Three Questions

Read: Psalm 149 & 150

"For the LORD takes pleasure in His people..." Psalm 149:4

Examine:

Psalm 149 and 150 are both Psalms of worship. They call us to lift up our worship to God based on the character of God and His relationship to us. This verse highlights a truth that often goes forgotten and under-appreciated. However it is treated, it is the basic ingredient needed for praise. If a person does not understand that God takes pleasure in him, then worship will be nothing more than a religious ritual or a mindless emotion.

Apply:

I am not sure what to think of this verse. This verse raises a few questions in my mind. First, is knowing God takes pleasure in me enough to cause me to worship? Second, what is the evidence I look for as proof that God takes pleasure in me? Finally, what changes need to take place in my heart to allow this truth to truly affect my worship?

Pray:

Is your pleasure in me enough? This question forces me to drop aside everything other than my relationship with You. For me to honestly answer this question with a yes, my relationship with You has to be real. I have to walk with You in a way that is tangible and intimate. I have to know the love You have for me and experience it in a way that it genuinely affects the inner-most parts of my heart. I am not there yet. That is my honest reply. Knowing that You take pleasure in me does not matter to me as much as it should. I pray that You help me connect with You in a way that is more real and more tangible than I have ever known before. I pray that knowing that You take pleasure in me would ignite a passion in my heart that forces praise from my lips.

What is the evidence I seek? Tangible, financial rewards and an easy life. That is the ugly truth. If You do not give me what I want, when I want it and in the way I want, then I feel like You don't love me. This truth about me makes me nothing more than a grown up and sophisticated brat. My praise for You moves in perfect synchronization with the circumstances of my life. Life is good, God is good. Life is bad, You are not doing Your job. I don't want to be that man anymore. I want the evidence of Your written word to fill my heart and separate my joy from my circumstances.

What changes need to take place? Father, only You know the truth of my heart. You are the only One who can search me, know me, and change me. I do not dare answer this question in anyway other than to ask that You search me, try me, and align me with Your will.

Read: Psalm 139 & 140

"O LORD, You have searched me and know me..." Psalm 139:1

Examine:

David understood that there was nothing about him that God did not understand. His thoughts, paths, ways and words were completely known to God before David took any actions.

Apply:

I intuitively know that God knows everything about me. In practice, however, this truth is not revealed in my life. I live my life as if God needs to be informed of what is going on in my life. My prayers and thoughts of God easily become consumed with me telling God how I feel, where my needs are, and what He should do about it. I wonder how my life would change if I changed my focus? What if instead of trying to get God to better understand me, I sought to better understand myself and God.

Pray:

Learning to cast aside my personal ambitions and drive so that I can clearly see the condition of my heart and better understand the intentions of Yours is a knowledge that is too high; I can't obtain it. As I read David confessing his love, trust and admiration of You I sense a conviction in his life that is weak in my own. My love, trust, and admiration rests more in my ability to control my life than it does in laying aside all things and resting in You. I fear that You will not allow things to happen in a way that I will find pleasing or acceptable so I fret over my circumstances and refuse to release them to Your control. Fear presses me into hiding parts of my heart from You. I do not want to be corrected. I do not want to be wronged. I do not want to admit failure. So...I hide.

This is a stupid choice that brings with it foolish consequences. I want to stop that cycle today. My prayer today is that You will search me and make known to me the weak, dark, and hidden places in my heart. I want to see me through Your eyes and obtain knowledge about myself that is hidden in my own foolish pride. I want to be laid low so that You can mold me more into the image of the Son You desire me to be. I also pray that the eyes of my heart be enlightened so that I may fully understand the greatness of Your heart and the fullness of Your glory. Teach me to pray in a way that opens my life to these great and wonderful truths.

The Trouble with Safe

Read: Psalm 135

"You name, O LORD, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations." Psalm 135:13

Examine:

The nation of Israel were a people of faith. They journeyed with God and experienced many amazing moments with Him. In doing so, they piled up a history rich of experiences with God.

Apply:

The trouble with playing things safe and living according to my own strength is that I really never get to experience first hand the miraculous movement of God. This forces me to live off of the faith stories of others and undercuts my ability to truly praise God for His greatness.

Pray:

Father, you know where I am and the things that I face. Right now my attention is all Yours. I have no place to go and there is quite literally nothing I can do on my own to resolve the things I am struggling against nor can I make happen the things to which You have called me. My life is setup to experience You move in a way that I have never seen or experienced first hand.

As this journey has pressed me into unknown areas of faith it has been difficult to maintain my composure. It is like I have moved up to new league and the game is being played faster than I can keep up with. I thought I had strong faith, solid discernment, and absolute trust. Over the past few weeks I have seen the holes in my faith, found my flesh entangled in my discernment, and realized the limits of my trust. I have seen first hand the ugliness of my pride, the devouring nature of my desire for self-preservation, and dark side of my drive and ambition.

The start of any new journey with You always begins with a death to self. I recognize that is what You have been doing in my life and I am really grateful to You for it. As I have died to myself I have found more of You and been able to more deeply appreciate the gifts of those around me. This morning's reading is an incredible reminder that I am going to experience You more deeply in the coming weeks.

You are the only God who is worthy of praise. You have a power that can move the heavens and a legacy that proves You will. Nothing can compare with You and nothing can stand between You and Your plans for me. I am thankful to You today because You are everlasting and Your name will continue to endure for generations to come. I pray that You lead me through this season of my life in a manner that honors Your great name and reveals Your matchless glory.

Arrogance and Ignorance

Read: Revelation 20

"And if anyone's name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15

Examine:

There are a lot of things in the book of Revelation that are hard to understand, but one thing stands out in perfect clarity. There is nothing good for those who refuse to surrender the lordship of their life to Jesus.

Apply:

"Well, he will burn in hell." I sit with that phrase and I think of the number of times I have heard it and the number of times I have said it. It is a phrase that is used flippantly and without much thought. It is a phrase that is comprised of nothing but spiritual arrogance and at the same time spiritual ignorance. It is arrogant because it involves me judging my life as being better than another and in my own way it is me saying I am glad I am not like that person. It is ignorant because it reveals just how little I understand the reality of eternal damnation.

Pray:

Father, I am not fit to be anyone's judge. Of the sinners that walk the earth I count myself among the greatest. I have betrayed You in every manner possible and have always done so with full knowledge that I was choosing against You. Yet, You always pursued me, offered me the mercy I needed, and used Your grace to restore me. I am nothing compared to anyone. I am simply grateful that You continue to help me help my stupid self. The thought of the eternal damnation of another should not spur from in me a statement of spiritual arrogance. It should drop me to my knees in prayer and push me out in the streets to share the goodness of Your name and good news of the gospel.

Why do You Wonder

Read: Revelation 17

"And the angel said to me, 'Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery...'" Revelation 17:7

Examine:

John was taken on a journey that was bigger than his mind could comprehend. He was seeing things that no man had seen and was processing things that no man had ever pondered. In the middle of it this angel looks and him and addresses the bewildered expression on John's face. The angel reminds John that his role in this process is not to figure things out. John's role was to just stay close, observe, listen, and tell.

Apply:

Staying close, observing, listening, and telling are the simple commands that are stirring in my heart this morning. Staying close means walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit means saying no to the flesh and walking in the ways of God. I think I often want God close, but I want Him to leave my life as it is. I want everything I have but I want the added benefit of Divine peace and protection. There is not a single example of this in the scripture. Being close to God requires an abandonment of self and a journey away from what is normal.

Observing requires eyes that look past what is visible and see what is unseen. There is a spiritual world. The more I pursue God the more certain of this I become. I should never take anything at face value. My prayers should always drive me to seek a deeper revelation regarding what I observe in my world. I need to look at things through the eyes of Jesus and see what He sees.

Listening requires a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the often forgotten aspect of the Trinity. He is a gift. He is a helper. He is the strength of Jesus and knows the heart of the Father. He is power for the fight, endurance for the journey, and knowledge for those who listen. I need to live more aware of this amazing gift.

Telling. What is it about that word that is so disturbing? Telling makes public the things that God is doing in my heart. It represents exposure, transparency and risk. I am strongly convinced that once I have moved in obedience to God, Satan's secondary tactic is to keep me on a island. He does not want me to talk about what God is doing in my life. He will make me doubt my sanity, question my theology, and abandon my self-confidence. He sends an irrational fear that overtakes me and threatens me to keep silent. I need to continue to push past the threats and make it my ambition to be vocal about God's work in my life.

Pray:

I have been wondering about a lot lately. My journey with You has carried me to a place that is highly unfamiliar and I have found myself wondering, wrestling, and resisting. I am grateful for Your simple reminder this morning to just stay close, observe, listen, and tell. I feel like I am staying close and as best I can I am telling what you are doing. In fact, my transparency has put me in a place of extreme vulnerability. Where I am struggling today is the observe and listen part of things.

Things do not always go the way I expect. In moments of confusion it becomes really hard to distinguish between my flesh, Your Spirit, and Satan's deceptions. This drives me to a place of wondering and wondering always shoots holes in my boat of faith. As the water rushes in, I lose heart and become afraid.

I return my focus today to just staying close. I am trying to force myself to see and hear and that does not work very well. I ask that You give me Your heart today. Help me to draw close, grab Your hand, and just enjoy the journey of walking with You.

The Only Measure of Success

Read: Revelation 13

"Here is the perseverance and faith of the saints." Revelation 13:10

Examine:

Reading this chapter is quite confusing. Much of what is listed is allegorical in nature and therefore it is difficult to fully understand what is being said and what will take place. This much is clear, at some point in time leaders of different nations will be granted supernatural powers that will be mistaken by many as being divine in nature. All of the earth, outside of those who belong to God, will be deceived.

Apply:

While I am unsure of the timing of the events listed in this chapter there are three things I know with certainty I can learn as I watch the people in this chapter be led away. There are three sure-fire ways to be deceived. The first is chasing signs and wonders. Whether it is a business deal, a religious leader, or a political leader it is dangerous business to become enamored with results. The bigger the promise the greater the chance for deception. Getting rich quick sounds good in the presentation but it often leaves people broke in the wake of it.

The second sure-fire way to be deceived is looking at the strength of a person and ignoring the heart of their words. A polished speaker with a good program can make a convincing case. It seems like every year we hold elections I see this clearly illustrated. Politicians contradict themselves, but people fail to catch it because they never drive past the words being said. The heart of a person is always on display, I just have to look for it. I must continually guard against allowing charisma, charm and strong words to captivate my attention. The things of God often defy charisma, charm, and strength; but, they never fail to fully reflect the heart of God.

The final sure-fire way to be deceived is to mistake success as an indicator of God's favor. God is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Following after God is not an invitation to experience a padded life of comfort. Surrendering my life to God does not guarantee the absence of pain. There are seasons of life when failure is my best instructor. There is a constant reality that this world is broken and it is not my home. The words of Jesus continually ring in my ears as He reminds me that in this world I will have trouble. Success is a strictly Americanized value that has been tied to Christianity as a sign of favor. There is not a single verse in the New Testament that speaks to earthly prosperity as a sign of favor. Success is not evil and the pursuit of it is in no way wrong, but using it as a spiritual scorecard is a slippery slope.

Pray:

Father I am grateful for Your presence in my life. As I sit with You this morning, I am reminded of the fact that You have a plan for reconciling this world to Yourself and that plan is in full affect. My perseverance and faith is not tied to the circumstances that I face. My strength comes from You and the presence of Your Spirit in my life.

I ask that I be protected from deception today. I pray that I not be counted among the rebellious generation that seeks signs and wonders. I desire that I only be led by Your still and quiet voice in my heart. I ask that You protect me from the charisma of men. It is really easy right now to be led astray by convincing words. I pray that I have ears that hear the heart and ignore persuasive words. I ask that I not get caught up in judging success or failure. I pray that You remind me daily that the only measure of success in life that matters is obedience to Your leading in my life.

My Ultimate Weakness

Read: Revelation 12

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Revelation 12:11

Examine:

There are three keys to winning spiritual battles listed in this verse: 1) The blood of the Lamb. 2) The word of testimony. 3) The absence of self-preservation.

Apply:

The journey of following God is not a walk in the park. I have often heard it said that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. As I read this chapter from Revelation and compare it to my experiences in life I am more convinced now than ever that being in the center of God's will is far from the safest place to be.

The center of God's will is the center of Satan's bulls-eye. To obey God and be centered in His plan is agreeing to be a weapon of war against the god of this world. Satan hates this and wars against it. The more closely I align my heart with God the more I can expect the forces of hell to rise up against me and unleash themselves on my life. In the day of all hell breaking loose there are only three safe havens; the blood of the lamb, the integrity of my mission, and the abandonment of self.

Pray:

I fight an adversary who is greater than me. He is vicious and relentless. He is strong and intimidating. He is cunning and affective. There is nothing of me that is able to stand against him and succeed. His accusations are true. His timing is impeccable. His tactics always strike weak spots with precision and perfection. My only hope is the blood of the Lamb. Because of the blood there is a force inside of me that is stronger. Because of the blood I am more than a conqueror. Because of the blood greater is He who is alive and at work in me that he who is dying a slow death in the world. Thank You for the cross and the power to overcome.

The word of my testimony is critical. What I believe in the depths of my heart is tested when the first shots of a battle are fired. As the intensity of the war increases the truth of my heart is fully revealed. If what my heart holds is pure truth regarding of You, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and me then I will stand firm and overcome. If the contents of my heart's testimony regarding You, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and me are broken then I will get mowed down. I pray that You overcome the weak places of my testimony and replace them with words that are strong and true.

Self-preservation and obedience to Your will can never be used in the same sentence. If I love my life I will loose it. If I loose my life for Your sake I will find it. Loving my life is the ultimate weakness. Satan can sniff this out from a mile away and he will strike a lethal blow that rarely misses this its mark. I still love my life and fear experiencing death. I do not want to loose anything. I fear for my life, the life of my kids, and the life of my wife. I fear loosing security, familiarity, and stability. I fear loosing comfort, pleasure, and control. I confess this to You this morning as the ultimate weakness in my life that hinders me from being all that You desire. As best I can from where I am I lay my life on the table and release it to You.

Your Name in My Life

Read: Revelation 9

"The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk." Revelation 9:20

Examine:

The stubborn refusal of mankind to repent of his ways is revealed in this text. As the plagues rain down from heaven, the hearts of men and women refuse to repent of their ways and turn their hearts towards God. The darkness of their sin has trapped them in a place that has become unreachable.

Apply:

Pain and abundance have a way of revealing the contents of my heart. When I have everything I need where does my heart drift? Likewise, when life comes unhinged and painful where does my heart go? It is critical to pay attention to the direction of my heart during these times. In both circumstances, the thing God desires is to have me repent of my idol worship and turn towards Him.

Pray:

Father, You know the season of my life and the circumstances that You have orchestrated. The only certainty in my current situation is that nothing is certain. The basic foundations of my normal life have been flipped upside down and I quite literally feel as if I have no place to go. This has ushered in a season of testing and has revealed the depths of my faith and the darkness of my own sin.

The depth of my faith has definitely grown. As I look back over the course of the last 6 months it took a really long time and many twists in circumstances for me to hit bottom and start to doubt You. I am grateful for the work You have done in my heart and I sit before You this morning and honestly confess my need for You to strengthen my faith so that I may complete this race with an integrity and strength that will give You glory and praise.

The darkness of my own sin is still amazing. As I sit with the list of things You have revealed to me this week, it is overwhelming to consider the amount of grace You have poured out on me and honestly it is tempting to be discouraged when I consider how much work is left to be done in my heart. I release my sin to You this morning. Continue to tear down the idols I worship and I keep my heart tender towards repentance.

Father, I trust You. It has never been more difficult to say those words than it is right now. Nothing in my life is following any form of logic and I can't see more than a few feet down the road. Give me Your heart today and reveal to me the depth of Your character. I pray that Your presence be so tangible in my life today that it will silence any voice that would tempt my peace to flee, shake my faith from its stand, or drain Your hope from my heart. I trust You. I believe in You. I choose today to stand firm in Your calling and to believe that You will defend the fame of Your name in my life.

The Man in the Mirror Today

Read:

"Then I saw when the Lion broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, 'Come.'" Revelation 6:1

Examine:

When chapters 5 and 6 are read together a sequence of events takes place prior to the first seal being broken. Everyone involved first recognized that they were not worthy of breaking the seals, next they all acknowledged that Jesus alone was worthy, then they worshipped the worthiness of the Lamb, and finally they all saw the seals broken.

Apply:

When I look at this sequencing of steps in my life, I often see a different series of steps play-out in my life. If I am totally honest with myself, I feel entitled to know what is behind the seals and try to manage opening them in my own strength. Instead of recognizing my unworthiness it frustrates me to think that I have to wait on God and His timing. I want to rush in, do things on my own, do them in my own timing and do them according to my own logic. Me, my and mine do not play very well with Jesus. I have to look into my heart until I realize just how needy I am for Jesus to direct my life.

Feeling entitled and trying to manage things on my own always limits my ability to see the worthiness of Jesus. If I feel like it is something owed to me or something I can do on my own without Jesus, then how can I really worship Him for what He has done in my life? The greater dependency I have on Jesus the greater I am able to acknowledge the gap between Him and me. If I live life according to me, my, and mine then the only person I can truly acknowledge as being worthy is me.

Having a limited view of Jesus really hinders my worship of him. If something is not all that great how can I worship it? If I down play the significance of sin, play it safe by only doing things I can control, or refuse Jesus full access to my heart then what is there to worship? It is easy to live life with a hell-insurance policy view of Jesus. Insurance is good; but it is not worthy of worship.

All of this comes together and lands me in a spot of no clarity. Clarity in direction is perfectly correlated to purity in worship. When I lose direction, need to always remember that this is simply a symptom of not being pure in my worship of Jesus.

Pray:

Looking back over the events of this week, I have seen aspects of my heart that are quite dark and nasty. My pride, fear, and selfish ambitions have launched a full-on assault on Your direction for my life. This has divided me against myself and left me feeling quite broken.

Being broken is never a fun process but as long as You are the one doing the breaking it is always the right process. The man I see in the mirror today is not the man I saw in the mirror on Monday. The man I see today has been brought down a few notches and so room has been created for the worthiness of Christ to shine more brightly. Based on that outcome, I would say it has been a pretty incredible week.

My deepest desire today is to worship the Lion of Judah in spirit and in truth. Jesus, You alone are worthy to open the seals in my life and unlock the plans that lay before me. At this point and time I am learning to trust in Your greatness more so than I have ever been led to before. I am grateful to know that all things will work together. Peace does not equal an absence of pain nor does it ensure a relief from threat. Peace means that my heart and soul lie kept in the heart of the King of Glory regardless of my circumstances.

Seals that can't be Opened

Read: Revelation 5

"And one of the elders said to me, 'Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.'" Revelation 5:5

Examine:

John was on a journey of receiving a vision from God when he ran into a road block. There was a book sealed with seven seals and no one was able to open the book or look into it. John wept and was broken because no one could be found who was worthy. Then one of the elders assuaged John's fears by calling him to consider the Lion of Judah.

Apply:

The emotions of this year have ebbed and flowed this much as the tides fluctuate in the seas. I have found myself standing on the tops of mountains worshipping God and feeling enormous spiritual highs. I have also found myself buried in the valley and experiencing the depths of spiritual lows.

This week has led me to a place where I feel much like I imagine John feeling in this passage. I have followed God to the end of the trail and there are questions I can't answer, timelines I can’t affect, concerns I can’t get past, and provisions I can't provide. It is as if I can see the book containing the next series of my life but there is no one able or worthy to break the seals and lead me to what is next. I, like John, need the Lion of Judah. He alone is worthy and able.

Pray:

Father, there are so many questions on my mind this morning. So much that I want to ask. So much that I want to understand. I close my eyes as my mind races and it is impossible to keep track of my thoughts and capture my focus. My god-complex has taken over and I have assumed the controls for my life. I have spent a great deal of time this week relaying my circumstances to You and advising You as to the best way for them to be handled. It is really crazy to do that. You know everything. You control everything.

In the midst of all that I need to know and understand I continually hear You speaking to me and shifting my focus from the tactical and practical aspects of my life and asking me to center my thoughts on You and Your heart. That is what I ask of You this morning. I want to grasp a deeper understanding of what is on Your heart. Reveal to me the depth of Your character, the unending nature of Your love, and the perpetual provision of Your grace and Mercy.

It has given me life this morning to be reminded that I serve the Lion of Judah. Jesus, You are worthy of my praise and trust. There are some sealed places in my life that need to be opened. I rest and trust in You today to do this as the Father's timing allows. Jesus, You have received all power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing. All that is Yours is freely given to me when the time is right and my heart is aligned with the mission of our Father. I trust and rest in You.

Weakness in My Armor

Read: Revelation 3

"Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of God." Revelation 3:2

Examine:

For the church in Sardis, they were exhorted to wake up from their spiritual slumber and to strengthen the few evidences of life they still had. He exhorted them to remember...obey.., and repent. He warned them that if they did not heed this exhortation, He would come on them like a thief, that is, suddenly and unexpectedly.

Apply:

I need to wake myself up this morning and revive the work of God in my heart. The mission to which God is calling me is demanding more of me than I have ever faced and my faith is being stretched further than it ever has been. It is tempting to turn back and RUN. It is tempting to sit back and let the vision die. Tempting as those choices may be, it is not the call God has for me. This week I have studied the cost of obedience and failed to consider the cost of disobedience.

Pray:

Father, this week has left me shaken and stirred. I have never felt more pressure or fear than I have this week. For the past couple of days I have been stretched harder than I could have imagined possible. You have led me to a place that is far beyond my zone of comfort and forced me into a place my faith has never seen. As this has taken place, weaknesses in my armor have been revealed. I confess that to You this morning. There was still a lot of "me" in our relationship and ugly pride in me that needed to die.

In all of this, I find Your grace amazing. I am grateful to You for revealing the truth of my heart this week. It has been a great reminder that I am never complete. I sit before You this morning with my palms held open and return my yes to You. Take my life and use it as You will for Your purposes. I place my trust in You and You alone. You are the God and Father of my family and it is Your job to worry with our well being. I rest in You this morning and lay aside all my concerns. The only thing I have to fear in this life is being disobedient to the word You have given to me.

What I was Left to Do

Read: Jude

"But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Jude 1:17

Examine:

There are two groups of people listed in this chapter. The first are the ones that poison the world. Their root sins are grumbling, following their own lusts, speaking arrogantly, and using people to gain what they want. The second are those called, beloved and kept by God. These people are to be marked by being built up on their faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping themselves in the love of God, and anxiously awaiting the return of Jesus.

Apply:

Building, praying, keeping and expecting are the tasks that God has left me to do. The are all to be grounded in my love relationship with God and are all to be active in my life. These things do not take the place of grace, but rather they prove it. To truly Jesus is to live after His example.

Pray:

Father, I long to be a person consumed with building, praying, keeping and expecting. Give me a drive today to see Your kingdom expand. I ask that You empower me to pray out of a heart and soul that is indwelt, illuminated, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Drive my heart deep into Your love and help me make wise choices that keep it there. Jesus, this life has a way of distracting me from Your promise to be actively at work reconciling the world to the Father. In the midst of my distraction I loose my expectation of Your return. In losing my expectation of Your return I trade in the hope of Glory for the brokenness of the world. Strengthen me in Your promise today.

Internal Battle

Read: Revelation 1

"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Revelation 1:17

Examine:

John was able to witness Jesus in His glory. What he saw forced him to the ground and shocked him to the point that he laid as if he were dead. Then, John experienced the true greatness of Jesus. Jesus did not use His power and glory to intimidate or press John. Jesus reached out, touched him, and reminded him that they were on the same team. The darling of heaven and the King of all glory placed His right hand on John and said, "Get up friend, we have a job to do."

Apply:

I am sitting this morning with a weight on my shoulders that is unlike any strain I have ever known. I open my mouth to draw in air but the tightness in my chest refuses to loosen its grip around my lungs. My thoughts are in total chaos as they are torn apart by the violent war being fought between my flesh and the Spirit of God within me. It is mornings like this that I am reminded of just how little my view of Jesus is and loosely I connect with Him. I, like John, need to see Jesus for who He is. I need the darling of heaven and the King of all glory to reach out, touch my shoulder, and say, "Get up friend, we have a job to do."

Pray:

In moments when I do not know how to pray I am deeply comforted by the fact that Your Word says the Spirit prays on my behalf. It is You, Holy Spirit, that I need right how. I ask that You visit me in all Your strength and might. I need Your help and guidance.

My thoughts are no longer captive. They have broken loose and are trying to process the images I am seeing and discern the direction God is leading me. I pray that You coral them and place them under submission. I am no longer hidden in the shadows. Satan has set His sights on me and has not missed the chance to test my faith. I ask that You strengthen me to resist him and lead me back to the secret place of my God in heaven.

The direction of the next few days is critical. I do not fear failure, loss, or death. I fear missing Your voice and hurting those I love. Do what needs to be done in me this morning to lead me to a place where I can clearly hear Your voice and be absolute in the mission that is before me. Above all things I ask that my image of Jesus not limit my willingness to say yes. I want to live this life all in, all out, until I am all done.