Week 38 Day 2
Pray:
Ask God to reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Matt. 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Reflect:
In light of the absolute authority of Jesus, those who know him are to make him known as they go about their lives. “Therefore go” is intentional in several ways. It is intentional in that there are times when we “go” to others with the objective of sharing the gospel with them. It is also intentional in that as we go about our normal affairs of life we are to pray for, look for, and take advantage of opportunities to make Jesus known. This is both “go” and “as you go.” It is a life of intentionally sharing the good news of the gospel. But what does this look like in a “regular” life. Missionaries “go” to share the gospel and “as they go” it is their “job” to share the good news. But what of the rest of us? We go to our jobs, our kids’ programs, our hobbies, our doctors… we don’t “go” to share for a living. There should be times for all followers of Christ when we do go specifically with the goal of sharing the gospel with others. It may be going to talk to strangers on the streets or it may be going to dinner with a friend in order to share the good news as a friend. But, for the most part, this life of intentional “going” will be “as you go.” As you go out into your life, you will interact with a host of people who need to hear the good news. Knowing when and how and what to share will take wisdom and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Two main imbalances plague believers as they seek to make the good news known in their “going.” First, simply failing to pray for, look for, and take the opportunities as they come. This may be because of fear or lack of confidence in the gospel, but often it is simply a component of not being aware of what God is doing around us. We forget to remember that the gospel is real and that people do need to hear it. The second imbalance is to share in ways that alienate and drive people away. To clumsily toss out spiritual “jabs” void of situational awareness and relational connectedness is normally not helpful. This “as you go” intentional lifestyle requires an ongoing connection with the Spirit of God. This “requirement” is a great opportunity and privilege. The opportunity is that you will get to see where God is moving in your everyday life and join him there. The great privilege is that you will get to be a part of what God is doing in the world around you. The Great Commission should feel more like privilege and opportunity than task and duty. Close the gap on seeing it as such.
Pray:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today.