rather than man? These were times of saying “No” to the power structures, both religious and political.
There are indeed times when you will be called to “civil disobedience” or rebellion. But it’s best to let me choose them and direct you, rather than you reacting to perceived injustices. As you surrender your desire to
Look Good
Feel Good
Be Right &
Be In Control» Read more: Suffering Afflictions and Going the Second Mile
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord… —Isaiah 6:1
Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place, and that is when we falter, fail, and become discouraged. Let me think about this personally— when the person died who represented for me all that God was, did I give up on everything in life? Did I become ill or disheartened? Or did I do as Isaiah did and see the Lord?My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, “I saw the Lord,” there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification.Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.”Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.
Lord, thank you for this lesson. A lesson about how our heroes and “life priorities” must take a back seat to our surrender and connection with You. And yes I do understand, recall and remember (yesterday was not all that long ago) how You use life circumstances to surgically remove things from our character. I suspect that it would be wise to consider that when we are surrendered and connected with you in an intimate relationship, we are able to live out our lives trusting and believing You. And when we are not surrendered or connected with You, that You can use the consequences to help mold and shape us as we “get to go through it”.
And God says…”All things work together for good for those that love the Lord. There is symmetry about how this works. When you are surrendered and connected, the Holy Spirit can live through you and your circumstances and difficulties, guiding you to an abundant life even in difficult times. And when you are not surrendered and connected, the Holy Spirit can use your resulting difficulties and circumstances to shape you and bring you to surrender and connection. When you are surrendered and connected to Me, you know that I am God, and I have come to give you an abundant life…unencumbered by the circumstances or difficulties that may or may not still exist.”
Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord…” —Joshua 24:19
Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, “I cannot live a holy life,” but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. “You cannot serve the Lord…”— but you can place yourself in the proper position where God’s almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?
“The people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord!’ ” (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, “But God could never have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. It can’t mean me.” It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, “I will serve the Lord.”
We say, “Oh, if only I really could believe!” The question is, “Will I believe?” No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?
Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
You know it’s true. I cannot serve you in the way the church, other people, and my own conscience wants me to. I’ve tried failed repeatedly. But the good news that I’m hearing is that I don’t have to strive for those objectives anymore. The only thing to strive for is my relationship and connection with you and let everything else flow out of that.
There will be indicators and fruit as you are successful in connecting and relating to me. There are a list of them in the Book. One of them is that you will no longer question if you are doing enough or good enough. These are indicators and fruit of life of surrender and connection. You cannot strive for them or do a quid pro quo … trading up for them. If you do, these good gifts will spoil, like old manna. Only strive to live surrendered, connected, and stay curious about how I will work all things out.
…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… —Joshua 24:15
A person’s will is embodied in the actions of the whole person. I cannot give up my will— I must exercise it, putting it into action. I must will to obey, and I must will to receive God’s Spirit. When God gives me a vision of truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only of what I will do. The Lord has been placing in front of each of us some big proposals and plans. The best thing to do is to remember what you did before when you were touched by God. Recall the moment when you were saved, or first recognized Jesus, or realized some truth. It was easy then to yield your allegiance to God. Immediately recall those moments each time the Spirit of God brings some new proposal before you.“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….” Your choice must be a deliberate determination— it is not something into which you will automatically drift. And everything else in your life will be held in temporary suspension until you make a decision. The proposal is between you and God— do not “confer with flesh and blood” about it (Galatians 1:16). With every new proposal, the people around us seem to become more and more isolated, and that is where the tension develops. God allows the opinion of His other saints to matter to you, and yet you become less and less certain that others really understand the step you are taking. You have no business trying to find out where God is leading— the only thing God will explain to you is Himself.Openly declare to Him, “I will be faithful.” But remember that as soon as you choose to be faithful to Jesus Christ, “You are witnesses against yourselves…” (Joshua 24:22). Don’t consult with other Christians, but simply and freely declare before Him, “I will serve You.” Will to be faithful— and give other people credit for being faithful too.
Good morning Lord. As I read this popular and often quoted and repeated scripture for today’s devotional, I also noticed that Israel’s response to Joshua’s statement was agreement. Israel agreed that the God that brought them out of bondage would be the God they worshiped.
This seems like the right and proper prayer and consideration for me as well, Lord. I too will worship the God that brought (and brings) me out of bondage. Lord, please help me serve You, being ever mindful of the work You have done and continue to do in my life. How can I be mindful of this and keep my eyes on You and not bondage nor the blessings.
And God says…”When times and circumstances are difficult, you must seek Me as I am often the only path open to you. When I pour out my blessings, you thank Me because I have poured out good things to and for you and yours. But what about the day to day coming and going? What about the regular day to day, hour by hour rudimentary workings of everyday life? Do you connect to Me as a matter of course? Are you connected and living out of My power and grace just because you want to know me and have an intimate relationship with Me? The way you start and stay connected to Me, is to make our time together; your surrender, connection and your curiosity, an every day, every morning activity. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you need for your day and life. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own capabilities, circumstances or blessings, and I will make your paths straight. All I have ever wanted for us is an intimate relationship. And you know how far I have reached to bring this about. Knock and the door shall be opened, seek and you will find. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. All I ever wanted was your heart.”
Enter by the narrow gate….Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life…. —Matthew 7:13-14
If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in— it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory?
God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.
Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.
Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, You have been showing us about starting our day with surrender, starting our projects with surrender, etc. A full blown, get apart to your prayer closet type of surrender. To be honest, that is a concept that has only gotten an academic nod and lip service over the years. I used instead the idea of dedication of the days and the projects to you. It didn’t work out too well. I found myself wrapped up in the details, struggling to manage things and tired out from striving. Something was missing. It got trite. “Of course it’s dedicated to you, I’m a Christian, aren’t I? Now let’s get busy” It got tiring. So what is it that you want us to see about surrender that will make it effective in our daily lives and allow us to be overcomers and bring “our utmost, for his highest?”
Do you know the context and my definition of surrender? It is not that I want a vanquished opponent groveling at my feet, begging for their life. It is about choice. You choosing the highest and best. But you don’t know the highest and best … because you cannot see the future. But I can. And I am good and I love you. Your job is to believe that in the face of all the stressors that suggest it’s not the case. When logic says it can’t be done and it won’t work out… That’s when surrender comes in. But you’re less likely to remember to surrender if you didn’t start off your day that way. Start surrendered and curious and stay surrendered and curious all day long.
I’ve always felt that dedication (or surrender) could be done in an instant or just a quick part at the beginning of a prayer. But I think I’m seeing that it needs to be more than I’ve been giving it if I want all the benefits that living the surrendered life can bring. Peace, Joy, Calm in the midst of trials, etc. So what does real effective surrender look like?
You can look at what I did and also what worked out for Peter and Paul and John .. and what didn’t work out so well for them also. All of the stories in the Book are there to help you work out the salvation that I’ve put in you. Remember that there are no (or very few formulas) And the answer to how to surrender effectively will vary from person to person. For you, finding a prayer closet on your knees will be effective … because you haven’t been doing it that way. There’s nothing magic about closets or knees. Some don’t need them. But it breaks up and focuses your stream of thoughts and it will be a blessing for you. I look forward to meeting you there. The more we meet and commune in that way… the more power you will take into your day. When you leave that prayer closet you will be not only surrendered but empowered and ready to walk into your day, not stressed out, but curious to see what the day will bring and curious to see how we will work together.
This CO2- (Church Of 2) is where two guys meet each day to tighten up our Connections with Jesus. We start by placing the daily “My Utmost For His Highest” in this WordPress blog. Then we prayerfully select some matching worship music and usually pick out a few lyrics that fit especially well. Then we just start praying and editing and Bolding and adding comments and see where the Spirit takes us.
It’s been a blessing for both of us.
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