Spiritual Discipline Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Faith Assembly Grand Detour

Fasting and Prayer

Posted on 01/17/2018 in Devotions, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: commitment, fasting, New year, Prayer, Spiritual Discipline, Spiritual Growth

Jan '18

It is January, which for our church is the month we set aside as a time to pray and fast.

I have to admit something. Last year when Pastor Jon asked us to join in with him as a church, I was a little reluctant.

With the fasting part- not the prayer part.

However, now I can say during that period of time…

I personally was drawn closer to the Lord
I was able to join my church family in seeking God’s direction for our church
I was able to seek God’s direction for my life in the months to come
This year I feel better prepared spiritually, mentally, and emotionally to move into a period of fasting.

Consider these questions as we pray and fast this month:

Is fasting necessary for today?
Jesus Himself encouraged his followers to fast.

Matthew 9:15 says, “The time will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast.”

What kind of attitude should we have when we fast and pray?
I believe we need to have a humble heart and open hands when we fast.

The fast is directed to God (not man), bringing humility and openness to His guidance.

What is the benefit of fasting?
The spiritual discipline of fasting can be a tool God uses to…
Draw us closer to God, causing a deeper in relationship with Jesus
Convicts us of areas in our lives that perhaps have too large of a hold on us
Makes us aware of unhealthy life patterns that need addressing
Brings about humble confession
Shows us what He has for us as a church, renews personal and congregational vision
And so much more…

II Corinthians 4:16 says, “though outwardly I am wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Now grant you, I do not think that I am wasting away, but I can say I am being renewed day by day!”

Amen!

As we enter into fasting and praying together,

let’s seek God’s face for direction, encouragement, and a desire for a deeper love for Him during this time.

Let’s come together and support each other.
May God bless you all greatly as we seek and serve Him together.

Author:

Ken Drew, Elder at Faith Assembly

Commitment of Steel: How About Those New Year Resolutions?

Posted on 01/01/2018 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: commitment, New year, Real Life, Spiritual Discipline, Spiritual Growth

Jan '18

Every January it seems like everyone turns to thinking about commitment. New resolutions are considered and pledged.

Lots of folks consider making a new commitment, but never do because they assume they’ll fail anyway.

So why try?

This January, we will most likely see a glut of opinion pieces written on how to make and keep new resolutions… and even what to do if we fail. They’re intended to encourage us to not give up- press on- be patient- and imagine the reward at the finish.

Today, I’d like to offer a perspective on one way those commitments begin to break down in the first place.

These thoughts came when I was pondering Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness,

and pondering nearly 3 decades of ministry experiences with people.

We find our story in Matthew 4. Right after Jesus was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and His Father speaks some of the most reassuring words a son could hope to hear. Matthew also says that Jesus successfully completed the 40 days and nights of fasting before the tempter came to distract Him (Matt. 4:2).

After so much spiritual accomplishment, one could think that Jesus would be immune to temptation,

and indeed Jesus was able to resist the evil one and give us His example to follow.

And still, I’m intrigued by the timing of the tempter.

So, here are a few of the nuances that got my attention.

First, the enemy of our souls loves to attack when we’re tired and vulnerable.

This seems obvious since the attack came after Jesus’ 40 days and nights of fasting.

Second, the enemy of our souls also loves to attack when we least expect it…usually when we’re fresh and excited.

It’s as if he uses a quick jab to the face to surprise us and knock us just a bit off balance. I’ve heard boxers say they all have a game plan that seems solid until they get hit in the face.

So here’s a couple encouraging tips to remember:

Keep in mind that’s the enemy’s job.

Don’t allow him the satisfaction of making you feel weak or victimized.

God will use the opportunity to continue growing you in wisdom,

further grow you up in His ways, and even toughen you up in the process.

Remember through your relationship with Him in Jesus Christ, God has instilled Himself in you. His wisdom is in you (Psalm 119:98 & 99).

And, “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

In January we are discussing the theme of commitment with our adults and children.

We define it as this:

Making a Plan and Putting it into Practice

Based on I Tim. 4:8

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,

holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

As you work through setting new resolutions and taking on good advice of how others keep them,

remember these bits of encouragement to help you keep your focus on Jesus.

With His help and in His power, you can turn your resolutions into commitments of steel.

Author:

Pastor Jon is lead pastor of Faith Assembly Grand Detour

Intentional Spirituality | Focused Meditation

Posted on 12/15/2017 in Devotions, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: Meditation, Spiritual Discipline, Spiritual Growth, Theology, Truth

Dec '17

On my hour or so drive to work, I often recite a medley of various scripture verses that begins with Psalm 1.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on it he meditates daily…

I try to avoid recitation of the scripture becoming just part of my driving routine.

To help with this, I meditate on the words to understand better what God intended in giving them to us.

Pastor Jon would say, “Let them marinate.”

No matter how many times I recite the first two verses of Psalm 1, I always find it fascinating (and incredibly helpful) to be reminded how the subtle progression of sin can take over our lives. Of course this includes my own life, to the point of even becoming comfortable with it.

Take a look at this progression as shown in this Psalm, using physical activity and the laws of physics:

Psalm 1 speaks to a person first walking, then standing, then sitting.

When we walk we can decide to move left or right, or even turn around with our momentum requiring less energy to change direction.

But then we stand, requiring a bit more energy to get moving again.

Finally, when we sit down, it takes even more energy to get up and get moving.

So too is the progression of sin. It can look like this:

We look to the crowd- the world- and start listening to their advice (…council of the wicked)
We justify wrong behaviors, instead of evaluating the advice of God’s absolute Truth
We begin to slow down, stop to accept the advice, believe all the lies and do what the ungodly do (…stand in the same way as sinners)
After sinning repeatedly and ignoring the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we begin to sit comfortably in the sin, justifying behavior we know is wrong and often even begin to defend the behavior to others or in secret (…sit in the seat of mockers)

But then Psalm 1:2 goes on to say …but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on it he meditates daily. So while the Psalm warns about the propensity for sin to creep in to our daily lives, verse 2 tells us that by being in the Word (the Bible) we delight in the law of the Lord.

This means that by being in the Word consistently, we are directly connected to the Source of Life itself.

We are not just understanding absolute Truth, but actually delighting in it!

The other critical aspect of this verse is meditating on it every day.

Making the time- and being consistently intentional- is crucial, and is also hard because it takes discipline.

Eighteen years ago I didn’t look forward to my long drive to work, but I can now say that this drive continues to be a real blessing. It has provided the time I may not have otherwise carved out for my daily spiritual feeding and meditation. My time in the car encourages my intentional and focused discipline and draws me closer to my Savior.

We eat physical food each day to stay physically nourished. How much more important is our spiritual nourishment!

How do you carve out time from your busy schedules for your spiritual feeding?

Author:

Randy Ortgiesen is a Husband, Father and Grandfather

who loves Jesus and serves as an Elder at Faith Assembly.