Monday 19th January

Quiet your heart and mind. Consider breathing deeply and exhale slowly. Focus your mind on God.

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song..."

Psalm 95:2

Ponder: List 5 things about God that you are thankful for. Sit quietly and speak your thanks to Him.

Scripture

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV

First, listen for what this prayer says to you. Insert your name and imagine someone is praying this for you. Read the verses again slowly. What message do you hear?

Reaping in the lord

Abounding grace, or as NIV says, abundant blessings. These four words show the heart of our God, He who is the God of sufficiency. We may habitually pray over our meals, and it is easy to pray for what we want from God. How often do we remember to ask the Lord to provide what we need and seek His blessing on what we’re given? We may recognize the fruit we sow is a harvest of the hard work we put in. While God does request us to do everything as unto Him, the act of reaping is less about our work and more about our worship.

Do we remember to ask God to sow into our work so that we grow the fruit He desires, that which is healthy and thriving because of Him? The harvest is not determined by our physical capabilities or the resources in our pockets. The power of the Spirit is what takes the whole process from the beginning to the end.

As you reflect on your day, ask the Lord for what is needed to abound in good works today. Do you need an extra measure of patience? Is financial strain limiting your generosity? Is a lack of peace in a difficult situation distracting you from what God is asking you to do today? His grace abounds and His blessings are abundant. Invite Him into your work, asking for Him to show how His sufficiency is all that you need.

Dana Robinson, ARD Org Dev (Latin America), Honduras

Now ask God who you can pray this prayer for. Insert their name(s) as you pray.

Kids’ Question: How does scripture show us how to handle uncertainty and fear of the unknown?