DEVOTIONAL

Prayer : Father, today I want to thank you for all the blessings that you have given me. I thank you for your amazing love and for being my strong tower and helping me to live for Jesus, my saviour. Please speak to me today and help me to give you the worship you are worthy off. Please speak to me today and lead me in your path in Jesus name.

Invitation to Confession : Father God I come before your throne of grace and mercy. I confess and acknowledge I have sinned against you in thought and deed, today I ask to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ 

Praise and worship : Psalm 90:1-2 “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God”.

Worship song :  Lord you have my heart (Delirious?)
Lord, You have my heart,

And I will search for Yours,

Jesus, take my life and lead me on

Lord, You have my heart,

And I will search for Yours

Let me be to You a sacrifice,

And I will praise You, Lord,

And I will sing of love come down,

And as You show Your face

We'll see Your glory here, Lord,

You have my heart,

And I will search for Yours,

Jesus, take my life and lead me on

Lord, You have my heart,

And I will search for Yours,

Let me be to You a sacrifice

And I will praise You, Lord,

And I will sing of love come down,

And as You show Your face

We'll see Your glory here,

We'll see Your glory here,

We'll see Your glory here.

Devotional : If someone asked you, what is the greatest thing in life? I wonder what you would say.  Someone said this “The greatest thing in life is finding someone who knows all your mistakes and weaknesses and still loves you and thinks you’re the best thing in their life”. Brothers and sisters, the greatest thing in our lives is our personal relationship with the God of heaven, the creator of the universe. 

The God who knows all our mistakes and weaknesses but still loves us.  God is the one who loves and reveals himself to us, not because of what we do but because of his loving character and faithfulness: it’s important to remember that God loves you not because or what you do. He loves you because He just does. Many years ago when I came to know of God’s love and that Jesus Christ did for me I decided to be-come a follower of Jesus. I not only found God but I also found peace, forgiveness and hope for the future. One of the amazing things that happens when you become a follow-er of Jesus is we have the privilege to talk to this one and true living God who created the universe. 

Brothers and sisters when we pray, we are talking to the one triune God, the father the Son and The Holy Spirit. One of the gifts God has given us is the gift of prayer. And if we want to have a deeper relationship with God, we need to develop a life of prayer. Prayer needs to be at the centre of our lives and is a vital key to us having an intimate relationship with God and going deeper with Him. 

I don’t think we have understood how wonderful and amazing it is to be able to be in a conversation with the God of the universe, The God who stepped into His world in the person of Jesus Christ. I know for many people prayer can be hard going and even become mechanical. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a conversation with God, instead we talk at Him. We need to learn and develop a prayer life that talks and listens. Through this practice I believe our relationship with God will deepen and we will see Him as He truly is, the God who loves us and cares for us. What I like us to think about today is when we pray what is happening, what is going on between us and God? 

When we pray, we open the door of our hearts. We Invite God to be part of our journey, our lives and story. It’ through prayer we share our story with God and invite Him to enter and be part of our story and lives. It’s through prayer we ask God to change our hearts and cleanse us from sin. David prayed in Psalm 139: 23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”. Brothers and sisters all of us carry unholy things in our hearts that no person can see except God. The writer to the He-brews reminds us in Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”. We tend to cover up what’s really going on deep down in our hearts. 

We hide our fleshly thoughts, desires, and motives behind a respectable spiritual face. However, nothing can be hidden from God. He knows everything about us. We can have no secrets from God. That’s why the David could say in Psalm139:1-5 “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Be-fore a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me”. Brothers and sisters as we begin this devotional study, prayer is going to be the key to draw us closer to God and experience His presence. I pray as you go through these devotions your relationship will grow and you will “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”.

Personal Prayers : 

Closing Prayer : Father, I thank you that you are the one and only true God who longs for us to know you deeper, help to go deeper with you and know and experience your amazing love. Please help me to worship you from the deepness of my soul. Inspire me to live a life of prayer and worship. In the name of Jesus, I pray Amen.