Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 3-20-19

March 20, 2019

Luke 13:22-27 The Living Translation

Today is the thirteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God. As his children, we are constantly going through the refining process as God seeks to free us from impurities in our character and make us spiritually fit in our faith. The Kingdom was not created for the spiritually undisciplined; it was created for those of great faith and mighty in the Spirit. “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (Mat 5:8). Do you realize how you respond to God’s refining process for your life determines how spiritually fit you become to handle Kingdom living in a sinful world?

The Lord is the righteous Refiner of our faith. We must be willing to endure the Lord’s discipline and our souls must be willing to pay the price, because refining is not painless. The refining process can strengthen our faith through trials or through self-denial. It is the work of Christ to open the Kingdom door to life. The door is the shape of Jesus; he is the door and we are to be molded in his image (John 10:9). There are not many paths to God or his Kingdom. There is One narrow door; he is the Christ—the Refiner—who brings us to the heart of God.

During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart. P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield. May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.

Luke 13:22-27 Living Bible (TLB)

22 Jesus went from city to city and village to village, teaching as he went, always pressing onward toward Jerusalem.

23 Someone asked him, “Will only a few be saved?”

And he replied, 24-25 “The door to heaven is narrow. Work hard to get in, for the truth is that many will try to enter but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. Then if you stand outside knocking, and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us,’ he will reply, ‘I do not know you.’

26 “‘But we ate with you, and you taught in our streets,’ you will say.

27 “And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you. You can’t come in here, guilty as you are. Go away.’

Prayer: Father, I praise you for being my righteous Refiner. I trust whatever you take me to, you will use it for my good and to grow my faith. I repent for the times I have harbored a bad attitude about the refining process. I ask for you to continue to burn up the things in my life that are not glorifying to you. Call me to the place of self-denial that brings me closer to your heart. I will yield to your way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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