Talking to your Friend (Prayer day 2)

Our relationship with God can easily be reduced to whispering wishes to a well, or taking orders from a general, or making requests to the master of dispensary for provisions.  But when one studies the Bible one has to conclude that the best description for God’s relationship with the characters in the Bible is that of friend and companion.

Scripture

Observation and reflection

1. Considering these verses,
   • How does Jesus NOT want to relate to us?
   • How DOES Jesus want to relate to us?
   • Why?
   • Who initiates this friendship? (hint: who chose who?)
2. Try to distinguish between a master-servant relationship and a mutual friendship relationship. How would such typical conversations differ? Flesh out these relationships:
   • What would a servant want to discuss with his/her master?
   • What would a master want to discuss with his servant?
   • What would a friend want to discuss with his/her friend?
3. So, what does Jesus want from a relationship with you?

Personal Reflections

Jesus expressed God’s heart when he plainly said: “I CHOSE YOU, and I want to relate to you as MY FRIEND, not my servant.  I don’t only want blind obedience, but companionship!  I desire to share my heart, my life with YOU!”

1. If someone would observe your conversations with God, how would he or she describe your relationship? Think of your typical prayers:
   • What do you picture God to look like? What does your face and posture look like when you pray?
   • What do you talk about mostly? And what do you hear God talk to you about?
   • How much of your feelings and thoughts, dreams and fears, experiences and expectations do you share with God?
   • Is your prayer time more about asking God for stuff, or more about being with him?
2. How could your prayers change if your prayer time is considered as an appointment with your FRIEND?

Application

Take time now and share your heart with God, and ask God to share his heart with you too. Talk about your passions, pleasures, plans and problems.  Then talk to God about his passions, pleasures, plans and problems.  Tell God what you love about him, and ask him what he loves about you.  Thank God for the reality of his partnership: that he is always with you.  Assure God of your partnership with him – that you will always walking with him too.

 

 

 

Biblical Faith 5

The Aim of this devotional study is to grow in understanding and appreciation of Biblical Faith, and to put it to practice today.

Scripture

Mark 2:1-12

1  And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.  2  And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.

3  And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4  And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.  5  And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6  Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7  “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8  And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the paralytic– 11  “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”

12  And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Observations

1. Jesus healed the paralytic man because of the faith of the friends. How did Jesus see their faith?
2. Connect the persons or groups on the left with the most appropriate characteristics on the right, as illustrated in this text:

Jesus                            Ecstatic with thanks

God                              Focused on what is right and wrong

Friends                        Alone can forgive sins

Paralytic                      Amazed

Scribes                         Filled with compassion

Crowd                          Acted in faith

3. What is the lesson on faith in Jesus’ interaction with the friends?
4. What is the lesson on faith in the Jesus’ interaction with scribes?
5. What is the lesson on faith in the Jesus’ interaction with paralytic man?

Application and prayer

1. It is so easy to miss the needs of people or even what God is doing when one fixate on what is “right and wrong” as the scribes’ did. Spend some time to ask the Lord for love and “eyes of faith” to see what he is doing in the lives of the people you interact with today.
2. The lame man obeyed the command of Jesus to get up immediately and received his healing by faith. Ask the Lord for that faith to obey when He commands to day.
3. The friends took it upon themselves to act in faith – with lots of creativity and effort – to bring their friend to Jesus for the miracle he needs, and Jesus reward their faith. Which friend needs a miracle today? What will you do to bring him/her to Jesus?  Start in prayer now, and see what the Lord says. (It can be as simple as bringing him/her to church).  Be that friend!