What The Heart Craves.
Do you find that spending consistent time alone each day with the Lord in the Word and in prayer a difficult duty, not a joyous delight? Is your spiritual life often dry and routine? Are you often defeated by temptation and sin?
At the risk of being overly simplistic, I believe that all of these problems stem from a common source: You do not experientially know the love of Jesus Christ as deeply as you should.
A young man who has just fallen in love doesn’t regard spending time with his new love as a difficult duty! He doesn’t think, “I really should spend time with her today but, nah, I think I’ll skip it.” Why not? Because he is motivated and captivated by love. He rearranges everything else in his schedule to make time to be with her. Such love is a powerful force that literally changes your life. It motivates you in ways that you do not understand.
But as we all know, it’s one thing to fall in love, but it’s another thing to sustain it and cause it to grow deeper over the years. It doesn’t run on auto pilot! It requires focus and effort. The same is true with regard to knowing the love of Christ. You come to know it at salvation, but you’ve got to work at growing to know Jesus and His love in deeper and deeper ways.
The Christian life is rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17) Being built on love, we must have God’s power to lay hold of Christ’s love (Eph. 3:18). Because comprehending this love does not come naturally, but rather supernaturally. Comprehending His love is the need of all believers and it must happen in community with one another (Eph. 3:18b). Knowing Christ’s love is a never-ending process (Eph. 3:19) but as we seek to know Christ’s love it results in spiritual maturity.
Today, let us seek in fasting and prayer what our hearts truly crave—an experience with the love of God. Let’s also seek it in intercession on behalf of our loves ones and others in our circle of influence. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Eph 3:19).
Every blessing,
Pastor Barry Risto
Lead Pastor
Prayer Points
Scriptures: Ephesians 3:17-19, Ephesians 1:4-5, 1 Corinthians 13:3, Romans 8:29
Thank God that you are alive to partake in this month’s fasting program.
1 John 1:9 - Confess any known and unknown sins.
Decree that no plan of the enemy shall hinder you in today’s fasting program.
Mark 12:30 – Jehovah help this year and beyond to LOVE You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength in Jesus’ name. (pray this fervently)
Rom 8:29 – God Almighty, I thank You for adopting me into Your family.
Ephesians 1:4 – Lord, continue to make me holy in Your sight.
Ephesians 1:5 – Father, I thank You for bringing me into Your kingdom family. (praise Him fervently)
Ephesians 3:17 – Jehovah, make Your home in my heart. (pray this fervently)
Ephesians 3:17 – Father, in Jesus’ name let my roots grow in Your love and make me strong in 2021 and beyond.
Ephesians 3:18 – Elohim, give me the power to understand how wide, how long, how high, how deep Your love is for me and my household.
Ephesians 3:19 – Jesus, make my life complete with the fullness of life and power from above (good health, providence, protection) (mention them)
Ephesians 3:19 – Lord, make the life of my household complete with the fullness of life and power from above.
1 Corinthians 13:3 – Jesus, let Your love flow through me to the world around me. (pray this fervently)
Pray for the persecuted church globally
Pastor's Chat at 8:00 pm Wednesday evening.
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