Saturday, December 9, 2017 Advent Week One! Hope! Day 7: Hope In Believing
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Advent Week One! Hope!
Day 7: Hope In Believing
Scripture:
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Romans 8:24-25
….so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
1 Peter 1:7-8
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
Psalm 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Devotional:
Faith in the unseen. How often do I take the time to really ponder the unseen life of faith? On the daily, my life is generally driven by routine and a plan based on the expected. When I stop to think, each day we move forward by faith that what we expect will indeed happen. Work will happen, so we prepare ourselves in expectation of it. Kids will get on busses and school will happen…so we prepare, we expect, we work and plan toward it. In most of these cases, we are basing our focus and expectation on an expected pattern, something we have experienced before, so we have a basic frame of how it will be and why we need to do this preparation.
In large part, this is also true of the life of faith. The main difference is that we have largely unseen proofs to undergird and guide us. Putting our hope in God is often a patchwork of instances that can be hard to put a finger on….triangulating circumstances that point to the hand of God and His desire for our good. At times all we have to go on is a whisper from the Lord in our spirit, the voice that is personal and does not always resonate with what others believe is right for us.
This is when we have the need more than ever to press in to our confidence in the character of God. Know Who and how He is, my friends. Search the Scriptures for His personality, His heart and mind, and His Will for you. Foster intimacy through prayer, confession, and worship.
I am grateful today in a fresh way that when my soul is downcast, I can remember: hope in God! I cannot always see what He has in store, but I can know that He is true, His Word is Truth, and He is working in every circumstance to cause our good. He promised it. He will do it! We can hope in Him, and we can hope in believing!
Prayer:
Thanksgiving:
O Great God, there is nothing You can’t do! God, You are immense, powerful, mighty, glorious, beautiful and holy. The heavens declare Your glory! The mountains and the hills break forth with singing of Your majesty. I thank You, Lord, and lift my heart in worship to You today.
Confession:
As a daily act of bringing my heart and life into submission to who You are, I confess my heart before You. Examine me, Lord, and bring to mind anything that might be hindering my walk with You. Thank You that it is Your kindness and not your judgment that bring me to repentance. Help me not to fear wrath but to dig in and snuggle in to Your arms, fully confessed and fully aware of my dependence on You. (Take time to stand open hearted in the Presence of God and allow Him to reveal areas that need His touch. Mine today: I confess my wrong attitude toward the gentleman who took our donation at Goodwill yesterday. It is my second encounter with him where he behaved rudely, and I felt triggered and angry because of his controlling behavior. His choices are between You and Him. Forgive me for becoming short and angry with him. Bless him with wisdom. If you desire to exact justice, help me pray for Your hand instead of trying to be the hand of justice. Show me if I indeed need to be the conduit for his correction, or if I need to simply bless and pray. Either way, change my heart because of the resentment and bitterness that are springing up from this. It is not Your will that I would respond this way. I desire to be a responder by Your Holy Spirit and not a fleshly reacter. Help me not to be defensive or respond in kind when others make rude choices.)
Supplication:
I lift my needs to You today, Lord. I thank You that You desire that those things which concern me be worked for my good. Change my heart and attitude toward my circumstances so that I will not be crippled by fear, doubt, unbelief, or worry but instead trust in You that You will make all things right in Your timing. (Take time to journal needs and concerns. Always note progress and victory! This is such a faith-building exercise. Mine today: Thank You that I am healing. Please totally heal my cough and help me not to become sick again. I have need of self-care today, and I pray that You will facilitate the time and the availability of the things I need to do in my narrow time frame. Let my family have fun without me so that I can have this time to myself. Help me to enjoy the time and not feel guilty for taking it. I pray for peace over the schedule. I release my anxieties and guilt to You and ask for Your love, peace, and joy in its place. This weekend, help me to rest and recover and not overdo it.)
Intercession:
I lift my children to You today. I bless You for the gift they are. I pray for their wellness, health, healing and wholeness. I pray for their salvation to be deep and abiding, and for the constant overflow of Your Holy Spirit. Let their innocence be preserved and whole, let their hearts and minds be unspotted and fully confessed before You each day and throughout their lives. Protect them from the lies of the enemy. Fill them with Your Truth. (Journal individual progress and victory, needs and concerns. Chloe today: Thank you for the ongoing progress in sleeping each night! I pray for her lying and manipulation to be fully nipped in the bud now, early in her life. Help her to be continually caught and exposed, and help her to be sincerely repentant. Teach us not to shame her but to correct and speak the truth in love. I also pray for her as she as yet another cold. Heal her sweet little body, Lord. Father, it is discouraging and disheartening that we are getting sick so much. We need Your touch, Father. Help me not to be discouraged. Thank You, Lord. For Christian: We need continued healing for his heart and mind and body in the area of bathrooming. We pray that he will be independent and initiate all toilet behavior and be out of pull-ups. We also continue to pray that You will heal the part of his brain that is affected by autism. Release him from the prison of silence. Restore his speech to full capacity. Restore his academics to full capacity. Cause him to be able to function in a regular classroom. Give him motivation to have academic and social success. Give us continued patience and love and acceptance of who he is and where he is. Do not let any frustration creep in to our relationship with him. Help us to be encouraging and only push him when it is right for him. Show us when and how to do this, and when and how to take our hands off.)
Thanksgiving and Consecration:
Lord, I thank You for the beautiful time today in Your Presence! Let this Advent season ring with Your praises. Let every heart prepare You room, Lord Jesus! We wait for You, and put our hope in You. Seal and bless this time of vulnerable prayer. Let Your throne be established and Your Will be done in our home as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
Blessing and Benediction:
1 Thessalonians 5:23, 28
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
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