Is the Good News still good news to you. Have you lost the love you had for God at first. Let's recapture our love for God. Let's allow the Good News to recapture our affections for Jesus.
The Ephesian church had lost its affections for Jesus and the goodness of the Good News. Jesus tells them 1) be honest with yourself about your lack of love for me (confession) and 2) repent by doing what you did at first (spiritual disciplines).
Consider how your practices affect your affections for Jesus. Would you join us on this journey to recapture our love for the Good News?
Practice #1: QUIET TIME
Set aside unhurried time daily to read God's word and pray-quiet time.
Set aside unhurried time daily to read God's word and pray-quiet time.
- Begin your reading of God's Word with a prayer like this: "God I want to know you and not just about you. Help me to know you through the reading of your Word." After you read a section of Scripture, take some time to think about what you just read--this is called meditating up God's Word. What does what you just read tell you about who God is and who you are? Does the passage you read give you any instruction that you need to obey?
- Spend some time in prayer. Use The Disciples Prayer Disciples' Prayer as a model for your prayers.
Helpful Bible Study Illustration/Tool:
Practice #2: Prayer Day
Set aside a day for prayer and seeking God's face.
Set aside a day for prayer and seeking God's face.
- Pick a day and time. Start with 2 hours or a half a day if a whole day seems overwhelming. The idea is to have unhurried time to seek God.
- Pick your location. Find a place where you won't be interrupted. If you have little kids, maybe you and your spouse could take turns (maybe one of you could watch the kids while the other one spends the first half the day in prayer and then you swap for the second part of the day). Once a month, I go to St. Francis Prayer Center for a day of prayer. For $25, you get a great environment for prayer (and lunch is included).
- Bring your Bible and an open heart. How do you spend your time? Bring your Bible and a journal. I would suggest you spend the day studying John 15 ("Abide in me"). Take the Scripture in small portions and journal your thoughts, questions and observations as you read and meditate upon God's Word. Allow your meditation upon God's Word to lead you into times of prayer. Tell God how you feel (e.g., "Father, I feel far from you."). Spend time listening. Spend time worshipping. Spend time in gratefulness. Ask God to reveal himself to you.
Practice #3: Personal Worship Times
As part of your daily time with God, spend time in the singing of worship to God.
As part of your daily time with God, spend time in the singing of worship to God.
- Read a Psalm. If you are struggling with discouragement or faith or most any other emotion known to humans, there is a Psalm that will help model how to sing what you are feeling.
- Listen (or play if you are musical) and sing along with a worship song or hymn that expresses worship to God and the range of emotions we go through (e.g., Light a Fire).
- Sing a new song. Sing an original prayer to God that expresses your adoration, struggles, gratefulness, apathy, etc.
Practice #4: Fasting
Fast once a week from food. Spend that time praying and seeking God.
Fast once a week from food. Spend that time praying and seeking God.
- Matthew 6:17 says, "But when you fast..." Both the Old Testament and New Testament assume that fasting is a regular practice for Christians.
- When we fast from food, we tell ourselves that hungering and thirsting for God is even more important than our hunger and thirst for food.
- Fast one meal or maybe two meals or a whole day. Make fasting and prayer a regular part of your week.