Prayer Tip: Cleaning Out the Muck
Daily Scripture
Matthew 3:1 (NRSV), Mark 1:14-15 (CEB), Mark 6:12 (NRSV), Acts 17:30 (NRSV), Galatians 5:16-17a, 19-21 (NRSV)
Matthew 3:1 (NRSV)
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Mark 1:14-15 (CEB)
Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!”
Mark 6:12 (NRSV)
So [the disciples] went out and proclaimed that all should repent.
Acts 17:30 (NRSV)
[Paul said to them], While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Galatians 5:16-17a, 19-21 (NRSV)
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh… Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Prayer Tip
by Jess Lovell, Pastoral Intern at Resurrection Overland Park. She is also pursuing an M.Div. at Saint Paul School of Theology. She is a Certified Candidate for Ministry in the Great Plains Conference and often provides pulpit supply to churches in the conference. Jessica lives in Lenexa and has 3 children: Sydney, Sierra and Aiden.
The God and Tractors sermon series has given me a new perspective about getting stuck in our lives.
At times, this can mean being physically stuck. Still, throughout this series, I am challenging myself to a season of self-motivation and looking ahead to spot potential potholes in my life.
We all encounter times when we feel emotionally or spiritually stuck–we feel low and unable to move. This is an important reminder of why practicing spiritual disciplines, like daily prayer, reading Scripture, and taking time to talk to God, is so important.
By practicing these disciplines, we are less likely to become stuck; instead, we get stuck on God and the purpose God has for us.
As you read this, I want to invite you to set a reminder to yourself to pray or be in an attitude of silence at least once a day. Set the alarm or a reminder and stop what you are doing. After a few days, you will look forward to this time together with God.
Let us pray:
Almighty and Everlasting God, we are grateful to you for this amazing community at Resurrection. May we continue to grow together, be inspired to be the hands and feet of your Kingdom, and if we feel a friend is stuck, may we extend our hand to help them. We seek to live lives full of grace. Let us be encouragers to others, and may we ever be open to life’s interruptions as God may be calling us to help someone out of the muck and mire. Amen.
