After the Miracle

Today's Devotional Thought
June 24, 2014 by Rachel Piferi

Devote Yourself to Prayer

If there was one thing that I would wish for you today, it is that you would earnestly seek God's will for your life. That you seek a life worthy of the Lord that pleases him in every way and one that bears fruit, grows in knowledge of God, and strengthens you. Sounds good, doesn't it?

I am sure many of you are sitting here thinking, "I want that, but I don't know how to get that. How do I find out what God's will is for my life?"

I have four words for you: Devote Yourself to Prayer!

Does it sound too simple? In Colossians 4:2, Paul writes, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." And when seeking God's will for your life, I would give you the same prescription: devote yourself to prayer and be watchful.

I meet a lot of people who say that they want to know what God wants them to do. But when I ask them what their quiet time is like or how they are praying, I find that they don't spend a lot of time really asking God for direction. Or, they may be praying for it, but they don't recognize the little opportunities in their day that God is sending them to engage in what His will is for them.

If you want to hear from God and get His direction for your life, then you must live in a prayer mode. You must constantly be seeking Him through prayer, through reading His word, and through singing His praises. Live in Him. And then watch what unfolds around you. Who do you encounter? What tasks come your way? What requests are made of you that could just be that opportunity that God is asking you to chase?

As it says in John 15, when we abide in Jesus, we will produce much fruit (v. 5). It is God's desire that we abide in him and bring him much glory by being his disciples. And abiding requires that we study God's Word and devote ourselves to prayer.

And then watch for opportunities that unfold around you.

When you are living in a prayer mode and being vigilant to look for opportunities that may emerge, then you will be amazed at what you see that you can do for Him.

Do you want to live a life worthy of the Lord that pleases him in every way and one that bears fruit, grows in knowledge of God, and strengthens you? Then devote yourself to prayer and be watchful today.

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
~Colossians 1:9-12