January 20-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
John 1:1,14,18, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, pages 42-43, Week 3, Day 1: Salvation in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit allow us to have a personal and intimate relationship with God. Saying yes to Jesus means we now stand rightly connected to God and are able to grow into that relationship. One of the most awe-inspiring parts of this new relationship is that God- the creator of the universe- wants to speak with us. Because God is personal, he desires to connect with us, and lead us into greater intimacy with Him. Central to intimacy is communication. We can learn to listen to God’s voice by paying attention to the ways He speaks to us. The embodiment of God in the person of Jesus was God’s ultimate expression of His desire to communicate to us in a way we could grasp.
Relate it to your life.
God has spoken and is speaking to me. Am I listening?
Do something.
“Father, help me to distinguish Your voice and message in the midst of all the noisy chatter. Amen.”
January 21-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
2 Peter 1:20-21, Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted page 47, Week 3, Day 2: There are a number of prophecies written in the Old Testament that come to pass in the New Testament. For instance, dozens of messianic prophecies were made hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came, and He fulfilled every one of them, including where He would be born, what His ministry would be like, and how He would die (even describing death on a cross centuries before that form of torture was invented- see Psalm 22). The fulfillment of prophecies has always been one of the primary proofs for biblical divine authorship. When we pick up our Bibles, we can be confident we are reading what God intends for us to read.
Relate it to your life.
I can trust Scripture to be the primary way in which God wants to speak to me.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for making Your way and will known to me through Your holy word. Amen.”
January 22-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
John 14:16-17, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, pages 50-51, Week 3, Day 3: The Greek word that is translated “advocate” in verse 16 is paracletos. The English language does not have an adequate one-word translation for this, which is why various translations translate it differently: comforter, counselor, helper, encourager, intercessor, companion, or advocate. The literal meaning of paracletos is “one sent to help” and came out of the legal arena. A paracletos could be a legal aid, or even a witness on your behalf. Eventually, this term developed a broader meaning to include anyone who was sent to help you do anything you couldn’t do on your own. In the context of this passage, Jesus is essentially saying, “Just as I have been your paracletos for the last three years, helping you to believe, do, and say what God wants, now, as I physically leave you, the Father is going to send another.”
Relate it to your life.
As a follower in Jesus, I have the very presence of God dwelling inside of me!
Do something.
“Father, thank You for the incredible gift of Your holy presence empowering me to live according to Your way for Your glory. Amen.”
January 23-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
Hebrews 4:16, Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, page 54, Week 3, Day 4: When you pray in earnest, you come face-to-face with the God of the universe- the God who shows you grace, the God who adopts you, the God who guides and strengthens you. When you pray, you step into God’s kingdom- His world, the place where God rules without pushback. Phillip Yancey writes in Prayer, Does It Make a Difference?: “When I pray, it may seem that I am narrowing my world, retreating from the real world into a prayer closet in Jesus’ metaphor. Actually, I am entering another world, just as real but invisible, a world that has power to change both me and the world I seem to be retreating from.”
Relate it to your life.
The power of prayer is like nothing else we possess in this world.
Do something.
“Father, each time I talk with You, I enter into Your domain, the peaceful and powerful unseen realm where all authority resides triumphant. Grant me greater courage each time I come before You. Amen.”
January 24-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
Mark 1:35, Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, pages 59-60, Week 3, Day 5: We learn from Jesus’ prayer life three important things: He prayed privately, He prayed regularly, and He prayed genuinely. Jesus was often seen going out by Himself to pray. Luke 19:18 says, “One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone.” Jesus knew that any good relationship needs times of uninterrupted one-on-one conversation. There is a depth of conversation that is not possible when you are interacting with God on the fly. Setting a certain time, a certain place, and even a certain pattern to pray can be very helpful when you are having a private conversation with God. Prayer is an aspect of a vibrant loving relationship, not a ritual. God wants to hear prayers that come from our hearts.
Relate it to your life.
If I want my relationship with God to grow deeper, I cannot neglect a meaningful prayer time.
Do something.
“Father, I love spending time in prayer with You for there is nothing more rewarding than this holy time and space. Amen.”
January 25-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
Isaiah 65:24, Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, page 63: The Church of Scotland defines prayer this way: “Prayer is an offering of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.” This summarizes well the components of prayer. Our hearts should engage prayer as a way of aligning our desires with God’s will.
Relate it to your life.
The primary purpose of prayer isn’t getting what I want but surrendering to what God wants for me.
Do something.
“Father, I confess I ask for many things. I, also, acknowledge that I don’t often ask You what You want for me. Give me such faith and courage to submit my desires for Your perfect desires for my life. Amen.”
Write out the Scripture.
John 1:1,14,18, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, pages 42-43, Week 3, Day 1: Salvation in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit allow us to have a personal and intimate relationship with God. Saying yes to Jesus means we now stand rightly connected to God and are able to grow into that relationship. One of the most awe-inspiring parts of this new relationship is that God- the creator of the universe- wants to speak with us. Because God is personal, he desires to connect with us, and lead us into greater intimacy with Him. Central to intimacy is communication. We can learn to listen to God’s voice by paying attention to the ways He speaks to us. The embodiment of God in the person of Jesus was God’s ultimate expression of His desire to communicate to us in a way we could grasp.
Relate it to your life.
God has spoken and is speaking to me. Am I listening?
Do something.
“Father, help me to distinguish Your voice and message in the midst of all the noisy chatter. Amen.”
January 21-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
2 Peter 1:20-21, Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted page 47, Week 3, Day 2: There are a number of prophecies written in the Old Testament that come to pass in the New Testament. For instance, dozens of messianic prophecies were made hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came, and He fulfilled every one of them, including where He would be born, what His ministry would be like, and how He would die (even describing death on a cross centuries before that form of torture was invented- see Psalm 22). The fulfillment of prophecies has always been one of the primary proofs for biblical divine authorship. When we pick up our Bibles, we can be confident we are reading what God intends for us to read.
Relate it to your life.
I can trust Scripture to be the primary way in which God wants to speak to me.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for making Your way and will known to me through Your holy word. Amen.”
January 22-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
John 14:16-17, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, pages 50-51, Week 3, Day 3: The Greek word that is translated “advocate” in verse 16 is paracletos. The English language does not have an adequate one-word translation for this, which is why various translations translate it differently: comforter, counselor, helper, encourager, intercessor, companion, or advocate. The literal meaning of paracletos is “one sent to help” and came out of the legal arena. A paracletos could be a legal aid, or even a witness on your behalf. Eventually, this term developed a broader meaning to include anyone who was sent to help you do anything you couldn’t do on your own. In the context of this passage, Jesus is essentially saying, “Just as I have been your paracletos for the last three years, helping you to believe, do, and say what God wants, now, as I physically leave you, the Father is going to send another.”
Relate it to your life.
As a follower in Jesus, I have the very presence of God dwelling inside of me!
Do something.
“Father, thank You for the incredible gift of Your holy presence empowering me to live according to Your way for Your glory. Amen.”
January 23-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
Hebrews 4:16, Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, page 54, Week 3, Day 4: When you pray in earnest, you come face-to-face with the God of the universe- the God who shows you grace, the God who adopts you, the God who guides and strengthens you. When you pray, you step into God’s kingdom- His world, the place where God rules without pushback. Phillip Yancey writes in Prayer, Does It Make a Difference?: “When I pray, it may seem that I am narrowing my world, retreating from the real world into a prayer closet in Jesus’ metaphor. Actually, I am entering another world, just as real but invisible, a world that has power to change both me and the world I seem to be retreating from.”
Relate it to your life.
The power of prayer is like nothing else we possess in this world.
Do something.
“Father, each time I talk with You, I enter into Your domain, the peaceful and powerful unseen realm where all authority resides triumphant. Grant me greater courage each time I come before You. Amen.”
January 24-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
Mark 1:35, Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, pages 59-60, Week 3, Day 5: We learn from Jesus’ prayer life three important things: He prayed privately, He prayed regularly, and He prayed genuinely. Jesus was often seen going out by Himself to pray. Luke 19:18 says, “One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone.” Jesus knew that any good relationship needs times of uninterrupted one-on-one conversation. There is a depth of conversation that is not possible when you are interacting with God on the fly. Setting a certain time, a certain place, and even a certain pattern to pray can be very helpful when you are having a private conversation with God. Prayer is an aspect of a vibrant loving relationship, not a ritual. God wants to hear prayers that come from our hearts.
Relate it to your life.
If I want my relationship with God to grow deeper, I cannot neglect a meaningful prayer time.
Do something.
“Father, I love spending time in prayer with You for there is nothing more rewarding than this holy time and space. Amen.”
January 25-A Taste of Rooted
Write out the Scripture.
Isaiah 65:24, Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
Observe what it is saying.
Rooted, page 63: The Church of Scotland defines prayer this way: “Prayer is an offering of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.” This summarizes well the components of prayer. Our hearts should engage prayer as a way of aligning our desires with God’s will.
Relate it to your life.
The primary purpose of prayer isn’t getting what I want but surrendering to what God wants for me.
Do something.
“Father, I confess I ask for many things. I, also, acknowledge that I don’t often ask You what You want for me. Give me such faith and courage to submit my desires for Your perfect desires for my life. Amen.”
Posted in Daily Devotionals