October 10, 2020
Affectionate,Blessed,bride,Captivating,Christ,church,Faith,Faithfulness,God,Gospel,Grace,Inheritance,Love,Purpose,Relationship,Significance,Truth
Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!
Ephesians 1:17-19
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of His strength.
Reflective Prayer
Oh great and merciful Father, how can it be that You would love me? I cannot fathom the depths of love You have shown Your people by making us Your dwelling place.
You are not a God who is far off, watching at a distance. You are a God who is nearby, providing for Your children, displaying Your great power in our lives. I admit I have often learned facts about You simply to increase my own knowledge. Forgive me of my pride, and use the knowledge I have found to enlighten my heart and draw me into a deeper relationship with You.
I know I often live in my brokenness, forgetting the power of the truth of my new life in You. Help me to be aware of my sin, to recoil at my old desires, and to truly live in such a way that reflects the power You have in my life.
Thank You for Your great mercy in setting me free from my past. Help me to grow in my intimate knowledge of You and Your great love for me. As I grow in unity with You, help me also to grow in unity with Your Body, the Church.
You are not a God who is far off, watching at a distance. You are a God who is nearby, providing for Your children, displaying Your great power in our lives. I admit I have often learned facts about You simply to increase my own knowledge. Forgive me of my pride, and use the knowledge I have found to enlighten my heart and draw me into a deeper relationship with You.
I know I often live in my brokenness, forgetting the power of the truth of my new life in You. Help me to be aware of my sin, to recoil at my old desires, and to truly live in such a way that reflects the power You have in my life.
Thank You for Your great mercy in setting me free from my past. Help me to grow in my intimate knowledge of You and Your great love for me. As I grow in unity with You, help me also to grow in unity with Your Body, the Church.
Worship Through Song
Reflection One
What a breathtakingly stunning thought! The God of the universe is pleased to dwell among people! His desire is to have a deep and meaningful relationship with every beloved person in His church body. The opening poetry of Ephesians is full of magnificent truths about the believer’s position and identity in Christ.
Rebecca gave us a list of declarations every believer in Christ can cling to as a promise of their standing with God. We do not need to wonder what God thinks of us because He tells us plainly in these verses. Go back and read through the list again! (Ephesians 1:1-14) Choose two or three specific promises and remind yourself of those truths in your life.
Spend some time praying and imagining how God could change your life if you fully accepted those truths as part of your everyday. Write down those two or three declarations on a notecard or sticky note (make them pretty if you want!) and post them somewhere you’ll see them daily. When you see those cards, be reminded to pray to God for His help to live faithfully in light of His call on your life.
Rebecca gave us a list of declarations every believer in Christ can cling to as a promise of their standing with God. We do not need to wonder what God thinks of us because He tells us plainly in these verses. Go back and read through the list again! (Ephesians 1:1-14) Choose two or three specific promises and remind yourself of those truths in your life.
Spend some time praying and imagining how God could change your life if you fully accepted those truths as part of your everyday. Write down those two or three declarations on a notecard or sticky note (make them pretty if you want!) and post them somewhere you’ll see them daily. When you see those cards, be reminded to pray to God for His help to live faithfully in light of His call on your life.
Reflection Two
In Ephesians 1:15-23 we see the love Paul has for the Ephesians in his prayer for them, and we see the greatness of the calling of God on the lives of His people. Paul prays for the Ephesians to intimately know the call of God on their lives. If we believe in Christ, we share in this calling.
By this calling, we can be confident in our rich, intimate knowledge of God, our value in His kingdom, and the power we experience through Jesus Christ. This truth should radically change how we live our lives! We experience God’s power when we obey His call on our lives. Identify one way in your life you are resisting submission to Christ’s call on your life.
This could be a besetting sin you are holding onto or a step of faith you have been hesitant to take. Ask God to show you the greatness of His power by setting you free from whatever is holding you back, then make a plan to walk in obedience in this area, trusting God to sustain you.
Consider sharing your plan with a trusted sister in Christ and invite her to check in with you about how you are following through.
By this calling, we can be confident in our rich, intimate knowledge of God, our value in His kingdom, and the power we experience through Jesus Christ. This truth should radically change how we live our lives! We experience God’s power when we obey His call on our lives. Identify one way in your life you are resisting submission to Christ’s call on your life.
This could be a besetting sin you are holding onto or a step of faith you have been hesitant to take. Ask God to show you the greatness of His power by setting you free from whatever is holding you back, then make a plan to walk in obedience in this area, trusting God to sustain you.
Consider sharing your plan with a trusted sister in Christ and invite her to check in with you about how you are following through.
Reflection Three
When all we know is death, we can grow comfortable in the filth and stench of our own decay. Death feels like the inevitable pattern until we see the alternative. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:1-22 we were dead in our sins. But God, rich in mercy, made a way for us to be alive in Him.
If you have believed in Christ, you are no longer a slave to the old, dead ways of living. You are alive in Christ! Rebecca challenges us to remember we are alive and then to live like we’re alive. Echoing her final thoughts, take some time to consider, and write down, answers to the following questions.
Who can you love better? What is a tangible step you can take today to love God with your life? Is there a relationship in your life where unity is broken; what is a first step you can take toward reconciliation? Are you honoring the people closest to you?
Ask God to help you take meaningful steps toward living like you are alive. Ask Him to give you an opportunity to share with someone in your life about how God has brought you out of death and into life.
If you have believed in Christ, you are no longer a slave to the old, dead ways of living. You are alive in Christ! Rebecca challenges us to remember we are alive and then to live like we’re alive. Echoing her final thoughts, take some time to consider, and write down, answers to the following questions.
Who can you love better? What is a tangible step you can take today to love God with your life? Is there a relationship in your life where unity is broken; what is a first step you can take toward reconciliation? Are you honoring the people closest to you?
Ask God to help you take meaningful steps toward living like you are alive. Ask Him to give you an opportunity to share with someone in your life about how God has brought you out of death and into life.
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