Let God Lead Friday Devotion

Theme: Prayer for the World

First Word:  Genesis 12:2-3 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will become a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

High Noon: John 3:17 God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 

Last Word: Acts 1:8 But you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

Questions and Reflections:

In Genesis, Abraham is blessed for a purpose, that all the families of the earth might be blessed. How are you blessed to be a blessing?  How is Resurrection blessed to be a blessing to the world?

In John 3:17, we learn that God in Jesus is not about condemning the world, but saving it. How might we bring this message of love and salvation to the world?

In Acts, Jesus tells his followers that they are to go beyond their home base of Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Where might God be calling Resurrection to go beyond our home base?  What might be our “ends of the earth?”

God has a plan for you and for Resurrection.

God also has a plan for the whole world and we are part of the plan.  God calls his people to be his agents in our families, congregations and local communities.  He also calls us to see the whole earth as part of our place of ministry.

Through Lutheran World Relief, our congregation supports Lutheran service work in over 20 different countries on four different continents.  Through Feed My Starving Children we help prepare food for children around the world.  These are good and valuable ways of reaching the world.  Yet might there be other ways? 

 

Most colleges and universities now recommend that a student have an opportunity to study abroad.  The opportunity to live and study in a foreign culture opens their eyes to new perspectives and ways of seeing God’s world.  Students who have such an experience often are transformed by it.  My daughter had the opportunity to teach in Costa Rica for a semester.  She lived with a family and learned their customs and foods.  It both affirmed her desire to teach as well as opened her heart to all God’s people. 

In today’s world, we can easily hop on an airplane and be in a foreign land within hours. Minnesotans often fly south to Mexico or the Carribean in the winter to escape the cold. What if such a trip had a service component? What if we offered vacations with a purpose, the opportunity to meet God’s children in a different country? Our St. Paul Area Synod has Christian partnerships in Tanzania and Guatemala. What if we explored joining these partnerships? 

Might God be calling us to consider other forms of ministry beyond our country? To be a blessing to some end of the earth? 

Prayer Starters:

Almighty and Gracious God, you love the entire world.  To what edges of the world are you calling Resurrection?  How can we be your witnesses around the corner and around the world? 

God of Peace and Justice, we pray that peace might come to all the nations.  We pray especially today for those nations and people caught in violent conflict, especially . . .  Guide us in how to respond.

Let God Lead Prayer - Lord Jesus, thank you for your steadfast love for our family and our congregation.  We ask that you would clearly lead Resurrection Lutheran Church into the future you want us to have.  Guide us to be your church for people far into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ, a life we are asked to share with others.  Take away our fear and give us courage and strength to trust that you go with us.  Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow you. (pause for silence and listening)  In Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Let God Lead Thursday Devotion

Theme:  Prayer for Our Community

  

First Word: Romans 12:4-7 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

High Noon: Ephesians 4:1-6 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body, one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Last Word: Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

Questions:  

In Scripture, it is clear that community is the heartbeat of the gospel. To be in unity with one another, be in unity together for the sake of His kingdom, and to love one another. 

  

Within the body of Christ and at Resurrection we all have different gifts, and they are valued.  What gifts do you have that God is asking you to use within the congregation or in your family or your community? 

How is God calling you to live a life worthy of the calling?  How can we become more unified in our church family?

How can practice Luke 10:27?  How can we love the Lord with every ounce of our being, and to love our neighbor, our community, or church?

Reflections:  Community is something we cannot fit in a box.  Community is a beautiful mess.  Community involves real people, real feelings, and real stories.  When real people are involved people will get hurt, and people will feel loved and unified. We cannot force community, or force people to like each other. Though our hearts have to be open and willing to step into community.  When we do those things, we will experience the real gift that community has to offer!

 

In the three scriptures above, it is clear that Jesus cared about community as it is mentioned or referenced over 84 times in the Bible.  When we approach community with humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, and making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit, we are able to fully experience the joy of community. 

Lets rejoice together, mourn together, worship together, serve together, gather around a table together, and experience the power of Community at Resurrection!

Prayer Starters:

Lord Jesus, we thank you for the gift of community.  May we experience the vibrant life of Christ at Resurrection together, and may we live into the calling of unity with one another.  Amen.

Heavenly Father, as family and members of Resurrection, may we approach each other with humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Amen.

Let God Lead in Prayer - Lord Jesus, thank you for your steadfast love for our family and our congregation.  We ask that you would clearly lead Resurrection Lutheran Church into the future you want us to have.  Guide us to be your church for people far into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ, a life we are asked to share with others.  Take away our fear and give us courage and strength to trust that you go with us.   Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow you. (Pause for silence and listening.) In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let God Lead Wednesday Devotion

Theme:   Prayer for Resurrection Lutheran Church and our Mission
First Word:  John 20:21  So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

High Noon: Ephesians 4:11-12  Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body or Christ.

Last Word:  Acts 2:42-43, 47  All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
 
Questions and Reflections: 
In John 20, Jesus appears to the disciples after his crucifixion to prepare them to do his work in the world. How have you seen God prepare Resurrection to call all people to a vibrant life of faith in Christ?

Ephesians 4 reminds us we are blessed with diverse gifts to serve God. How have you seen these gifts being put to use to grow Resurrection? How might Resurrection assist individuals in finding new ways to use their gifts?

In Acts, we are reminded of not only the importance of devotion to each other as the body of Christ, but the power of that devotion. We come together as a church to celebrate our faith as well as provide an opportunity to “grow God’s flock.” As the Lord continues to add to his fellowship, what have you seen at Resurrection that makes us unique as new followers seek out a church home?
 
God has a plan for you and for Resurrection? 

Like the apostles, God sends us out into the world to do his work. Fortunately, we don’t have to go out there alone. Together, we are the body of Christ – with amazingly different gifts. God blesses us with these gifts to not only assist us with finding avenues to serve our Lord, but to also appreciate the talent of our brothers and sisters.

Resurrection is filled with an incredible amount of talent. When you see these talents working together to further God’s mission for us, how can you not praise our Savior?

However, think about the possibilities. Are there ways we are not using everyone’s talents and gifts? Do we make it easy and safe for people to plug into our ministries? How do we bring more people and their gifts to Resurrection? These questions can be exciting and uncomfortable at the same time. Pray for God to guide us towards answers together.

Prayer Starters:
Beautiful Father, we come together through Resurrection to praise and serve you. We pray for clarity in figuring out where we go next with our ministries. Lord, help us identify the best way for this church to use our gifts to reach out into the world to support your work of adding to your flock. We also pray for our members to clearly see ways to use the wonderful gifts you have given them. In your amazing name we pray, Amen.   

Let God Lead Prayer - Lord Jesus, thank you for your steadfast love for our family and our congregation. We ask that you would clearly lead Resurrection Lutheran Church into the future you want us to have. Guide us to be your church for people far into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ, a life we are asked to share with others. Take away our fear and give us courage and strength to trust that you go with us. Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow you. (pause for silence and listening) In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Let God Lead Tuesday Devotion

Theme:  Prayer for Those Close to Us

First Word: 2 Timothy 1:3-7 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. . . I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

High Noon:  Matthew 5:23-24 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 

Last Word: 2 Timothy 2:1 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Questions:

In today’s first reading, Paul shares thanksgiving and encouragement for Timothy and for his sincere faith, inherited from loved ones.

- Who prays for you? Do you ever consider what ancestors may have prayed for future generations, including yours? How might you pray for the sincere faith of those who will come after us?

- Can Paul’s reminder of God’s gift of power lead you to ask a loved one to pray for you or your family?

- Did you inherit a rich faith? What faith do you hope to hand down to those you love? Those who come after you?

- How is God calling us to share the vibrant life with our loved ones? How can we boldly share the gifts we are given – for our families? With our families?

Reflections:

At a family reunion many years ago, planners interviewed relatives in a take-off on Jay Leno’s Jaywalking segments. My second cousins called their video J-Walking, and they asked various family members, “Who told you about Jesus?” Touching memories were shared and the power of family faith was made visible. We were surrounded by ‘the inheritance of the saints’ of which Paul writes.

Today our prayers surround those who are near and dear to us. When I once asked a church staff person, at an African church, about the relationships of three young men we were supporting, her response began, “Here, our definition of family is very wide.” Whoever you consider family, whoever is family for you, we invite you to direct prayers today to those relationships. Paul’s words in Colossians offer a wonderful prayer for those close to you: May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Colossians 1:11 We share in an amazing inheritance! We have a legacy to pass on. Those we hold near and dear to us bring us to holy ground--connections where we feel God’s grace, relationships where we need God’s grace, joys and challenges where we share the sacrificial love God has showered on us.

Paul writes to his disciple Timothy, encouraging and guiding him in 1 and 2 Timothy. In the Message translation of 2 Timothy, a subheading reads To Be Bold with God’s Gifts. Paul remembers Timothy’s “rich faith, handed down from your grandmother Lois’ . . . keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.” 

What privilege and power we have in praying for those we hold dear. May God grant you peace through your prayers for those you love and may you be blessed by the prayers of others—those who may have prayed for you in decades past, and those who will lift you up in prayer well into the future.

2 Timothy 2:1 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Prayer Starters

Lead me, Lord, into conversations of faith with my family, into faith-filled days that will live on in those who come after us, and into your will for our lives of service. Give us contagious faith! Lead us into opportunities to pass on a vibrant and blazing faith to others whose paths connect with our own. Thank you for the gifts you give in ‘a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.’

A prayer for all you hold dear, “May the Lord Jesus keep you in his love.”

Let God Lead Prayer - Lord Jesus, thank you for your steadfast love for our family and our congregation. We ask that you would clearly lead Resurrection Lutheran Church into the future you want us to have. Guide us to be your church for people far into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ, a life we are asked to share with others. Take away our fear and give us courage and strength to trust that you go with us. Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow you. (pause for silence and listening) In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Let God Lead Monday Devotion

Theme: Humble prayer

First Word: John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”

High Noon: Matthew 6:5-14 “For your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Last Word: Matthew 6:5-14 “This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Questions:

In the first reading, Jesus is with his disciples at the Last Supper just before he is to be crucified when he speaks these words.

- As Jesus prepares to be crucified, what is on his mind?

- What happens to a branch apart from a vine? What happens to a branch that is connected to a vine?

- What happens to us as we are connected in prayer to God?

- If God knows what we need, why then does God call us into prayer?

- Who changes when we communicate with God in prayer?

Reflections:

We have this incredible opportunity!

In the First Word scripture for today, Jesus is speaking to His disciples just hours before he was to be crucified. What is on his mind?

He is providing guidance and direction for his disciples on how to live and how to carry forth God’s mission after Jesus is crucified. In the middle of Jesus’ guidance, he speaks these words: “Abide in me.”

Jesus is calling His disciples, and you and me to follow.  To follow him him prayer and faith.

Jesus knows the dangers in store for the disciples, and he knows the challenges that we have as well. The history of God’s relationship with His people is filled with stories in which God is reaching out in love to His people, seeking a deep relationship with us. The response of His people ranges from distrust, distraction, and disobedience to faith, hope, obedience and love. God says His will is that “I will be their God, they will be my people and I will be with them.” (Revelations 21:3). God seeks a relationship with you.

God has a plan for you and for Resurrection.

Of all the 7 billion people in the world, the 330 million people in the US and the 800 people that call Resurrection Lutheran Church their church home, you are unique. God has created a unique you! God has blessed you with life. God has redeemed you by the blood of His Son. God has said to you, “I will be with you always.”

And that is an incredible opportunity!

Prayer Starters 

  Heavenly Father, thank you for the privilege we have to pray. Grant that we may be nourished and strengthened through our time of prayer this week. Save us from distraction and distrust and build in us the faith and courage to Serve the World you Love.

Let God Lead in Prayer - Lord Jesus, thank you for your steadfast love for our family and our congregation. We ask that you would clearly lead Resurrection Lutheran Church into the future you want us to have. Guide us to be your church for people far into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ, a life we are asked to share with others. Take away our fear and give us courage and strength to trust that you go with us. Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow you. (Pause for silence and listening.) In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You are Invited!

I read recently that the average young adult uses their smart phone 53 times each day to tweet, text, email, facebook, or snapchat their friends. We are unbelievably connected to each other through electronic media! In fact, a phone is critical for this generation to build 21st century friendships. What would happen to our relationships without a phone?

The flip side of our connectedness is that we are rarely alone with our thoughts.  Watch anyone waiting somewhere and you are bound to find them staring at or talking on their phone.   

One relationship that requires no phone but does require our intentional communication is our relationship with our Creator and Savior.

The Bible calls us to “Be still and know that I am God.”  (Psalm 46:10)  God seeks a relationship with you but may not overwhelm you with His presence.  Prayer then is a gift for us.  Perhaps prayer, like a smart phone to our friends, is our connection to God.

Through times of prayer we can come to know God. 

That alone, is an awesome thought!

What would happen to our relationship with God if we regularly engage in prayer?

Through prayer we can grow in our knowledge of God’s love and grace.  We can begin to learn how He is uniquely calling you and me to be His people in this world – to both rest in His grace and to “go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

This coming week, we ask you to take time each day for a few moments in the morning, at noon, and near the end of your day to join the members of Resurrection Lutheran Church in prayer.  A devotion will be sent to you each day.  You can pray at home, at work, along your commute, at lunch, and at dinner with family. You can pray the following prayer for Resurrection:

Lord Jesus, thank you for your steadfast love for our family and our congregation.  We ask that you would clearly lead Resurrection Lutheran Church into the future you want us to have.  Guide us to be your church for people far into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ, a life we are asked to share with others.  Take away our fear and give us courage and strength to trust that you go with us. Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow you. (pause for silence and listening) In Jesus' name. Amen.

You are also invited to meet at the church at 6:30 am, noon and 6:30 pm for prayer, and to be part of the Prayer Retreat on Saturday, September 27 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm at church.

How is God calling you in prayer?

Written by: Brian Jordahl