Friday, October 11, 2024:
Discipling in Joy (morning)
Colossians 1:11 ESV
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Pondering Point
With the Colossians, Paul is praying that followers of Jesus learn to handle life not in one’s own strength, but in the strength that God gives. His strength is a might that comes with glory and joy. Tuning into God rather than turning into ourselves is a much better plan, according to Paul.
From the book Joyful Journey:
From Synchronizing our brain with God, Step two: This step is focused on perceiving the fact that God hears all our thoughts. He is allowing us to experience being truly listened to instead of having us experience correction or teaching. In order to stay relationally connected, we must experience being heard.
~ Wilder, Kang, Loppnow, Loppnow, Joyful Journey, page 39.
Pray aloud
Lord Jesus, May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Five Minutes
Use your GO TO JOYS and ANTICIPATED JOYS to fill a 5-minute window. Remember: use an alarm. If necessary, review the explanation.
Read the identity in Christ
statement aloud
In Christ, I May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Closing Prayer
Close with thanks to God for these moments together.
Ask Him to bless the upcoming day, then…
GO – in JOY, with JOY anticipating JOY
“Most of us know there is a gap between the level of joy we experience and the level of joy we desire. The good news is there are exercises included in this book that have a proven track record of helping people grow their joy.”
~ page 178, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey
Friday, October 11, 2024:
Sometime During Your Day
Level 3: Savoring joys of the past.
Journal Prompt:
Joy memory related to summer time.
Key Words:
Pondering Point
With Thought Rhyming as Immanuel Journaling:
Take a joy or two from today (or your list) and envision God responding with one or two sentence “thoughts” in the following areas: I see you, hear you, understand you, am glad to be with you, and I can do something about your situation.
Listening to Jesus...
It is Our desire to strengthen you with Our mighty power so that you don’t have to do things according to your own strength. We can help you live with joy as you learn endurance and patience under our Spirit’s leadership. Lean into your fellow disciples as well. That has been Our plan from the beginning.
DISCIPLE’S PRAYER
based on 2 Thessalonians 1:3,11,12
Adopted & Adapted for others
to grow in faith, love and calling from God
Father God, thank You for my brothers and sisters ________ (list them now). It is good to see their faith in You growing and their love for others increasing right along with it. I know that walking out the Christian faith produces trials that require endurance and perseverance. With this in mind, I pray Lord God that You would provide them with everything required to live out their calling well, including an outpouring of Your power to bring to fruition their every desire for goodness and every deed prompted by faith. May the name of our Lord Jesus be glorified in them, and they be glorified in Him according to the grace that comes only through You Father and Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Discipling in Joy (evening)
Friday, October 11, 2024
Colossians 1:11
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Pondering Point
Although the verse that follows is not one specifically about joy, it is related to its cousin peace, the healthy low-energy companion to joy. It also connects well with a joy related to patience and endurance.
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
~ Jesus
Pray aloud
Thank You, God, for the strength provided to get through the day. Deepen my endurance and patience with joy, especially when I get weary and feel burdened. Help me take Jesus’ yoke upon you and learn from Him and find rest for my soul.
Review
Scour the day for ANTICIPATED or SURPRISE JOYS. You are training your brain to look for joy. This builds the habit. Recall the body sensations and emotion.
This solidifies the habit. Remember: use an alarm
Read the identity in Jesus
statement aloud
In Jesus, we are strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, and enabled to endure and be patient with God-inspired joy.
Evening Prayer
Thank God for blessing the day, ask for peaceful rest, then GO to sleep – in grateful JOY, anticipating new JOY tomorrow under His grace.
Benevolent Detachment
Remember Wild at Heart’s daily pause activity defined as Benevolent Detachment.
Click here if you need a reminder about this activity.
Benevolent Detachment Prayer
I give everyone and everything to You God;
I give everyone and everything to You.