Daily Devotional
Are Your Spiritual Ears Tuned to Hear God?
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Romans 8:11-14
December 21, 2023
Ponder This
Do you remember anticipating Christmas as a child? Perhaps the Christmas tree was decorated and in the family room. Maybe your family hung stockings by the chimney. There were presents under the tree, and you could hardly wait until Christmas morning. In Scripture, there was a man who was waiting for Christmas like this. His name was Simeon. He was looking, waiting, longing, and anticipating the coming of Jesus Christ into this world. Then one day, God led him to the temple to meet the Messiah, baby Jesus.
Did you know that the same Spirit that led Simeon to the temple so long ago to meet the Lord Jesus and hold Jesus in his arms is the same Holy Spirit who wants to guide you? Are you sensitive? Can God speak to you? How about your prayer life? So often in our prayer lives, we’re telling God things. We think God’s some sort of heavenly Santa Claus. We come with a shopping list of the things we want, and we say, “Now, listen, Lord, your servant speaks,” when we ought to say, “Speak, Lord; Your servant is listening.”
- What does your prayer life look like? What are things you most often pray about?
- Do you crave to see God work the way Simeon did? Why or why not?
Practice This
Take some time in prayer to listen to God rather than only speaking to Him.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
