February 21st, 2016
Devotional
“The Grave Robber: The Second Miracle” - John 4: 46-54
Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com
Monday: “Begging Him” - John 4: 46-47
Take a moment and put yourself in the shoes of the royal official. You’ve heard a bit going around town about this Jesus, who you think is staying in one of the towns nearby when your son becomes ill - gravely ill. Would you take the risk to leave the sick boy’s bedside on the hope of a miracle? What would you expect Jesus to do or say when you arrive? Would you set aside all of your royal dignity to get on your knees and beg for Jesus to heal your son?
We can all probably identify with this scene in some way. A loved one becomes mysteriously ill. We battle our own illnesses for what seems like a lifetime. When we get to the point where we are looking for Christ to perform a miracle in our lives, we know that we have a deep sense of need, one that makes us willing to come and beg Christ to heal us or the ones we love.
When is a time in your life when you asked God for a miracle? Did God respond as you expected?
When do you take risks in your prayer life, pleading that God intercede in your life or the lives of others?
Prayer: God of miracles, all too often we forget that in order for us to be willing to experience a miracle in our own life or pray for the one in the lives of those we love, there must first be great need. O Lord, we confess that all too often we try everything else when we have a problem before coming to you in prayer. Forgive us, Lord. And work a miracle in our lives this day. Amen.
Tuesday: “What You Need to Believe” - John 4:48, Mark 9: 23-25
If someone asked you what you need in order to believe in something, how would you respond? What if you were asked what you need in order to believe in God? Do you need proof before you can believe in the saving love of Jesus Christ? Jesus seems to respond to the royal official’s begging in an odd way, he doesn’t say that he would help or not help, he simply replied that we live in an age where people need signs and wonders in order to believe.
We don’t live in a day and age much different from that of today’s text, do we? We too, ask for signs and wonders - demand proof before believing. Yet, there is a great sense of mystery that comes with faith - there is a setting aside of demands in order to have belief.
What do you need in order to believe?
How do you embrace the faith and mystery that come with belief?
Prayer: Almighty God, you are the God of choices. You allow us to choose whether we will believe in you and your mercy and grace, or not. Thank you, O God. We believe, but please help our unbelief and forgive us for demeaning signs in order to prove your love for us. Amen.
Wednesday: “Go” - John 4: 49-50, Luke 18: 1-8
The royal official would not be diswayed by Jesus’s teaching on demanding signs - he persistently brought Jesus back to the topic at hand, his son. We know that we cannot earn miracles - but we do need be persistent in our prayers. How many times do we pray for something only once and then become disappointed when God does not answer us? The royal official reminds us to be persistent in our asking for Kingdom sized things.
How do you often respond to unanswered prayers?
Prayer: God, sometimes we don’t understand why you don’t answer our prayers in our way and in our timing. Help us to be persistent in praying, O God, but open to your movement among us in unexpected ways. Let us not give up on asking you for the desires of our hearts and spirits. Amen.
Thursday: “While Still on the Way” - John 4: 51-52
The father in this story went out of his way to have Jesus respond to the desire of his heart - healing for his son. He traveled 20 miles to where Jesus was located and then 20 miles back. What was on his mind during those 40 miles round trip?
When is the last time you went out of your way to have a prayer requested answered? I remember once while traveling in Kansas, a friend of mine became ill. We traveled 40 miles to the international house of prayer to pray for her. Even all of these years later I remember some of the questions I was feeling on that drive, the anticipation. But those of us who went with my friend to pray, felt that this was where we needed to be, so we went. Perhaps the royal official felt the same thing - that this is where he needed to go -as he went out his way for answered prayers.
When is a time you went out of your way to have a prayer answered?
When is a time when you had to get out of your own way to have a prayer answered?
Prayer: God, often it seems like we are not in the right position to have our prayers answered. Either we get in the way - instating our prayers be answered as we expect them to be, or we give up praying too soon, looking instead for the next best thing in our mind. Forgive us Lord. Meet us along the way, as we travel closer to you though prayer. Amen.
Friday: “The Exact Time” - John 4: 53-54, Ecc 3: 1-11
God answers our prayers in God’s way and in God’s time for God’s purposes. Think about the story of the royal official - when he realized that his son was healed at the exact time that Jesus told him that his son will live, his entire household believed.
Often we can get caught up in the train of thought that God bestows miracles on us for us, but God has the power to use our lives and the miracles we experience to transform other’s lives as well.
Tell of a time that an answer to your prayer transformed someone else’s life as well.
Prayer: God of miracles - help us see that the blessing of miracles bestowed upon us are not for our benefit alone. Use the power of our stories of answered prayers touch the lives of those around us so that people can come to believe in you alone. Amen.
Saturday: Preparing for the Word
You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Grave Robber: The Third Sign” - John 5: 1-9.
Family Activity: Make a list of the blessings you have received from God. Are these miracles? Why or why not? Are they answers to prayer? Why or why not?
No comments:
Post a Comment