I love to hike through forests, across mountain tundra, and along crystal-clear bubbling streams. A highlight of this past summer was my hike (and mild climb) to the summit of Byers Peak outside of Fraser, Colorado. The air was crisp, the snow was white, and the sun was bright. A picture-perfect, beautiful day for time on a well-worn trail!
But I would never begin a hike up a mountain without two guides: A map and a trail. In the mountainous, treacherous, and exciting trek of life, God provides two essential guides for His children.
Photo on the hike up Byers Peak
PRAYER and WORD
Without question, the two most vital ways for us to engage with and immerse in God’s grace are His Holy Word and Prayer. We’re soon embarking on a journey into 2023. Let’s pause to consider these two means of growth in Christ’s unmerited favor and kindness.
On Prayer
As Peter Deyneka, the founder of the Slavic Gospel Association, often remarked, “No prayer, no power. Little prayer, little power. Much prayer, much power!” James the apostle wrote a short, power-packed letter that closes with a call to persevering prayer (James 5:13-20). He gives us at least 6 reasons why we should pray:
- Prayer changes our perspective (1:5; 5:13)
- Prayer leads to praise (5:13b; cf. Acts 16:22-26; 1 Thess. 5:16-18)
- Prayer restores the sick (5:14-15)
- Prayer demonstrates our faith (5:15a)
- Prayer results in forgiveness (5:15b-16a)
- Prayer unleashes God’s power (5:16b-18; cf. 1 Kings 8:37-42)
On the Word
Let’s believe afresh today that God’s Word is the steadfast, trustworthy light for our path. Our world is filled with a slurry of voices all trying to demand our attention and devotion. The voices come from all angles in our culture: social media, movie and TV-streaming services, internet ads, billboards, convincing friends, and more. But we follow God’s Word as our perfect guide for His design in every circumstance of life (check out Psa. 19:7-9, 119:9-11, 105-107; Isa. 40:8; Jn. 17:17; Acts 20:32; Eph. 6:17; 1 Pet. 1:24-25; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Tit. 1:2-3). Pastor Phil Thompson wrote this past Monday about the discouragement that some of us encounter through our failed attempts at reading straight-through the Bible in a year. His brief article includes inspiring, new approaches for diving into the water of the Word in the New Year. He writes:
“Time and again, I’d attempt the one-year journey only to find my bookmark stuck at the beginning of Leviticus when the Christmas tree was coming back out again. For a few years, I battled discouragement and frustration.But thankfully, the past decade has been a process of reengaging with Scripture and the God of Scripture—and meeting a lot of dear friends who are on the same journey. Here are four redefining elements of my Bible study over the past decade that have restored both my joy in and practice of yearly Bible reading.”
- Click HERE to access his article and the links/options for Bible reading: “Help! I Failed My Year-Long Bible Reading Plan”
- Here’s another resource: an interactive PDF for reading through the Bible. The title is humorous, too. “Bible Reading Program for Shirkers and Slackers”: CLICK HERE
God Provides
God, in the riches of His kindness lavished on us, provides all we need to walk in the steps of His Son. Our flourishing in Christ is not without a hiccups, trip-ups, and questions. But the Father, Son, and Spirit are perfectly united in their redirecting, correcting, and guiding love over us.
Today and on into the New Year, let’s continue diving daily into the waves of God’s grace through the Word and prayer. Each immersion into God’s resources increasingly conforms us into the likeness of Christ.
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn [first in rank and honor] among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29)
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Michael
