Honest Reflections

Two-minute read.

Matthew also records the withering of the fig tree we talked about in the first week. Our heart posture matters, and if we don’t believe, the Greek word pisteuo, meaning to trust, to rely upon, to have confidence in[1]; we won’t receive. Again, Jesus doesn’t teach a “name it and claim it” message, but a heart rooted in God, with confidence in Him. When I pray for the lost, asking the Lord for their salvation, I do so with conviction because I know the Lord wants that too. He makes it clear that the Creator wants no one to perish. So, I’m praying in agreement with His desires, and can do so confidently.

When we allow scripture to interpret scripture, it helps us understand this verse more deeply.

“If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us…”

1 John 5:14–15

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…”

James 4:3

John and James help us understand the heart posture Jesus wants us to have. When we ask according to God’s will, we do receive it, but if we ask with the wrong motives, we don’t. And the Lord does know our motives better than we do.

So what prayer are you afraid to pray?

We should talk to the Savior about our hearts’ desires. The Lord wants us to live dependent on Him for our wants and needs. And He also wants us to trust Him to guide our paths. So when we pray for things, not sure of God’s will in the situation, we can do what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, submit our will to the Lord’s:

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Matt. 26:39

In His humanity, Jesus wanted the cup he had to bear taken from Him. And He asked His Father to take it. But then He showed His heart posture with nine words: “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Those words give us the key to praying boldly. By submitting our requests to God and then surrendering our will to His decision, we will receive an answer, not always the one we hope for, but the one that God wills.

Don’t let fear stop you from praying. Instead, approach God’s throne with boldness, sharing your requests, then submitting them to His will. The Lord will answer according to His will.

Journal Questions:

What specific prayer am I bringing before God?

How can I check my heart’s motives?

When have you not received because of wrong motives?

Application:

Write down the bold prayer you’ve hesitated to pray.

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[1] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: Abingdon, 1890), G4100.

Two-minute read.

Jesus gave us a model for prayer, inviting ordinary people to address God as Father, indicating His intimate relationship with us—more than a sovereign ruler, not distant or abstract, but our Father. When we pray, it places us in a family, dismantles self-centered spirituality, and draws us into a relationship with other believers through our heavenly Father. The Lord hears our prayers, near but also transcendent, loving and sovereign at the same time. “Hallowed be Your name” sets the Lord apart as holy. We want to honor God’s character, and before asking anything, center our thoughts on His holiness.

Next, Jesus shows us how to surrender our will to God’s. We can ask the Lord to bless our plans easily enough, but asking Him to replace them takes more effort. When we ask the Creator to replace our agenda with His, we surrender control to the Lord’s reign. In heaven, we will obey immediately, joyfully, and completely. Asking God for His will on earth desires the same reality here, starting with us.

After aligning our hearts with our Father’s, we then ask for our daily bread, the provision we need for the day. Notice, Jesus doesn’t tell us to ask for enough to last our lifetime, only for the next 24 hours. Trusting the Lord for today, without anxiety for tomorrow, having gratitude for His provision, knowing it will come. Forgiving us our debts as we forgive our debtors confronts us with our need for mercy, while committing to extend it. Unforgiveness blocks our relational intimacy with the Savior, not because He withholds grace, but because resentment hardens the heart. Forgiven people forgive.

And lastly, Jesus tells us to ask for protection from the temptations of this world. Realizing that anyone can succumb to evil reveals our humility as we admit we need help. Spiritual maturity doesn’t pretend immunity to temptation, but recognizes our vulnerability to it and asks for divine help.

Praying as Jesus taught us to pray forms us by developing intimacy with the Father and reverence for His holy name. We learn submission as we seek His will over ours, and dependence as we wait for God’s provision. The Lord teaches us mercy as we learn to forgive, and humbles us as only He can deliver us from the evil of this world. Christ teaches us an entire theology of relationship with God through this prayer, not long and flashy, but full of depth. More than teaching us what to say, the Savior, through this prayer, trains our hearts to trust. In Him, we have all we need.

Journal Questions:

Which line of the Lord’s Prayer stands out most today?

In what ways do you struggle submitting to God’s will?

How does this prayer teach your heart to trust?

Application:

Slowly pray the Lord’s Prayer, pausing after each line.

Two-minute read.

After David spends the entire Psalm illustrating how intimately the Lord knows us, having knit us together in our mother’s womb, he asks God to search him. Haqar, the Hebrew word for search, means to search thoroughly, examine carefully, investigate deeply, explore, or probe.[1] David’s asking the Lord to dig deeply, like a miner mining for gold, exposing what the king cannot see in himself, revealing what lies beneath.

Then the Psalmist asks God to test his anxious thoughts, revealing the inner turbulence David feels. With vulnerability, the author shows the ugly parts of himself to the Lord for review, knowing it will lead to divine peace. Only when David identifies his offensive ways can he get rid of them. We can’t always see when pride or bitterness begins to blossom in our hearts, but the Lord can. Having God reveal our negative emotions to us helps us defeat them and not let them take hold in our lives.

After searching his heart and testing his thoughts, David wants God to lead him in the way everlasting. In other words, David wants the Lord not only to point out the sin in his life but also to lead him away from it, on the path of righteousness to something better. A man after God’s own heart, David wants to align his character with the Savior’s, becoming more like Him, and living abundantly for the Creator.

David models humility, trust, repentance, and transformation in these verses. Praying this prayer seems dangerous, but the holy request helps us draw nearer to our Maker. With God’s help, we can reach our full potential and achieve His purposes for our lives. We must let the Lord search our hearts, identifying the dark areas, and shedding His light into the deep recesses of our souls. If we allow the Lord complete access to our hearts, He will transform us, one day at a time. God not only gives us insight, but direction.

Ask God to search your heart and know your anxious thoughts. Let Him remove anything that offends Him. Once you know the issues, repent of them and let your heavenly Father transform you, freeing you from past sins. You have nothing to fear; the Lord corrects us with gentleness. God wants the best for you, and only He truly knows what that means for your life.

Journal Questions:

What hidden attitudes need surrender?

How does asking God search your heart make you feel?

What has God revealed to you?

Application:

Ask the Spirit to reveal hidden attitudes. Confess honestly.

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[1] חָקַר (ḥāqar), “to search, examine, investigate,” BDB 344; HALOT 1:344–45; Strong’s H2713.

Two-minute read.

Recently, I started walking along a new path in a park close to our home. The first time we went, I took Ron with me. Within minutes of starting on our trek, we came to a fork in the road. “Left or right, which way do we go?” I asked Ron, who shrugged

“Alright, Lord, you direct our paths,” I said, half jokingly. However, just as I said the words, a woman came around the bend from the path on the right. Dressed in a white winter ski jacket, her greyish-white schnauzer started barking as soon as he saw us. Without hesitation, I asked her for directions.

“It’s beautiful that way, it just loops around, but it’s worth it.” Her response decided for us, and we enjoyed the beauty of the water that peeped through the woods. God directed our paths and led us on a peaceful walk through His creation.

Life comes with crossroads, and often we don’t know which direction to take. But if we stay connected to the Savior, He’ll show us the way. People make their best guess when faced with difficult decisions, hoping for a good outcome. But when we lean into Jesus, we don’t have to guess; we need to trust. As we talked about yesterday, when we abide in Him, He gives us all we need to flourish, including direction. Following the Savior gives us direction, and He will guide our steps.

All my life, I have found these verses comforting. Long ago, I gave up the notion that I needed to know everything. Because God does, I can trust in Him. We don’t have to figure out every step forward; we must keep trusting. Like when we first placed our faith in Jesus, each day, we must decide again to follow Him. And even though we don’t understand everything happening around us, we can trust that He does. Everything works to the good for those who believe and trust Him, called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

If you’re in a season of uncertainty, God’s not telling you to pretend to understand. He’s inviting you to lean into Him, who does. Freedom comes when we submit our paths to the Savior and allow Him to guide us. The Lord doesn’t promise we will always have easy journeys, but He does promise to make the path straight. We will know which way to go, and we can trust the Lord to provide us with all the tools we’ll need for the journey. Let God become your travel agent, trust in His understanding, and lean into His ways.

Journal Questions:

Where am I leaning on my own understanding?

How has God proven His trustworthiness in your life?

What path has God made straight for you?

Application:

Release your need to know “how” God will answer.

Two-minute read.

Jesus uses the vine and the branch to illustrate His point. Palestinian life understood the connection from their agricultural lifestyle. For a vineyard to produce luscious grapes, the branch must abide in the vine, receiving nutrients from it that cause fruit to grow. In the same way, we must abide in Christ to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Just like the branch can’t thrive without the vine, we can’t thrive without a connection to Jesus. From the Lord, we receive the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, guiding our words and actions. The more we abide in Christ, the more attentive we become to His Spirit, and the more fruit we produce.

Our ongoing relationship with the Savior helps us remain in Him. By prioritizing time with the Lord, we will receive the nourishment we need to fulfill His purpose for our lives. As we apply God’s teachings to our daily activities, His words will shape our thoughts, and our desires will become His desires. When these two things happen, our life shifts, our prayers change, not because God bends to our will, but because we allow Jesus to form our will.

Abiding in Christ, our hearts become aligned with His, and we begin praying for what He already longs to accomplish. Prayer becomes a partnership with Him, not a form of persuasion. Already, since I began writing this six-week devotional, my prayers have begun to change. I’m thinking about what the Lord wants and desiring it as well. I know God wants none to perish, and all to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Every person I meet, the Lord loves. As C.S. Lewis says in The Weight of Glory:

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”

Everyone has an immortal soul, one that God created to love. As we begin to see others through His eyes, we will want them to know Jesus. And if they do know the Savior, we’ll desire for them to grow in their relationship with Him and experience the abundant life He offers in this world, and the glory that comes in the next.

We must abide in Christ to fulfill His will for our lives, produce spiritual fruit, and live the abundant life He died to give us. Only when we stay firmly rooted in the Savior will we experience life to the fullest, align our hearts with His, and discover the purpose He has for our lives. Abide in Christ and let Him guide your life.

Journal Questions:

Am I abiding, or just asking?

What does remaining in Christ look like practically?

How can I create a firmer attachment to Jesus today?

Application:

Sit quietly with Scripture before bringing requests.

Two-minute read.

A confident prayer life comes from a relationship with the Lord, not from a transaction. Anag, the Hebrew word for delight, means soft or pliable, to luxuriate in, to find deep joy and contentment.[1] Before I wrote this, I delighted in the rising sun, enjoying the vibrant orange ball as it broke the horizon and streams of light began to pour onto the dusting of snow we received. Sitting beside Ron, sharing it made the moment even more special. We enjoyed the sunrise, resting in the Lord, leaning into His beauty as it unfolded. When you delight in the Savior, His desires become yours.

David, the author of these verses, understands that our desires should align with God’s. The psalmist doesn’t say we have a blank check to get whatever we want from the Lord. But when we delight in our heavenly Father, we’ll want what He wants; our desires change. We look at people differently as we begin to see them through God’s eyes. They become His children that Jesus died to save, and we want them to know salvation through Christ so they can become His disciples. Living for the Savior transforms us one day at a time as we become more like Him, leaving our old lives behind.

Committing our way to God and trusting His guidance, we will begin to see Him move more. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more miracles we witness. Think of His disciples, who followed Him closely and watched Jesus’ work. If they hadn’t followed Him, they wouldn’t have seen anything. You must have proximity to the Savior to see His ways. And once you see what Jesus can do, you’ll want what He wants. Following Him becomes easier as our trust builds and the Lord’s miraculous will unfolds in our lives.

Delighting in the Lord develops our relationship with Him. As we draw closer to the Savior, our desires will change. When we commit our ways to Him, trusting God will direct our paths, our journeys become more adventuresome, and life becomes divinely abundant. Delight comes before desire, as we grow in the Lord, learning His ways.

Delight. Commit. Trust. God moves. Four steps that lead to a miraculous life, one day at a time. Let delight come before your desires and watch how the heavenly Father directs your paths. One day at a time, He will transform our lives and change our desires, helping us to become more like Him.

Journal Questions:

What desires has God planted in me?

How can I delight in Him today?

How does trusting God to guide your path encourage you?

Application:

Spend 10 minutes in worship before asking for anything.

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[1] Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner and Johann Jakob Stamm. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT). Leiden: Brill, 1994–2000.

Two-minute read.

“How do I know what God’s will is?” A question I hear often. We can pray confidently if we know we ask in the Lord’s will, but how do we know? In the Bible, we find 80% of the Father’s will for our lives. We can pray confidently when we align with His commands. The other 20% we must decipher through prayer, talking with other believers, and circumstances.

Parresia, the Greek word for confidence, means boldness, freedom of speech, open access.[1] John’s telling us we can approach God freely with our requests when our hearts align with His. Praying for lost souls, I do so with confidence because scripture tells me the Lord wants no one to perish. Which means, when I ask the Creator to soften people’s hearts and give them eyes to see and ears to hear His truth, He wants the same thing. God wants people to hear the message of the gospel and receive it; the Lord wants to crowd heaven with His children. In other words, God wants to give us what we ask for in those moments more than we even want it.

However, if we pray asking God for a new car, we don’t know if that aligns with His will for us. But we can discern whether He has given us the provision to buy it. We can talk to other believers and seek their counsel, and we can ask the Lord directly. “If it be your will, let it be done.” As we wait, God will reveal the answer to the prayer, one way or another.

Praying confidently in the Lord’s will, we must know His commands. When Jesus summarized them for the disciples, He condensed God’s law into four words: love God and love others. Living out the Great Commandment takes partnership with the Savior. To love well, we must follow Jesus’s example and ask for His help. When we pray that way, we can do so boldly and without fear, because we know that’s what the Lord wants for us.

Develop confidence by praying scripture. Learn the Lord’s commandments and ask God to help you obey them. Remember that everyone we meet has an eternal destiny to choose. By loving our heavenly Father and sharing His affection with others, we help them know Jesus. And when they choose the Savior, they secure an eternal destiny with Him, one filled with the glory of the Lord, something so magnificent we can’t even begin to imagine it.

Journal Questions:

How does confidence in God’s will change my prayer life?

What do you need God’s help discerning right now?

When have you prayed boldly to the Lord?

Application:

Pray using the phrase, “If this aligns with Your will…”

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[1] Danker, Frederick W., ed.A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.

Two-minute read.

“Ehpithymeo,” translated desire in verse two, means to strongly desire, set your heart upon, long for intensely, covet.[1] James uses this word to describe self-centered, unchecked wants that rule the heart. Our selfish desires have replaced God on the throne. An internal conflict breeds envy, which leads to strife, and then to worse things. We can kill relationships because we envy. Wanting what someone else has, obsessing over it, and making it the ruler of our hearts can cause us to do things we wouldn’t normally do. In my younger days, selfish desires and envy got the best of me more than once. But as I grew in my relationship with the Lord and began searching my motives, a life change occurred.

Not only do we need to check our motives, but we must ask God to receive from Him. Often, we try to obtain things on our own, leaving the Lord out of our plans. Before I centered my life around the Lord, I often put people on His throne. And I suffered as a result, trying in vain to acquire my selfish desires, and constantly failing. Only when I started seeking Jesus for help did I begin to understand I had wrong motives that needed adjusting. The Lord taught me that life doesn’t revolve around me; it revolves around Him. Once I got my priorities straight, I began to develop healthy relationships and profoundly enjoy God’s blessings.

God’s not a vending machine in the sky. We must check the motives of our desires. If we want things fueled by ego, driven by comparison, or rooted in status and indulgence, we have the wrong motives. God designed us to want. But when our wants replace our devotion to the Lord, and we seek gifts more than the Giver, we have a heart problem we need to correct. We don’t need to pray more; we need to align our hearts with Jesus.

Christ gave us our marching orders and told us how to align our hearts with Him: love God and love others (Mark 12:30-31). If we want to walk in step with the Savior, we must make love our priority, and we can do so only with Him. By surrendering our hearts to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to check our motives, we will quickly identify troublesome areas and give them to the Lord. Instead of trying to do things on our own might, we rely on the Savior to provide. Our desires will become His, and our hearts will align with God’s.

Journal Questions:

What motivates your prayers?

What am I really longing for beneath the request?

How can you align your heart with Jesus?

Application:

Rewrite one prayer request, focusing on God’s glory rather than your comfort.

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[1] A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (BDAG).
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.

Two-minute read.

Without faith, we can’t please God. If you don’t believe in a Higher Power, then you can’t receive His rewards. As a believer, I can’t understand how people don’t believe in a Creator. The intricacy of the world, the minute details that make the biggest difference, the way the Earth sits at an exact angle that allows life to flourish, didn’t happen randomly. Intelligent design becomes evident the more anyone studies creation.

For example, the Earth sits at 23.5 degrees, which gives us seasons and the ability to live as we do. However, if the Earth had no tilt, we would have no seasons, and the equator would stay hot, and the poles would stay cold. We wouldn’t have the growing seasons we do now, and we couldn’t live in certain regions. On the other hand, if the Earth had a greater tilt, the seasons would become extreme, with summers scorching hot and winters brutal, featuring much more dramatic weather systems. Life as we know it wouldn’t exist. But when God placed the Earth in the universe, he did so at the precise angle to sustain life. Not random, planned.

However, Scientists who believe in evolution would disagree, not believing in God’s existence, as do many other people in the world. How can someone watch the sun rise or set and not see the Lord’s hand at work? I don’t know. Isaiah speaks of people who hear but don’t understand, and see but don’t perceive, because they have hardened hearts (Isaiah 6:9-10). To please God, we must believe in His existence and trust in His divine plan for our lives. Faith comes from a heart submitted to the Savior, recognizing God’s sovereignty.

Giving the Lord our hearts opens the door to His blessings. As we pursue Him with our entire being, we will find Him. Leaning into the Creator’s promises gives us hope for the future and lets us discover the joy of the Lord, which strengthens us. We can trust God to fulfill His promises, and when we pray expectantly, we will receive. The Lord wants to bless His children; He loves us more than we can imagine. But if we don’t have faith that God will do what He says He will do, we’ll miss out on what the Lord has for us.

Ask God to increase your faith, and He will. Pray the Lord’s promises and watch miracles begin to happen. Align your heart with the Savior’s and pray expectantly, knowing God can’t wait to answer.

Journal Questions:

Where do I need to trust that God rewards those who seek Him?

In what ways can you see Intelligent Design in the world around you?

How has God increased your faith?

Application:

Take one step of obedience, even if results aren’t visible.

Two-minute read.

Zerubbabel had a job to do: rebuild the temple after exile. Feeling overwhelmed, the descendant of King David, listed in Christ’s genealogy in Matthew, led the first group of Israelites out of Babylonian captivity back to Jerusalem. The leader faced political, financial, and spiritual hurdles to rebuild the temple. As Zerubbabel leans into the Lord, he becomes a picture of a leader under pressure, faithfulness in unfinished seasons, and God fulfilling promises, even when things look small and unimpressive.

God tells Zerubbabel that He will finish the temple, “not by might.” Which means the Governor doesn’t have the tools necessary to do the job. No matter how much he strives and tries to white-knuckle his way through, Zerubbabel can’t do it alone. He must rely on the Lord. “But by My Spirit,” the Lord will help the leader complete his task, not with human fuel, but divine empowerment, quiet strength and God-breathed momentum. Whatever obstacles Zerubbabel faces, the Almighty will destroy, flattening the mountains; the Lord moves the immovable and makes a way.

Facing insurmountable problems, we can anchor ourselves to this verse. God never intended for us to face our challenges alone; He wants to help us. When we surrender our mountains to the Lord, He flattens them for us. Maybe not instantly, but the Creator will show us the way. Sometimes God gives us the strength to climb the mountain; other times, He flattens them so we can walk right through. But we will never do it on our own power, but His. Like the Lord said to Zerubbabel, “not by might, but by My Spirit.” Find comfort that the Savior fights for you, equipping you to do all He has called you to do. Where God guides, He always provides.

When the Lord led us to move last year, we prayed for His guidance, not wanting to go where He didn’t want us to go. As Ron and I prayed for the Lord to open or close the doors, we waited for His answer. And one by one, the doors opened, not by our might, but by His. Following God through the open doors gave us boldness, and we walked confidently knowing our heavenly Father led the way. The Creator provided all our needs, and with His leadership, the move almost seemed effortless.

Don’t try to do your divine task with human strength. Rely on the Savior for His Spirit to empower you. As you follow Jesus, let Him open the doors He wants you to go through, and trust His provision along the way. Not by our might, but by His Spirit we’ll accomplish our purpose in this life, and spend eternity basking in His glory.

Journal Questions:

Do you rely on your strength or God’s?

What mountain must become a plain?

Describe a time God did the heavy lifting for you.

Application:

Surrender one situation you’ve been trying to control.