Hello dear friends,
I am writing you a day early, but I believe you will appreciate not only the "early delivery" but will find today's devotion an encouragement that will carry you through the weekend and into next week.
Have you ever tried to count the stars of the sky? Or the granules of sand at the beach? Or the blessings of God upon your life? Impossible, I know.
I'm glad that I can't keep count,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship (Worship), July 29, 2011—Principle #29
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. Psalm 40:5
Core Value: Worship
Some people have it good . . . disciples of Jesus have it REAL good. It is no mystery to us that the goodness of the Lord toward us can have no monetary or material price placed upon it. His goodness is priceless. Even though this is true, often, we spend more time focusing upon what we do not have and fail to appreciate all that we do possess in Christ. And if we can find a way to escape what is known as “the rat race” and come to the quiet place in our daily walk with the Lord, we will be quick to see how great, how glorious, how wonderful is our God. For it is when we begin to believe what God has said about Himself and to believe that His passionate desire is to pursue His children with a radical and sacrificial love, we will begin to think, with an imagined calculator in hand, and try to count His mighty works and His tender thoughts directed to us. We try. We fail. We worship.
Principle #29 & Personal Application: The quality disciple experiences a worship that is so overwhelming that it becomes impossible to fully count the blessings of God.
• Biblical worship is always focused upon the Lord and His marvelous works: “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done.”
• Biblical worship is a personal acknowledgment of how much God means to us: “And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You.”
• Biblical worship taps into the eternal, infinite character and works of God: “If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.”
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
Can I list at least ten things that have have experienced this week that have been from the hand of God?
How would my life perspective be different if I made the consistent choice to worship the Lord and thank Him for all that He has done for me?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You have done so much for me. Forgive me for the times I forget to thank You. Lord Jesus, Your thoughts toward me, there is none to compare with You. It humbles me that the God of the universe would think about me, in a positive way. Lord Jesus, when I think about all that You have done for me I am overwhelmed with worship for You and I will praise You for as long as I have breath.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service —Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blog spot.com/
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #28--Grace & Evangelism--July 23, 2011
Hello my dear friends! Warm, very warm, greetings to you from sunny and hot South Carolina. Today we are going to take a close look at one of my favorite Psalms. It is a lesson on grace and evangelism and how God uses our most difficult times to bring glory to Him and good to us.
May the Lord use this passage of Scripture to give you great encouragement and comfort today. I'm praying for you. Thanks for praying for me.
In the hands of the One who cares for me,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship: July 23, 2011—Principle #28 (Grace & Evangelism)
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #28
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:1-3
Core Value: Grace and Evangelism
Whoever said that life would be easier once we became a devoted follower of Jesus is misleading at best, or at worst, just flat out lied to us. Yes, it would be easier on us if our Christianity were no more than a formula we could memorize and confess our way to success. Yes, it would be easier to be a Christian if a stable life was guaranteed with no difficult changes allowed. But, we know the truth. The Christian life is not based upon a formula; it is based upon having a relationship with Jesus. All of us have personally discovered that the Christian does experience wild swings of highs and lows.
The challenge for all of us who follow Jesus as His disciples is clear: will we trust Him when it seems everything is going against us? Will we trust Him or will we lean towards our own ability to make our way? Are we willing to rest in God’s character (He loves us, cares for us, has a plan for us, etc.) or will we convince ourselves that God has forgotten about us and left us to ruin? Are we patient with God? Do we have hope, no matter how deep is the pit we are in, that God is at work in us and through us? David did and so can we.
Principle #28 & Personal Application: The quality disciple experiences the blessing of going from desperation in the pit of destruction to a supernatural deliverance that offers to the Lord unending worship, glory and praise.
• It is the grace of a patient God that helps us wait patiently for the Lord (and for His perfect work and timing) when everything within us schemes to take control and offer our own solutions.
• It is the grace of a concerned God that helps us believe that He does care for us and that He does listen to both the audible and inaudible cries of our heart.
• It is the grace of a delivering God that helps us escape from our own forms of destructive pits and miry clay to a place of stability and safety.
• It is the grace of a glorious God that helps us sing the kind of life song of praise that causes others to trust in our great God too.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
When I find myself in a destructive pit and reach the point of wanting to give up, what keeps me going?
Can I think of a time when the Lord used a difficult (but spiritually enriching) time in my life that caused others around me to grow closer to the Lord?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by Your grace, may I always be patient with You. I know that You have never forgotten about me and that You do hear the cry of my heart. May I always look to You as my deliverer and my stability and my safety and may my life be a life song that causes others to trust in You too.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blog spot.com/
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
May the Lord use this passage of Scripture to give you great encouragement and comfort today. I'm praying for you. Thanks for praying for me.
In the hands of the One who cares for me,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship: July 23, 2011—Principle #28 (Grace & Evangelism)
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #28
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:1-3
Core Value: Grace and Evangelism
Whoever said that life would be easier once we became a devoted follower of Jesus is misleading at best, or at worst, just flat out lied to us. Yes, it would be easier on us if our Christianity were no more than a formula we could memorize and confess our way to success. Yes, it would be easier to be a Christian if a stable life was guaranteed with no difficult changes allowed. But, we know the truth. The Christian life is not based upon a formula; it is based upon having a relationship with Jesus. All of us have personally discovered that the Christian does experience wild swings of highs and lows.
The challenge for all of us who follow Jesus as His disciples is clear: will we trust Him when it seems everything is going against us? Will we trust Him or will we lean towards our own ability to make our way? Are we willing to rest in God’s character (He loves us, cares for us, has a plan for us, etc.) or will we convince ourselves that God has forgotten about us and left us to ruin? Are we patient with God? Do we have hope, no matter how deep is the pit we are in, that God is at work in us and through us? David did and so can we.
Principle #28 & Personal Application: The quality disciple experiences the blessing of going from desperation in the pit of destruction to a supernatural deliverance that offers to the Lord unending worship, glory and praise.
• It is the grace of a patient God that helps us wait patiently for the Lord (and for His perfect work and timing) when everything within us schemes to take control and offer our own solutions.
• It is the grace of a concerned God that helps us believe that He does care for us and that He does listen to both the audible and inaudible cries of our heart.
• It is the grace of a delivering God that helps us escape from our own forms of destructive pits and miry clay to a place of stability and safety.
• It is the grace of a glorious God that helps us sing the kind of life song of praise that causes others to trust in our great God too.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
When I find myself in a destructive pit and reach the point of wanting to give up, what keeps me going?
Can I think of a time when the Lord used a difficult (but spiritually enriching) time in my life that caused others around me to grow closer to the Lord?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by Your grace, may I always be patient with You. I know that You have never forgotten about me and that You do hear the cry of my heart. May I always look to You as my deliverer and my stability and my safety and may my life be a life song that causes others to trust in You too.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blog spot.com/
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #27--Prayer--July 16, 2011
Hello dear friends, today we are going to compare two very familiar, but contrasting realities that everyone of us face: frustration and success. In a very paradoxical way, both of these are joined to the hip and are experienced by every disciple of Jesus. The on-going lesson we must learn is how to properly relate to each one. The Psalmist gives us his perspective on what he did when life became difficult. He prayed.
Learning with you, praying for you today,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship: July 16, 2011—Principle #27 (Prayer)
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 1 I said, "I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence." 2 I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. 3 My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: 4 "LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Psalm 39:1-4
Core Value: Prayer
Been frustrated . . . lately . . . with your circumstances . . . with other people . . . with yourself . . . with God? Frustration. We prefer that things go our way, always. We somehow believe that anything or anyone who frustrates us is not God’s best for us. Given the choice, we will say goodbye to frustration and say hello to success. Sometimes we can become spoiled with “success.” It is a season where it seems everything is going right: every decision we make is spot on, every relationship we are in is thriving, everything we do seems to have success written all over it. Success; we get used to it; we require it like a drug; and when “the other shoe drops,” when it appears that everything we touch no longer turns to gold but to dust, each one of us must come face to face with these probing questions: what will I think and what will I do when I become frustrated? Will I lash out in a desperate way to vindicate myself or will I turn to the Lord and seek His help and allow Him to defend me?
This is the common challenge of every disciple of Jesus: to work out our frustrations our way or to yield our way and submit to His. In a mysterious way, the Lord uses our frustrations to draw us closer to Him, which is a success. It is through prayer where we present our frustrations to God and He presents His grace to us.
Principle #27 & Personal Application: The quality disciple is guarded and has learned the art of directing one’s frustrations away from those who cannot help to the only One who can help.
• When we are guarded we choose to be very selective with whom we share our concerns: We are to guard our ways and we are to guard our mouth.
• When we are guarded we choose to find the correct way to “vent” our frustrations: We come to a point when it is unhealthy to just sit in and suffer spiritual heartburn with our feelings. Our frustrations will consume us and sicken us unless we redirect them to the Lord in prayer.
• When we are guarded, we can become completely honest to God by sharing with Him the deepest concerns of our heart: “Lord, make me to know my end.” Or as The Living Bible says,
Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. Psalm 39:4 (TLB)
In other words, Lord, grant to me Your perspective as I sort out the life challenges before me.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
Have I ever shared my complaint of a circumstance with another person in a way that can be considered spiritual gossip?
When I become frustrated with a circumstance that I do not like, am I more prone to take my complaint to other people or to the Lord? Why is this? What can I do in order to gain a better perspective?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may Your grace help me to make the healthy choice when I am facing a frustration. I am often tempted to entrust spiritual matters (that can only be solved by You) into the hands of people who have no power to fix my problems. In fact, the problem becomes even more challenging when I bypass You in prayer and entrust spiritual gossip with them. May I learn how to be guarded with my mouth and learn the art of directing my frustrations away from those who cannot help to the only One who can help me.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blog spot.com/
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
Learning with you, praying for you today,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship: July 16, 2011—Principle #27 (Prayer)
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 1 I said, "I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence." 2 I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. 3 My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: 4 "LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Psalm 39:1-4
Core Value: Prayer
Been frustrated . . . lately . . . with your circumstances . . . with other people . . . with yourself . . . with God? Frustration. We prefer that things go our way, always. We somehow believe that anything or anyone who frustrates us is not God’s best for us. Given the choice, we will say goodbye to frustration and say hello to success. Sometimes we can become spoiled with “success.” It is a season where it seems everything is going right: every decision we make is spot on, every relationship we are in is thriving, everything we do seems to have success written all over it. Success; we get used to it; we require it like a drug; and when “the other shoe drops,” when it appears that everything we touch no longer turns to gold but to dust, each one of us must come face to face with these probing questions: what will I think and what will I do when I become frustrated? Will I lash out in a desperate way to vindicate myself or will I turn to the Lord and seek His help and allow Him to defend me?
This is the common challenge of every disciple of Jesus: to work out our frustrations our way or to yield our way and submit to His. In a mysterious way, the Lord uses our frustrations to draw us closer to Him, which is a success. It is through prayer where we present our frustrations to God and He presents His grace to us.
Principle #27 & Personal Application: The quality disciple is guarded and has learned the art of directing one’s frustrations away from those who cannot help to the only One who can help.
• When we are guarded we choose to be very selective with whom we share our concerns: We are to guard our ways and we are to guard our mouth.
• When we are guarded we choose to find the correct way to “vent” our frustrations: We come to a point when it is unhealthy to just sit in and suffer spiritual heartburn with our feelings. Our frustrations will consume us and sicken us unless we redirect them to the Lord in prayer.
• When we are guarded, we can become completely honest to God by sharing with Him the deepest concerns of our heart: “Lord, make me to know my end.” Or as The Living Bible says,
Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. Psalm 39:4 (TLB)
In other words, Lord, grant to me Your perspective as I sort out the life challenges before me.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
Have I ever shared my complaint of a circumstance with another person in a way that can be considered spiritual gossip?
When I become frustrated with a circumstance that I do not like, am I more prone to take my complaint to other people or to the Lord? Why is this? What can I do in order to gain a better perspective?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may Your grace help me to make the healthy choice when I am facing a frustration. I am often tempted to entrust spiritual matters (that can only be solved by You) into the hands of people who have no power to fix my problems. In fact, the problem becomes even more challenging when I bypass You in prayer and entrust spiritual gossip with them. May I learn how to be guarded with my mouth and learn the art of directing my frustrations away from those who cannot help to the only One who can help me.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blog spot.com/
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #26--Prayer--July 9, 2011
Hello dear friends,
Today we are going to take a look at the power of transparency and why it is such an important attribute for the disciple of Jesus. But, as we will learn, it is much easier to talk about it than to live it out day by day. For many of us, we find that living behind a mask is much safer than letting others know who we... really are. Perhaps this will be the day where the masks we collect as sick trophies of our life begin to fall off.
Learning with you,
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #26 (Prayer)
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. 19 But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20 And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 38:17-22
Core Value: Prayer
Is it safe enough for you to fail? Or to put it another way, what has been your experience when your walk did not line up with your talk? Has it been your rapid response to quickly throw on your mask, seeking to hide the “real” you? Are you safe in the presence of other Christians? Do you feel safe before God? William Shakespeare said it so well when he wrote, “God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” One of the saddest experiences of the Christian life is when a person either cannot or will not be real. Instead of experiencing the exhilarating sensation of being okay with whom one is (flaws and all), the defeated believer is imprisoned by the shackles of legalism, self-condemnation, and an always flawed attempt of needing to have it all together.
How sad. How defeating. How come? Perhaps, the reason we seek to hide behind a mask is due to a lack of trust—in God, in others, and in ourselves. Is there a way we can be free of hiding behind the mask? Is there a safe place where we can fail? Yes. The answer is the Gospel. It is in the Gospel where God always takes the initiative and pursues us, imperfections and all. It is in the Gospel where, what we cannot do (repair ourselves), God does reparative work through the Cross. And it is in the Gospel where God reveals to us His image (His face) as we experience a spiritual facelift where “from glory to glory He is changing us” (2 Corinthians 3:12-18). It is because of grace that we can lay down our masks (become transparent) and experience acceptance before others and before God.
Principle #26 & Personal Application: The quality disciple is transparent before the Lord and willing to confess not only one’s sin, but to appeal to the Lord for His help.
• Transparent prayer is when we acknowledge before God our spiritual failures.
• Transparent prayer is when we confess our inadequate strength in fighting our own battles.
• Transparent prayer is when we openly beseech the Lord for His help.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What are some of the weak areas of my life that need to be confessed to the Lord?
How does the Lord help me when I feel surrounded by the enemies of my soul?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You, above all others, know how often I fail to trust You. I confess to You that I am a sinner (though saved by Your grace) and allow my anxiety to replace Your peace too many times. I confess to You that I seek to fight my own battles far too often as I push You aside. I confess to You that I need Your help and Your presence in my life.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blog spot.com/
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
Today we are going to take a look at the power of transparency and why it is such an important attribute for the disciple of Jesus. But, as we will learn, it is much easier to talk about it than to live it out day by day. For many of us, we find that living behind a mask is much safer than letting others know who we... really are. Perhaps this will be the day where the masks we collect as sick trophies of our life begin to fall off.
Learning with you,
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #26 (Prayer)
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. 19 But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20 And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 38:17-22
Core Value: Prayer
Is it safe enough for you to fail? Or to put it another way, what has been your experience when your walk did not line up with your talk? Has it been your rapid response to quickly throw on your mask, seeking to hide the “real” you? Are you safe in the presence of other Christians? Do you feel safe before God? William Shakespeare said it so well when he wrote, “God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” One of the saddest experiences of the Christian life is when a person either cannot or will not be real. Instead of experiencing the exhilarating sensation of being okay with whom one is (flaws and all), the defeated believer is imprisoned by the shackles of legalism, self-condemnation, and an always flawed attempt of needing to have it all together.
How sad. How defeating. How come? Perhaps, the reason we seek to hide behind a mask is due to a lack of trust—in God, in others, and in ourselves. Is there a way we can be free of hiding behind the mask? Is there a safe place where we can fail? Yes. The answer is the Gospel. It is in the Gospel where God always takes the initiative and pursues us, imperfections and all. It is in the Gospel where, what we cannot do (repair ourselves), God does reparative work through the Cross. And it is in the Gospel where God reveals to us His image (His face) as we experience a spiritual facelift where “from glory to glory He is changing us” (2 Corinthians 3:12-18). It is because of grace that we can lay down our masks (become transparent) and experience acceptance before others and before God.
Principle #26 & Personal Application: The quality disciple is transparent before the Lord and willing to confess not only one’s sin, but to appeal to the Lord for His help.
• Transparent prayer is when we acknowledge before God our spiritual failures.
• Transparent prayer is when we confess our inadequate strength in fighting our own battles.
• Transparent prayer is when we openly beseech the Lord for His help.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What are some of the weak areas of my life that need to be confessed to the Lord?
How does the Lord help me when I feel surrounded by the enemies of my soul?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You, above all others, know how often I fail to trust You. I confess to You that I am a sinner (though saved by Your grace) and allow my anxiety to replace Your peace too many times. I confess to You that I seek to fight my own battles far too often as I push You aside. I confess to You that I need Your help and Your presence in my life.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blog spot.com/
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #25--Prayer--July 2, 2011
Hello dear friends, I "Hope" you are doing well today. My hope for your well-being is not a hopeful assumption but a hope that is intimately connected with my hope... in the Lord and that He is at work in your life in a special way.
There are many believers who live the Christian life according to the way of "hope so," hoping and praying that God might (maybe, possibly, perhaps answer their prayer) instead of knowing and believing that God is at work in supernatural ways. Prayer is the portal where we are given insight where our hope is no longer based upon how we feel but upon the Lord's character and His great promises to us.
Thirteen years ago to this day, I placed my hope in the Lord. At age 41, after experiencing a heart attack, I was not given much hope to survive much less live a quality life. How did it turn out for me? I found the Lord to be full of mercy and grace, choosing to heal me. How does hope come to the disciple? Hope is not what we can conjure up with our own strength and will. Like all other good things that come from the Lord, hope is a gift He gives to those who trust in Him. What I learned years ago still remains true: For I hope in the LORD; He did (and will still) answer my prayers. He will answer yours too.
Hope you will hope in Him,
Denny
Key Scripture: For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15
Core Value: Prayer
Hope is an important component in the life of the believer. Without hope, we sink into a hopeless depression. Without hope, life has no meaning and no future. However, hope has to be connected in the right way. To have hope in the fragile strength of mankind will prove to be disappointing, to say the least. To have hope that the ominous storms of life will avoid us and strike somewhere else instead is nothing more than the foolish act of placing all of our tokens on the poker table and taking a risky bet against the house (and we know, the house always wins). To have hope in oneself, although noble, still sets us up for an eventual failure. So, what are we to do with hope? The Psalmist helps us see this more clearly. We are to place our hope in the Lord. We are to hope in His Word (Psalm 119:81; 130:5, 7).
Principle #25 & Personal Application: The quality disciple has a confident hope in the Lord who answers prayer.
• Our hope in the Lord is personal: “For I hope.”
• Our hope in the Lord is precise: “In You, O LORD.”
• Our hope in the Lord is fully persuaded: “You will answer, O Lord my God.”
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
When I pray, is my hope in “my faith” or is my hope in “my faith in the Lord?
When is the last time I can remember where God answered one of my prayers?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may my hope in You always be personal (“For I hope”). May my hope in You always be directed to You and not to some man-made methodology of prayer (“In You, O LORD”). And may my hope be fueled with a confident hope and be fully persuaded that You will answer my prayers (“You will answer, O Lord my God”).
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
There are many believers who live the Christian life according to the way of "hope so," hoping and praying that God might (maybe, possibly, perhaps answer their prayer) instead of knowing and believing that God is at work in supernatural ways. Prayer is the portal where we are given insight where our hope is no longer based upon how we feel but upon the Lord's character and His great promises to us.
Thirteen years ago to this day, I placed my hope in the Lord. At age 41, after experiencing a heart attack, I was not given much hope to survive much less live a quality life. How did it turn out for me? I found the Lord to be full of mercy and grace, choosing to heal me. How does hope come to the disciple? Hope is not what we can conjure up with our own strength and will. Like all other good things that come from the Lord, hope is a gift He gives to those who trust in Him. What I learned years ago still remains true: For I hope in the LORD; He did (and will still) answer my prayers. He will answer yours too.
Hope you will hope in Him,
Denny
Key Scripture: For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15
Core Value: Prayer
Hope is an important component in the life of the believer. Without hope, we sink into a hopeless depression. Without hope, life has no meaning and no future. However, hope has to be connected in the right way. To have hope in the fragile strength of mankind will prove to be disappointing, to say the least. To have hope that the ominous storms of life will avoid us and strike somewhere else instead is nothing more than the foolish act of placing all of our tokens on the poker table and taking a risky bet against the house (and we know, the house always wins). To have hope in oneself, although noble, still sets us up for an eventual failure. So, what are we to do with hope? The Psalmist helps us see this more clearly. We are to place our hope in the Lord. We are to hope in His Word (Psalm 119:81; 130:5, 7).
Principle #25 & Personal Application: The quality disciple has a confident hope in the Lord who answers prayer.
• Our hope in the Lord is personal: “For I hope.”
• Our hope in the Lord is precise: “In You, O LORD.”
• Our hope in the Lord is fully persuaded: “You will answer, O Lord my God.”
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
When I pray, is my hope in “my faith” or is my hope in “my faith in the Lord?
When is the last time I can remember where God answered one of my prayers?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may my hope in You always be personal (“For I hope”). May my hope in You always be directed to You and not to some man-made methodology of prayer (“In You, O LORD”). And may my hope be fueled with a confident hope and be fully persuaded that You will answer my prayers (“You will answer, O Lord my God”).
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/
Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!
http://bit.ly/lwpzNU
http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com
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