Wednesday January 25, 2023

Today is Wednesday, January 25 and we are exploring what it means to yield our lives to Christ.

Jesus, I am yours. In the stillness of the morning, I seek the grace of your divine presence. Come and envelop me with the embrace of your steadfast love. With each breath, I inhale your goodness and steady my mind from worldly distractions.

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord God, hear my prayer. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. Amen. (The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, part 2)

I join with all the earth to praise God and shout for joy with the words of Psalm 66.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” Psalm 66:1-4

Pause and Pray

Immediately following his baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. In this solitary, desolate, remote location he is tempted by Satan. There are three temptations presented to the Son of God. Turn stones to bread, throw himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple and bow down and worship the devil. Jesus responds to all three temptations by quoting the word of God. The final temptation is the opportunity to possess the riches of all the kingdoms of the world and exercise ultimate power.

Again, the devil took him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:8-11

The devil continues to take believers to impressive places and demonstrate the splendor of worldly things. The bright, shiny, fancy objects and gadgets continue to capture my attention, attract my mind and tempt me to open my pocketbook or load up credit cards. Delicious food and unhealthy substances delight palates and encourage people to overfill plates and glasses. Positions of power and influence lure me to reorganize my priorities, feed my pride and fuel selfish ambition. I consider when the voice of Satan has echoed in my own mind, “All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.”

Ask: What are the things that tempt me the most and how do I respond? How can I grow in awareness of my own spiritual weaknesses?

Pause and Pray

Blessed Lord, forgive me for being distracted with the delightful things of this world and for the times I prioritize these above you. Help me grow in awareness and be more aligned with your intentions for my life in relationship to you. Enable me to respond to the voice of temptation in the same way you did and never bow down and worship anything other than the one true God. I read the words from Matthew again and listen for the message you have for me.

Again, the devil took him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:8-11

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

Each day I am reminded that God wants to speak to me through the words of holy scripture and I try to listen and want to understand. I ruminate on this Biblical passage and consider how God might want to inform a specific circumstance or situation in my life. How does this passage relate to something with which I am currently struggling? I listen carefully to God’s Spirit opening the ears of my heart and endeavor to understand. I will carry this passage with me throughout the day.

Pause and Pray

Come, Lord Jesus, reveal the temptations of my soul, show me the places of my greatest weakness and shore me up to stand firm. Open the scriptures to me and teach me your truth so that I can reply to any testing with the wisdom from above. I turn away and reject the things of this world and turn steadfastly toward you. Amen.

The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. Acts 11:21-23

I leave this time of prayer placed in the hands of God. Jesus, send me wherever you want and I will go.

Amen