Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 63:1, 2 God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
2 So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory.
Read the entire Psalm
David states that God is His God. David then says what he will do. Since God is his God, he will seek Him. David states that he will seek God earnestly. Today as you read and pray you are seeking God. Keep seeking Him alone because He is your God.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 Peter 2:9-12 – New Living Translation
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanksgiving to God.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you.
- Confess your sin to Him and receive forgiveness.
(1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins.”) - Bring your personal requests to God.
(Psalm 62:8 “Pour out your heart before God”) - Pray for someone in your small group.
- Join with others from River and pray for those who do not know God. Ask God to help you see the lost people around you and have compassion for them. Ask God for opportunities to build trust. Ask God to give you opportunity to have gospel conversations.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
The gospel is the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus. Not just the historical facts of those things, but what they mean. They mean that God has made a way through the Lord Jesus to restore us to relationship with him. Your life is not the gospel. Your testimony is not the gospel. Jesus is the good news; his story is the gospel story. We must tell people the gospel if they are to experience new life in Christ. This doesn’t mean that your story is unimportant. When people get to know you and trust you, they will be more likely to believe you when you tell them the gospel. The salvation of others does not depend on you, but the people God has placed in your life are a part of your stewardship. How you live your life should bring glory to God and good to others. One of the greatest goods your life can bring to others is to make the good news of Jesus look true and attractive.
Application: Pray for the people God has put in your life who are far from him. Ask him to make you bold and loving in telling them the truth about Jesus.