spending time

Ephesians 3:7
By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

Serving is a privilege for the server. The more you serve, the more time you get to spend with the Holy Spirit, because that is where He is working. So this is special time you don’t want to miss.

Pray to open yourself to the joy of serving.

risk

2 Corinthians 6:4
In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.

When you serve God, you don’t have to look for challenges, they will find you. The more you are serving, the more risk you are taking and the more you need to rely on God’s power rather than your own resources.

Pray for more of the Holy Spirit in your service.

on fire

1 Corinthians 16:16
I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion.

Paul is speaking of new Christians who have become leaders. Obviously, new Christians become leaders. Younger Christians become leaders. People follow those who have influence in expanding God’s Kingdom, not position or credential. As Wesley said, “When Christians are on fire, they attract people who want to watch them burn.”

Who do you know who is on fire for Jesus and is being an influence in Kingdom expansion? Hang around with them for awhile.

true power

Romans 15:6
For by God’s grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.

We are like Paul today. By the power of God we reach out to secular people so they might know the good news of Jesus and come to him, freed from sin and whatever separates them from his power.

We are not content to keep this power to ourselves. What we do has eternal significance for others.

Pray for God to connect you to someone who is seeking him.

evil and suffering and a loving God?

how can a loving God allow so much evil and suffering?

a response

IRS

Rom 13:6
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.

This passage should be for a month from now when taxes are due again. Paying taxes is always connected with a bit of cynicism when you connect taxes with waste or paying for some program or project you don’t agree with.

Paul’s words help here. If we think there is some waste and corruption in American government, what about the Roman Empire??!! Somehow in spite of all that is less than pure in government, God’s hand is involved.

Pray for IRS employees today.

burn

Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Because serving God can be tough, we rely on the Holy Spirit to fill us with the energy and enthusiasm to keep up with what God has in store. When we serve on human power we burn out. When we serve on Holy Spirit power we burn brighter. The difference is everything.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you as you serve.

tears

Acts 20:19
I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears.

I wonder if there is a job position for someone to personally deliver checks for big lottery winners. I would bet they look forward to going to work every day! The people they deal with are ecstatic.

Sometimes delivering the love of God is not so wonderful. There is sadness when you deal with people with deep loss, and there is compassion for people who don’t want God in their life. We serve anyway.

Pray for continued joy in the midst of serving.

needs and Word

Acts 6:2-3
2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.

In the early church they know that when the community is at its best, people in need are helped and the Word of God is taught. You bless the community for this life and you teach God’s Kingdom life for now and for eternity.

Pray for those who serve those in need through your church community.

friends

John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Jesus tells his disciples what God intends for them to hear. Because they are his friends, they are a confidant with God. Those who follow the teachings the disciples passed down have this same level of understanding. So when you study God’s Word and hear it taught, you are meeting with your close friend.

Pray for your friendship with God to grow.

wealthy

16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The greatest is the one who serves but no servant is greater than his master. OK, so which one is it? Both. There is only one master, Jesus. By washing the disciples feet he is saying comparisons are out of the question. If Jesus does whatever it takes, so do his followers.

Whenever we think of other people we think in terms of how we might serve them. No matter who they are. No one deserves more or less service from us than Jesus is willing to give.

How might you serve the wealthiest and most influential people in your community? Think on this today.

serving him

John 12:26
My Father will honor the one who serves me.

This is an interesting formula.

Jesus serves others + we join him = we serve Jesus

I want to be with Jesus. Serve.
I want to follow Jesus. Serve.
I want to be as blessed as Jesus is blessed. Serve.
I want to please God. Serve.

How can you let your desire to be noticed when you serve slowly die in your life? Think about this today.

sign

John 9:3
3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

There are things that we do or our parents do to us that can be a real burden and haunt us for the rest of our lives unless Jesus rescues us. Other times it is not clear where suffering is from. The blind man in this story is not a victim of his own actions or his parent’s actions, or anyone else’s action. His blindness is used by Jesus to announce the Kingdom is here. This gives a whole other dimension to our suffering and the suffering of others. I don’t want it, but I know when suffering comes I pray Jesus make something out of it.

Where have you suffered most recently? Do an honest inventory about the circumstances. Think about what God might be up to in all of this.

hunger

John 1:48
I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.

Jesus is talking to Nathanael, whose name means, “gift of God.” In Jesus’ day, guys would study the Bible outdoors under the shade of a fig tree. It is where a rabbi would go and meet his students, as well. Nathanael has a hunger for the Word and he has characteristics that match his name, so it is not surprising Jesus is preparing to lead him to greater influence.

Jesus is looking at your best attributes and how he can use them and serve through you in a significant way. Think about what these qualities are today.

best

Luke 22:27
27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Jesus turns the world completely upside down. Serving is everything. If you are a waiter or a waitress, you have to love this passage. You knew you were the greatest all along.

What Jesus is saying is if we want to be connected with him, we will be serving. That is what he is about. That is when we are closest.

When were you at your best in service? How did it feel? Think on this today.

when?

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Security becomes so consuming all of our adult lives. School, first job, house, marriage, kids (there goes everything until college), kid’s college, 401K’s, IRA, retirement, rising health care costs, assisted living, well you get the picture.

Now how does God teach respect for him over worries about security? The tithe for starters. 10% of what we live on to expand his Kingdom forward. If we wait until we can afford to give generously to God’s mission, there will never be a good time. And we will never learn to trust in God fully.

For your sake, pray for God to increase your generosity.

keys to personal growth

prayer and giving are two basic keys to spiritual growth

ready

Luke 12:37
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.

When we are always ready to serve, our influence is at the ready. We don’t even have to look for opportunities. God will place plenty right in front of us. Whom he trusts he expands.

Pray for God to expand your opportunities to serve.

with faith

Luke 1:48
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.

God pays attention to true humility. It is actually a great form of confidence (con + fides, with + faith). It is a sign that you have faith God is in charge and how you are serving is important to him.

Realize you can’t fake humility or confidence because God knows.

greatest

Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Jesus already knew they were arguing about who is the greatest. Jesus can understand this question because he is the greatest. Sorry, Muhammad Ali, but it is Jesus, after all. So, if you really want to be at the front of the line, make sure you serve your way all the way up.

Pray for humility to make progress in your life.