January 9, 2020
Am I Spending Time with God Daily?
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." – John 15:5
Commentary
Today, we are praying through the first question in our measures. It is not the case that any measure is more important than another; in fact, we maintain that we are equally in trouble if we answer "no" to any of them. But, it is clear that this measure is the one from which all other measures become attainable. Why? Because, as our tag verse tells us, we cannot do anything apart from God.
There are different types of electrical devices. Some must remain plugged into an outlet to continue working. Other devices receive a charge and run off of that for some time. Which of the devices mentioned above do you feel best describes your practice on how you spend time with God? Do you operate with the belief that your time on Sunday will carry you through the week until the next Sunday? Or, as soon as you wake up every day, do you begin your day praying in your mind that God would help you as you carry on? Truthfully, that attitude of dependence on God should never end, not even after a daily quiet time. As soon as we are unplugged from God, the lights will turn off; our attitudes will change, our decisions will reflect our selfish desires, and we will ultimately live for ourselves instead of God. If we want to do anything of eternal value, we must spend time with God. So, are you spending time with Him daily?
Application
• Take some time today to evaluate how well you continually abide in God. How can you better connect with God at work? At home? In the car? With the kids? What changes do you need to make?
• Spend some time memorizing John 15:5. Put a reminder of this verse in a place where you will see it often and be reminded of its truth.
Prayer Points
• In what ways are you trying to operate without God's power? Confess those to Him now and ask for His help from here on out.
• Thank God for specific ways that He has given you the strength and abilities to live for Him.
• Who needs to hear this truth? Pray for them and ask that God would give you the boldness to share with him or her how God used this verse to impact your own life.