“It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).
AS JESUS DEMONSTRATED, He needed time alone with the Father to hear the words of His Father (Luke 6:12, Matthew 4:3-4). For Christ to be our leader, we need to do likewise. Here are three ideas that create the possibility of allowing Christ to lead through us as we follow Him:
1. By faith pursue intimacy before ministry. Step out and prioritize your time to be in the Word and prayer. These are primary means to the end of loving God. Loving God simply means loving what He loves: people, the lost, worship, and prayer, just to name a few. How can you increase your
intimacy with God?
2. Get to know Christ beyond the surface and the facts. What is His heart? Where did He hurt? How did He struggle? Study Philippians 3:8, 10. Get to know what God says about yourself. You are more than a sinner saved by grace. You are a saint! Study Ephesians 1. What does it say about being “in Christ”? Reflect on God’s grace by His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
3. Know where your power comes from—Jesus Christ. You cannot do all things in your own strength. You need to rely upon Christ who lives in you to be your source of power. What areas are you holding on to? How can Christ be your strength? “Most gladly, therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
“The discipline of time alone with God should not be looked at as another thing to put on your ‘to do’ list. This attitude will only lead to resentment from the added pressure that it produces. It should be viewed as a gift from a gracious and kind God. He cares so much for you and me that He is not just interested in our accomplishments but also in shepherding our hearts.” — William Thrasher
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Purchase the Entire Devotional – “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader”
The devotion above was taken from the 52-week Devotional entitled “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader”.
Many give a mental assent to this teaching yet are often asking, “What do I do? What does Christ as life look like?“ Too often Christians err by moving too far to one side or the other—reducing the Christian life to a list of do’s and don’ts, or they actually do nothing.
These inspiring weekly devotions are just some of the actions that reflect the life of Christ in each of us, and they explore four areas as we follow the One Leader, Jesus Christ –
- A Foundational Focus
- A Personal Focus
- A Relational Focus
- A Missional Focus
Be challenged, encouraged, and spurred on to a deeper walk with Christ.
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