Hello dear friends! I pray that all of you are experiencing what the psalmist called "the desires of your heart." One of the desires of my heart will be the fulfillment of a five year journey. The Lord gave me a desire to grow in my knowledge of Him and a desire to become a better leader. He has done this in a very practical way as I have made the journey towards the completion of a Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership. Now, finally, I see the finish line.
On Tuesday, June 7 at 1:30 I'll be making an oral presentation before my dissertation committee. Would you pray and ask the Lord for these three things? He would be glorified; He would give me clarity of mind and peace of heart; and He would grant me much mercy and grace in my time of need :) (Hebrews 4:16).
I am "delighted" that you are a part of my journey. My desire for you is that the Shepherd of the Psalms would encourage you and grant to you the desire of your heart.
Growing with you,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #21
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalm 37:3-5
Core Value: Prayer
My way . . . or His way. These are the two choices disciples of Jesus make every day. It would seem, at least on the surface, to be an obvious choice: His way. But one thing often gets in the way of the best choice: Me. My way. My will. My desires. The word the psalmist uses, “delight,” means to become like pliable clay. The gripping image of this word does not escape us. The prophet Jeremiah reminds us that God is the potter and we are the clay. But what kind of clay are we? Hardened by our own stubborn will or are we softened by His grace, submitting our desires for His?
In this portion of Scripture are sweet reminders of what God wants to do in us and for us. What is our part? We must trust in the Lord. We must abide in Him and cultivate a faithful life. We must delight ourselves in the Lord and we must commit our way to Him. What will He do for us? He will give us the desires of our heart and He will do it in a way that will remind us that He did it in a way that only He could.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. And what would those desires be? He wants You to experience them and enjoy them! How? You can discover them through prayer.
Principle #21 & Personal Application: The quality disciple experiences an intimate spiritual life—fueled by prayer—which is built upon one’s trust in the Lord.
Prayer is the fuel the believer needs…
• To place one’s trust in the Lord. Trust in the LORD and do good
• To cultivate faithfulness. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness
• To delight one’s self in the Lord. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart
• To commit one’s way to the Lord. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
Does prayer characterize my life? Or am I more prone to work out things in my own strength?
What does it mean to delight myself in the Lord? If I do so, what promise has He made to me?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, it is only by Your grace that I can place my trust in You and do good. It is only through grace that I can rest in Your promises and cultivate a faithful life. May my heart always desire to delight myself in You. May I always commit my way to You. And give me the faith to trust You for the desires of my heart that You have already planted within me.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace is now available in eBook for only $7.99 per download (a 50% savings). Great idea for your computer, iPad or Kindle!
Learn how you can photocopy up to 10 free copies of this eBook for your discipleship ministry. http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
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