Category Archives: 365 Days Of Becoming Like Christ

Just As He Had Done

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 295 - Daniel 6:10-12 - Just As He Had Done - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 295 – Daniel 6:10-12 – Just As He Had Done – Growing As Disciples

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands–in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” Daniel 6:10-12 (NIV)

Pattern

That is what I want to develop in my life. What do you want to develop in your life? I want a daily pattern of meeting with you in prayer to be developed every day in my life. That is a very good and ambitious goal. I don’t think of it as a goal. Why is that? I think of a goal as being aspirational. I think of a goal as being something to hope to achieve. A goal may or may not be attainable. I may not meet every goal that I establish as a priority. Meeting daily with you in prayer will not be an aspirational goal that I hope to achieve. Why is that? I want meeting with you daily in prayer to be an established fact. I want meeting with you daily in prayer to be a rock solid, never ending pattern in my life. Not meeting with you daily in prayer will be unthinkable and inconceivable to me. You are very sure of your desire. Yes, I am. That’s good.

What steps will you take to establish our meeting daily together in prayer? I will set a time and a place to meet with you in prayer. Why is that essential? Life is busy. Life gets hectic. Life places almost limitless demands on my time. If I only meet with you in prayer when I get around to it, we will not see or hear from each other very often. That would not be good. That won’t happen, because meeting with you in prayer will be my first priority with everything else being a distant second. That’s good.

Why do you so desperately want and need to meet daily with me in prayer? I want to live in an intimate relationship with you. I yearn to live and walk closely with you. I want to live my life in a constant and ongoing dialogue of prayer with you. Weren’t you only going to meet with me in a set place at a specific time? That is just the starting point. That is just the beginning. It is my hope and desire and plan that our specific times of prayer will carry over to every moment of everyday of my life. That will be very good. Yes, it will be.

What do you hope to receive from me as we meet together in prayer? I hope that you will teach me to pray. I hope that you will give me prayers to pray. I hope that you will sustain and strengthen and guard and guide my life as we meet together in prayer. I hope to hear your voice as I meet with you in prayer. I hope to make known all my praise and thanks and worship to you as we meet together in prayer. I will certainly do all these things in and for you as we meet together in prayer. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, I will make it my daily pattern to meet with you. I will withdraw from the busyness and demands of life to draw near to you. Help me to live in an intimate relationship with you. Sustain and strengthen and guard and guide me through all the difficulties in life. Amen

Key Question… What spiritual disciplines have become a consistent and ongoing pattern in your life?

Living It Out… Develop a life of prayer with the Lord so you can live in an intimate relationship with Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that it will be well worth your time to develop an intimate relationship with the Lord.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are developing an intimate relationship with the Lord.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you meet with the Lord in prayer on a daily basis so you can live in an intimate relationship with Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 295 – Daniel 6-10-12 – Just As He Had Done  – 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

The Lord Your God Is With You

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 296 - Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord Your God Is With You - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 296 – Zephaniah 3:17 – The Lord Your God Is With You – Growing As Disciples

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Rest

That definitely does not come naturally to me. What does not come naturally to you? Rest does not come naturally to me. Why is that? I am much more likely to be doing things. I have liked to be busy. I liked to go places and do things. Does rest seem like a waste of time to you? Does rest seem to have no good purpose to you? I suppose it sounds pathetic to admit, but yes, rest has seemed like a purposeless waste of time to me. You couldn’t be more wrong. I have had that suspicion. What would you think if I were to tell you that resting is not easy? I would be interested in hearing more. Rest can actually be a form of hard work. How can that be? If you were to set aside all your urges to be busy doing things would that be easy or hard for you? That would be exceedingly difficult for me. There you go then. You understand some of the difficulty of entering my rest. I guess I do. Yes, you do.

Would you be shocked to learn that you will not come to know me unless you enter my rest? No, not really. It is my hope and desire for you that you come to enter my rest. Would you like a preview of what you will learn as you enter my rest? Wow, a preview! I love previews. I always want to know what is coming next. As you enter my rest you will come to know that I love and care for you. As you enter my rest you will better understand how I have rescued and saved you from a life without me. As you enter my rest you will know that I delight in you. I delight in you so much that I rejoice over you with singing. On the day that you gave your life to me there was rejoicing in heaven. Does that blow you away? Yes, it certainly does. You, the God of the universe, who made everything, have all these thoughts and feelings toward me. Who I am? You are my child. I am your Heavenly Father. Come to rest in my love. Let my love quiet all your fears. Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. Come to rest in my presence. Come now. Yes, Heavenly Father, I will. That will be very good.

Heavenly Father, thank you for being with me to help me. You rescued me from a life without you. How wonderful it is that you love and care me. How fantastic it is that you delight in me and rejoice over me with singing. I love you with all that is within me. Amen

Key Question… How has God’s love for you put life into perspective and quieted your fears?

Living It Out… Allow God to show you how much He loves and cares for you as you rest in His presence.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that God will help you to come to know and live in an intimate relationship with Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how God’s love for you has quieted your fears.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you rest in knowing how much your Heavenly Father loves and cares for you.

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

Day 296 – Becoming Like Christ – Zephaniah 3-17 – The Lord Your God Is With You – 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

You Yourself Fail To See

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

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 274 – Luke 6:41-42 – You Yourself 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… Why is it so difficult to see corrections that you need to make in your own life?

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 – You Yourself 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

Made Up Of Many Parts

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 298 - 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 - Made Up Of Many Parts - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 298 – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 – Made Up Of Many Parts – Growing As Disciples

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 (NIV)  

Spiritual Gifts

It has been quite a process to discover my spiritual gifts. How so? Over the years, by lots of trial and error, I have discovered and been able to use the spiritual gifts you have given to me. That’s very good. Not only have I discovered what are my spiritual gifts, I have also discovered what are not my spiritual gifts. Sometimes, I’m sure that the process was comical. Why is that? Well, I have made many feeble attempts to function well outside of the gifts you have given to me. Can you give me an example? Yes, I can. At one time, I helped lead worship and I can barely sing at all. My singing was definitely not music to anyone’s ears. Your singing is like a joyful noise that I enjoy hearing. Ha, thank you, for that. I’m serious. Let me ask you a question. I’m listening. Who would need more faith to worship me with singing, a gifted singer or someone who can’t carry a note or keep in tune? I understand. Keep on worshipping me with singing. I delight in hearing your voice. Thank you, Lord.

There is something I do need to confess. There is something I would like to talk to you about. I’m listening. I have not always been completely happy or fully satisfied with the spiritual gifts I have been given. Why is that? I have looked around and compared myself with others. That is always a mistake. I know that now. But I wanted the spiritual gifts of others. I was envious of what others had been given. How about now? What do you think now? I am content. I am at peace. I am grateful and thankful. It is my delight and joy to fully use the spiritual gifts you have given to me. It is my hope and prayer that you will help me to bear an abundance of fruit for your Kingdom and bring much glory to your name as I use the spiritual gifts you have given to me. That I will do in and through you. Keep on fully using all the spiritual gifts I have given to you. Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, thank you for giving me spiritual gifts with which I can use to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Forgive me for being envious of others who have different gifting. Help me to be content to faithfully use the gifts you have given to me. Amen

Key Question… What kind of process has it been for you to discover and begin to use your spiritual gifts?

Living It Out… Discover and use the spiritual gifts you have been given to serve others as a member of the body of Christ.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord has given you spiritual gifts to be used to serve others as an integral part of the body of Christ.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has given you spiritual gifts to use to serve others.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you rely on God’s good favor and strong hand to guard and guide you as you serve Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 298 – 1 Corinthians 12-12-20 – Made Up Of Many Parts – 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

He Asked, Do You Truly Love Me?

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 331 - John 21:15-17 - He Asked, Do You Truly Love Me? - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 331 – John 21:15-17 – He Asked, Do You Truly Love Me? – Growing As Disciples

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”  Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”  The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17 (NIV)

Loving You

Loving you is not theoretical. Loving you is quite practical. Loving you is not passive. Loving you requires action. This sounds odd, I know. What do you mean by all of this? Here is what I mean. I love you. My love for you motivates my desire to do what is pleasing to you. Because I love you, following and serving you is not burdensome to me. It is my delight to go and do what you ask of me, because I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. So, love is active. My love for you is demonstrated by my obeying your commands. Out of my love for you flows all that I will ever do for you. That is very good.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if I said that I loved you but never did what you asked of me? What kind of love would that be? It would be no kind of love at all. Wouldn’t it be silly for me to try to figure out what might be the minimum requirement of loving you? That would not work, not at all. Why is that? You know. Yes, I know. But I want to hear you say it. You continually take me deeper with you and ask for more from me. It is as if I have many ongoing opportunities to affirm and reaffirm my love for you. Sometimes, it feels as if you are asking, “Will your love for me motivate your desire to do even “this” or “that” for me?” Guess what. What? It feels that way because that is exactly what I am asking and will keep on asking you. Sometimes, the “this” or “that” you ask me is scary. How so? You ask me to do what I am not able to do. Why do you suppose I do that to you? You want me to draw nearer to you. You want me to rely more fully on you. You want to do in and through me, what only you can do. Will you come to know and love and follow and serve me more fully as you rely more completely on me? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, you know I love you. Loving you is passionately motivating my desire to follow and serve you. Obeying your commands is not a burden to me. It is the joy of my heart to go and do what is pleasing to you. Use me in your service. My life is in your hands. Amen

Key Question… How is your knowing and loving Christ motivating your desire to do what pleases Him?

Living It Out… Allow your knowing and loving Christ to passionately motivate your desire to follow and serve Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that knowing and loving Christ will place a call on you to follow and serve Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group what the Lord has called you to go and do for Him.

Prayer To Bless Others… May your love for Christ motivate your desire to follow and serve Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 331 – John 21-15-17 – He Asked, Do You Truly Love Me? – 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

Now Put You Together

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 327 - Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now Put You Together - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 327 – Hebrews 13:20-21 – Now Put You Together – Growing As Disciples

May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant, Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd, up and alive from the dead,  Now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him, Make us into what gives him most pleasure, by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah. All glory to Jesus forever and always! Oh, yes, yes, yes. Hebrews 13:20-21 (MSG)

Put Together

Well, no one would have said that about me. What would no one have said about you? No one would have said that I was put together. In fact, before I came to know and love you, there were those who would have and actually did say my life was a mess. Yes, they did. I have one thing to say about that. What do you have to say about that? They would have been correct. My life was a mess. Yes, it was.

But you rescued me. You pulled my life out of darkness. You lifted me out of the muck and mire that was my life. You set me on solid ground. You saved and restored my soul. You set me on a new path of following and serving you. Yes, I did. You began a good work in me. Moment by moment and day by day, you began to mold and shape my life. I know that I am no finished product. I have not arrived. You are not done with me yet. You are continually making me into the person you designed me to be. You are making me able to live the life you have called me to live. I welcome your work in me. Put me together according to your purposes and plans. I humbly say, “Make me into your masterpiece.” Allow me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. That I am doing. That I will continue to do. 

Those who would have called your life a mess could not see what I saw. They might have thought there was no hope for you. What did you see?  What did you know? I saw the child I created. I saw a person I had richly blessed with gifts and talents and abilities with which he could serve me. I saw a person that would one day make it their goal and aim to love me with all their heart and mind and soul and strength. I saw a person that would one day be willing to go and do whatever I asked of them. That is, you. That is how I put you together. Live now, as I have made you. Your life is no mess. Your life will bear fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name. Yes Lord, I will live my life with and for you. I will do what is good and right and pleasing to you. That will be very good.

Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing my life back from the dead. You saved my soul. You made me your own. You adopted me into your family. Thank you for putting my life together so that I will be fully able to do what is good and right and pleasing to you. Amen

Key Question… How has your Heavenly Father put you together so you can do what is pleasing to Him?

Living It Out… Allow your Heavenly Father to use you to go and do what is pleasing to Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that your Heavenly Father will give you all you need to do what is pleasing to Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are now doing what is pleasing to God.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you allow your Heavenly Father to put you together so you can know and do what is pleasing to Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 327 – Hebrews 13-20-21 – Now Put You Together – 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

For To Me To Live Is Christ

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 300 - Philippians 1:19-26 - For To Me To Live Is Christ - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 300 – Philippians 1:19-26 – For To Me To Live Is Christ – Growing As Disciples

for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. Philippians 1:19-26 (NIV)

Abundant Fruit

That is what I want to accomplish with my life. That is my reason to be living this life. What do you want to accomplish with your life? What is your reason to be living your life? I want to bear abundant fruit for your kingdom. I want to bring glory to your name. I want to live my life with and for you. I want to go where you guide me. I want to do what you ask of me. I want to live the life you have called me to live. I want to accomplish your purposes and fulfill your plans. I want my life to have counted for something. I want my life to have made a difference. I want to leave behind a legacy. Now, I need to make something clearer. What is that? I don’t want to leave a legacy that is about me. I want to leave a legacy that points others to you. I want to have helped others make progress in their life of faith with you. I want to have helped others to have gone deeper and further in their life of loving and following and serving you. There is nothing unclear about your hopes and dreams and desires. Well, that’s good. If there was any lack of clarity it would have been in and with me, not with you. I am stating what I want to be clear in my heart and mind and life. That is very good. 

Now, I know a couple things I would like to point out. What’s that? It is you who has fanned the flame of these hopes and dreams and desires within me. For this, I am thankful beyond measure. I am thankful beyond what my words could possibly express. All that is within me is thankful. All that is within me is grateful. You have given me a passionate desire to love and follow and serve you. You could not have given me a better gift. You could not have filled me with more hope and joy. That is very good. Yes, it is. It is far beyond good. Yes, it is. What else do you know? I know that you will keep on fanning the flame of my desire to love and follow and serve you. You will make me able to bear fruit for your kingdom. You will make me able to bring glory to your name. You will make me able to live my life with and for you both now and forever. Yes, I will. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, thank you for helping me through all the twists and turns and ups and downs of life. You have brought me though every adversity. You have helped me to become a bold witness for you. Help me to keep on bearing abundant fruit for you and bringing glory to your name. Amen

Key Question… How has the Lord used some of your trials and adversities to help you to bear fruit for Him?

Living It Out… Rely on prayer and help from the Holy Spirit to bear abundant fruit for the Lord as you go through life with Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will use you to bear abundant fruit as you go through life with Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord is using your life to bear abundant fruit for Him.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you allow the Lord to use your life to bear abundant fruit for Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Philippians 1-19-26 – Day 300 – For To Me To Live Is Christ – 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

We Continually Remember

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 301 - 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 - We Continually Remember - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 301 – 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 – We Continually Remember – Growing As Disciples

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Mentioning

That has not been my continual everyday practice, I can tell you that for sure. What has not been your continual everyday practice? I have not been mentioning my fellow coworkers in Christ, every day in my prayers. Do you believe that it is critically important to pray for your fellow coworkers in Christ? Yes, I do. Do you believe that I am asking you to pray for your fellow coworkers in Christ? Yes, I do. Do you know that I will hear and answer your prayers as you continue to pray for your fellow coworkers in Christ? Yes, I do. If you believe and know all of these things, why have you not been continually praying every day for your coworkers in Christ? I’m not sure. I may not have been thinking deeply about engaging in that kind of prayer. I will tell you one thing for certain. What’s that? I will start praying continually and daily for my fellow coworkers in Christ. That will be very good.

There is something else that I know I will need. What’s that? I will need your help. I will need you to give me prayers to pray. I will need you to guide my prayers. I will need you to teach and train me how to pray. Do you believe that I will do all these things for you as you meet with me in prayer? Yes, I do. What else do you believe? I believe that you will hear and answer my prayers. I believe that fruit will be born for your kingdom and glory will be brought to your name through the prayers that you give me to pray. I believe that work produced by faith will grow. I believe that labor prompted by love will grow. I believe that endurance inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ will grow as you hear and answer not only my prayers but also all those who call on your name as they meet with you in prayer. Yes, all these things, and much more than you could hope for or even imagine will be accomplished as you and your fellow coworkers in Christ meet with me in prayer. Will you meet with me? Will you pray as I guide you? Yes, Heavenly Father, I will. That will be very good.

Heavenly Father, I will continue to pray for my fellow coworkers. Make us all faithful and fruitful workers in your kingdom. Help us to bear abundant fruit for you. Use our faith and hope and love in and for you to keep us joyously and energetically serving you. Amen

Key Question… How are you continually praying for your coworkers who are loving, following and serving the Lord?

Living It Out… Continue to pray for your coworkers in Christ so that your and their labor will be faithful and fruitful.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that Your Heavenly Father will hear and answer your prayers for your coworkers in Christ.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group the prayers you are praying for your coworkers in Christ.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you continually remember in your prayers before God, those who labor for Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 301 – 1 Thessalonians 1-2-3 – We Continually Remember – 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

Often Withdrew To Lonely Places And Prayed

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 302 - Luke 5:15-16 - Often Withdrew To Lonely Places And Prayed - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 302 – Luke 5:15-16 – Often Withdrew To Lonely Places And Prayed – Growing As Disciples

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:15-16 (NIV)

Withdraw

There is no doubt about it, that is what I need to do, right now. What do you need to do right now? I need to withdraw from the busyness of life to meet with you in prayer. Why do you need to meet with me in prayer? I’m running on empty. I am weary and worn out. I have been allowing myself to be swallowed up by the busyness of life. I have been running myself ragged. I am certain that I have allowed others to set the pace and agenda of my life. It seems like I have been chasing one great idea after another. None of them are bad. All of them are good. Something has give. Something has to go. My life is lacking a defined purpose and a focused direction. I’d have to say that my life is somewhat of a scattered mess. I need to pull back. I need to refocus. I need you to revive and refresh and restore my life. I need to receive guidance and instruction from you. I want to know where you are leading me. I want to know what you are giving me to do. For all these reasons, I need to quiet myself before you. I need to meet with you in prayer. Yes, you do.

Come to me. Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. Quiet yourself before me so you can hear me speaking to you. I will revive and refresh and restore your life. I will show you where I am leading you. I will show you what I am giving you to do. I have a purpose and plan for your life. You will receive guidance and instruction from me. I will strengthen you. I will empower you. Rest in my presence. In me, you will find hope and meaning and purpose. In me, your life will overflow with joy and thanksgiving. I will come. I will draw near. I will quiet myself before you. That will be very good.

I do know one thing for sure. What’s that? You are leading me to you. You want me to go deeper with you in prayer. You want me to learn to do the work of prayer. I don’t need to run here and there and everywhere. I don’t need to come up with a great idea. I don’t need to seek to achieve some great accomplishment. You simply want me to hear from you. You want me to pray the prayers that you will give me to pray as I meet with you in prayer. Yes, I do.

Lord, I will withdraw from the busyness of life to meet with you. I will not let the demands of life distance me from you. I will not allow myself to be swallowed up by all the demands of life. I will go to a quiet place so that I can hear from you as we meet in prayer. Amen

Key Question… How have you been revived, refreshed and restored as you have met with the Lord in prayer?

Living It Out… Make it your daily pattern to withdraw from the busyness of life to meet with the Lord in prayer.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that it will be well worth your time to withdraw to meet with the Lord in prayer.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are making it your pattern to regularly withdraw to pray.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you take time to withdraw from the busyness of life so you can pray.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 302 – Luke 5-15-16 – Often Withdrew To Lonely Places And Prayed – 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

Go And Make Disciples

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 304 - Matthew 28:18-20 - Go And Make Disciples - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 304 – Matthew 28:18-20 – Go And Make Disciples – Growing As Disciples

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

Go

That is a powerful word. What is a powerful word? “Go”, is a powerful word. Why is that? You have given me a commission. I have your command before me. You have given me your guidance and direction. You have made known what you want me to do for you. What’s that? You want me to, “go”. You don’t want me to sit around and do nothing. You want me to get up and go. With what purpose do I want you to get up and go? You want me to get up and go and make disciples. You want me to help others to become your followers. Yes, I do.

Let me ask you a question. I’m listening. Where would you be if someone didn’t take seriously my command to go and make disciples? I would be lost and without hope in the world. I wouldn’t be one of your followers today. I would have never become one of your disciples. I would still be walking on the path that led away from you. I would still be dead in my sins. I would have no hope of eternal life forever with you. I would not be living in an intimate relationship with you. No, you would not. But someone did respond to my call. Someone got involved in your life. Someone took the time and made the effort to help you to come to know and love and follow and serve me. Yes, they did.

I have a couple more questions to ask you. I’m still listening. Did a total stranger lead you to me? Did someone you did not know have a great and powerful impact in your life? No, not really. Someone I knew reached out to me. Someone who cared about me took the risk of sharing the Gospel with me. Someone took the time to establish a relationship with me so that they could help me to come to know you. They loved and cared for me. I know now that they were praying for me. They invested their time in my life. They allowed you to use them to minister to me. Yes, they did. Did they have to go far and travel a great distance to help you to become one of my disciples? No, they did not. Will you do the same for others? Will you get and go and help make disciples of the people you know, who live around you right now? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good. 

Lord, I will respond to your command. I will say yes to you. I will do what you ask of me. I will go and make disciples of all nations. I will teach others what you have taught me. Use me to help others to love and follow and serve you. Empower me to serve you. Amen

Key Question… Where do you think the Lord is leading you to go and make a disciple?

Living It Out… Respond to the Lord’s command by going and making disciples.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will be with you as you go and make disciples.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has used you to make disciples.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you go wherever the Lord guides you to make disciples.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 304 – Matthew 28-18-20 – Go And Make Disciples – 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