Welcome to Day 7. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on John 14:4.
Read John 14:4.
Let's have a quick bible study on John 14. It will give you the context to the verse that we are contemplating today. Jesus had just been telling the disciples He was going away and that they would not yet be able to follow Him. So this naturally led the disciples to discuss with Jesus where He was going and what He would be doing there. The disciples had spent 3 years following Jesus. He was their rabbi.
Do you know what a rabbi is?
A rabbi is a teacher of Judaism. The word itself literally translates from Hebrew to “my teacher” or “my master.” It was a prestigious position. It was an incredible honor to be invited by a rabbi to study under his guidance. This invitation meant that the student had unlimited access to the rabbi. It also meant that the student lived alongside the rabbi, learning how to become a disciple. Disciples went everywhere that their rabbi went. They slept where their rabbi slept and ate what their rabbi ate.
Now the disciple's beloved rabbi is going away and they are troubled. How can they follow Him?
Jesus tells them that they already know the way. They are followers of Jesus. To know Jesus is to know God and to be able to dwell in God's presence forevermore is to know Jesus and how His finished work on the cross bought the disciples redemption and ours.
John 14:6.
The disciples eventually realized that Jesus was more than a rabbi, their teacher. They came to realize that He was the promised messiah and that they were going to help establish His kingdom.
Join me below for a short devotional about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Do you know the way of John 14:4?
Are you a follower of the way?
Short Devotional
What does it look like to be a follower of the way? Or, what does it mean to follow Jesus?
Many people think there are many ways to God and they search for truth in different places. However, the truth is that there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ.
Follower Of The Way
If you know Jesus as your savior, you are called a follower of Jesus. You comprehend that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. So now you are on an exciting journey as a disciple of Jesus! You will never stop learning about God and His plans for your life. You will be like the disciples were during the time of Jesus walking on the earth.
Romans 10:9.
Tips On Being A Disciple
The goal of Christian living is to bring everything in our lives into a relationship with God.
That means we aren't just a Christian on a Sunday but we learn to be true followers of Christ throughout the week when we are at home, work, or out in the community.
Make God the center of your life.
Follow Jesus not the world.
Live alongside your Rabbi, learning how to become His disciple. When you go about your day constantly thinking about God and inviting Him into every area of your life, you are not only becoming a modern-day disciple but you are practicing the presence of God.
Surrender
Surrender every area of your life to God and invite Him into your decision-making. Ask God to fill your heart with His perfect plans for your life and to fill you with His wisdom and discernment. Let God be your Potter. Let Him fashion and shape you into the person that He has created you to be and then you will reflect signs of God's presence in your life.
Make Disciples Of All Nations
The disciples of Jesus' time were commanded to go and make disciples. Being a follower of Jesus means we are called to make disciples of all nations. We are witnesses of God's presence in our world and we are commanded to tell it about Him.
Matthew 28:19-20.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Throughout your day practice the presence of God. Wake up early and start your day with Him. Your day will go much smoother when you do. You will have God's perspective on everything and that can take some of the stress out of it!
I have created a free printable with 31 scriptures on Practicing The Presence Of God, a guided prayer journal to help you go deeper with our verse today and to help you unpack what God is saying to you through it.
Today's devotional is based on John14:4 which is from our Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures Plan. You will find a free printable PDF of 31 scriptures about God's presence in the Resource Library. It has a bible reading plan, guided prayer, and gratitude journal. Download this free printable or grab a notebook.
What is God saying to you through this verse?
What burdens do you need to surrender to God and trust Him with?
Write out your prayer request.
What are you grateful for today? Count your blessings!
Write out the scripture verse, it helps you to memorize the scripture and store up God's truth in your heart. Then in the last section of the prayer journal, there is space to record what God is speaking to you through our bible verse today, John 14:4.
Scripture Prayer
We are called to pray without ceasing. That means we can talk with God at any time and in any place. This is a great way to practice the presence of God. Praying scripture is a powerful way to pray so join me in praying John 14:4.
Thank you Father for sending Jesus to die on the cross, so that I can come into your presence all the time. Help me to be an eager disciple, surrendering my plans to You and allowing You to fill my heart with Your God-ordained plans for me that You planned even before I was formed in my mother's womb! Fill me with Your courage as I go out into the world and proudly proclaim that I am a follower of Jesus. Amen.
Related Resources:
You will find Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures HERE. It will have the list of 31 Bible verses that we are using for 31 days that our short powerful daily devotionals are based on.
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xx Karen.