LIVE LIKE JESUS.
If we are going to live like Jesus lived, we have to do what Jesus did. Jesus knew the Word and spent time in it daily. Jesus walked in intimacy with the Father by praying throughout the day. Jesus' love was seen in his actions as well as his attitudes. If we want to live like Jesus, it starts with these three areas.
These brief devotionals are only a basic starting point. As you read, take time to pray and be honest with yourself and God. At the end of these five days, continue the daily practices of being in the Word, praying, and loving like Jesus.
Day one
"Lord, teach us to pray"
Luke 11:1-13
It is evident from this passage that the disciples had been watching and listening as Jesus would pray. After building up enough courage, they sprang the question, "Lord, would you teach us to pray as you do?" That is a great question that Jesus appears to respond to with grace and truth in Luke 11 gladly.
Here is a simple outline:
We Praise God for who He is
We Thank God for what He has done
We confess our sin to Him
We ask on behalf of others
We present our request to Him
Spend today thinking about each area of how Jesus taught us to pray.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me life through Jesus. I am in deep need of your love and care. Please open my eyes to see the needs in my life and others. Teach me to pray as you taught the disciples. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Additional reading: Matthew 6:5-15, John 17, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Day two
"Follow me"
Mark 1:16-20
Have you ever stopped to think that Jesus has invited you to follow Him? Following Jesus is the most wonderful decision one could ever make. He invites us to walk with Him, hear from Him, and serve and enjoy Him.
In this story, Jesus invites four fishermen to follow him, and they do. What is unwritten in this text is observed as you look at their actions. They had to leave the nets behind. When we accept Jesus' invitation, we have to leave something behind as well. Jesus would later say, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." Matthew 16:24,25
Spend your day thinking about what is holding you back from fully following Jesus.
Prayer: "Lord, thank you for your love towards me. Please reveal whatever is holding me back from being entirely devoted to following you. Open a door for me to love others the way you love me. Teach me what it means to follow you. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Additional reading: Mark 10:17-23, Luke 19:1-10
Day three
"The Word matters!"
Mark 4:1-13
Jesus used the Word in everyday life. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus used the Word to silence Satan. For each offer Satan made, Jesus had truth to overpower the Enemy's offerings. If Jesus needed to know the Word, why do you think you don't need to?
A little trivia, the longest chapter in the Bible is about the Bible. Psalm 119 is a beautiful picture of the power of the Word when we hide it in our hearts. The Word acts as a compass. It guides our steps, protects our heart, and informs our daily living. When we know it, it gives us a source of enteral wisdom.
Commit to spending time each day in the Word. Take time to memorize one verse or passage each week. Share what you are learning with someone each day.
Prayer: "Lord, thank you for your Word. Please point out the distractions in my life that keep me from spending time in Your Word. Teach me your Word, and lead me to your truth. Allow me to share your Word with someone today. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Additional reading: Psalm 119, Isaiah 40:7, 2 Timothy 3:16
Day four
"Jesus loves me this I know…."
John 3:16
In 1859 Anna Bartlett Warner wrote one of the world's most popular songs. While it is considered a Children's song, it contains the world's greatest truth. "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…" Pause and think about that truth, Jesus loves you.
Jesus loves you. He doesn't even flinch when he looks at you. The one who knows you best is the one who loves you most. Let that sink in. John, the Apostle, writes in 1 John 4:12, "…His love is made complete in us." We have the responsibility to share this overwhelming power love with others.
Take time today to think about God's love for you and others. Tell someone about Jesus' love for them.
Prayer: "Lord, thank you for your love. Forgive me for not enjoying your love as I should, and forgive me for not sharing your love with others. Help me to love others the way you love me. Give me the courage to love the difficult people in my life. I love you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Additional reading: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 John 1:6,3:1-3, 14-24
Day five
"Big God, Little me."
John 6:1-13
It seems as though everywhere Jesus went, he drew a crowd. People loved to be near Him. One day a crowd of 5000+ had gathered and had grown hungry. There was no time, no money, and no kitchen…what now? As the conversation with Jesus and some of his disciples was happening, Andrew found a boy with a sack lunch. Andrew introduced Jesus to this boy and his lunch, two fish and five barley loaves. The quantity doesn't seem to matter; Jesus takes it anyway.
This little boy's lunch was all he had to give, so he gave it. And in the hands of Jesus, it became enough food for everyone present to eat until they were full and enough to fill 12 baskets with the leftovers. A sack lunch became a supermarket. A child's snack became a feast for a whole town.
You may think you have very little to offer Jesus; you may be right. But He can turn your life into a blessing. God turns ashes into beauty, sinners into saints, and the broken into the healed. Today, give Jesus your everything.
Prayer: "Lord, thank you for your goodness and grace. Forgive me for holding back from giving your my whole life. Today I surrender fully to you; I place my life in your hands. Would you turn my mess into a miracle for your glory? In Jesus' Name, Amen."
Additional reading: 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 3:20,21