DAY 23 - New Strategy: Let God Be Your Father (Please click here for English podcast)

Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.   Open your heart to praise the Lord

     the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.    Psalm 19:9-10

                                                                       

Confession and repentance

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

The Word

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"

                                                        Matthew 7:7-11

                                            

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

My Listening

    

     Let me have a recap of yesterday's message. Chapter 5 is about our new being, chapter 6 is about our new doing and chapter 7 is about our new standard. That's what it is in the Sermon on the Mount.

     For our new standard, we have yesterday's passage about not taking the role of God as a judge to judge other people. Today's passage is about trusting God as our Father. It is a relational shift. It's a shift from taking God's role to judge people to let God be God. God is our Father!

     You just need to ask what a son or daughter wants to ask and our Father will listen and provide us with what we need, but not necessarily what we want. Do you trust that God will provide you with what you need? This is a serious question. Do you trust that our Father God will provide you in everything you need?

     You know, our Heavenly Father is trying all His best to invite you back into a right relationship with Him.  A father and son, a father and daughter's relationship. Are you willing? Are you ready? 

    

      Today I got a very warm and inviting message from our Heavenly Father. Most of us like to think of all kinds of strategy to deal with different life situations, especially in planning for our future. But, do you think a five year old child needs that? Maybe you think that I am asking you to become a five year old and not plan or even think. No, I am not. It's a new paradigm! I am talking about the relationship of a five year old with his or her father. It's quite simple!

     Bishop N. T. Wright says:

     Treat God as a father, and let him know how things are with you!

      N.T. Wright. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville,KY:Westminster         John Knox Press, 2004, p.73-74.     

      Is it so difficult for you to treat God as you father? He is waiting for you now to let Him be your father.  What's your response? 

Dear Heavenly Father,

      Lead us into that most intimate relationship with you as our father so that we can enter into the most powerful strategy we can ever think of.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.  

Reflect on these questions:

1. Are you willing to let God be your father? What does it mean to trust him as a providing Father?

2. Is it difficult for you to treat God as father? How might your relationship with your own father affect your view of God as father?

3. What does it look like for you to trust God as father?

Family Corner:

1. What has fatherhood looked like in your family? (Whether in your own relationship with your father, or in your relationship with your children)

2. In what ways do you give thanks for your earthly father?

Praise and Thanksgiving
Let's give thanks for God with us. Let us praise Him:

10,000 Reasons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Please click this link to the app. Andy Ng wrote. You really need to use that if you have an Android cel. Andy said he is going to do the App. for iPhone later:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideal.rec.app

You may choose to follow my other daily blog:

http://discipler123.blogspot.com/ 

http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

The best way to keep you being with Jesus for these 40 days is to find two more friends coming together weekly using this blog/podcast and encouraging each others to use it daily. This is what I call "Discipler123" - One discipler having two friends being with Jesus daily for 40 days first then hopefully can continue for a period of three months.