We all follow someone or something. Many of us follow our own ambitions or fears as we elevate reputation and performance to create a “good life.” It’s easy to follow the God of comfort – upgrades on long flights, fancy cars, bougie coffee or career advancement. Some even overdo how they follow politics or their favorite sports team! In today’s prayers we thanked God for offering us a different leader. We can follow God by following Jesus. He doesn’t promise a painfree life, but He does promise that you’ll experience the real life that you were created to live.
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?”
Most of us have learned to make decisions by following our training. God is offering a different option – listen to Him first and follow His lead. Most of my life, I thought that following the rules was the same as following God. For the last 4 years, I have been trying to pause first and get God’s input. I forget to do so more often than I’d like to admit. Following what I believe He is asking me to do is often uncomfortable, awkward or simply doesn’t make sense at first. However, my life is more whole today than it was 4 years ago, and I have more confidence in God’s directions.
We prayed:
- That you decide to trust God with something simple right now. (The prayer team took 5 minutes and asked God “What is something small that you want me to trust you with today?” and then “What does trusting you with that look like?”);
- For you to eagerly embrace suffering as you ask God to help you with whatever difficult circumstances you are experiencing;
- For you to remember to pause and consider a heavenly perspective the next time you make a decision;
- For you to see every interaction that you have as an opportunity to interact with a person created in God’s image;
- That you are enthusiastic to help those around you to consider God’s perspective.
We love praying for you, especially when we know what to pray. Update us here:
Praying and following
