Friday, August 11, 2017 Discipleship: The Road to True Wholeness through Intimacy with God

Friday, August 11, 2017

Discipleship: The Road to True Wholeness through Intimacy with God

Scripture:
John 15:4-6  (ESV)
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

John 17:22-23  (ESV)
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Psalm 139:1-6  (ESV)
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.


Devotional:
Starting on Monday, I will begin to share from the next discipline outlined in Celebration of Discipline, the discipline of prayer. Today, I would like to take a moment to sit where we are having studied the discipline of meditation and looking forward to the upcoming weeks that God has begun to minister to me that the wholeness and transformation that I seek, the next deep step with Him, is truly found in waking this road of intentionally embracing discipline.

Seeking intimacy with Jesus is to follow Him and be His disciple. There isn’t a checklist—but there are characteristics of the life of the believer, and to find life in Him and to be whole in Him is to embrace His Way.

Let’s take a little time today to reset our intention to know God in a new way. Let’s allow Him to fully fill us, and let’s snuggle deeply into His arms so that we can be more like Him!

Prayer:
Father, I desire to truly be a disciple of Jesus. I want to be close to You, and to be fully formed in Your image. I desire this for my family, too, and want to be a clear model to my children of how to be a disciple. Give me joy to “celebrate discipline,” and embrace its work in my heart.

Intercession:
Lord, I ask that You will bolster me as the parent of my children to disciple them in Your Way. Thank You that You are leading me down this path so that I can go before them as they go this Way, too. (Journal needs and concerns, make note of progress and victories.)

Thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness to teach and guide. You are holy and good!


In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

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