Friday September 1, 2023

Today is Friday, September 1 and we are exploring what it means to trust God’s Word.

As I enter this time of prayer, I still my body, quiet my mind and slow my breathing. I close my eyes and relax in the presence of the God who loves me.

Pause and Pray

Holy and blessed Lord, I long for you to speak into my life and circumstances. Give me ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to understand the good message you have for me today as I study the Holy Scriptures. Amen.

I rejoice in God’s steadfast love and praise him with the words of Psalm 62.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:5-8

Pause and Pray

In John’s first letter to the early Christian community he reminds them of truth. At that time, false teachers were trying to lead believers astray. These teachers denied the basic teachings about Jesus. Even though they had left the church they still exerted influence on the fledgling community of faith. John firmly taught that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, who had come in the flesh. He instructed the church to live by the truth, speak the truth and trust God’s holy Word above all else. God’s Word reveals the absolute truth about God, Jesus and human beings. We know the truth when we live in relationship with the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:3-8

When I consider the commands of Jesus found in his teachings in the New Testament of my Bible, especially the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), I know I am only able to keep his commands by the power of the Holy Spirit living in me. I want to know Jesus and obey his Word so that the love of God will be made complete in me. I am confident through the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s love can grow in me and I can mature in holiness. The truth of Christ is being revealed to the world, the light is shining in the hearts of people and the darkness of doubt and ignorance is lifting so that God’s truth can be known. I trust it to be so.

Ask: How has God revealed his truth to me in the past? How can I seek God’s truth in the present through prayer and reading the Bible?

Pause and Pray

Blessed Lord Jesus, you are my companion, guide and friend. I want to know you. I want to live my life in you. I want to live as you did, keeping your commands and obeying your Word. I hope and pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit God’s love will be made complete in me and your truth will come alive in me. Whatever darkness remains in me, I pray the true light will shine and dispel it forever. I read the words from First John again and listen for the message you have for me.

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:3-8

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

I can place my complete trust and confidence in God’s holy Word. God has given me the gift of the Bible and it is the source of all truth for my life and existence. Every day I seek God’s truth in the words of scripture. Today I listen to this text with the ear of my heart, paying careful attention to the phrases which stand out to me or the images that capture me. How might God be speaking into my current circumstances, revealing answers to my questions or guiding my path? I place my trust in God today; I will obey his Word.

Pause and Pray

Come, Lord Jesus, shine your light of truth upon my heart. Where there is doubt, bring clarity. Where there is confusion, provide certainty. Where there is falsehood, reveal truth. Where there is error, supply knowledge. Where there is hesitation, give assurance. I trust you completely. You are mine. I am yours. So be it. Amen.

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. John 16:12-13a

I leave this time of prayer in the Spirit of truth, seeking to walk the way that Jesus walked and do what Jesus would do.

Amen