Monthly Archives: February 2025

The Spirit Helps Us In Our Weakness

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 276 - Romans 8:26-27- The Spirit Helps Us In Our Weakness- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 276 – Romans 8:26-27- The Spirit Helps Us In Our Weakness- Growing As Disciples

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Weak Or Strong?

There is no doubt about that. There is no doubt about what? I am weak. How are you weak? How much time do you have? I could go on and on about how weak I am. That wouldn’t be a bad exercise. Why is that? You don’t need to worry so much about your weaknesses. When you should begin to worry is when you begin to think you are strong. Why is that? What do you do when you know you are weak? I come to rely on you. I ask you for your help. What do you do when you begin to think that you are strong? I rely on my own gifts and talents and abilities. I try to go and do your will with my own efforts. You do now see the problem, don’t you? Yes, I do.

You had a very specific weakness in mind when you said there was no doubt about your weakness. Yes, I did. Tell me about the weakness you had in mind. I can’t tell you how often I have not known how to pray. Does that seem like a weakness to you? Yes, it does. Are you sure about that? No, I’m not. If you haven’t known how to pray what have you done? If you don’t know how to pray what will you do? If I don’t know how to pray, I will ask you to show me how to pray. That is what I have done and that is what I will do. When have you been so sure of how to pray that you didn’t need to ask me to show you how to pray? When have you not needed me to guide your prayers? You’ve got me there. I can’t say that I have ever not needed you to guide my prayers. I have always and will always need you to show me how to pray. Yes, you will.  Wouldn’t needing and relying on my help be more of a strength than a weakness? Yes, it would. Wouldn’t relying on yourself to come up with your own prayers to pray be more of weakness? Yes, it would. Aren’t you strongest when you rely on me? Yes, I am. Aren’t you weakest when you rely on yourself? Yes, I am. So, what will you do? I will rely on you to show me how to pray. I will let you guide my prayers. That will be very good.  

Holy Spirit, often I have no idea how to pray. I have no thoughts to think or words to say. I am left speechless, which is a good thing. I will rely on you to teach me how to pray. Guide my prayers. Intercede for me. Bring my prayers into alignment with God’s will. Amen

Key Question… How has the Holy Spirit brought your prayers into alignment with God’s will?

Living It Out… Rely on the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers so that they will be in alignment with God’s will.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Holy Spirit will guide your prayers so that they will come into alignment with God’s will.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Holy Spirit has been teaching you how to pray.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you allow the Holy Spirit to show you how to pray in and through your weakness.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 276 – Romans 8-26-27 – The Spirit Helps Us In Our Weakness – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Leads To Peace

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 275 - Romans 14:19 - Leads To Peace - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 275 – Romans 14:19 – Leads To Peace – Growing As Disciples

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Romans 14:19 (NIV)

Finger Pointing 

This world is not a peaceful place. This world is filled with division and strife and acrimony of every kind. When will the destructive debate and angry finger pointing ever end? It is easy to get drawn into the conflict. It is alluring to join in the battle. One side is always right. The other side is clearly wrong. One side is good and has the best intentions. One side is evil and filled with dark and disturbing motives. Which side am I on? I’m always on the good side. My intentions are nothing but the best. Who is fooling who? That is a very good question to ask yourself. Yes, I know that it is a very good question to ask myself. Why is that? I so easily join the debate. I am so willing to be drawn into the battle. Winning becomes the goal. Destroying the thoughts and opinions of others who are so obviously misguided and deluded is the plan. Guess what. What? Nobody wins these destructive debates and angry conflicts. You are incorrect at this point. Yes, I suspected that. No person wins these destructive debates and angry conflicts. Now, you are correct. The devil and all his evil wins when people from different perspectives try to destroy each other with their words and actions. Now, you are on to something very important. What has happened to your ability to be my witness in the world when you engage in angry debate and ugly finger pointing? My ability to be your witness in the world vanishes in an instant. No one sees the light of your life flowing in and through me. No one sees your kindness and mercy and love through my life. All they see is an angry and combative, debate filled me. There is no joy in that. There is no hope and life in that. No, there is not. It is good that you see this angry and combative, debate filled world, that you live in, for what it is.

So, let me ask you a question. Go ahead, I’m listening. What do you want your life to be about? Do you want to join in debates and win conflicts or do you want to be a bright and shining witness for me in the world? Do you want to win arguments or bear fruit for my kingdom and glory? My answer to your questions is obvious. I want to be a bright and shining witness in the world that bears fruit for your kingdom and glory. Then leave the debating and arguing and finger pointing behind. Make every effort to do what leads to peace. Use your words to encourage and edify others. Love and lift others up with your words. Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good. 

Lord, steer me clear of the lack of peace and harmony in this world. Free me from the nonstop destructive debating that goes on in society today. Help me to make every effort to do what leads to peace. Help me to encourage others with my words and actions. Amen

Key Question… How are you making every effort to do what leads to peace and edification of others?

Living It Out… Make every effort to do what leads to peace and edification in the turbulent world of today.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to bear fruit for Him as you do what leads to peace and edification.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are making every effort to do what leads to peace.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you make every effort to do what leads to peace.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 275 – Romans 14-19 – Leads To Peace – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Fail To See

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 274 - Luke 6:41-42 - Fail To See - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 274 – Luke 6:41-42 – Fail To See – Growing As Disciples

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Luke 6:41-42 (NIV)

Corrections 

I know without a doubt that I have blind spots. I am certain that I have flaws that are difficult, maybe even nearly impossible, for me to see. I also know that I have been stubborn and resistant to making corrections in my life. Why is it so easy to see the flaws in others and so difficult to see the flaws in me? Why do I think I should help fix other people when I pay so little attention to fixing me? Why do I think that I know it all? Why do I feel like I am it all? These thoughts are hard to admit. These thoughts are not pretty ones to think. It is more than a little embarrassing to say them out loud. But here you have it. These thoughts are my confession to you. I have been proud. You are making a good confession. It is good to acknowledge that you do not know it all. It is good to admit that you don’t have it all together. You are a work in progress. Even more importantly, you are my work in progress. How do you feel knowing that I will mold and shape you into the person I want you to become? I would say that, the pressure is off. Why is that? I can simply admit my sins and failings and weaknesses to you. I can rely on you to mold and shape me. I can trust that you will show me the corrections that need to be made in my life. If I will humbly allow you to do your work in my life, how can I go wrong? You can’t. You won’t. Will you forget to do your work in me? No, I will not. Will you fail to make the corrections that need to be made in my life? No, I will not.

So, here I am Lord. I am like a lump of clay. You are my potter. Mold and shape me. Make me into the person you want me to become. Do your work in and through me. Make whatever corrections are necessary in my life. I welcome your hand on me. That is very good. 

Lord, I will not be stubborn and resistant to the changes you want to make in my life. I will be ready and willing and able to make any correction you want to make in my life. Help me to think and speak and act in ways that are good and right and pleasing to you. Amen

Key Question… What corrections do you think the Lord wants to make in your life right now?

Living It Out… Be ready and willing and able to see and make the corrections the Lord wants you to make in your life.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to see and make corrections in your life that are good, right and pleasing to Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has helped you to see and make corrections in your life.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you see the corrections that need to be made in your life.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 274 – Luke 6-41-42 – Fail To See – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Possess These Qualities

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 272 - 2 Peter 1:5-9 - Possess These Qualities - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 272 – 2 Peter 1:5-9 – Possess These Qualities – Growing As Disciples

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9 (NIV) 

Effective And Productive

That is what I want to be. What do you want to be? I want to be effective and productive in your service. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom. I want to bring glory to your name. I want to be a bright and shining light for you in the darkness of this world. I want people to be drawn to you because they see your light and life in me. Those are very good and right and pure desires in you.

How will you be effective and productive for me in the world? Not by my efforts alone, that is for sure. My efforts alone will end in miserable failure, there is no doubt about that. I’m glad that you know that you cannot make yourself godly by your own efforts. What will you rely on? What will be your source of help? I will rely on you. I will rely on your divine power. I will rely on your powerful promises. Your power and your promises working in me will develop godly character in me that you desire for me.  Yes, that is true. Will I be able to sit back and simply allow your power and promises to work in and through me? Will I have no role in the development of godly character in me? No, I must also make every effort and participate fully in the development of godly character in me. How so? I must know your promises. I must grab hold of your promises. I must allow your promises to dwell in me richly. I must allow your promises to change my heart, transform my mind and guide my life. Your promises will help me to stand against temptation and resist evil. The Holy Spirit will use your promises like a sword to fight in me, with me, for me and through me. As I rely on you and your powerful promises, godly character will grow in me, I will escape corruption in the world, and I will be effective and productive in serving you. Yes, you will and that will be very good. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, I rely on your power and promises to help me to escape the corruption in the world. I will rely on your power and promises to live the life you want me to live. I will make every effort to grow in godly character so I can be effective and productive for you. Amen

Key Question… How has God’s divine power been making you able to grow in godly character?

Living It Out… Rely on God’s power and promises as you make every effort to grow in godly character.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord’s power and promises will make you able to grow in godly character.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord’s promises have helped you to grow in godly character.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you make every effort to grow in godly qualities so you will be effective and productive in serving the Lord.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Day 272 – Becoming Like Christ – 2 Peter 1-5-9 – Possess These Qualities – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Who Is This?

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 134 - Luke 8:22-25 - Who Is This? - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 134 – Luke 8:22-25 – Who Is This? – Growing As Disciples

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25 (NIV)

Storms

I have faced some difficult storms in life. There have been several times when I thought I might drown. Each time, I have cried out to you. Each time, I have come to rely on you. Each time, I have placed my faith in you. Have I done this all perfectly? Absolutely not. I wish that my prayers would have been more faith filled. I wish that I would have been more reliant on you and less filled with fear. But nevertheless, you have heard and answered my prayers. You have never left me alone in a storm. You have drawn near to me as I have drawn to you. You have calmed my storms and brought me through every difficulty. Yes, I have heard and answered your prayers. Yes, I have helped you come to rely on me. Yes, I have helped you to place all your faith in me. 

Do you wish that you would have never gone through any storms in life? Would that make a difference? No, you would still go through storms in life. I went through storms in life. You will go through storms in life. This sin broken world is filled with storms of all kinds. Why then, did you ask me that question? I want you to see the value of storms. What good has come out of the storms you have gone though in life? Would you be willing to trade no storms for what good has come out of the storms you have gone through? The storms of life have caused me to rely on you. The storms of life have caused me to pray to you. The storms of life have grown my faith in you. In every storm, I can say that I have come to know you better. So no, I would not trade having no storms for how I have benefited from them. That’s good. That does not mean I want to go through the same storms again. That’s understood.

Knowing what you know about storms, what will you do differently? I will face storms more calmly and more joyfully and more faithfully. Why is that? I know that you will be with me to help me. I know that you will bring me through each and every storm. I can hold on to you. You will hold on to me. Yes, I will. One day, all the storms of life will be over, and I will come to live forever in heaven you. Yes, you will. That will be very good. Yes, it will.

Lord, I have been in fearful storms in life. At times, I thought I was going to drown. I have cried out to you in prayer. I have placed my faith in you. You have heard all my prayers. Thank you for calming my storms and growing my faith as I have relied on you. Amen

Key Question… How has the Lord helped you to come to know Him better as you have gone through storms with Him?

Living It Out… Follow Christ closely so that you can come to know and love and follow and serve Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to come to know Him as you follow Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you have come to know Christ better as you have followed Him.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you place all your faith in the Lord as you go through storms in life.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 134 – Luke 8-22-25 – Who Is This? – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Give Thanks To Him

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 270 - Psalm 100:1-5 - Give Thanks - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 270 – Psalm 100:1-5 – Give Thanks – Growing As Disciples

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:1-5 (NIV)

Give Thanks 

Why should you give thanks to me? Am I worthy of your thanks? Do you desire to give me thanks? Have I done anything for you that is deserving of your thanks? You have done much that is worthy of my enthusiastic thanks. Like what? First of all, you made me. If you hadn’t made me, my giving thanks and praise to you would be a non-issue. I wouldn’t exist. But not only have you made me, you made me to be your very own. You are my good shepherd. I am one of your sheep I have often wandered off and gotten myself in trouble. I have walked on a path that led away from you. But you would not let me go. You would not leave me to myself. You would not let me live a life without you. You sought me out. You brought me back into your fold. You forgave my sin and cleansed my unrighteousness. You healed my bruised and battered and broken life. You restored my soul. You set me on the path of loving, following and serving you. You have given me a completely clean and fresh and new life to live in you. My old dark and dingy life of sin is a thing of the past, it is long gone. Now, it is my joy to love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. This love for you, that you have placed in me, causes me to want to give you thanks and praise with all that is within me. That is very good.

So, it is not a duty for me to give thanks and praise to you. I don’t give thanks and praise to you because I should or must. No, it is a burning desire within me to give you all my thanks and praise. I want to shout. I want to clap. I want to make a joyful noise that praises and thanks you because you are so good. You are faithful. You are kind. You are merciful. You love and care for me. You are with me to help. I am all yours. You are mine. Can anything be this good? Can my praise and worship adequately express the thanks I have in my heart for you. I’m sure not. But help me to continually express all my thanks and praise to you. Help me to enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise. Yes, I will. We will meet together in your praise and thanksgiving. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, I have many reasons to give my thanks and praise to you. You made me. I am yours. I am the work of your hands. You love and care for me. You are with me to help me. You are good. You are faithful. I will enter your presence with thanksgiving and praise. Amen

Key Question… What are reasons why you would like to give your enthusiastic thanks and praise to God right now?

Living It Out… Make it your regular pattern and practice to daily enter the Lord’s presence with thanksgiving and praise.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord is worthy of all your thanks and praise.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are giving all your thanks and praise to the Lord.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you enter into the Lord’s presence with thanksgiving.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 270 – Psalm 100-1-5 – Give Thanks To Him – 4 Page Discipleship Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Life Giving Rebuke

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 269 - Proverbs 15:31 - Life Giving Rebuke- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 269 – Proverbs 15:31 – Life Giving Rebuke- Growing As Disciples

He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. Proverbs 15:31 (NIV)

I’m Listening

That is exactly what I am doing. What are you doing? I’m listening. What are you listening to? I’m listening to whatever you want to say to me. It would be foolish for me to do otherwise. Yes, it would be very foolish. It sounds like you have quite a bit of experience in this matter, is that true? I have much more experience in being a poor listener and doing what was foolish. I have been strong willed. I have been headstrong. I have been self-reliant. I have been independent. I have self-sufficient. I have been stubborn. I have been something of a “know it all” All of these have been foolish attitudes that I have held at one time or another. For that, I ask your forgiveness. You have my forgiveness. How have all these foolish attitudes impacted your life? I have thought and said and done very foolish things. I have wasted time and energy. I have gone and done what was unfruitful and unrewarding. Basically, these self-reliant and self-absorbed attitudes have led me to go and do my own thing. I have done what was right in my own eyes. What’s wrong with that? I don’t come with wisdom built into me. On my own, I have taken many missteps. I have headed the wrong direction. I have done the wrong things. I have bounced around from one unfruitful endeavor to another. All of this is not good. Yes, I know.

What do you know? How would you like to live your life differently? I want your wisdom. I want to follow your guidance. I want to receive your instruction. I want to be able to know and do your will. That is very good. So, you will listen to me? Yes, I will. So, you will listen to wise and godly people that I bring into your life? Yes, I will. You will let people know that you are open to correction? You will listen to feedback? You will even welcome life-giving rebukes into your life? Yes, I will. Let me be clear, life-giving rebukes may be painful. Life-giving rebukes will make you uncomfortable. Life-giving rebukes may even tend to cause you to become defensive. But you will hear life-giving rebukes? You will welcome life-giving rebukes into your life? Yes, I will. 

What will happen to you as you hear and receive and act on life-giving rebukes? I will be changed. I will be made different. Why is that? You will use life-giving rebukes to mold and shape my life. Yes, I will. You will use life-giving rebukes to make me into the person you want me to become. Yes, I will. So, I will hear and receive and act on any and all life-giving rebukes you want to send my way. I’m listening. That will be very good.

Lord, I want to send off signals that I will receive and act on life-giving rebukes. I will not be stubborn. I will not be resistant. I will not be strong-willed and firmly set in my ways. Rather, I will be receptive and welcoming of any life-giving rebukes I need to hear. Amen

Key Question… Who can you trust to give you rebukes that will truly be living giving?

Living It Out… Listen very carefully to life-giving rebukes from the Lord so that you will be at home among the wise.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to listen to life-giving rebukes that will make you at home among the wise.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how listening to life-giving rebukes is making you wise.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you listen to life giving rebukes so you will be at home among the wise.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 269 – Proverbs 15-31 – Life Giving Rebuke – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com