“Jesus was intensely committed to prayer because this loving presence of the Father was His very life. He told His disciples, “I live because of the Father” (John 6:57) – and prayer was His lifeline. This vital closeness of the Son with the Father is the foremost characteristic of our Savior’s prayer life. It was a closeness that found expression in His constant time alone with the Father in prayer.”
henry Blackaby, experiencing prayer with jesus, p. 26.
Share a Comment: Consider sharing a comment in the box below with something God is showing you either about fasting, prayer, or making room in your heart – as an encouragement to others.
Daily Devotionals: As we step into this next season in the life of our church, we are asking the Lord to help us “Make Room in our Hearts” – for the people Jesus loves, and the people Jesus brings. During these 21 Days, our whole church will be reflecting and meditating on these same thoughts and prayers together, with one mind, guided by and depending on one Spirit.
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Engage the Word: Making Room in Our Hearts
Read Matthew 6:19-21 – Jesus says:
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Connect the Heart
We often are tempted to divide life into the “spiritual” and the “material” – but Jesus never does. Jesus makes it clear that if we have his righteousness in our lives, then we will have a proper attitude toward material wealth.
Jesus never magnifies poverty or criticizes legitimately obtaining wealth. God made all things, including food, clothing, (things we definitely need) AND expensive precious metals (things we might want). In fact, as the Apostle Paul says, He has given us “richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). Pastor Kent Hughes says “It is not wrong to possess things, but it is wrong for things to possess us.” How we view “things” and “stuff” says a lot about the condition of our hearts.
Jesus argues in this passage that if you treasure God more than anyone or anything else, especially money and earthly “treasures”, then you will trust that “your heavenly Father” will provide for you. The question we all must ask is: Where do we place our trust?
Reflect on the Truth
- What does your attitude toward material things, money, possessions and “stuff” say about the condition of your heart? Jesus says “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So… where would you say your heart is?
- Is there something about the way you live, how you establish your priorities or how you use your money that the Holy Spirit might be prompting you to reconsider?
- Consider what Kent Hughes says: “It is not wrong to possess things, but it is wrong for things to possess us.” What does this stir in you?
Depend on the Spirit
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the deeper longings, desires or motives in your heart that these thoughts are pointing to. (For example: you may write down, “If God has given us all things to enjoy, I need some help seeing the difference between the things I need, the things I want, the things I possess and the things that possess me.”) The Lord can help us discern the path forward – through His word, His Spirit, His people.
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For Prayer
As you conclude your devotional time, pray that Ascent Church would be known as a people who treasure God first, before any “things” we might possess – and that each of us would take to heart Jesus’ words to store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven.
Fasting
Please read the first blog post entitled “Why Fast?” This explains what fasting is and why we follow Jesus in this spiritual discipline as together we seek the heart of God.
Previous Posts
To read yesterday’s blog post devotional, please click here.
To read our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting Introduction, please click here.
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Some parts of our 21 Days devotionals are adapted using various resources on scripture and prayer like The Bible Exposition Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, The New Bible Commentary, Logos Bible Software and other resources.
Share a Comment: Consider sharing a comment in the box below with something God is showing you either about fasting, prayer, or making room in your heart – as an encouragement to others.
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