“The purest form of love is given with no expectation of return. Measured by this standard, earnest prayer for others is a magnificent act of love.”
david hubbard, the problem with prayer is…, p. 14
We want to encourage you to grab a journal or a notebook – something to write on as you walk through each prayer guide or devotional. Yes, it will add a few minutes to the time it takes to do the devotion, and it will also deepen your experience and shape your walk with God for years to come. This journal or notebook will be a keepsake to remind you of God’s faithfulness during this challenging season for all of us. Each devotion will take less than ten minutes of your time.
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 HEBREWS 13:1-2
1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Connect the Heart
Making room for others is fundamentally about reflecting God’s love. This passage reminds us how important it is to welcome strangers. When we are hospitable, we reflect God’s love and grace, creating spaces where people feel valued and accepted. By making room in our hearts for others, we not only serve them but also fulfill a vital aspect of our Christian calling. And, who knows . . . they may well be God’s messengers!
Reflect on the Truth
- How can you show hospitality to someone in your home or church this week?
- What holds you back from inviting others into your home or life, and how can you overcome them?
- How has someone’s hospitality impacted your life, and how can you pay that forward?
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, “Lord, help me to make room in my heart for hospitality. Help me to greet each person I encounter with warmth and love that mirrors your heart.”) The Lord can help us discern the path forward – through His Word, His Spirit, and His people.
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For Prayer
As you conclude your devotional time, please pray for our Ascent Church family to be a people who really care for the people that Jesus brings in every area of life – even those sometimes difficult to love.
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.
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