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 140:6-8 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.” Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.
Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord; do not let their plans succeed.
Read the Entire Psalm
You are my God. God is God whether you acknowledge Him as God or not. His place and position is secure. Take a moment now and acknowledge Him as God over all space and time. Tell Him again that you want Him to be your God. Praise Him for His sovereignty, His mercy, and His strength.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 John 2:18-27 – Christian Standard Bible
18 Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.
24 What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.
26 I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him.
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 suffering in Israel. Ask God to bring this war to an end.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
John and his original audience had watched friends, family members, and former co-laborers in the Kingdom walk away from Jesus and deny the Gospel altogether. My guess is that you can relate with them in some way.
Pray this morning for those people in your life who have walked away. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be at work in their lives to soften their hearts and to lift the veil from their faces so they might see the glory of the Gospel and truly believe. Ask God to give you wisdom and endurance in knowing how to love and pursue them.
Today, continue to repeat the verse you’ve chosen to memorize this week. Let it abide in you. Also, position your heart in surrender to God. Abide in the Spirit.