Day 23
“Therefore, I urge you, Brothers, in view of God’s
mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy & pleasing to God—which is your spiritual act
of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this World, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Rom.12:1-2
The Invitation
“My child, all worship begins with open hands
& bowed knees. I desire absolute supremacy in your life. The things you cling
to most tightly become idols that you worship instead of worshipping Me. Open
your hands, & let go. I know it can feel terrifying for you to surrender.
But when you place your life, & the lives of those you love, completely in
My hands, I am able to accomplish My perfect will through you. You have not
been placed here on the earth to live your own life & seek your own
fulfilment. You are here to glorify Me, to have My life lived through you. The
only way for this to happen is for you to join Me in My crucifixion. Praise Me that
as you die to your selfish desires, I am reborn in you & the power of My
resurrection becomes evident in your life. Then, & only then, can you be
the person I have called you to be. Only then can I give all of Myself to you.
In the end, that is your greatest desire.” (Rev.19:10; Col.1:18; Gal.2:20; Heb.11:17-19)
As you worship today, get down on your knees if
you can. What is the hardest thing for you to surrender? As you listen to the
praise music listed in today’s Listen section,
imagine God inviting you to place in His hands your spouse or your desire for a
spouse, your children or your desire for children, your career or your desire
for a career, your friends, your home, & your health. Then when you are
ready, open your hands to symbolically surrender. Place
everything in the Lord’s hands & acknowledge that He alone is worthy
of all your praise.
“I have been crucified with Christ & I no longer
live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal.2:20)
Listen
Listen to “Arms
Open Wide” performed by Hillsong United & “At the Cross” & “ISurrender,” both performed by Hillsong Live.
Pray
Lord Jesus, I bow before You. You are the holy
& exalted One, & the only One who is worthy of all my praise. I
surrender my longings, my spouse, my children, my parents, my friendships, my
finances, my dreams, & my home. Take my entire life. I give You my body, my
health, my emotions, my gifts & abilities, & my strengths &
weaknesses. Nothing that I may be tempted to hold on to compares to You. I
worship & praise You above all else. Thank You for inviting me to place all
that in Your hands when I follow You. Thank You for promising to use me for
Your glory, & that when I surrender everything to You, I will find true
life in the end. I praise You for promising that I will receive a hundred times
more than anything I could ever give up for Your Name. I worship You, Lord
Jesus. (Mat.10:37-38; Mat.19:29)
Journal
What are you most terrified to surrender to
God? How might praising God fill you with enough courage to open your hands
& let go?
0 Comments:
Post a Comment