Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotional for today is provided by Doug Tritton.  Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary while working fulltime.  He is married to Cindy and they serve at Symphony Church in Boston.  (Also, they just became parents!  Congratulations!)

Devotional Thought for Today

John 17:9-11

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

When I was in college, I went on a summer missions trip to Uganda. While there, there was a time when I was feeling a little down, and I came across one of the notes a prayer partner wrote for me. While reading this note, I felt God tell me that there were people praying for me. This lifted my spirits greatly, and in that moment, I knew that there really was power in prayer. When people pray for you, you are changed. Prayer has power and it does make a difference.

Looking at this passage for today, we see that Jesus is praying for us. Isn’t that astonishing?! The Lord of the universe, the One who created everything, prays for us. He says He is praying for those whom the Father has given to Him, meaning those who believe in Him. And what does He ask in His prayer? He prays for us to be kept in the Father’s Name—basically, to be kept in faith.

As I said before, there is power in prayer and it does make a difference in our lives. And how much more when Jesus prays for us! In this passage when Jesus was praying, He knew us, He knew you; He knew who the Father would bring to Him. And He prayed for us to be kept in His name. How amazing is that! When you are feeling weak in your faith or unsure of your salvation, remember that Jesus prayed and is praying for you. He is interceding on your behalf because He wants you to remain in His Name. Let the prayer of Jesus give you strength in times of weakness!

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for being the One who intercedes for me. Without You, I would lose strength, lose heart, but I know You are the One holding me close. Help me to keep abiding in You, to not let go. Give me strength to keep running after You.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 12-13

 

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotional for today is provided by Doug Tritton.  Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary while working fulltime.  He is married to Cindy and they serve at Symphony Church in Boston.  (Also, they just became parents!  Congratulations!)

Devotional Thought for Today

John 17:1-3

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

How do I get to heaven? What is the secret to eternal life? What do I need to do!?

For many people seeking eternal life, their focus and attention is all wrong. They simply have a desire to live forever (i.e. not die), so they want to know the secret, the magic elixir. With this mindset, it’s like we are looking for the fountain of youth, thinking it is something we can attain once we know how. But eternal life is not about living forever, nor is it something that we simply can attain on our own.

This passage very clearly states what eternal life actually is. It’s not living forever, though that is a by-product of it, nor is it a fountain of youth that we can simply find—but eternal life is knowing God and His Son Jesus. Eternal life is about having a relationship with God through Jesus. Through this relationship we will live forever with Him, but the focus is not on us living forever; the focus is on being with Christ forever. He is our King who will reign in His Kingdom forever, and when we know Him, we enter into this eternal Kingdom.

Throughout the ages, people have been looking for the secret to everlasting life. Thankfully, the answer is not a secret; rather, it is good news to be shared with all people. Knowing Jesus Christ is eternal life and He wants to be known. Let’s dwell on Him and remember that our relationship with Him is the one thing that shall forever endure! And more than that, let’s make this good news known to all people!

Prayer

Jesus, thank You that You are eternal life. Thank You for making Yourself known to me. Without You, there is only death and despair, but with You, there is life—everlasting life! Help me to keep my focus on You, knowing You are the One constant, the One who will never change—neither in this life or the one to come!

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 11

Lunch Break Study 

Read 1 John 2:23-25: No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

Questions to Consider

1. What happens when we confess Jesus?
2. What is the promise that God makes to us?
3. How can you abide in Jesus?

Notes

1. When we confess Jesus, we receive the Father, for Jesus is the only way to the Father (see John 14:6). Without knowing Jesus, we cannot know God, because God has made Himself known to us through Jesus. That is why knowing Jesus is necessary!
2. Eternal life is the promise of God to us. Romans 6:23 tells us that eternal life is the gift of God in Christ. As we read in John earlier, Jesus is eternal life, so Jesus is the gift of God the Father to us, and He is the promise of God. Jesus is the One promised since the very beginning!
3. Usually abiding means “to live or dwell” in something, so to abide in Jesus is to live in Him, to make your whole life about Him. As you abide in Jesus, you are abiding in eternal life now. People often think of eternal life as something experienced after death, but in reality, we abide in eternal life now as we abide in Jesus.

Evening Reflection  

Reflect on Jesus being eternal life, that by having a relationship with Him right now, you are living eternal life right now. Let the peace of that reality give you rest tonight.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotional for today is provided by Doug Tritton.  Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary while working fulltime.  He is married to Cindy and they serve at Symphony Church in Boston.  (Also, they just became parents!  Congratulations!)

Devotional Thought for Today

John 16:33

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

There will be many, many times in life when we will feel overwhelmed. Right now, with a new baby plus work and seminary, I have been feeling quite overwhelmed at times. So how do we cope when we feel like this? How can we persevere through these feelings of just being in over our heads?

Jesus was one who should have been very overwhelmed. He had a rigorous preaching calendar, traveling from town to town to teach in various synagogues; plus, He was being called on constantly to heal people afflicted with various maladies. And through it all, He stayed focused on His primary mission—to go to the cross and die. Certainly that seems like an overwhelming life!

In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples for the last time the night before the crucifixion. They are worried, and rightly so, since Jesus just told them that He is leaving them! What are they to do? And what are we to do?

Jesus says, “Take heart.” How do we take heart? We know that He overcame the world; this means that we likewise can overcome the world through Him, through His victory. When those feelings of being overwhelmed fill our minds, we can find hope and peace through the One who overcame it all. He overcame so that we can overcome. Let’s trust in Him, our overcoming Savior!

Prayer

Lord, thank You for overcoming the world. I know the battle is already won and You are victorious. Help me to stand in Your victory and not let the world overwhelm me. Let Your strength be given to me so that I may persevere through the tribulations this world throws at me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 10

Lunch Break Study 

Read 1 John 5:4-5: For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Questions to Consider

1. Who overcomes the world?
2. Why is faith the victory that overcame the world?
3. In what ways are you lacking faith that Jesus can overcome the tribulations in your life?

Notes

1. Those who have been born of God overcome the world. The passage then clarifies this by saying that the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world. So we can see that believing in Jesus causes us to be born of God and thus enables us to overcome the world.
2. Jesus is the victorious one. Through Jesus’ victory, faith is possible. Thus, faith is the victory that enables us to take part in this overcoming victory that Jesus accomplished. Overcoming the world is only possible through faith in Jesus, the One who overcame for us!
3. Take time to reflect on this question. Is Jesus your victory in every area of your life, or only some areas? Jesus’ victory is meant to be experienced in every sphere of our lives.

Evening Reflection  

Take time to reflect on the victory Jesus accomplished on the cross and through His resurrection. Now reflect on the tribulations you may be facing in your life, the things causing you to feel overwhelmed. Ask Jesus to help you to be victorious in those areas you are feeling overwhelmed.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotional for today is provided by Doug Tritton.  Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary while working fulltime.  He is married to Cindy and they serve at Symphony Church in Boston.  (Also, they just became parents!  Congratulations!)

Devotional Thought for Today

John 16:12-15

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

I’m a terrible multitasker; if someone tries to speak to me while I am doing something, I often will not hear that person. I know it can be frustrating for others when they are trying to get my attention and I am completely oblivious. The problem is that when I am doing something else, I am unable to listen.

This passage is very clear – the Holy Spirit will speak to us. As this passage says, the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth.” We talked about yesterday how Jesus left so that we could have the Spirit; and now with the Spirit in us, we can hear God directly—whenever. We are not dependent on the earthly Jesus to be near us to hear God as the disciples were while Jesus was on earth; rather, with the Spirit in us, we can hear God anytime, anyplace.

But many times, I hear people ask, “Why can I not hear the voice of God?” A common response is: “Are you listening?” Often we raise our fists up at God, yelling at Him for not speaking to us, but we are not even opening our ears to Him. If we do not listen, how can we hear? And how do we listen? We make time for real relationship with God in our lives, cultivating real intimacy so that hearing from God becomes a normal part of our relationship with Him.

God always has many things to say to us. He wants to be involved in our lives. But when we do not make space for Him in our lives, we miss out on all that God wants to say and do. How can we make space for Him? Well, praying and reading the Word are certainly great starts.  If we are not even doing those on a regular basis, we should not expect to hear from God. But as we draw near to Him daily, as our intimacy with Him grows, we will hear Him and our relationship with Him with flourish.

So today, let’s make space for God to speak. Let’s build our relationship with Him and open our ears. Jesus said to His disciples, “I still have many things to say to you.”  And I believe He still has many things to say to us.

Prayer

Lord, give us ears to hear You. So often the noise and distraction of this world drowns out Your voice in our lives, but help us to quiet our hearts, draw near to You, and listen. Remove the distractions so that You become the center of our lives.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 9

Lunch Break Study 

Read John 8:47 & 10:27: Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Questions to Consider

1. Who hears the words of God?
2. Who hears Jesus’ voice? What is the result of hearing His voice?
3. How can you hear God’s voice in your life?

Notes

1. This passage is very clear that whoever is of God hears the words of God. To not hear them means we are not of God. This verse is very black-and-white about this. Though it’s challenging, it should cause us to check our relationship with God; if we are not hearing from God, there may be something distracting us in our relationship with Him.
2. This verse tells us that Jesus’ sheep, or His followers, hear His voice. Being a follower of Jesus means we will recognize His voice as He speaks to us through His Spirit. And as we hear, we will follow Him – that is the natural result of hearing His voice.
3. These verses show us that those who are of God, who are in Jesus’ flock, hear His voice. Thus, we hear God by being His people. This comes through relationship with Him. Cultivate your relationship with God and you will hear His voice.

Evening Reflection  

Spend time trying to listen to God. Do not just bring your requests, but bring just yourself. Rest in His presence and listen for His voice. As we read earlier, Jesus’ sheep hear His voice, so acknowledge that you belong to Him and open your heart and mind to Him.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotional for today is provided by Doug Tritton.  Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary while working fulltime.  He is married to Cindy and they serve at Symphony Church in Boston.  (Also, they just became parents!  Congratulations!)

Devotional Thought for Today

John 16:5-7

But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

One may become quite dismayed by these verses. Jesus, who had been leading His disciples for a few years at this point, tells them that it is to their advantage that He leaves. Whaaaat? To their advantage? That may seem like LeBron James saying to the Cavs that it’s to their advantage that he leave, yet what would the Cavs be without him? And what would the disciples be without Jesus? How could Jesus say that it’s to their advantage that He leaves? Many of us may think, if only Jesus were still around, living this life of faith would be so easy.

But what does Jesus say? He says, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” The Helper, the Holy Spirit, was the promise of Christ to His disciples, and more than that, the Spirit was the promise of God to all His people from long ago. Joel 2:28 says, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” And in order for this promise to be fulfilled, Jesus needs to die and be resurrected. Only then can the Spirit be poured out on all flesh.

Above, I posed this question, “What would the disciples be without Jesus?” And thanks to the book of Acts, we have an answer to that. While the Cavs likely would not be a championship team without LeBron, the disciples became a transformed people after Jesus left. When the Spirit came upon them, they suddenly became mouthpieces for the Kingdom, bringing the good news of Jesus from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And just like the disciples, the Spirit falls on us when we believe in Jesus. So the next time you say to yourself, “If only Jesus were still around, life would be much easier,” remind yourself that you have the Spirit of Christ living inside of you, and this Spirit will enable you to do the “greater works” that Jesus promised in John 14:12.

Prayer

Lord, fill me again with Your Spirit. Sometimes I forget that Your Spirit is within me, but remind me again that You live in me; and if you live in me, Your strength will always be with me. Thank You for Your Spirit; help me to live in the power of the Spirit each moment.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 8

Lunch Break Study 

Read Joel 2:28-30a: And it shall come to pass afterward,

   that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

   your old men shall dream dreams,

   and your young men shall see visions.

Even on the male and female servants

   in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Questions to Consider

1. Who is the promise of the Holy Spirit for?
2. How does receiving the Spirit affect our lives?
3. How do we receive the Spirit in our lives?

Notes

1. All flesh, meaning all people! The passage calls out sons and daughters, old and young men, male and female servants to emphasize that this promise is really for everyone – not just the Spiritual elite, the ones in power, or the ones who seem to be the most well-to-do. No, the promise of the Spirit is for all people who believe.
2. With the Spirit, we receive the power of God in our lives. Never before Pentecost had the people of God received the Spirit in such an enduring way. Previously, the Spirit was temporary, coming upon God’s people at specific times. But now, through Jesus, the Spirit is always with us so that we may prophesy, dream dreams, see visions, and ultimately live in the power of God.
3. The passage tells us that when we call upon the name of the Lord, we shall be saved. And more than that, when we are saved, we receive the Spirit. So call upon God and He will listen! Cry out for His Spirit because He delights to pour His Spirit upon us!

Evening Reflection  

Ask again for God to fill you with His Spirit. Though we know the Spirit is always with us, the filling of the Spirit is something we need day after day. So ask again for more of the Spirit so that tomorrow you may continue to live in His power.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotional for today is provided by Doug Tritton.  Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary while working fulltime.  He is married to Cindy and they serve at Symphony Church in Boston.  (Also, they just became parents!  Congratulations!)

Devotional Thought for Today

John 16:1-4

I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

What would cause you to fall away from the faith? That may seem like an unanswerable question to many of you, but sometimes it is good for us to ask ourselves that. Are there holes in your faith? Blind spots you’ve been ignoring? Any lack of trust? Do I really trust Jesus with my entire life?

For the early church, the threat of persecution and even death were common reasons for people to fall away from the faith. Maybe those are not real threats in our lives today, but there are other threats bombarding us day after day – the media, culture, and maybe even family – things that could be opposed to God and pull us away from Him. It’s hard to go through a single day without being reminded that this world is in many ways opposed to God.

How do we stand up against such hostility in this world? Well, this passage has the answer for us! Jesus says, “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.” The Word of God! We can withstand the pressures and hostility of the world by guarding our hearts in God’s Word. In His Word, we see promise after promise of His faithfulness to us, a faithfulness that is impenetrable by this world. Today, let’s feast our hearts on God’s Word, on His promises of love and faithfulness towards us, so that when we do face hostility, those threats will seem nothing in comparison to God’s great love for us.

Prayer

Lord, help me to trust in Your promises. This world often distracts me, causing me to turn my eyes from You, but help me to keep my eyes fixed on You this day, knowing that You are always faithful to me, so that I may withstand the hostility of the world. Give me strength this day to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 7

Lunch Break Study 

Read Isaiah 43:1-3a: But now thus says the Lord,

he who created you, O Jacob,

    he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

    I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

    and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Questions to Consider

1. Why does God say we should not fear?
2. Where and when will God be with us?
3. How can we face the trials of this life?

Notes

1. In this passage, God tells His people to not fear because He has redeemed us; and more than that, He has called us by name, and He has called us His own. We belong to God, and since as, this passage says, He is our creator, we know that He can protect us.
2. If we belong to God, He is always with us – anytime and anywhere. This passage highlights that when go through trials – through water, rivers, fire, or flame – He will be with us. There is a special way in which trials help us to know God’s sweet and enduring presence in our lives, even though His presence is always with us regardless of whether we are in a season of trial or not.
3. The Lord, the Holy One, is our Savior. Reflect on that a bit. If the Lord of everything is with us, then there is no trial that can ever be too difficult for us. So how do we face trials in this life? We remember God’s promise that He is always with us, through it all!

Evening Reflection  

Tonight, reflect on God’s promise that He is always with you. Perhaps you are going through some trial or difficult season; give space for God to speak to you and remind you that He is with you, and He will see you through this trial.

Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Kate Moon, who is currently serving in E. Asia.

Devotional Thought for Today

John 15:18-27

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you . . . 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well . . .  26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”

John 16:8-9

 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me;

In a world that is hostile to their cause, Jesus tells His disciples that they must testify about Him.  The Holy Spirit would testify, but they, too, were to testify.  Below is the story of someone who decided to receive Christ about a month ago as she moves from being resistant to the gospel to embracing and in the end even proclaiming it.  May it encourage us to keep pointing people to God, even in a hostile world, today.

I always believed in destiny, that is, that everything was planned out without your realizing it – what kind of people you would meet and what kind of things you might do. Once I passed by a church and suddenly had a strong desire to go into it and see its magnificence first-hand. I went inside, sang the songs with a sincere heart, and for a long time afterwards the melody of those songs would not fade from my mind. At that time I basically knew nothing about Christianity.

The very first time I heard about God and the Bible was at English Corner.  The topic, “Which book has influenced you most?” came up, and two Christians shared about the Bible.  Because of the philosophy I had been taught since I was young, I at first felt offended by things like God and Christianity. It turned my ideology and values upside down. Another time we talked about, “Can people actually feel satisfied and fulfilled?” My answer was, “No, because I have never felt fully fulfilled in my life.” Many people agreed with me, but to my surprise, all the Christians present said unanimously, “I felt fulfilled the moment I received Jesus Christ.” This made me start to think, “What am I pursuing exactly?  What can actually make me feel fulfilled? Why am I living in this world and what makes me different from the grass or flowers?”  Ultimately I realized that all my current knowledge failed to give answers to these questions.

Gradually I started to read the Bible and listened to others’ reflections and testimonies, and then one day I became a Christian. It’s not like everything has suddenly become so clear, but I feel at least a door has opened to me, leading me in a certain direction. A brand-new beginning started for me when what Jesus did for me on the cross washed away all my sins.  I now live to worship and serve Him, helping more and more people receive redemption through Him.  I know that I am deeply loved by Him and will never worry that this love will vanish because He is an unfailing God!

~translation provided by E. Liu

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to testify even as You testify today.  You are already working in the hearts of people in this world; I want to join in that work.  Open my eyes to the opportunities and empower my testimony today.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 6

Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Jasmin Izumikawa who attends the Church of Southland.

Devotional Thought for Today

John 15:9-15:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

“Abide in my love.”

When summer was in full glory and my garden was in full bloom, I had tomatoes dripping off the vines and enough basil to make buckets of fresh pesto; however, I wasn’t satisfied until the day I placed a birdbath in the garden. This element completed the garden dream that I had so longed for. In no time at all, there were fluttering of wings, the sound of twittering and splashing, and birds of all shapes, sizes and color bathing and drinking water. Who knew that such a simple thing as this could bring so much joy to me and my family?

When Jesus said, “Abide in my love . . . keep my commandments . . . that my joy may be in you,” I can imagine how His joy would overflow when we would draw near to Him and to one another. The quality of this joy would be fulfilling, restoring, and satisfying, always brimming freshly for us.

Loving others is not always easy to do; it means sacrificing our time, energy, and resources when we show love to others. The amazing part is that we don’t walk away empty-handed. There is a promise in this verse: “that my joy may be in you.” We are promised joy–abundant joy, “joy in full” when we love others. While it may feel like a huge sacrifice to set aside our own worries and frustrations in order to comfort someone else, or to humble ourselves and ask someone for forgiveness, or to offer our time, energy, and resources to others, the LORD delights in the moments that we show love and sacrifice to one another because God is love.

Let’s refresh ourselves with new joy again and seek opportunities to love those who are difficult to love and show kindness to at the moment.

Prayer:  LORD, thank you for showing us how to love You and how to love others. I want the joy You speak of so desperately. Help me to genuinely love the people You placed in my life. I want to abide in Your love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 4-5

Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI Quiet Time is provided by Kate Moon, who is currently serving in E. Asia.

Devotional Thought for Today

John 15:7-8:

 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Mark 10:51-52

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.  The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, ‘Your faith has healed you.”  Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Many of us know all too well from our everyday experience that God does not always just grant us what we wish.  When we petition God, there is a condition to Him answering our prayers with a “yes”: that our hearts are aligned with His will (v. 7).

But what is God’s will?  When we ask for healing, we tag on, “if it is your will,” not always as an expression of humble submission but sometimes as one of just plain uncertainty.  Because we’ve experienced God’s “no’s,” we’ve become not really sure what we are asking is His will after all, and our prayers lack boldness and confidence.

Yet this lack of confidence is the exact opposite of the intent of this verse.  Why did Jesus say these words?  His main point was wanting to expand the scope of His disciples’ asking (“whatever you wish”) rather than limit it.  He was not saying these words out of a fear that His disciples would take Him for granted.  He wanted them to be bold in asking.

Though He was not presenting Himself as a genie, this was still the Jesus with the servant heart who asked the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51). When the blind man says he wants to see, Jesus does for him what he wishes because it ends up being to his Father’s glory; this was the fruitfulness His Father desired of Him.

In trying so hard not to misapply this verse (John 15:7) out of a fear of wrong motives, we can lose the sense of empowerment that it was meant to give.  Are we trying to obey God’s commands?  Love God and love people?  Then we can ask whatever we wish.  We do not presume that the answer to our prayers will always be a “yes,” but let’s be bold in asking!

Prayer:  God, as I look at the world around me today, there is so much that I wish for.  I wish people could see You for who You really are.  I wish they would be healed and set free.  I wish for wisdom and love to speak Your words of life into their hearts.  Hear my prayer.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 3

Lunch Break Study 

Read 1 Kings 3:3-12:Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 6 Solomon answered . . . 8 “Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.  9 So give your servant a discerning a heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.  For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him . . . 12 ”I will do what you have asked.  I will give you a wise and discerning heart . . .”

James 1:5: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Questions to Consider

1. When Solomon offered sacrifices at Gibeon, was he walking according to the statues of his father David (vv. 3-4)?
2. How does God respond (vv. 5, 12)?
3. Considering the two observations above: what principle can we draw from this passage? How does this passage teach me to approach God?

Notes

1. No, which meant that he was not worshipping God in the way that God had prescribed. He was not exactly in the center of God’s will.
2. He still meets Solomon and grants his request. It wasn’t that it didn’t matter that Solomon was not worshipping God where he was supposed to, or the Bible would not have mentioned it (v. 3). But there was this grace.
3. God responds to us, even when we don’t get everything exactly right. It does not mean we can have a casual attitude toward obeying His commands, but there is this grace; and He gives us credit for what we do get right.  We can approach God trusting and believing in His grace.

Evening Reflection  

What happened today when I asked God for whatever I wished?  Whether He immediately granted my request today or not, how did my obeying His command to ask Him freely impact my relationship with Him today?

Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI Quiet Time is provided by Kate Moon, who is currently serving in E. Asia.

Devotional Thought for Today

John 14:16-17, 25-27

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you . . . 25 All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Recently, I have been feeling an increased sense of responsibility and with it, the often accompanying feeling of being overwhelmed. Because of the particular journey through which I’ve ended up where I am now (overseeing a small house church in Asia), I’d often felt a sense of not having the right background for this work, wishing I’d had more training, etc. Before I came out here 14 years ago, I had learned much from being a member of and serving our church in NYC, but things were, of course, different out here; there were challenges I had never faced or even imagined before.

As different people prayed over me over the years, one running theme had been the affirmation that I had indeed been equipped with all that I needed for the work at hand. The prayers strengthened me in the moment, but when I came back to face the reality of what I needed to do each day, I would forget and come to doubt once again. What I didn’t realize was that I had been associating “equipping” with experience – what I had already learned, the skills I already had under my belt – but when I did, each time I faced an unfamiliar challenge, I would think that I hadn’t been equipped to meet it.

The truth was, however, that my equipping was not only my past experience but His Holy Spirit dwelling in me who would “teach [me] all things” (v. 26)—“teaching” implying that He would help me with what I didn’t already know, “all” including situations I had not previously faced. I began to make a list of all the situations I didn’t know how to handle but wished the Holy Spirit would teach me to handle, and as I presented them to Him, the peace came (v. 27).

What is on your wish list today? Something you are feeling at a loss about? A situation where you wish you knew what to do? Take heart – there is a Wonderful Counselor living in you who has been sent to be with you to teach you all things.

Prayer: Lord, I give every “I don’t know what to do” to you at this moment – would You teach me Your ways in all things? You are alive in me, so help me to walk closely with and depend on You this day.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 2

Lunch Break Study 

Read John 14:23-26: Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Jeremiah 31:33: “. . . I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts . . .”

Questions to Consider

1. In addition to teaching us all things, what is the other role of the Holy Spirit mentioned in verse 26?
2. In what other words is “everything I have said to you” (v. 26) described throughout this passage (vv. 23-25)?
3. What is the main idea Jesus is trying to convey in this passage (i.e., what is the context in which His promise of the Holy Spirit is given)? When we seek the Holy Spirit, what do we usually seek Him for?

Notes

1.  Reminding Jesus’ disciples of all the things He had said to them.
2. “All this I have spoken” (v. 25), which refers back to “my teaching” (vv. 23-24) and “these words you hear are not my own” (v. 24).
3. He is urging His disciples to obey His teaching. He promises the Holy Spirit who will help them remember His teaching so that they can obey it. We may seek the Holy Spirit for power or for comfort, but how often do we seek Him to remind us of Jesus’ teaching so that we can obey?

Evening Reflection  

How was my fellowship with the Holy Spirit throughout this day? What did He teach me? What teaching of Jesus did He remind me of, and did I obey?