Abba Father

The GT Weekend! ~ Fervent Week 3

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) It’s difficult to feel connected with, or have compassion for, those whose stories we do not know. For Christ-followers in the western hemisphere, this is often the case as we consider our brothers and sisters who live under constant persecution. Take some time this weekend and explore the stories of these fellow believers in greater detail, allowing their everyday experiences to shape the contours of your prayer life with increased fervency. Watch the online film for the Nik Ripkin’s Insanity of God or read some accounts of saints gone before us in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Study Paul’s words about his persecution and the effect his suffering had on the believers around him in Philippians 1:12-20. Be reminded that those Christ-followers who live in religious freedom are deeply connected with those who are persecuted. Commit to live and love and preach Jesus and pray fervently as one connected Body because of Christ Jesus.

2) The temptation to section off spiritual “God things” from our “everyday-everything-else” lives is strong for most of us. Without intentional discipline training to keep the two intertwined and seeing them as one life, we forget the Almighty is God of all, including our everyday moments. Just as physical discipline and self-control push us forward in fitness, these same traits further our spiritual growth. Practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, memorizing Scripture, giving generously, and studying Scripture move us away from spiritual mediocrity and towards a life that seamlessly blends our spiritual and physical lives together as one. Of the disciplines listed above, pick one or two you haven’t practiced lately and begin incorporating them into your everyday rhythms. Wrap your strength training exercises in prayer, asking the Lord to strengthen your faith as you press forward to know Him deeper!

3) Merry concluded our Journey Into Fervent by drawing us near to God’s heart through the call to Family. Of all the different ways we think about God, at the top should be Father. He loves us as His children and invites us to come freely to Him within the tender, deep relationship of Abba Father. Not only are all Christ-followers welcomed into this sweetness with Abba, but we also are connected with one another as brothers and sisters through this wonderful adoption! I often remind my children that friends will come and go in the seasons of life, but their siblings will be with them forever. This is especially true for all who trust Jesus as their Savior because we will share eternity together with each other and our Great God and Father! When we begin viewing one another through the lens of family adopted through magnificent love, our own love for each other grows, forgiveness flows, and our differences are no longer important. Who can you begin loving more fervently as family starting this weekend?!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Romans 15:5-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

Prayer Journal
Let’s pray Merry’s prayer together this weekend!
Our Father. It’s only by Your mercy and grace we can come to You, together. And hopefully, confidently, if stumblingly, we come to You. Lord, we don’t possess the kind of love that knits hearts together in one mind and spirit, but You do. Your word says we can ask for anything in Your name, and it will be done. Abba, we want to want unity in the Church. We don’t know how to go about it, but You do. Would you fill us with the Spirit of unity? Would you pour out love like we’ve never seen in Your Church in this age? Make us one, as You are one. You’re the only One Who can. This day, our lives and all we have are Yours alone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Beloved Day 15 Love Song

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Song of Solomon 4:1-5:1
Psalm 42:1-11
Romans 5:6-11

Beloved, Day 15

I had just given birth to my 4th baby, a perfectly beautiful girl. After a sleepless night and a ridiculously fast labor, I was awash with love for my girl. Though exhausted, I didn’t dare close my eyes. Head over heels in love, I couldn’t stop taking her in, caressing tiny curled fingers and buttery soft nails, silky cheeks, dimpled chin, and the softest newborn hair. I held her close, inhaling her fresh-from-the-womb scent. My heart was bursting with love, and as my husband slept fitfully in the hospital chair, I sang over my little girl.

I sang the gospel, I sang every hymn I knew, and then I sang them again. I sang songs I made up in the moment, I sang of her siblings, I sang of the God who crafted her. I wept, I prayed, and as the morning rays reached her newborn face, I was more in love with her, if possible, than I had been just a few hours prior.

Love songs have the mysterious ability to enlarge our hearts, soften us, and make us feel we can do anything because we are magnificently loved.

Which is why the Lord of the universe sings over His children.

Zephaniah wrote of God,
“The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will be quiet in his love.
He will delight in you with singing.”
(Zephaniah 3:17, emphasis mine)

Lord of Lords. King of Kings.
Enthroned by cherubim and seraphim.
Ruler of wind, waves, and every creature.
This is the God who delights to sing over those who call Him Abba Father!

Job spoke of God His Maker, “who provides us with songs in the night.” (Job 35:10)

Is this mystery not unfathomable?!

The entirety of Song of Solomon is a love song.
It overflows with beauty, passion, delight, and commitment between Lover and Beloved.

You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride.
You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
How delightful your caresses are, my sister, my bride.
Your caresses are much better than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.
(Song of Solomon 4:9-10)

Can you imagine the effect on your relationship if your spouse came home tonight and sang lyrics of love over you? Not sugary sweet nothings, but power-packed melodies of hope, truth, and unconditional love. What would his response be if you did the same?

To be sung over is akin to receiving an exquisite, lavish gift.
It’s life-giving, filling, nurturing, and sustaining.

A few years ago, I was up way too late shopping for Christmas gifts online with my long-distance mother-in-love over the phone. We laughed and chatted and somehow, lullabies came up and how special it was that my children asked her to sing over them when they visited. Jokingly, I commented I was jealous that I didn’t get a lullaby. Then, this woman who had birthed my husband and loved me like her own, sang her lullaby over me.

Sisters, hear me, I could not stop the tears. Those few seconds, the gentle sway of her voice, and the unabashed declaration of love will forever mark my life.

This is why the Father of our hearts sings over those who call on Him.

In His melodies, we hear the rhythm of His heart and learn to sway to the tempo of His faithful love.

When fear attacks.
When relationships hurt.
When we weep.
We listen for the song in the night.

“The Lord will send his faithful love by day;
His song will be with me in the night.”
(Psalm 42:8)

My hours-old daughter had done nothing to deserve my love for her. She hadn’t yet pirouetted through my house, received academic awards, or taught me to serve others with generosity. She had stretched my uterus thin, brought significant pain, and terrified me when she wasn’t breathing at birth. I loved her simply because she was mine.

This is why the Lover of our hearts, souls, and bodies sings His love song over us.

The cadence He breathes over us is always love, always victory, always delight in simply being His.

When our hearts rebelled against Him, choosing our sin over His righteousness.
When we couldn’t keep our tongues from sharing that gossip.
When we allowed our hands to impulsively act out our anger.
When we said that stream of hurtful words in defense of ourselves.
When we lied, when we lusted, when we acted in bitterness, when we stole, when we took a life, when we…, when we… and on goes our gross sinful offenses against the Holy God.

If we listen, His melodies continue, weaving in and out, drawing us out of our sin and into His forgiving grace. Pulling us away from our sin-ravaged patterns and into the rhythmic dance of His life of love.

Listen for the Love Song, Daughters; turn from your sin, your fear, and your shame, and sway to the symphonies of His Song.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Beloved Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Beloved!