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One With God
Andrea Lende • August 3, 2021
John 17:11
One With God
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/One-With-God-e15dg24
John 17:11
“And [now] I am no more in the world, but these are [still] in the world and I am coming to You, Holy Father, keep in Your Name [in the knowledge of Yourself] those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are on].”
Jesus was soon going to the cross.
Before He went, He prayed the disciples would remain His.
Not just remain His believers, but that they would be one with the Father and Himself.
What an amazing legacy He died to give them and us.
It is almost too much to comprehend.
I thought about the many times Jesus prayed to His Father.
He prayed for healing and people were healed.
He prayed over the loaves and fish twice and thousands of people were provided for.
He prayed the dead would raise, and they did.
He was truly one with Father while He walked on this earth.
He operated in God’s full power.
And now He prayed the disciples would be one with Him and the Father as well.
To operate in the fullness of Their power.
To provide healing to the sick, blind, and lame.
To give peace to the households they entered.
To save the lost.
We are granted this beautiful legacy as well.
But we don’t often operate in the fullness of God’s power.
Well, at least I know I don’t.
Sometimes this world takes the wind right out of my sails.
Sometimes I feel whipped before I even begin to serve.
Sometimes I just can’t adult as the saying goes.
But all we have God’s power and strength available to us even on those days.
I am convicted today because I need to remember Whose I am.
I need to remember I am one with the Lord.
His Spirit lives within me.
Today I choose power over weakness and will serve the Lord as He asks me to serve without any excuses.
May you find the Lord equips you with everything you need to serve Him in His full strength and power.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me I am one with You. Thank You for sending Your Son to make it so. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to live in my heart, so He can lead and guide me in all that I do. Father, I pray for strength today. I pray You help me feel Your power within me to trample the enemy and all his devices. Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from all evil. Help me serve You with the power I read about in Your Word. Help me heal those who are sick, bring peace to those who need peace, and share Your message of love and deliverance to Your people, Lord. May I operate in Your power this day and every day. Help me bless someone today. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and equip you with everything you need to serve me as I ask of you.
Response: Help me walk in Your power today, Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.