Anynomous

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He (Abraham) did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

I ran from the call to full-time ministry. I’d spent five successful years in business in my mid-twenties, but a change was needed. I prayed to find a new career, I prayed to find a new church, I didn’t expect God to answer both prayers with the same idea. Fulltime ministry terrified and excited me, so much so that I spent a full year waiting tables hoping the call would simply go away. It didn’t. Still unsure a...fter a year, I began to interview for different positions back in my industry. I remember sitting in one interview and every fiber in my being screamed, “you are going the wrong way!”

In his devotion, Mark Batterson writes that sometimes we need to take a step without knowing what the next step will be. God called Abraham to move to a strange land, and Abraham took the first step even though he didn’t know the final destination. And God honored it. “If you take the first step, God will reveal the second step. The problem is that most of us want the twenty-five -year plan before we’re willing to step out in faith. But God doesn’t operate that way. He gives us just enough revelation, just enough grace, just enough strength. Why? So, we will live in daily dependence on Him. He doesn’t want us to rely on the revelation; he wants us to rely on him.”

Personal Growth: What dream, what relationship conversation, what opportunity do you need to take the first step? As followers, we are to take a “why not” approach to life. In God’s economy, there is no such thing as failure when you take that first step of faith.

Bethany Growth: Pray for the flood victims in Valley and Waterloo. That our church might become a service center to launch teams of people to supply hands-on, long-term recovery efforts in the name of Jesus.

Anynomous

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“O Lord pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God.” Daniel 9:19 ESV

Very rarely are our prayers answered as quickly or easily as we’d like. If you are praying hard then you know that praying hard is hard work. Mark Batterson recommends the use of the acronym ALAT to center prayer expectations. We want God to answer our prayers ASAP, but Mark’s advice is to attach ALAT, or As Long As it Takes, to each prayer. A prayer answered too quickly can confuse u...s into thinking that we should take the credit. When we pray with confidence, we stay at it ALAT. God will answer accordingly so that God gets the glory.

Personal Growth: God is never early. God is never late. God is always right on time. Go back to a prayer from the first week of the 40-day challenge and refine it. When the prayer is answered how will it honor God? When you pray for it does it release you from worry over the outcome? Keep at it!

Bethany Growth: Bethany has long been a positive influence in our community. Now, we are in discernment for where God is calling us next to impact our community in tangible ways. Ask God to reveal a vision for our Mission leaders.

Anynomous

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Contend for me, my God and Lord. Psalm 35:23

From Draw the Circle; ‘Prayer is the difference between you fighting for God and God fighting for you.’ Like my childhood backyard game of fort, when you think of prayer like a fort to dwell with God, you develop a sixth sense. You begin to see where daily prayers serve as armor against voices of criticism and judgment.

It’s important to have people in our lives who can speak words of truth, but those are usually people with ...whom we have a relationship. Beyond those accountability partners, I find that criticism is like the devil complaining. It’s not worth being sidetracked from what God is doing in you.

Personal Growth: God is fighting for you which means we don’t need to take a posture of aggression with difficult relationships. If your cause is just and your heart is right then life is too short, and the mission is too important. Let God defend and contend on your behalf.

Bethany Growth: A common virus in local churches is side-to-side communication, or gossip. Pray that Bethany continues to embrace healthy communication where people show each other respect by communicating directly, one-on-one.

Anynomous

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Jesus, in the face of hatred and intolerance, give to us the courage and commitment to speak out for peace and love and stand with our neighbors. #Amen . . . Take up their cross and follow me #Lent devotion from @ELCA

Anynomous

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“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…” Matthew 17:20

Some of the dreams that we have are in the germane season, which can cause us some anxiety about the timing of answered prayers. But when we think of prayer like a planting, as Mark goes on to say in this devotion today, it helps us understand the speed of a seed.

We want our prayers answered immediately. But that isn’t the way it works in God’s kingdom. We need the patience of a planter. We need the foresigh...t of the farmer. We need the mindset of a sower.

We worry far too much about outcomes instead of focusing on inputs. We cannot make things grow. Period. All we can do is plant and water. But if we plant and water, God promises to give the increase.

Personal Growth: We all go through famine of some kind spiritual, relational, or financial famines. Don’t stop planting. This morning return to a prayer you have planted from the last 12 days. Keep praying, keep obeying, keep giving, keep loving, keep serving. And remember the wisdom: If we do the little things like they are big things, then God will do the big things like they are little things.

Bethany Growth: Pray for our children and youth group leaders today. Each and every week there are seeds to be planted and the faithful efforts of these special servants should cause all of us to pause with respect. May the seeds grow to giant redwoods!