Good morning Jesus, fill me with your Spirit and l renew your presence in me.
“We have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:9-10).
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the 40 day season of Lent. As I have been explaining in previous posts, in the Lent season, people give up physical pleasures like chocolate, sweets, dining out. …ect. Since it falls on Valentines Day, at ODC we are holding our “Ash Wednesday” gathering tomorrow. We are not that legalistic in religion practices and at the heart of God is love, therefore we hope you will spend a special time with the one you love today, and tomorrow we will hold our solemn gathering.
As I have reflected on this week, Lent is a time of reflection and preparation of our hearts to one that earnestly desires God
In previous posts I have examined how we become disciple of Jesus worth multiplying. The answer was simple; Spend more time in prayer than ever before, spend more time in the word than ever before, spend more time in Christian accountability than ever before. Spend more time in service than ever before. Simple, but not easy. The season of Lent basically is a 40 day period that we re-focus and re-center our lives around being a disciple worth multiplying.
Spending time in the Word and prayer is how we allow the Holy Spirit to “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) Use these 40 days to re-commit and re-form your will to daily time in prayer and the Word.
One of the reasons people say as to why they do not spend time daily in prayer and reading the Bible is they forget. We seem to dismiss things that we forget as not being a sin, as how can we be held accountable for something we forget to do? Say you pull into your company’s parking lot and park in the presidents parking space. You receive a memo saying please do not park in that space to which you reply, “Sorry, I forgot.” The next day you park in the presidents spot again and you get the same memo not to park there to which you reply, “Sorry, I forgot again.” If you continued to park in the presidents spot all week claiming to forget, the president of the company is going to call you in, as there comes a point that it is not a matter of forgetting, but a matter of your will. If you are not spending time daily reading the Bible and in prayer, you may one day forget, or because of some crisis not have time to do it, however, if you neglect to do it consistently, it is no longer a matter of you forgetting or not having time, it is a matter of your will that is set against it. And then you find yourself in a place that your will is set against God’s. For who’s will is it that does not want you to pray or read God’s word, God’s or Satan’s? The word Satan means “apposer.” It is a “heart issue.”
Lent is a season we address “heart issues.” Lent's emphasis on conforming your heart’s will to desire to spend time in the Word and prayer is not as some legalistic task or something you are to do, however it is something you are to become, because abiding in Christ is a life giving source from which you receive. Jesus tells you, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Jesus tells you, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10).
My family, I pray today as we begin this 40 day season of Lent, you will through the searching of the Holy Spirit, examine the will of your heart. Where it aligns with God, where it opposes God, and repent and re-shape your heart to one that’s will is to earnestly desire God. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!!!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
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Thank You!