Pray:
Ask God to orient or 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:
Rom. 1:8-12, 8 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”
Understand:
In the passage above, what Paul means by “impart to you a spiritual gift” is not clear, though the intent is clear. He wanted to strengthen their faith. Paul immediately qualified this purpose since he did not found the Roman church and he had no relational authority there. He did not want to give the appearance of having authority he had not earned through personal relationship, so he told them he was not coming simply to give encouragement, but to be encouraged as well. He clarified this by adding “that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”
Apply:
What does it look like for to encourage a friend in their faith? What does it look like for them to encourage you in yours? What does it mean to be intentional in doing this? Who do you “allow” to encourage you? It doesn’t have to be a “mini-sermon” or some extra wise saying. You don’t have to give earth-shaking advice. Encouragement means to “pour courage in”. This can be very simple, but it is most often the result of being intentional. Ask yourself and God, “What does this person most need from me?” Who will you take the opportunity to encourage today? Who will you allow to speak encouragement to you today? You know…it’s okay to call someone and ask for encouragement, doing so may encourage them as well.
*From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(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. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.