30 for 30 RESET – Day 2

Gatheringplace   -   September 2, 2024

 

“It’s never to late to become who you want to be.” Author unknown.

If you want to be a better husband or wife, you can be.

If you want to be a better mother or father, you can be.

If you want to be free from a hurt, habit, or hang-up, you can be.

If you want to be a person God can use to bring heaven to earth, you can be.

And if you want to become more like Christ, you certainly can be. In fact, that is your calling.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 NLT

God will never give up on you. Don’t you give up on you!

And don’t allow the enemy to beat you over the head with your past. He is not your Lord. He is your enemy. He will spend all day berating, shaming, and trying to tear you down if you let him. Don’t let him. Only listen to Jesus.

Jesus said, in no uncertain terms, who Satan is:

“He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44b NLT

And Jesus was clear about who He is, too:

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:31-32, 36 NIV

The key to freedom is listening to Jesus. He will tell you the truth about who you are, who God is, who the enemy is, what your identity is, where you came from, why you are here, and where you are headed.

Jesus answers all of these questions for us. This is why it is critical for you to spend time in the Word and prayer, listening to the Spirit telling you who you are.

Here is a link to a list of Scriptures I collected almost forty years ago that give me the confidence I need to walk boldly with God, and with authority over the enemy. Read them, memorize them, and meditate on them in the first person. These are yours!

Let’s get clear in our thinking. Let’s get bold in our prayers. And let’s get courageous in our living.

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”

  1. 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)
  2. 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 don’t get through an entire chapter – it’s 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.

  1. 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 won’t be able to get to everything in 30 minutes, but that’s okay, Just pick an area or two per day.

PRAYER POINTS

Personal:

  • Closeness with God
  • Deeper devotion to Christ
  • Renewed vison
  • 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 seem 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 on 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)