Week 3
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Matthew 6:11
Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Isaiah 55:1-3
God is telling you to come and take what will satisfy your soul…for free. He is the giver of good gifts, simply because He loves you and it brings Him incredible joy to give you good things.
This can be a difficult thing to understand and believe at times because too often our idea of good things looks completely different from God’s opinion of what is good for you. And yet, God says, “the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11. And remember, as a beloved child of God, you are counted as one who walks uprightly because Jesus walked perfectly for you.
What do you need today? God invites you ask Him for it! God knew the most important thing He could ever give you was a way back to Him. You were created to be loved by Him, to love Him in return, and to be in intimate relationship with Him. Every single person was born with a chasm of distance between themselves and God because of sin. But God provided a way back to Himself through Jesus. You have never had a need as big as this, and God has already provided a way. If God has sacrificed so greatly to provide your greatest need, what other good things will He not give you?
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:7-11
Monday, October 23rd
Listen to “Everything is Yours” by Liz Vice
Close your eyes and meditate (think deeply on) the lyrics.
What do these lyrics make you think of? What images come to mind? What lyrics stand out to you? Why are those specific lyrics meaningful to you? What could God be trying to speak to you through those words? Talk to Him about these things.
“So now we can sing, so confidently
Access His halls by the gospel that speaks…everything is Yours”
Do you believe you can sing and pray with confidence? Why or why not?
Do you believe you’ve been welcomed in and have full access to God? Why or why not?
Talk to God openly about these things.
Listen to this song again, and sing those specific lyrics back to God. If you’re struggling to believe them, sing them loudly still and ask God in your heart to draw near to you and help your unbelief.
Tuesday, October 24th
Ask God for something you need. Big or small, ask Him. He invites you to ask, so ask confidently as the one He calls Beloved.
Wednesday, October 25th
Have you been asking God for something, yet it seems like His answer is “No”? Why might He be saying no? Do you believe He’s still listening to you? Do you believe He still cares for you? How can God be good to you and answer your prayer “No”?
Talk to God openly about these things. He knows this might be a difficult conversation for you, but He wants to enter these tender spaces with you. God can handle your questions, He’s inviting you to ask.
Considering asking for prayer about this in your community group this week.
Thursday, October 26th
Ask God for something you need again today, even if it’s the same thing you asked for on Tuesday. Keep asking, like the persistent widow.
“And [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said,’In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.”’ And the Lord said,’Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’” Luke 18:1-8
God is inviting you to ask Him for things over and over. Rest assured, God listened the very first time and your persistence won’t convince Him to do something or change His mind. The invitation to ask persistently in prayer is more for your heart than anything. Ask God what He might do in your heart as you ask Him the same thing repeatedly over a long period of time.
Friday, October 27th
“For true faith, it is either God or total collapse. And not since Adam stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him.” A.W. Towzer
Do you believe that faith is God or total collapse? What things do you think you need other than God? What thing or person, if it was taken away, would make your life utterly depressing and make you not want to get out of bed in the morning? Talk to God about this openly.
Now ask God, do you really NEED that thing or person? Are they merely a gift for now or something you truly can’t live without? Ask God, if you had Him and nothing or no one else, would He really enough?
Have a conversation about these things with the God who withholds no good thing from you.
Consider talking about these things with someone in your community group, too.
Saturday, October 28th
What is a specific need you see at Veritas? Ask God to provide for that need.
Ask God if He’s calling you to participate in His provision. Could this be through donating time or money, being a compassionate listening ear to someone who’s hurting or doesn’t have anyone else to confide in, being the first one to share vulnerability in your community group, etc. Talk to God about these things.
Remember, God doesn’t need you to provide for that need because He alone is God. However, He loves you so much that He wants to do things with you! So any invitation to serve the church is joining God in what He’s already doing. God loves you so much that He adores doing things with you!
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