As a believer in Jesus Christ there are some things I must do in order to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. This list is not exhaustive by any means but it clearly gives one an idea of the expectations that Jesus had of His followers. I am to be a lover of God, Matthew 22:37. I am to love my neighbor, Matthew 22:38. I am to love my enemies, Matthew 5:44. I am to be His witness, Acts 1:8. I am expected to pray, Matthew 6:5-15. I am to trust Him for my daily needs and not worry, Matthew 6:25-34. I am to deny myself and follow Him, Luke 9:23-25. I am to obey His teachings, John 14:15. I am to be a disciple maker and serve Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20. I am to be a giver and sower of good things, Luke 6:37-38. Now this is just a partial list and it become obvious to me that in my own strength I have much difficulty doing this therefore I need outside help. Who better to look to then Jesus who promised to be with us to the end of the age. This is the biggest reason to have a daily time with Jesus. Unfortunately for many Christians their prayer consist of blessing food and asking God to meet a present need in their life or the life of a family member or close friend. I am not saying that is not important but if that is why you pray then you are missing a huge blessing when we are given an opportunity to sit at the Master's feet and seek His face for strength and understanding in order to become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our daily time should include some time of reading and meditating upon His Word, some time to focus on personal examination which allows God to have His way in our lives, some time to worship and praise our Great God and some time to express our needs and concerns. I need my time with the Lord every day. I love the assurance that He gives me in His Word. I am thankful everyday for His faithful love and His grace that strengthens me in my weakness. If you are not consistent in having daily devotions I encourage you to begin small and start reading a chapter once a day, start in one of the gospels. I encourage you to quiet your heart and then express to Him some of your need and believe God can answer your prayer. Trusting God is simple but not always easy and when we have daily time with Him your faith will grow and your confidence that God is at work will grow.
I believe that if more believers will do this that not only will they see growth in their own lives but the spiritual climate of their church will also improve. God blesses a people who desire to spend time with Him.
May God's favor rest upon your daily time with Jesus.
Pastor John
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