Wednesday, November 1, 2017 The Acts of Submission Part 1 – Submission to the Triune God: The Discipline of Submission, Part 5 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The Acts of Submission Part 1 – Submission to the Triune God: The Discipline of Submission, Part 5 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)

Scripture:

Psalm 5:1-3

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
² Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
³ My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

Psalm 25:4-5

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 143:10

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Psalm 23:3

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Devotional:

The beauty of digging in to the study of the disciplines of the faith is that each opportunity to learn about these disciplines is like studying the facets of a gem. As a woman, as I mentioned in my previous post, submission can be a word that causes the mind to jump to the abuses of power that have subjugated those under authority in centuries past and in the present day. I am grateful for the time we have had to delve into the true meaning of submission. Today, I am encouraged that as we are together, the time that we are spending in study of God’s Word and setting our hearts before Him beautifully defines the first Act of Submission: Submission to the Triune God. We are here, choosing to set our days at the foot of the cross. We bow before Father, Son and Holy Spirit to receive for our day, and to relinquish control over our circumstances and our children. This can be hard for parents, but truly will provide a place of solace and safety. I am convinced that the transformation we have seen in our homes has come from the ceasing of our own striving to make things happen with our children and the ordering of our day around prayer and the study of scripture. As I type, my husband is reading the Word and praying through requests. In a short time from now, we will convene to connect one to another and pray together. God has done miraculous things as we have made this the primary focus of our home. We are not perfect, and God is still working in us as He will be forever, but I can tell you that when we began this ritual in earnest, we were in a far different place as a family than we are today. The forming of this group for parents of strong willed children to pray for our children has been the place of marking this choice of submission to God in our home and family. Today, as you pray with me, you are also choosing to submit to God! We are getting our lives in order, ordering our day before Him, and He will direct our path.

Prayer:

Thanksgiving:

Father, I thank You and praise You. You are wonderful, majestic and powerful. You are almighty God.

Confession:

I open my heart to You today, knowing that all have sinned and fall short of Your glory (Romans 3:23). Thank You that You have justified me by Your Son, and given me freedom to come to You for healing and forgiveness. (Take time to let the Lord reveal any area needing confession. Mine today: I confess that I still struggle with impatience and irritability. Your Word says that love is not irritable, and that love is patient. I want Your love to flow through me. Cleanse me from this unrighteousness. Help me not to wallow in the mire of my shame over my failings. Help me to walk patiently and lovingly, one day at a time. I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning, and great is Your faithfulness. I receive Your forgiveness and thank You for giving me a new start.)

Supplication:

Take time to lift personal needs to the Lord. (Mine today: My weight loss journey has been heavy on my heart lately. I am trying to move forward, and making slow progress, but it can be very discouraging at times. I am far more active than I used to be, but I want to have a desire to be active that will allow me and my family to have a lifestyle that is healthy and whole. Help me to resume running, which You led me to two years ago. I am struggling, though when I choose to do this I feel so much better. Help me to get past the inner traumas that come up when I am exercising so that I will not be held back. Heal me, and make me whole, Father. Help me not to fear the process of healing but to allow You to work.)

Intercession:

I lift my children to You today. I thank You for these precious gifts. (Journal and pray over needs/concerns, making note of progress and victories. Chloe today: Thank You for her joy, friendliness, and zest for life. Forgive me for feeling irritated by her constant energy and questions. Give me grace for this stage of our journey. I want to be a mom she can talk to. Help me to release this frustration to You. Give me a great level of joy for being with her and raising her to be connected and know she is cherished and love. Work in her heart to know who she is in You. For Christian today: I feel he is making progress as we pray over bathrooming. Help him to continue to make the connection, and choose the toilet over his pullup every time. Increase his ability to communicate from simple needs and wants to feelings, ideas and thoughts. Let us in, Lord, so that we can know him and be known by him. Bless him at school today and in therapy.)

Thanksgiving and Consecration:

Lord, I thank You for Your Word, Your truth and Your love. Take over this day, and make it Yours. I bless You and honor You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.