"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:4, 5
Suggested Format for the Prayer Time
Praise (approximately 10 minutes)
- Begin your prayer time by praising God for who He is. For example, He is a wonderful counselor (Isaiah 9:6).
- Praise God that all you have to do is abide in Christ in order to have victory over sin.
- Praise God for the ways He is teaching you to abide in Him.
Confession and Claiming Victory Over Sin (approximately 5 minutes)
- Ask God to show you if you're holding back from surrendering anything to Him. Confess this privately to Him. Claim His victory over those sins.
- Ask God to forgive you for times when you tried to do things in your own strength.
- Thank God that He forgives you according to 1 John 1:9.
Supplication and Intercession (approximately 35 minutes)
- Pray that God will help you to better understand your need to abide in Him and give you the desire to do so. Pray also that family and friends will abide in Him. And pray that God will teach you how to abide in Him (John 15:4).
- Pray that church leaders (your local pastor, conference, union, division, and General Conference leaders) will be filled with the Holy Spirit and abide in Christ.
- Pray for greater support and interest by all church members and leaders in maintaining Seventh-day Adventist education as truly Seventh-day Adventist in content and emphasis. This is so vital to the church's future workforce and mission perspective.
- Pray for increased interest in studying the books of Daniel and Revelation.
- Pray that people will understand and proclaim the sanctuary service as a beautiful explanation of the salvation process.
- Mission to the Cities—Pray for the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division and the cities they are trying to win for Christ: Luanda, Antananarivo, Lilongwe, Maputo, Saurimo, Bloemfontein, Lubango, Kitwe, Harare. Pray that people will see their need of Christ and call upon Him.
- Pray for clear focus on Christ and His work for us during His life on earth, His death on the cross, His resurrection, His current ministry for us in the Most Holy Place in heaven, and His soon second coming.
- Pray that we will devote more of our time to eternal values through Bible study and prayer, allowing God to fully direct His people according to His will and not our will. This will help keep us close to God and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to reverse trends of worldliness that threaten God's church and our daily lives.
- Pray that the seven (or more) people on your list will see their need and open their hearts for the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for any personal needs you have.
Thanksgiving (approximately 10 minutes)
- Thank God for the different ways Jesus set us an example of how to abide in God.
- Thank God in advance for how He is going to work and answer your prayers.
- Thank God that He will teach you how to abide in Him.
- Thank Him for sending the Holy Spirit to work on all the prayer requests you have prayed.
Suggested Songs to Sing
"Have Thine Own Way, Lord" (SDA Hymnal #567); "Be Still My Soul" (SDA Hymnal #461); "Wonderful Peace" (SDA Hymnal #466); "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" (SDA Hymnal #469); "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" (SDA Hymnal #290); "Take the World, but Give Me Jesus" (SDA Hymnal #329); "Not I, but Christ" (SDA Hymnal #570).
Abiding in Christ
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:4, 5
Those who make a success of the Christian life will count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Only those who are abiding in Christ can know what true life is. They realize the value of true religion. They have brought their talents of influence and means and ability to the altar of consecration, seeking only to know and do the will of Him who has died to redeem them. (Our High Calling, p. 8)
It is not a casual touch with Christ that is needed, but it is to abide with Him. He called you to abide with Him. He does not propose to you a short-lived blessedness that is realized occasionally through earnest seeking of the Lord and passes away as you engage in the common duties of life. Your abiding with Christ makes every necessary duty light, for He bears the weight of every burden. He has prepared for you to abide with Him. This means that you are to be conscious of an abiding Christ, that you are continually with Christ, where your mind is encouraged and strengthened. (In Heavenly Places, p. 55)
Do not stand outside of Christ, as many professed Christians of today. To "abide in me, and I in you" is a possible thing to do, and the invitation would not be given if you could not do this. Jesus our Saviour is constantly drawing you by His Holy Spirit, working with your mind that you will abide with Christ. . . . The blessings He bestows are all connected with your own individual action. Shall Christ be refused? He says, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). Of another class He says, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40). (In Heavenly Places, p. 55)
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28, KJV)
Have you, have I, fully comprehended the gracious call, "Come unto me"? He says, "Abide in me," not Abide with Me. "Do understand My call. Come to Me to stay with Me." He will freely bestow all blessings connected with Himself upon all who come to Him for life. He has something better for you than a short-lived blessedness that you feel when you seek the Lord in earnest prayer. That is but as a drop in the bucket, to have a word with Christ. You are privileged with His abiding presence in the place of a short-lived privilege that is not lasting as you engage in the duties of life. . . . Will anxiety, perplexity, and cares drive you away from Christ? Are we less dependent upon God when in the workshop, in the field, in the market-place? The Lord Jesus will abide with you and you with Him in every place. (In Heavenly Places, p. 55)
All who receive Christ by faith become one with Him. The branches are not tied to the vine; they are not joined to it by any mechanical process of artificial fastening. They are united to the vine, so as to become part of it. They are nourished by the roots of the vine. So those who receive Christ by faith become one with Him in principle and action. They are united to Him, and the life they live is the life of the Son of God. They derive their life from Him who is life. (In Heavenly Places, p. 56)
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor. 5:17, KJV)
Baptism may be repeated over and over again, but of itself it has no power to change the human heart. The heart must be united with Christ's heart, the will must be submerged in His will, the mind must become one with His mind, the thoughts must be brought into captivity to Him. . . . The regenerated man has a vital connection with Christ. As the branch derives its sustenance from the parent stock and, because of this, bears much fruit, so the true believer, united with Christ, reveals in his life the fruits of the Spirit. The branch becomes one with the vine; storm cannot carry it away; frost cannot destroy its vital properties. Nothing is able to separate it from the vine. It is a living branch, and it bears the fruit of the vine. So with the believer. By good words and good actions he reveals the character of Christ. . . . (In Heavenly Places, p. 56)
Christ has provided means whereby our whole life may be an unbroken communion with Himself; but the sense of Christ's abiding presence can come only through living faith. (In Heavenly Places, p. 56)
Questions for Personal Reflection
1. Is anything (worries, cares of life, stress, riches) hindering you from abiding in Christ?
2. Where is your responsibility in making sure that you abide in Christ?
|
Saturday, January 09, 2016
0 comments:
Post a Comment