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Conversely, when our church celebrates our Easter Vigil service (Saturday evening before Easter) I am also struck by so many people gathering together and reading on average 8-10 different accounts of miracles God performed from the Old Testament and a couple passages from the New Testament. It is a such a beautiful service. I almost always spend a few minutes just praising God quietly in my spirit as we read the passages.
We must as sign of our love and gratitude to God to slow down our lives and consider “…the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments…” I have mentioned in passing the suggestion to journal during your daily devotions. Let’s examine why it is important to record what God shares with you during daily devotions.
In the following passage Colossians 1: 9-11, it says, "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.” This wonderful passage is chalked full of spiritual sustenance. Let’s examine the passage closely.
To give some context, Paul in this opening chapter is speaking to the church in Colossae.
1. Paul is continually praying for them.
2. Paul asks God to fill the members of the church with :
Knowledge of God’s Will through ALL the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. (We studied this passage in a previous post.)
3. Paul prays the people may live a life worthy of God.
4. Paul prays each member pleases God in EVERY way. Paul specifically mentions for believers to strive to
- Bear fruit in EVERY good work
- Grow in the knowledge of God
- Be strengthened with ALL power according to His glorious might
5. Then Paul reveals the purpose of these petitions is each member may build great endurance and patience.
By taking a few moments to outline all of components of this prayer this will allow the Holy Spirit to teach and instruct you in an organized manner. People learn in different ways but writing things down and reviewing the precepts later is a practice God promoted in the Scriptures. To me, the inference is God wants you to go back at a later time and review the generous instruction of the Holy Spirit and how to implement it in our daily lives. God has modeled this concept Himself. In Habakkuk 2:2, it says, “Then the Lord replied: “ Write down the revelation and make it plain tablets so that the herald may run with it.”
We are all called to spend time in God’s Word. (Romans 12:2)
1. We should think about God’s Word.