DAY 1

 

DAY 1: Think bigger and beyond personally

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (Amplified)

The Lord is an unlimited creator God, and there is SO much more that He wants to do in us and through us. It’s so easy to put limits on ourselves. Even the disciples did that, despite having spent three and a half years walking and talking with Jesus and witnessing His incredible ministry, filled with miracles and supernatural wisdom. It’s amazing to think that, despite our human frailty and weakness, the Lord wants to use us to see His Kingdom come on the earth. Let’s not count ourselves out, but instead, spend this time of fasting and praying to ask the Lord for fresh vision to see how we can fulfil the calling that He has on our lives. As we see from our key scripture above, the Lord wants to do superabundantly more than we dare to ask, so let’s think bigger and beyond!

In the gospels, we read how Jesus encouraged His disciples to overcome their lack of confidence by saying, ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.’ John 14:12. The key to this incredible statement is found in Acts 1 where Jesus promises the gift of His Holy Spirit. ‘On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.”’ He then goes on to say, ‘“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”’ Acts 4-5, 8. Because of the fulfilment of this promise, beginning in Jerusalem, the message travelled across the whole of the Roman Empire. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, this small but courageous group of disciples preached, taught, healed the sick and demonstrated the love of God. Wherever they went, lives were transformed. God’s mandate to us today hasn’t changed; He is still in the business of transforming lives! As we continue to grow and deepen our relationship with Jesus, He will use us to help bring transformation to the lives of others.  

 

QUOTABLE QUOTE

Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.

– Corrie Ten Boom, Author and Holocaust survivor

DEVOTIONAL

by Josh Gardiner

 

Prayer points

  • Take some time to think about what limits you may have put on yourself. Are there blockages in your life that are holding you back from being all that God has called you to be? With the help of the Holy Spirit the possibilities to be used by God are endless. So, set aside some today and pray for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This is a prayer that the Lord delights to answer!

  • Are there personal hopes and dreams that are lying dormant right now? Pray that the Holy Spirit would re-awaken them. As you reflect on what thinking ‘bigger and beyond’ means for you, pray that your spiritual, emotional and physical capacity would be enlarged so that you can fulfil all that God is calling you to do in this season of your life.

  • The Lord wants us to lead fruitful lives. Ask for boldness and courage to share the good news of Jesus within your spheres of influence – your family, neighbourhood, workplace, place of education, just as the early disciples did.

 

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE ON ALPHA:

  • Pray for our Alpha Guests; there are currently over 110 guests, across all our campuses, who came to the first session of Alpha. Pray over the coming weeks that even more would come and that nothing would prevent their attendance, such as illness or scheduling conflicts. Pray that deep friendships will be formed within the discussion groups, with much fun and laughter, as well as there being a ‘safe space’ to ask those deeper questions of life and meaning.
  • Pray for the Alpha hosts and helpers; that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit and have the ability to build a strong sense of family and make everyone feel welcome. Pray for the gift of wisdom and sensitivity for the hosts and helpers as they facilitate the discussions.
  • Pray for soft hearts, open hearts and new hearts; that people would be receptive to God’s deep love for them. Pray that each Alpha guest would have an encounter with the Holy Spirit and that they would make the life-transforming decision to follow Jesus Christ.

 

If you missed Pastor Dave’s 2024 Vision message, you can watch here.

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