Week 2
“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10
Since the beginning, God made it a point to dwell with man, to be with us. Adam and Eve lived with God in the garden. After they were cast out because of their rejection of God with sin, God made continual pursuits to be with His people throughout all of the Old Testament leading up to Jesus, our Emmanuel – God with us, descending to the lowly place of earth.
“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.”
Exodus 29:46
“And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”
Leviticus 26:12
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.”
Psalm 90:1
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.”
Zechariah 2:10
“even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:17
“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
John 14:23
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
Revelation 21:3
Start here. Hear from God’s very mouth His Word, and be completely gripped by the fact that God is incredibly passionate about being with you, about showing Himself to you, about revealing His glory in and through you. He wants to talk to you. He wants to spend time with you. He wants you, right now, today. In knowing Him, we glorify Him, which is the ultimate satisfaction of our souls.
Monday, October 16th
Listen to “Death Has Lost Its Sting” by Sojourn.
Close your eyes and meditate (think deeply on) the lyrics.
What lyrics stand out to you most? Why do you gravitate to those lyrics?
“My God has broke the serpent’s teeth
And death has lost his sting”
Do you believe God has broken the teeth of Satan and all sin? What specific hope does this give you? Name those specific sins and hurts to God. Praise Him that these sins no longer control you and will cast off forever on the Day you see His face.
Do you believe that death has lost its sting for all who believe in Jesus as their Savior? Talk to God about the grief you’ve felt when a loved one has died. What does it mean that death has lost its sting?
Talk to God openly about these things.
Tuesday, October 17th
What do you imagine when you think of God’s Kingdom? What characteristics of God’s Kingdom stir your affections (makes you worshipful, grateful, feel deep love, etc) for God?
You can read about the Kingdom of God in Revelation 21:1-4; Daniel 7:14, 18; Matthew 5:2-12; Matthew 13:44 and all throughout Scripture.
Talk to God about these things.
Wednesday, October 18th
God tells us that when His Kingdom coming in Revelation, He says, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4
What specific things have happened in your life that makes this coming reality absolutely incredible? Name those hurts, the brokenness you’ve seen, the loved ones you’ve lost as you talk to God about this. Thank God and praise Him that relief and restoration of all things is coming soon.
Consider talking to someone in your community group about these things, too.
Thursday, October 19th
Have you ever asked God to do His will in a situation? Do you like asking God to do His will? What’s hard for you about this? Is there something you want to happen or want that differs from God’s’ will? How do you know what God’s will is? How do you know when your desires differ from God’s will?
Talk to God openly about these things.
Friday, October 20th
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed in tears and in deep sorrow, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39b. Jesus struggled with desiring to walk into painful betrayal, degrading mocking, and a horrific death for all of the reasons that every human wouldn’t want to. In tears, He begged the Father to make another way. But when it came down to it, Jesus laid down His preference and submitted to the Father’s will by dying for you. He trusted God’s goodness in the face of His darkest hour, remembered His love for you, and conformed His will to the Father’s.
Jesus is intimately acquainted with the struggle of doing something the Father is calling you to or to accept something God is calling you to. He knows the grief of walking into places that look bleak and hopeless, trusting the Father’s will to make beauty out of ashes.
Talk to God about something He’s done, something He’s doing, or something He’s calling you to that you would have never chosen for yourself. Talk to Him as your Sympathetic High Priest who knows exactly what that feels like. Worship and thank Jesus for being perfect and strong enough to follow God’s will in the hardest place. Ask God to make you more like Jesus, to help you trust that His will is always best for you.
Saturday, October 21st
What ways do you see the Kingdom of God coming on earth as is it in heaven at Veritas? Pray for specific ministries and people. Thank God for what He’s doing at Veritas. Ask God how He wants you to participate in this at our church.
Bonus Day!
Listen to “Doxology” by Page CXVI, the song we prayed through on week 1.
Close your eyes, listen and meditate on the lyrics again.
“’Tis heaven on earth,’ tis heaven above,
To see thy face, to sing thy love.”
Do you think it’s heaven on earth to see the face of God and sing of His love? Why or why not? Talk to God about this honestly. Listen and open yourself to Him to let the Spirit teach you what heaven on earth means.
Comments are closed.