Please click this link for the video version of this blog: https://youtu.be/ZPS1F_nzRrI
Bible in one year by Nicky Gumbel:
Nicky Gumbel's Bible in one year today:
https://preview.mailerlite.com/p1p4q5h5u0/1974412851565042378/u5k8/
Silence
1. Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence
2. Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. 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. Sing a song to praise God (you are welcome to use "Father, I adore you" which I have been singing every morning for the past 20 years or your own choice to praise God)
Father, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.
Jesus, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.
Spirit, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.
Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html
1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:
“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 and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sins 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 gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."
“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 and having Jesus as my Lord. 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 sins 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 gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."
3. John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)
(Please click this link to see how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/
"Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
The link to today's Time with Abba passages: http://api.pastoralcareschool.org/twa/
Time with Abba passages: (Psalm 135:8-14, 1 Kings 19:1-21; Acts 12:1-23; Proverbs 17:14-15)
Today's key passage:
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beershebain Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.1 Kings 19:1-8
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to him.
My Listening The topic I received today is: The best way to get rid of depression!
The anointed and powerful Elijah the Prophet was in deep depression after his great victory to killed 850 wicked Baal and Asherah prophets! How can that be?
What I think is that if even Elijah could be in deep depression and want to kill himself, we all could have the possibility to fall into that darkness!
The most important point is that, how could Elijah get rid of his depression and later become the prophet to represent all prophets? Do you remember in Jesus transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared to chat with Jesus? Wow! Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the Prophets of the Old Testament!
If you read today's passage closely you can find out the big shift of Elijah was when he cried out to God and poured his heart to Him! Wow! Then after that, everything was God's own work!
God sent an angel to feed him with hot baked bread! Yummy!
You know, the sign of people in depression is not able to sleep and eat. And, God sent an angel to help him to drink, eat and sleep!
Another sign of depression especially for Christians is they do not want to have time with the Lord, no daily devotion, no church, no God for a long time!
Then, the angel encouraged Elijah to walk for 40 days and nights to meet God and prepared him to listen and obey to God again! It is just like the Lord used me to invited two leaders sometime ago who were in depression to come to our 6am Time with Abba and 7am Praise and Prayer for 40 days. They did and their depression was gone! Wow!
After Elijah's 40 days, God spoke to him, warned him of his self-centredness, anointed him, prophesied to him and gave him a helper, his successor Elisha! Wow!
So, the best way to get rid of depression is to get close to God!
Received?
Dear Lord Jesus, Help us to understand that the best way to get rid of depression is to get close to you. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen. Reflect on these questions: 1. Do you believe to get rid of depression is to get close to God? How can you be willing to allow God to use you as an angel to help those God prepared to get close to God so that they can get rid of their depression?
2. What is your next step to make this happen?
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beershebain Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to him.
My Listening
The topic I received today is: The best way to get rid of depression!
The anointed and powerful Elijah the Prophet was in deep depression after his great victory to killed 850 wicked Baal and Asherah prophets! How can that be?
What I think is that if even Elijah could be in deep depression and want to kill himself, we all could have the possibility to fall into that darkness!
The most important point is that, how could Elijah get rid of his depression and later become the prophet to represent all prophets? Do you remember in Jesus transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared to chat with Jesus? Wow! Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the Prophets of the Old Testament!
If you read today's passage closely you can find out the big shift of Elijah was when he cried out to God and poured his heart to Him! Wow! Then after that, everything was God's own work!
God sent an angel to feed him with hot baked bread! Yummy!
You know, the sign of people in depression is not able to sleep and eat. And, God sent an angel to help him to drink, eat and sleep!
Another sign of depression especially for Christians is they do not want to have time with the Lord, no daily devotion, no church, no God for a long time!
Then, the angel encouraged Elijah to walk for 40 days and nights to meet God and prepared him to listen and obey to God again! It is just like the Lord used me to invited two leaders sometime ago who were in depression to come to our 6am Time with Abba and 7am Praise and Prayer for 40 days. They did and their depression was gone! Wow!
After Elijah's 40 days, God spoke to him, warned him of his self-centredness, anointed him, prophesied to him and gave him a helper, his successor Elisha! Wow!
So, the best way to get rid of depression is to get close to God!
Received?
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to understand that the best way to get rid of depression is to get close to you. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
Reflect on these questions:
1. Do you believe to get rid of depression is to get close to God? How can you be willing to allow God to use you as an angel to help those God prepared to get close to God so that they can get rid of their depression?
2. What is your next step to make this happen?
Family Corner:
Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message.
To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link: https://www.pastoralcareschool.org
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