I don’t know why you started this 30 days to intimacy. I know why I started it. I wanted less.
Yes, less.
I wanted to scrape away anything that hung like barnacles on my faith, covering up the simplicity of knowing Jesus and being known by Him, and to rediscover my relationship with Jesus.
Because, as much as I love ministry, I love Jesus more. As much as I love my church, and the tenants of my faith, there is a place where believers can know Jesus beyond the trappings of our faith, and that intimacy changes us.
So today, let’s go back. To that place where there is less.
Let’s remember with deep gratitude who Jesus is, and what He has done for us.
Let’s lift up our hands in praise, and in our journals or with our mouths or in our hearts, begin to praise Him for what led us to Him in the first place.
Let’s remember why we call ourselves a believer.
Charles Spurgeon once said:
How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has he ever done anything for thee? Has he forgiven thy sins? Has he covered thee with a robe of righteousness? Has he set thy feet upon a rock? Has he established thy goings? Has he prepared heaven for thee? Has he prepared thee for heaven? Has he written thy name in his book of life? Has he given thee countless blessings? Has he laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not seen nor ear heard?
Today, this is my prayer of deep gratitude.
It’s a starting place. A place where I can sit in my quiet place, with my Bible at my side, and my journal nearby, with tears running down as I recount who Jesus is with an offering of praise.
Oh, Father, thank you for bearing the weight of my sins. Thank you for mercy. Thank you for setting my feet upon a path that a broken, insecure teenager could never even imagine. Thank you for eternity, which overshadows the heartaches of loss and pain. Thank you for my name written by Your hand in the book of life. Thank you for my family. Thank you for the breath that I draw. Thank you for this day, and all that it holds, for whether that is good or hard or bad or delightful, the unchanging factor of this day is that I walk with You through it.
What is your prayer of gratitude today?
Will you share it with us? May we praise God together today?
Resources
Come with Me: Discovering the Beauty of Following Where He Leads
Imagine that Jesus walks up to you, right now, and asks you to follow him.
He doesn’t tell you where, and he doesn’t tell you what it will entail. He just asks you to come.
Will you say yes?
So come. Walk with Jesus. Listen to his words. Step into the harder places of faith – but not alone. Learn who you are, but more so who he is to you.
Discover the unexpected beauty of following where he leads.
Your prayer so reflects mine. For almost 63 years God has walked with me. He knew me and loved me before I was born. He has cared for me body and soul and never forsaken me, even when I rebelled. His love and grace and mercy are beyond words. I praise Him for all the ways He shows His love and provision. I thank Him for each day, and I am so grateful that He loves me and wants me to have a personal, father daughter, Abba Father relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus. He delights in me. That is amazing. I am so loved and blessed. Praise be to God. Thank you Jesus for saving me, for your promise of eternal life with you forever.
Beautiful prayer of gratitude!
I hope it’s OK for a man to read your posts. I’ve been very blessed by them. The reasons for my overwhelming gratitude to my Lord can be found by clicking on the “TESTIMONY” button on the website: Abundant-Life-Now.org. Thank you for sharing your heart. May God bless.
We love for our guys to check in. My husband, Richard, and my son, Ryan, are two of my favorite readers (and people). So glad you are here, Pat.
Thank you for this reminder today. That as this world screams more is better that you remind me today that having less is SO MUCH BETTER. Love the photo – reaching up for less than reaching down for more. Reaching up for HIM – Praising HIM for teaching us HIS simple ways.
Rosemarie, I think that is one of the gifts that we find in intimacy, that the things that we spend a lot of our energy and heart on are actually less about Jesus and relationship, than striving to do. How much better for all that we do to spring from relationship — from His guidance, hearing His voice, tuning in to His heartbeat, resting in what He’s already done, and reaching out to impact others based on what we know He can do. Less truly is more in this beautiful gift of faith.
Suzie, I have more to be thankful for than I could EVER say or write! God has saved me from disease and has walked me through the death of my Mom and has blessed us SO graciously with 4 of the most beautiful, healthy kids! 3 girls and FINALLY a sweet baby boy! It took us YEARS to get preggers with the first three and have lost one too. This life has had SO many ups and downs for me, but looking back, I see God’s gentle, yet powerful hand guiding me through everything and He still is today! I don’t know where I would be without Him in my life! He has helped me through SO much. So, I choose to PRAISE Him for ALL He has done and is going to do!! TY SO much for this post! It is so easy to get down about things and let satan creep into your emotions. I stay at home with the 2 babes every day, while the older 2 are at school. I have to CHOOSE to praise and stay in His Word and Light every day. Some days that is hard to do, when left with my own thoughts. Trying hard to turn those thoughts around. Have done A Confident Heart study and Unglued. My problem is that I read these books and think, “WOW! That is amazing!”, but don’t actually put it into practice! TY for this reminder to stay in His Word and praise Him EVERY day!!