T O P I C: specific lies
OVERVIEW
Every devotional is to help be a starting point for you and your time with The Lord. He^^ loves you and wants to spend intentional time with you in His^^ Word (the Bible) and in everyday life.
Xoxo rooted.core
DAY ONE:
**Read Psalms 17+18**
Read Ephesians 1
Jesus loves us so much and has chosen us before the creation of the world. He^^ was the first to love us because He^^ is the one who beautifully crafted us and placed us in our mother's womb. He^^ gave us gifts and talents so we could glorify Him^^. It is through Him^^ that we can have eternal life.
Ephesians 1:7
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
Because Jesus came to earth and was the atoning sacrifice we can have forgiveness of our sins and walk with Him^^ every moment of everyday. Before Jesus came to earth as the final sacrifice the people would have to make sacrifices when they disobeyed God. It is because of God’s grace for us that we no longer have to sacrifice, all we have to do is receive His^^ free gift of salvation. This is nothing we can earn by the works of our hands but something we receive through Jesus dying on the cross.
Ephesians 1:11
“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”
He^^ chose us from the beginning of time. I think that’s absolutely amazing. Before the world could tell you any lie God calls us chosen. I think that is absolutely beautiful. That He^^ chose us before anyone else. Throughout Ephesians we can notice that it says His^^ will, we have redemption through Him^^. Everything is for Him^^, should be by Him^^ and through Him^^. So often we think we are the kings of our own kingdom. Kingdom literally means King - domain. If we are Christians than we are called to bring His^^ Kingdom to earth. This means that our own Kingdoms die and that
In verse 13 it talks about how we have been marked with the promised Holy Spirit. I like to think of the Holy Spirit as a walky-talky. It is what is placed inside of us so that we can have communication with Jesus. Before Jesus dying on the cross and rising again you couldn’t have access/ relationship with Him^^. Jesus died so that we can now have day by day moment by moment relationship/communion with Him^^.
QUESTIONS:
What stood out to you the most about this passage? How does the fact that you were chosen before the beginning of time change your heart? What does that mean to you? How does that change the way you live? Ask the Lord how you can stop building your own kingdom and submit and build His. What does this look like in everyday life?
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for today. Thank you for your faithfulness in ___(name a place in your life you have seen His^^ faithfulness) ______. I pray that you would show me more of how I should die to myself and my own kingdom and live for you. Jesus I pray that you would show me how to put my flesh to death and how I can live to bring Your Kingdom to earth. Jesus please give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Thank you for today, Let your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
DAY TWO:
**Read Psalms 19+20**
Read Ephesians 2
Ephesians 2 explains further the transformation from a life before and after Christ. It talks about in the second verse:
Ephesians 2: 1
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.
What is death lacking? Life, peace, joy, hope, comfort, sustainment. When we live in the ways of the world it leads to death.
Ephesians 2:4-6
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”
It is by His^^ grace we have been saved. We can do nothing apart from Him^^. It can be easy for us to try and please our flesh by “doing” things to try and earn salvation when one of the most beautiful parts about Salvation is that it is free and there is nothing we could do in order to gain it. He^^ gave it to us as a free gift because of His^^ goodness and mercy. He^^ didn’t want to leave us dead to sin and the ways of the world.
Ephesians 2: 8-10
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:14-15
“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace.”
When we have Jesus we can then have peace to the center and the core of our being. It sometimes takes time in order to fully understand and be able to receive that peace however because of the bagage and our past lives or hurt it might take some time to fully receive His^^ peace. Sometimes we are so hurt inside and there is so much pain that has been covered that it takes processing it with the Lord in order to understand His^^ peace. Jesus brought together anyone and everyone who truly believed in Him^^. It didn’t matter what ethnic background you had, religion, what country you lived. If you repented and accepted Him^^ into your life then you were apart of His family. Later on in the chapter Jesus talks about what it means to be apart of His^^ family.
Ephesians 2:19-20
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
QUESTIONS:
How did you feel when you followed the ways of life before Jesus? What were some common feelings that you had? How have you experienced Jesus changing your life since you have said yes to Him^^? How do you feel knowing that you don’t have to work for salvation and that it is a free gift?
PRAYER:
Dear Father,
Thank you for your faithfulness and your endless love. Thank you so much for dying on the cross. I pray you will show me more and more of your heart. I pray for a stirring of your Holy Spirit and a spirit of wisdom and discernment. Jesus thank you that you have welcomed me into your family. Thank you that no matter what I am your beloved child. - In Jesus Holy and precious name Amen.
DAY THREE:
**Read Psalms 21+22**
Read Ephesians 3
Jesus had a beautiful plan to make Himself^^ known to all the people who follow Him^^. Ephesians 3 talks also about a prayer for the Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:7-8
“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ.”
When being a Christian we can now serve. Jesus came down to earth and He^^ served everyone who He^^ came in contact with. Christian means “Christ like” we are to serve and spread the Gospel for the rest of our lives. It is through His^^ power that people's hearts are moved and able to receive His^^ free gift of salvation. When we are able to be real with Him^^ and allow Him^^ into our hearts we are then able to understand more His^^ boundless riches.
Ephesians 3:16-17
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.
“Rooted and established in Love” We now rooted in His^^ patience, love, kindness, gentleness, peace. This is now the core and the roots in which we live our lives. We know that God Himself^^ is love. So we are to be rooted and established in Him^^ and Him^^ alone.
DAY FOUR:
**Read Psalms 23 + 24**
Read the chapter of Ephesians that stood out to you the most.
Ask the Lord why it stood out to you and what He^^ wants to teach you more about through it. There are so many lesson He^^ wants to teach us through every verse. When we have a heart in the position of wanting to learn more about Him^^ there are endless things He^^ will teach you. Just ask and read His^^ word and you will always learn something new. If you have any questions from this week’s reading on Ephesians let us know in the question box below. We would love to bring clarity to the questions of your heart. You’re not alone!
PRAYER:
Father,
Thank you that you are consistently teaching those who want to learn more about who you are. Jesus I ask that you will continue to help me keep my heart in a position as a child, hungry to learn more and more about who you are. I pray that you would refine my heart and give me more revelation. Jesus thank you for blessing me with _____________. I give you today let your will be done. -In Jesus name Amen
DAY FIVE + SIX + SEVEN:
**Read Psalms 25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 throughout the three days**
***For the rest of the week spend time in intentional prayer offering up people, situations, the future to Christ. Prayer is simple communication to Jesus. It doesn’t matter how good or bad you think you are at it. Just tell Him^^ what is on your heart. He^^ wants you to be open and honest with every situation every emotion, ever pain, every triumph. When you’re done praying you should feel a weight lifted off your shoulders. He^^ is faithful to hearing the prayers of His^^ children. Keep praying even if you feels weird or uncofortable. Anything new is going to be a little weird at first. Prayer silences the enemy and it is when we pray that we are surrendering our Kingship from our own hands unto His^^.