I will love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.
We have just concluded 21 days of fasting and prayer with a prayer focus on our students. Thank you for joining us in this journey of asking God in prayer to cause our students to stand up for God and His Word in their lives; to allow themselves to stand out by making godly choices that will reflect the righteousness of the kingdom of God; and to step into the destiny God has prepared for them by faithfully giving themselves to their academic studies.
So much of God’s creation, and about life itself, points to the beauty of God’s character and His heart for everything He has made. As the pinnacle of His creation, His original plan was that we would enjoy relationship with Him as our highest priority and our greatest source of satisfaction. But beginning with Adam and Eve, who sinned in the Garden of Eden, human beings’ highest desires tend to focus on life’s gifts rather than on God Himself. We’re primarily focused on earthly goals of survival or success, on pursuing earthly pleasures, or on working through earthly problems on our own. When we recognize a need to respond to God, we usually try to engage Him on our own terms.
Our lives cannot truly please God until we’re fully committed to living for His Son, Jesus. When we accept His offer of forgiveness, we are given new hearts, a new life, and sensitivity to His Spirit, who leads us into an ever-deepening relationship with the Father as we consistently follow His promptings. Without an intentional, daily effort to focus on our love relationship with God, everyday priorities constantly pull at our attention and time—and we starve spiritually (Matthew 4:4). It may be imperceptible at first, but eventually the distance will be evident in our thinking and life choices, which will more closely match society’s patterns than God’s Word. Our ability to hear His still, small voice wanes. Discouragement can much more easily set in, and the risk of walking away from God increases.
Daily time with God in prayer, Bible reading and reflection, and obedience to what we learn and hear, helps us to stay close to the Lord. We are better able to resist temptation, recognize distractions, and live more effectively for His purposes. In the end, we remain positioned to live out His intended plan for us.
Pastor Barry Risto
Prayer Points
That we will remain focused on loving God as the highest priority in life. (Matthew 22:36-40)
That we will make a consistent, daily effort to spend time at Jesus’ feet, and in His Word. (Matthew 4:1-11)
That we will allow God to shape and lead our choices every day day, so that we live out His intended purpose for us. (Matthew 6:24)
Do you feel that your love for God is at the deepest level that it can be? Why or why not?
How is the depth of your love for God reflected in your desire to spend time with Him?
In what ways can you make adjustments to focus on Him, His Word and on hearing His voice more regularly?
Join the Prayer Conference Call at 5:30 am on Wednesday morning.
Dial: 647-977-2648
Code: 827-220-552#
Followed by our Worship & Prayer Service at 7:00 pm at PPT.