30 for 30 RESET – Day 23
I have some questions for you this morning; Would you like everything you do to prosper? Would you like to be fruitful in every season of your life? Would you like to never run dry? If so, here is how.
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Psalm 1:1-3 NLT
When I was in Bible school I read this passage, memorized it, meditated on it, and owned it. There are fantastic promises found in this very small, first chapter of the Book of Psalms. I would say that these seem like overstatements if they were not the Word of God!
God told Joshua this very same thing before Joshua fought even his first battle to take the Promised Land:
“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD, your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 NLT
“Meditate on it day and night…” God said this. God said that this was the key to Joshua’s success, and it is the key to yours as well.
Why do you suppose this is? Here are some reasons why:
It removes fear. God told Joshuah to meditate on His promises, like “I will be with you as I was with Moses” (Joshua 1:5) so that he would be courageous as he fought armies bigger than his.
You gain faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). You cannot conjure up faith. It is God’s faith that gets produced inside your spirit when you fill up on the Word of God. Jesus said God’s Word acts like a seed. You plant it in your heart, and it produces a crop of faith in you. (Matthew 4:13-20)
You gain the wisdom of God. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To fear the Lord means to show your respect for Him by obeying what He tells you to do, or not to do. But how can you know His will if you are not full of His Word?
You gain daggers for fighting the enemy. Remember our post from Day 21? We discussed how the Sword of the Spirit is actually a dagger that is used for close combat. Every Scripture you memorize is a two-edged dagger that is razor sharp. When you are in need, you have it ready to use, and ready for the Holy Spirit to illuminate – that’s rhema!
You cannot prosper with God without knowing the Word of God. During your 30 for 30 each day, be sure to spend at least half of that time reading the Bible. Memorize a Scripture every day. I did this when I first gave my life to the Lord, and it has paid huge dividends over the years. The Holy Spirit recalls Scriptures to my mind that I memorized forty years ago! The Word of God is alive!
Read, study, memorize, meditate, and apply the Word of God and you will prosper in all that you do. That’s a promise!
John
QUICK TIP ON HOW TO SPEND 30 MINUTES WITH GOD (REMEMBER: This 30 for 30 is a tool to help you, not a rule to shame you. Just do your best and let God do the rest.)
“Upward, Inward, and Outward”
- Upward: Get quiet. Settle down. Begin to thank God for Who He is – patient, kind, merciful. A God Who forgives sins – Who has forgiven your sins. A God Who cares, Who listens to your prayers, a miracle-working God. (There are many other attributes you can thank Him for. Go HERE for a prayer guide as well as a list of God’s names that will help you thank Him for Who He is)
- Inward: Read a chapter in the Bible. I would suggest one Psalm per day. Start with Psalm 1 and go from there. Or read one chapter of Proverbs per day. Start with Proverbs 1 and go from there. And as you read, stop, and think about what it is saying. Take your time (even if you do not get through an entire chapter – it is okay!). Ask God to speak to you through it.
A deeper dive: For those of you who would like to read the Bible in a year, here is a fantastic way to do it. It will take more than 30 minutes per day, but it will be well worth it. It not only gives you a reading plan but each day there is a short, very well-produced video explaining what you are about to read. Go HERE for your one year through the Bible reading plan.
- Outward: Ask God to show you how He can use you to reach those around you. Then begin to pray specifically for individuals. Pray for your family members, your boss, co-workers, classmates, friends, your church, its members, its mission, and its leadership. Pray for our city and our nation – that God would rule and reign in every mountain of influence, raising up leaders who fear Him: Church, Family, Government, Education, Media, Entertainment/Arts, and Business. You will not be able to get to everything in 30 minutes, but that is okay, just pick an area or two per day.
PRAYER POINTS
Personal:
- Closeness with God
- Deeper devotion to Christ
- Renewed vision
- Renewed passion
- Strength
- Joy
- A profound commitment to act as Jesus would during this election year.
Church:
- And increase of God’s manifest presence.
- To see more CHANGED LIVES!
- An increase in Miracles
- Salvation for those far from God (make a list and pray for them every day)
- More young people joining the vision at GPC.
- New building for GPC
World:
- A mighty harvest in our city and nation.
- That godly men and women will fill the seats of government at local, city, state, and national levels.
- For our missionaries (Use the bookmark handed out at church, or go to our website and check out our Missions page HERE)