The First 15

Tuesday January 10, 2023

by Jan Davis

Today is Tuesday, January 10 and we are seeking what God has next for us in the new year.

Opening Prayer

As I approach this quiet time alone with God, I slow my breathing and focus my whole being on His loving presence. I pause to silence the clutter of my rambling thoughts and still the discord of my spirit.

Pause and Pray

Come Holy Lord, reveal whatever You have next for me in this new year. I surrender myself to Your pleasing and perfect will, trusting in the knowledge that You continue to work all things together for good in me. Guide and equip me to fulfill Your desires, purposes and plans. Amen.

Scripture Reading

I rejoice in the goodness of God and praise Him with the words of Psalm 37.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:3-6

Pause and Pray

God has a will for the world, all of humanity and each individual person. As Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer, Christians are to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is done in heaven. I can pray for God’s will to be accomplished in my life and the lives of those around me. I can pray that I will be able to identify God’s will and fulfill it. God’s will is always for the good and best – it is right. God has a will for my life, my marriage, my family, my friends, my church, my occupation, my future. How do I know it? How do I do it? In the letter to the Romans, Paul teaches me how I will be able to identify and understand God’s will.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

Reflection

God’s will for my life is good, pleasing and perfect. How do I discover and claim His will for my future? How will I learn to test what I am doing and see if it is in line with God’s will? How will I learn to test what I am doing and see if it is adverse to God’s will? How can I come to agree with God’s direction for me and approve of what God has next for me? Paul indicates this sacred discernment comes from a renewal of the mind, a separation from worldly thought patterns and synchronization with the mind of Christ. This knowledge begins with surrender. I bow down to worship God and offer myself – body, mind and soul as a living sacrifice. I do this alongside fellow believers in devout awareness of God’s great mercy and love demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son, my Savior, Jesus.

Ask: How is my mind conformed to this world and not to Christ? What do I need to relinquish in order to more fully surrender myself to God?

Pause and Pray

Lord God, thank You for your great mercy and love. Forgive me when I insist on conforming to the imperfect patterns of this world and prevent Your grace from improving me. Help me understand what it means to truly offer myself a living sacrifice to You. Please work Your grace in me so that I can grow in holiness and live a life that is pleasing to You. Renew my mind, so I am able to test Your will and affirm what You have next for me. I read the words from Romans again and listen for the message you have for me.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

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 consider what God wants to say to me today through this scripture. Whatever word or phrase that stands out to me today, I reflect on how God might be guiding me in my journey. Perhaps this is an indication of what God desires for me in the upcoming year. Maybe a change in my thinking is needed or perhaps a new focus is required. Maybe God wants me to take the next step to understand His will for my life. Perhaps I have skipped a step or overlooked something needed for me to make spiritual progress. God will show me the way.

Pause and Pray

Come, Holy Spirit, I invite You to come and work in me. Transform my mind and give me a new way of thinking. Change my heart and show me a new way of loving. Awaken my soul and reveal a new way of being. I surrender all to You and seek Your perfect will for me in 2023. Amen.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

Closing Prayer

I leave this time of prayer devoted to a God of mercy and love. I go to show mercy and demonstrate love to everyone I meet.

Amen

The First 15

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