Make the Most of Every Opportunity

Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes.

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭TPT‬‬

When you come across an opportunity to serve, worship, or join with others in His name, do not let it pass you by! You sign up! He put these things in your path for a reason.
When we make the decision to lean into the purpose for which we were created, we need to open our eyes to the guidepost that lead us in the direction that he intends for our journey. It’s not always easy or comfortable.
Maybe you are not the type of person to seek out areas to serve in, or you just don’t know where to look or how to get started. Pray for the area that you feel is holding you back and then keep your eyes open for the opportunity. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you see a need when you open your heart and mind to the desire to care for others.
Maybe you are an introvert and just the THOUGHT of joining a Bible study makes you uncomfortable. You are hesitant and uncertain about joining a group of strangers. Take a deep breath and pray for the courage to step into fellowship in Jesus’ name.
Maybe you are social and you want to be involved, but you can never seem to find the time. Open your calendar and pray that He will take the right things off your plate, so you can find the time to follow His path and realize that everything on your list doesn’t need to get done – as long as His will is done.
If an opportunity presents itself, and you are at a crossroads, still unsure about your next step, then say a prayer. Ask God if he wants you involved in this event. And then ask yourself – if Jesus were standing here today, would he tell me
“No it’s fine…
Someone else will feed these people.
Someone else can fill that seat at Bible study.
Someone else can tell your neighbor about me.”
Or would he tell you to sign up???
This is the part where we take action.
This is the part where we FOLLOW Jesus instead of just believing in Him.
When we let these opportunities pass us by, we are missing out on some of the really important things that He has planned for us.
Dear Lord, if there is someone that you want me to help today, please equip me, and put them in my path. Open my eyes to see their need. And Lord, if there is an area of my life that would be improved with companionship, please show me the opportunity if it will bring me closer to you. Lord, please calm my anxiety and my self-doubt when I shy away from experiences and events where you want me to be more engaged. And when my day feels full of things to do, please keep me focused so that I can prioritize Your will in my life.
Amen

There is a Right Time

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. – Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We all know the lovely Beatles song but how deeply do we take to heart the message of patience for God’s timing?

When we are anticipating things to come, or working towards milestones, we want immediacy. How can we be content while we wait for God’s timing?

We need to accept that no matter where we are at or what direction we are heading, so many things are out of our control.

We need to trust that whatever comes our way, God will work it for our good.

We need to be willing to wait on His timing for that victory that we’ve been working so hard to secure.

We need to fight the urge to be restless and irritated by the unanticipated delays and live in the moment, finding every bit of joy that we can get out of today.

Dear Lord, I thought I had it all under control, but everything is off track. Nothing is going the way I planned. Lord, help me find contentment in Your timing today as I accept the circumstances of the moment, and shift from MY plan for the day into YOUR perfect design.

Amen

Heart and Soul

Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. – Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭TPT‬‬

This verse applies to more than our career.

We have to apply this principle to all that we do.

Our relationships,

our health,

our acts of service,

taking care of the home that The Lord has blessed us with.

All of these things are from God, and the bottom line is – we ARE working for Him in all things. When we work wholeheartedly to nurture the things He has provided, we are not just “clocking in.” When we go through each day with a willing and grateful heart, we are not just “doing our job.” Our efforts and our attitudes should reflect the pleasure of serving our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Dear Jesus, I pray that I serve you well today, with a heart full of thankfulness, no matter what circumstances I face. I woke up today, so I know You have a job for me to do! What an honor to be able to serve you today and every day. Lord, I know that to serve you, I must serve others. Help me do so with a heart full of loving kindness and a smile on my face. If I come across a difficult personality or a task that I wouldn’t normally look forward to, keep me focused on You instead, so that I may find the good in the situation.

Amen

Commit Your Actions to The Lord

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. — ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭3‬‬ NLT

You’ve made a plan.

You’ve set goals.

You want to improve.

You want to see success.

You’re excited – fired up to achieve what you’ve set out to accomplish.

But your hopes fall flat and your plans fall short.

What went wrong? You were sure this was the right thing for you – that you were headed in the right direction. You even prayed for this win. So why didn’t The Lord come through for you this time?

When we are faced with failure, we need to examine our motives. Why am I doing this? What makes this so important to me? Is this for MY gain, or for The Lord?

We may start in the right direction, but we have to continue to reevaluate and amend, as needed.

Sometimes our bright ideas and our latest passions aren’t the things that God intends for us. Before we jump in and start blindly trying to chase a new agenda, we need to stop and commit our actions to The Lord. Acknowledge that we won’t take a step, if it’s not in His direction.

Surrender your plans.

Hand over your desires.

Submit to His path.

Let Him have the ultimate say on whether or not your plans are the right ones for you.

Lord, my prayer today is a simple one.

If it’s not for me, don’t let it be.

Amen

Be Productive

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both — ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬‬

Keep busy with purpose in order to be productive. Don’t allow yourself idleness. Every minute, every hour that you are not moving forward you are wasting. Losing.

Yes, it is ok to relax sometimes, but first do what must be done.

You won’t know ahead of time the single act that is going to bring you success, so you must actively continue doing everything you can to produce results.

God has a purpose for you!! How exciting is that? But you will not fulfill that purpose by sitting by and letting life pass you by – one day after another. You have to stand up and take the steps forward with enthusiasm, because His plans for you include GREAT THINGS!

So what are you waiting for? Embrace EACH and EVERY day with eagerness for the opportunities that it brings you! Stay dedicated to being productive. Because even in the stages of your life when you are not exactly sure what His plan for you includes, you will know what path to follow when you stay close to Him and what He teaches you through the Bible.

Dear God, when I become complacent, please snap me out of it and pull me closer to you. I want to live a productive life, which will lead me to fulfill Your purpose for me. Lord, thank You for every opportunity that You have provided that makes my life worth living. Amen

Never Let the Fire Go Out

“Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve The Lord.” Romans 12:11 NIRV

NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where he told me to and added the verse. Original tutorial by Stay Creative Painting with Ryan O’Rourke https://youtu.be/ATdJfj4sZRk

Don’t get burned out. Our spiritual journey requires us to stay focused. We should be full of excitement as we begin a new day full of opportunities to serve The Lord.

We serve The Lord by serving others, so if you feel your enthusiasm begin to die down, try doing something to make someone smile. It feels good to make someone feel good. You’ve just added kindling to your fire.

When you’re really ready to throw another log on the fire, find volunteer opportunities that are meaningful to you, that incorporate one of your skills or hobbies, or that you can invite your friends and/or family to participate in with you. Finding a way to help others while doing something you enjoy will keep that passion for serving The Lord alive! 🔥 🔥 🔥

Dear Lord, I take delight in serving You! I feel refreshed and alive when I am doing Your work. Sometimes I let troubles, or the distractions of daily life pull me away. When I lose momentum, Lord, please pull me back on track. Renew my enthusiasm for living my life with purpose. Amen

What Are We Working on Today?

“God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” – Romans‬ ‭8:14-15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

His Spirit LIVES in us. When we are looking for what work He wants us to do today, we don’t have to “look for a sign” somewhere else. He is in us, so sometimes His direction comes from within. We need to listen for that voice or recognize that feeling.

Dear Lord, what are we working on today?

Taking Action

Genesis 15:9-16

God gives Abram specific instructions and Abram follows them. Just like he always moves when God gives him something to do. His mind may still have questions, he may still falter when it comes to making a decision on his own. But when he has clear direction from God, Abram follows.

When I can feel that God has a job for me to do, I will pray:

Lord, I hear You calling me. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to do exactly what You need me to do. Whatever You ask of me, help me to see Your plan clearly so I can take action. Amen

Today’s Scripture

9 The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10 So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half.

11 Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.

12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him.

13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.

14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth.

15 (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.)

16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭15:9-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You Lead, I Follow

“I pay careful attention as you lead me, and I follow closely.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:59‬ ‭CEV‬‬

What is the difference between being a Christian and being a follower? Being a follower requires us to make the conscious decision to not only be a believer of Christ, but to allow God to take the lead in our lives as well. We have to do more than love Jesus and try to be good people. It’s good to treat people with compassion and respect, and to “do the right thing,” but is it enough?

What does it take to really follow Christ?

It takes careful attention. Awareness. And making a deliberate choice each and every day to surrender and live your life as Jesus did.

🎶🎵🎼“I have decided to follow Jesus…”

“I pay careful attention as you lead me, and I follow closely.”

Psalms‬ ‭119:59‬ ‭CEV‬‬

We have to think about not just today, but the whole DIRECTION of our life. And then we have to take action to move on the path that he set for our lives.

“When I realize that I’m going astray, I turn back to obey your instructions.” ‭‭

Psalms‬ ‭119:59‬ ‭TPT‬‬

When we realize that we have been sidetracked for a moment, we have to turn ourselves back in his direction and get back on track.

O Lord, I trust you to guide me on the right path. Please help me make the right decisions that lead me closer to You. I’m following You, Lord. Show me the way. Amen

Apart from Him I can do nothing

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
– ‭‭John‬ ‭15:5‬‬ NIV

God wants us to remain in relationship with Him, not just call out to him when we have a problem and then go back to living life, as usual. At times, we think it’s enough to say a quick prayer in the morning, and then run off to get busy with a full day of the “stuff” that life throws at us. But we have to keep His word in our mind continually, His love in our heart consistently, and His spirit in our soul constantly. Our relationship with God must be ongoing – just as our relationships with people require thoughts, conversation, and action. Without Him, our days will feel empty, our time will feel wasted, and we will feel like we are accomplishing nothing.

Lord, draw me closer to you. I want every day to be a significant step in my journey, as I walk the path you have set for me. Amen