God and Depression

Having a relationship with God brings joy, right? While this statement is supported throughout the Bible, the truth is we live in a broken, fallen world. You may have experienced loss, abuse, trauma, or other difficulties and challenges. Depression often hits us as a result of tough circumstances. At other times, though, depression can strike when everything seems to be going well. Fortunately, the Bible also addresses these situations.

A quick perusal through the Psalms gives us many examples of when David and others were in angst, to the point of death and despair. Paul also expresses his great struggles and times of desperation for God to deliver him from either his circumstances or thoughts and emotions. God is not silent on depression, but provides tools to help us to go through and get through. When you're feeling depressed, down, or discouraged, there are helpful things to remember and that you can do.

Things to remember:

      (1)   God is not mad at or disappointed in you. God understands the depths of our hearts and sent Jesus to experience the trials of living in flesh. When we are depressed, He meets us with compassion and encouragement.

      (2)   God has not left you. Over and over again, God tells us in scripture that He is with us and won't leave us. While He may often feel far, the truth is He is always with us, no matter what our circumstances, struggles, thoughts, or feelings.

      (3)   This moment and feeling will not last forever. While some battles with depression are deep and long, they do not last forever. Reminding yourself of this fosters hope and is helpful in getting through the most difficult moments.

Things you can do:

      (1)   Talk to someone. God created us to be relational. Romans 12:15 says to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Our burdens are lessened when we share them with others. We can gain a different perspective, insight, and the encouragement needed to walk through even the toughest valleys in life.

      (2)   Be intentional about gratitude. When depression takes over, our thoughts gravitate toward and get stuck on the negative. We have a hard time seeing the blessings in life. Even starting with the basics of thanking God for who He is and what He's done in the past (see Psalm 138 for example) will begin to transform your thinking and make it easier to identify other blessings.

      (3)   Pour in truth. Exhaustion is often a close companion to depression and it may feel impossible to even muster up enough strength to open and read the Bible. Thankfully, we live in a time where the Bible and biblical teaching are abundantly available. Turn a Bible app on read, search online for your favorite Bible teachers or preachers, or find some godly teaching on podcasts. God's word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and will began to transform you.

These few reminders and suggestions are helpful when going through depression and other difficult times. If the list seems overwhelming, simply pick one to start with. And if you would like to share your story or struggles or talk to someone, feel free to comment below or email me through this link.

I pray you’ll experience God’s love and compassion for you in a fresh way as you seek Him in the midst of your struggles.

Revelation Devotion Finale

Closing

I hope you’ve been blessed by this 12-week devotional study based on the first three chapters of Revelation. I certainly have been. God has been faithful to lead, guide, and reveal more about Himself through the examining of His Word. He has also used this most powerful two-edged sword to pierce into my soul and call me to examine myself. The goals of seeking who God is and who He desires me to be have been met, but only in part. The journey of getting to know God greater, developing a deeper intimacy with Him, and transforming to become more like Him is a process that doesn’t end as long as we’re on earth. Any time we open God’s Word with ears to hear, eyes to see, and a moldable heart, He will use it to transform us. My prayer for each of us is that we continue to seek Him, love Him, obey Him, and glorify Him to greater and greater degrees.

To God, who was and is and is to come, who is holy, who is Lord Almighty, be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.

  

Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.
Revelation 4:8

If you are interested in having a printable copy of this devotion or a book version to share with others, email me at tracy_wainwright@yahoo.com

I hope you'll join me next week for the start of a new devotion from James 1.

Revelation Prayer Devotion Day 8

Day 8

Scripture focus: And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: “The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

Revelation 2:8-17

Application: Again, the message to this church begins as the letter to the church in Smyrna did: the Lord knows. What a comfort it is to recognize that there isn’t anything out of the purview of God’s knowledge. Not one thing. There is no pain, no hardship, no circumstance that the Lord is unaware of. He knows what is going on in our nation, He knows what’s going on in our job. He knows what’s going on in our church. He knows what is happening in our families. He knows even the state of our hearts. How eye-opening is it that He knows when His people are living in the midst of Satan, and leaves them there?

This goes against what we tend to believe and pray for as God’s will. We want to be taken out of the difficult situation. We want God’s rescue and healing. While God does rescue and heal, He also works His will in and through us as we walk through trials. It is by walking through the fire as we cling to God that we are refined and our faith becomes stronger in us and used in a greater way for God’s Kingdom. None of us would choose to walk through the fires of trial, but when we do so holding fast to His name, His rescue and healing found on the other side is more rewarding than if He’d saved us from those trials. He is good all the time! Even when times aren’t good.

Then there are those times we, or someone we love, live with, worship with, work with, doesn’t hold fast to God’s name. And we tolerate it. As our culture has gradually moved away from God, many ungodly values, thoughts, and ideas have crept into the church. They were so subtle for so long that now they are becoming blatant and we are shocked. This is the teaching of Balaam that Jesus refers to in this letter. (The story of Balaam and Balak can be found in Numbers 22-25.) Balaam agreed to take money from King Balak to curse the Israelites, but each time he attempted to do so, God put blessings in his mouth. Since he wasn’t able to curse God’s people outright, he devised a plan of subtle deception where he used the Moabites to entice the Israelites to mix with them and take on their false gods and sinful behavior. While we don’t have the details of how the Israelites transitioned from faithfulness to idolatry, I imagine it was what we would call a “slow fade” today. One small compromise followed by another, and before they realized what they were doing, they were fully engulfed in pagan worship and sin. We are just as susceptible to these small compromises and overlooking the compromises of those around us. They sneak in through our music, TV watching choices, things we read, time management, busyness, and in so many other ways. God calls us instead to repent of any idols in our lives and conquer over sin through His Word and His power.

Prayer: Lord God, the living, sharp two-edged sword, thank You for Your mercy! You are always faithful even when we are not. Your mercies are new every morning. You are slow to anger. Call me to an uncompromising love of You and empower me to see and eliminate any idols I’ve allowed to creep into my life. Thank You that You know my circumstances. Remind me whenever I need it that it doesn’t matter where I live, not even in the midst of Satan’s throne, but You know and are with me. Sustain me with the Bread of Life. Keep my eyes fixed on You and on Your Kingdom to come. Refine my heart to love You will all of my being. I praise You, Lord, for You alone are King.

Reflection questions/prayer prompts:

How can I better let God’s Word act as a sword in my heart, discerning my thoughts and intentions and refining them?

How can I use where I live, where I work, where I learn, where I play, and where I worship to bring glory to God?

What trials or difficulties is God calling me to surrender to His refining fire?

Lord, open my eyes to any stumbling blocks that have been placed in my way on my journey of seeking You.

Are there any compromises I’ve made that are hindering my spiritual growth and witness?

Father, help me evaluate every experience, belief, and decision based on Your Word and Truth and not any other teaching.

What are You saying to me today, Lord? Help me to hear Your voice.

Revelation Prayer Devotion Day 7

Day 7

Scripture focus: And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

Revelation 2:1-7

Application: When we read a passage like this we may have several different reactions. One may be that we can’t relate because we are not being persecuted and threatened with death for our faith. Another may be a focus on our personal hard times of spiritual drought, difficult relationships, or financial struggles. Still a third may be that people who are religious but lack evidence of spiritual fruit or maturity come to mind. Maybe the changes of values in our country which have begun to impact the freedom to express our faith in public ways press forward in our thoughts. Possibly all of the above. However, this passage offers so much more.

First, this is one of two letters in Revelation to the churches that contains no rebuke. Given the state of the churches and the issues addressed in each individual letter, chances are if we’re not the church under great tribulation, God has a rebuke for us. What might that be?

Second, Jesus reminds His people in this letter that He is the beginning and end of everything. He knows everything about us – individually and as a church body. There is nothing that happens outside His sovereignty. Even persecution and financial poverty. He also reminds His people that when they have Him and seek His Kingdom, we are rich in the truest sense. We have wealth that cannot be stolen or destroyed. These believers were facing prison, and from what I’ve learned, when they were thrown in prison there was typically a ten day holding period before they were put to death. So their ten days of tribulation might have been starvation, beating, harassment to recant their faith. Then they would be put to death. But God reminds them (and us) that when we hold fast to our faith in Him, He grants us the crown of life – life eternal with Him. The greatest gift of all.

He also reminds us that the devil is the one behind the schemes of attacking Jesus followers. Whether it’s actual prison, emotional prison, feeling trapped by unhealthy relationships, or financial poverty, we are in more of a spiritual battle than a physical one. The same is true when we experience other personal or corporate trials as a church. While our arguments, loss of trust, anger, and disappointments may produce real feelings bread out of real circumstances created by real people, it is all rooted in spiritual battle. We do not war with flesh and blood, but the principalities of this world. Therefore, the only way to wage war on evil, sin, broken relationships, disunity, doubt, depression, or discouragement is to fix our focus on the One who is the First and the Last and all the promises in Him, which are “yes and amen.”

  

Prayer: Jesus, You are holy, righteous, and truly good. You are the first and the last, the beginning, the end, and everything in between. Let me never forget that You conquered death and through faith, You have gifted me to not only conquer over eternal death, but also the small deaths that seem to come as part of this world. There is nothing You don’t see. There is nothing for me to fear because anything I experience in this life is temporary. I praise You for Your gift of life and sovereignty in it. Let me never focus on my trials, tribulations, or trying relationships, but help me keep my eyes fixed on You. You know all. Help me never to forget that.

Reflection questions/prayer prompts:

How can I keep my focus on Jesus and giving Him the praise He deserves each and every day?

Lord, help me never forget that You know. You know my pain, my trials, my struggles, my sin, my heart. Reveal and let me hear clearly what You want me to know about You, about myself, and about others.

Fear is rooted in a lack of complete faith and trust in the Lord. Is there an area of fear in my life that I haven’t surrendered to God and His sovereignty?

Jesus, when I suffer, help me to hold fast to my faith in You. Grow me. Mold me. Make me more like You.

How can I keep the crown of life Jesus will give me more clear in my mind than my current circumstances?

Father God, let me hear what You are saying to the churches, to my home church.

Nothing is more important than living for God’s glory. How can I live to bring Him more glory today?

Revelation Prayer Devotion Day 6

Day 6

Scripture focus: “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands: I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.”

Revelation 2:1-7

Application: God knows. And He sees. This is great encouragement! Often we labor in our faith and feel like no one recognizes our effort. Most of life isn’t made up of the great events or works that are seen by others, but in the daily “hard work and…patient endurance.” No human sees when we get up early to spend time with God. Often no person sees when we sacrifice time or money or pleasure to feed into someone else’s life. Going to work and completing our tasks with excellence usually is expected and not praised. There’s seldom reward for cooking meals, mowing the lawn, washing clothes, cleaning house, changing the oil, changing a diaper. These are tasks that make up the dailyness of life and we do because they need to be done. However, God sees it all and knows the things we do. He sees us volunteer in the nursery. He knows when we get to church early to greet people. He observes us when we meet with and encourage another believer who is struggling. He is watching when we gather in small groups to pray over and discuss decisions for our faith family. He is not absent when we make a pot of coffee, sweep a floor, or give a hug. God knows all the ways we serve people. When we refuse to compromise His standards for the world’s values. When we hold fast to His truth in a corrupt and capitulating culture. None of this escapes His notice.

Neither does our motivation and heart for our works. It is easy to get wrapped up in our life routines of work, school, parenting, grandparenting, running around, and serving and lose our love for God and people. We slip into a mode of survival instead of victorious living. We fall out of loving God and others with a passionate love. A love that comes first and foremost and serves as the impetus for the things we do. Have we, have I, forgotten to love God as I did at first? You know what a “love at first” is like: passionate, joyful, willing, energizing, enthusiastic, all-encompassing. When we first recognize God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness, we are compelled and excited to love Him back, spend time with Him, share His love with others, and are empowered to love them well. As time moves on and the everydayness of life creeps in, it can crowd out and dampen the flames of our love for God and others. Yet, we are still working. In our own strength. According to our own ideas. For our own purposes.

But God.

He desires our hearts. Our love. Our complete devotion to Him, reliance on His strength, surrender to His ways, and focus on His purposes. And out of that love and devotion the fruit His Spirit will then blossom and feed our everyday labors.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the reminder that You see. You see my works. You see when I don’t give up. You see when I stand up for You. You see how I labor when no one else does. You know my heart. Thank You that Your steadfast love endures forever and that You continually call me to love You first. Show me where my love has waned. Reveal to me where my works and labors have thrown water on the fire of my love for You. Continue to call me to spend time with You, to dwell in You, abide in You. Shower me with Your love so I can in return love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, body, and spirit. Overflow my heart with Your love in order to enable me to love others around me well. To love them in such a way that’s best for them: for their good and Your glory. Give me ears to hear Your Holy Spirit and understand. I praise You for the victory You give in this life and the fruit of eternal life You have prepared for me in the next. To Your name be all honor and praise and glory. Amen.

Reflection questions/prayer prompts:

Lord, help me to remember that You see and know all and that my works and labors are to be done unto You.

Am I examining the claims made by all who call themselves Christians and evaluating them based on God’s Word?

Have I fallen from loving God first with a first kind of love?

Of what is God calling me to repent?

Jesus, never let me forget that You command an army of angels and walk amongst Your church. You are here with us and have unfathomable power!

What are the “works” the Lord wants me to do? What are some “works” that He may be calling me to lay down or let go?

Almighty God, thank You for preparing my heart to hear Your Spirit. Prepare it every day and help me to have understanding of Your Word.

Revelation Prayer Devotion Day 4

Day 4

Scripture focus: Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

Revelation 1:12-16

This is one of the most fascinating descriptions of Jesus given in scripture. We generally think of Him looking as a young man, flawless, strong, and with loving eyes, as we’ve seen in pictorial representations. I think there’s a good reason we don’t know exactly what Jesus looked like when He walked this earth and wore human skin for just over three decades. His human face did not define Him. I often wonder, because of prophetic descriptions of the Christ, if He wasn’t the complete opposite of what we might call handsome. I imagine He was unassuming, someone who’d be overlooked without the miracles and great wisdom that attracted people to Him. What that looked like in details though, we’ll never know.

Then we get this amazing, awe-inspiring description of the resurrected, powerful, holy Christ. Much of the description seems symbolic, and it all fits in various messages Jesus sends to the churches, but I think the physical descriptions were actual. I try to picture it in my head, and fall short. I looked up artists’ renditions of their translating these elements, and they all too fell short. Because we cannot imagine Jesus in all His glory and power and dominion. It is too much for us.

Yet, He gives John this glimpse to pass on to us. A glimpse that is hard for us to imagine, but yet gives great insight to the victorious Jesus who is coming to judge. I think of His white hair. In our culture age is not revered and correlated with wisdom, but I imagine Jesus’ white hair represents his wisdom. And His holiness. White is often used in scripture to talk about how His sacrificial death washes us white as snow – just like His hair is described here. I consider His voice like the roar of many waters. A sound that reverberates and supersedes anything else. It filled the whole space and washed away any other sound, yet John was able to understand Jesus’ words clearly.

There is so much in this short section of verses! I hope you take time this week to meditate on this image Jesus presents of Himself and God blesses you with a greater understanding of Him.

Prayer: Holy, Almighty Lord, when You speak, let me turn toward Your voice to get a clearer picture of You. Help me to remember You have all wisdom and offer to give me wisdom for my life freely if I ask. Give me wisdom, Lord, for the big and small choices I face! You alone can hold all the stars, all people, all planets, and the very breath in my lungs. The sun You created is too much for me to look at, yet Your brilliance and light far out pass the sun I can see. Thank You for Your Word, grace, mercy, perfect love, and redemption of my life. Thank You for being the light to show me the next step, then the next, and the next. Amen.

Reflection questions/prayer prompts:

Do I see Jesus as He presents Himself in all of scripture, or do I see Him as He’s been presented by others’ or my own ideas?

Do I seek wisdom from other people or experts first, rather than from God first and foremost?

God, help me to remember You are passionate for me and You desire that my desires be for You and Your Kingdom.

Do I see Jesus as the light that directs my steps in this life and the light that is the Way to eternal life?

Jesus, speak to me with a roar that will drown out all the distractions, deceptions, and discouragements I face in this life.

How can I open my heart and mind to God for Him to divide the marrow and bone of who I am with His Word?

God, You are all-powerful. Help me to not just give mental assent to this truth about You, but live according to this truth.

Revelation Prayer Devotion Day 3

Day 3

Scripture focus: I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Revelation 1: 9-11

Application: We each have a unique calling as followers of Jesus. John the disciple, most certainly had an exceptionally unique calling. According to tradition, he is the only original apostle to have survived into old age. At best guess, he was in his eighties or nineties when this revelation was given to him. He had survived many tortures and persecution for following the Way (how early Christians were referred to) and was exiled to a prisoner island because of the Gospel.

Most of us can’t relate to that level of persecution for sharing Jesus. At most, we have experienced being uncomfortable, made fun of, dismissed, or ignored. This is changing for the worse in our country, for sure, but we have not yet experienced persecution as believers in Christ as others have in the past and around the world today. In this – partnering with our brothers and sisters in Christ as they’re experiencing persecution and tribulation – we can relate to John’s words. As we seek to love, serve, and obey Christ in loving and serving others for the advancement of His Kingdom, we can remember not only those who are lost, but those who are suffering for the Gospel.

We can partner with them in our prayers, awareness, and however else God calls. We can remember that there are churches today in modern day Turkey in the locations John’s letter went to that we can partner with. There are churches going through the same challenges and experiencing the same victories we read about in Revelation all over the world. How is God calling us to be a part of His universal Church? How is He calling you? What is He trying to convey to us today about His church? Our local church? How we individually play a role in what He’s saying? Let us each cultivate a habit of being in the Spirit to hear what the Lord has to say.

Prayer: Holy Father, we praise You for the gift of patient endurance when I go through trials and tribulations. Thank You for adopting me in Your family so I never go through these things alone. Thank You for the brothers and sisters in the faith You’ve given me in this faith family and in Your church around the world. Draw me to You and help me to eliminate everything in life that prohibits me from being in Your Spirit and hearing Your Word. Remind me to rest in You and listen with a heart cleansed by Your grace and mercy. May You receive all glory and honor and praise, as You alone are worthy. Amen.

Reflection questions/prayer prompts:

God, how are you calling me to be a part of Your church – locally and around the world?

Lord, reveal to me what may be hindering me from hearing Your Word.

How can I be more aware of and pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are experiencing persecution and tribulation?

What does God want me to give up in order to spend more time with Him?

What difficult circumstances or times drew me closer to the Lord can I thank Him for?

Father, help me to see all fellow followers of You as partners in the Kingdom.

In what ways might God be calling me to have a greater understanding of patient endurance?

Revelation Prayer Devotion Day 2

Day 2

Scripture focus: John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:4-8

Application: What a greeting! We haven’t even gotten into the meat of this letter John wrote to the churches and there’s enough theology in these few lines to contemplate for a weeks. This one passage is full and rich of revealing who Jesus is. He is. He was. He is to come. He has no beginning and no end. He is eternal. He rules earthly kings. He loves us. He has freed us. He is almighty. There is nothing beyond His capabilities.

I almost don’t know where to begin. Therefore, it would be a good idea to reread this whole passage and highlight anything that sticks out to you. What’s God trying to make clear to you?

Could it be that He has the power to move in your life in ways you can’t imagine? Is it that He is calling you to a deeper understanding of His perfect, kind, never-ending love for you? Perhaps He wants to remind you that every single sin you’ve ever committed or even thought about was washed away, made as white as snow, when He poured out His blood and drank the wrath of God for you. That even those things you haven’t forgiven yourself for, God has freed you from – completely and totally. Maybe God wants to remind you that He is the beginning of (the Author of) your faith and will bring that faith unto completion. Possibly He could be reminding you that He’s coming again and all will see Him and the truth of who He is. Or is He drawing out some other truth about Himself to you in this passage?

With the often hard messages John was about to share with the churches, indeed also with us, isn’t it amazing that he begins with greetings and blessings of grace and peace? It’s almost as if God wanted to make sure the receivers of the convicting, commending, and correcting He was about to speak through John’s letter were completely grounded in who He is. To remember God is Lord. That Jesus is God. That even His rebukes are because of His love. And that when He calls out some in His church for embracing, endorsing, or engaging in sin, it is covered in His love and forgiveness. Yet He will not wink at or ignore that sin. What a gift that He calls us out of sin, gives us His power to defeat sin, and wipes it all clean!

Prayer: Holy Father, Your grace and mercy overwhelm me. There is nothing – not one thought or action – I can hide from You. Yet you have completely freed me from my sins by Your blood. You and You alone deserve glory forever. I praise Your name! By Your might I will stand in my faith. Thank You for the peace of living in Your forgiveness. I wait with eager anticipation for Your coming. Open my eyes to how I can reflect Your glory and goodness to everyone You bring into my life, even those present only briefly. Stir discontent in my heart with those around me who don’t know You. Let me remember they will see You in all Your glory one day and to be in a position to praise You, not wail and mourn because they missed You. You alone are God. Amen.

Reflection Questions/Prayer Prompts:

God, what do You want me to see more clearly about You and Your character?

Is there something I need to acknowledge or repent of in order to experience Your grace and peace in full?

Father, help me to remember that the rulers and kings of this earth are under Your authority.

Is there anything prohibiting me from experiencing the fullness of Your love in my life?

Lord, You have flung open the doors of the prison my sin held me in. Help me see if I haven’t stepped out of that prison to live in the fullness of the freedom You have provided.

Is there a deeper part of me that I haven’t surrendered fully to your grace, love, and mercy?

How can I share the work you’ve done in my heart and life in the last week to bring You glory and love others better?

Revelation Prayer Devotion Day 1

Day 1

Scripture focus: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Revelation 1:1-3

Application: God is always revealing Himself. Various places in scripture give us examples of how God has revealed Himself through creation (nature), through speaking to His people, through His angels, through visions and dreams. The visions and prophesies described in the letter of Revelation are unique to the apostle John, but also support previously recorded prophesy. They also have a great deal to tell us.

Since God is constantly revealing Himself, even if not always in such dramatic ways as the visions and prophesies given to the apostle John and other God worshippers in scripture, we should always be looking for what He is saying. To lean our ear to His Word. To soften our hearts to His love. To be still and quiet (a huge challenge in today’s culture!) so we can hear His messages clearly.

John was exiled to a prisoner island and used that time to worship and draw closer to the Lord. We may sometimes wish we could escape to a deserted island to do so, but that desire isn’t likely to be fulfilled. Instead, we can seek to create islands in our everyday lives to get away with God. That island can be in our car, a closet, a special chair, or even the bathroom. Most of us are familiar with the story of Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, who created an island in the middle of raising 10 children (you may have heard the number 19, but 9 died as infants) by covering her face with her apron to pray. What a great example of making time with God of utmost importance!

As we seek to spend that time with the Lord to hear from Him, He will bless us. As we live out what He says to us, He will bless us. God’s blessings may sometimes be financial or physical, but as we see from the life of His disciples, they are more likely to be emotional, spiritual, and mental. God has promised us so many blessings that we may easily overlook. This week, I pray you will experience a new level of hearing God’s revelation, experiencing His presence, and basking in His blessings.

Prayer: Holy Lord God Almighty, I thank and praise You for Your revelation. Your faithfulness is great. Your Word is true. Your blessings are abundant. Help me in the chaos of life to create an island where I can spend intimate time with You. Keep calling me and drawing me closer. Quiet the noise so I can hear You speak to me as your servant child. Draw me to Your Word and Your heart. Soften my heart and clear out anything in the way of my relationship with You. Holy, holy, holy, are You, Lord God Almighty. You are, always have been, and always will be. And You love me. Pour out Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness on me through Your Son Jesus. My heart overflows with gratitude and praise to You. Let it always be so. Amen.

Reflection questions/prayer prompts:

What may God be calling me to give up in order to spend more time with Him?

Is there something in my heart blocking me from clearly hearing what God is saying to me?

What blessings am I not paying attention to that the Lord has already poured out on my life?

Under what circumstances could I read God’s Word aloud and/or bear witness to His word?

What is keeping me from keeping what is written in God’s Word?

Do I need to evaluate how much of God’s Word I’m listening to on a daily basis verses how much of the world I’m listening to (through radio, television, social media, etc.)?

How can I worship and praise God more?

New Series! Let's Dig into Revelation

Hello! After a long hiatus. I do hope to pick back up on the "How to Love Your Neighbor" series I ran last summer. Building a house, including great amounts of painting, learning to lay tile and hardwood floors, and moving kept me occupied for the last eight months. For now, however, I'm going to run a prayer devotional series based on Revelation. I hope it's a blessing to you and helps you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Introduction
I’m one of those people who has read parts of Revelation on occasion, not really understanding a lot of it. I even once read through the entirety of the Bible in thirty days…until I got to the last book, and fizzled out. However, I’ve recently been listening to a teaching series on Revelation which has opened up this section of scripture in a whole new way.

The first focus from this teaching series was to examine what Jesus says about Himself in Revelation. As I began going through verse by verse looking at how the Lord reveals Himself I was amazingly blessed.

As we go through the next twelve weeks, seeking what direction God has for our faith family, we will be using God’s revelation through the first few chapters of this specific book to focus on two things:

 (1)  Who God is

 (2) How God is calling us to live

Each week will have a scripture focus, a devotional commentary giving thoughts on application, and a prayer. There will also be a daily question we can ask and pray over as we reread the focal scripture each day. I pray you will be overwhelmed by God’s presence, mercy, grace, and love and be drawn closer to Him than ever before.