Reset: Day 20 - Living Hope Clarksville

Day 20
GROW

Reminder: This is a marathon, not a sprint. The Holy Spirit is eager to help you endure all the way to the end. You have grace for the race!

Today marks the fulfillment of your 20/20 resolve to pray 20 minutes a day for 20 days. Marvelous! The hardest part—starting—is behind you. Before you is the glorious adventure of growing in Christ all your days.

During this Reset, you reviewed the foundation stones upon which a prayer life is built. What was the most meaningful moment for you in these 20 days? Write it down here as a memorial.

What victory did you experience during these days that gives you the confidence the Lord will continue to lead you forward in triumph? Write it as a reminder to yourself.

We want to grow in Christ. We all start off as spiritual infants but no one wants to stay that way. Healthy babies keep growing. Our resolve to grow in prayer is sobered by this warning from Jesus:

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matt 24:12)

We live in the day of which Jesus spoke. The world is forsaking the law of God and as a consequence the devotion of many is growing cold.

PRAY. Call on the name of the Lord. Express your longing for spiritual health. Ask Him to enable your love for Christ to grow more and more fervent in this evil generation.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Pet 3:18)

Peter turned Jesus’ warning into a positive exhortation:

PRAY. Lord, how can I keep growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ?

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (Ps 92:12)

Take a few moments to meditate in the following verse, and believe the promise expressed here:

Trees grow slowly and steadily all their days. May this grace to grow be yours!

When it comes to your prayer life, ask the Lord to help you grow in at least three ways:

✦ Grow in the love of Christ. This Reset isn’t about discipline, determination, and checking off boxes; it’s about growing in fervent love for the crucified Savior. We want a softened heart that moves with tender affection when we gaze on His glory in the word. It’s all about longing and desire. This is why we pray!

✦ Grow in #PrayReading the Scriptures, and in the breadth of your word immersion. Do you want to get to the place where you’re reading through the Bible annually?

✦ Grow in the amount of time you devote daily to your secret place. The point may come when 20 minutes a day will no longer satisfy.

Do you want prayer to infuse all of life? Then I suggest offering 20-second prayers randomly and spontaneously throughout each day. While you’re driving or walking, for example, a 20-second conversation with Jesus can cause your affection for Him to brim all over again. 20-second visits with your Beloved throughout the day will increase your awareness of His presence.

You might ask, Bob, can you recommend any resources to help me grow more in prayer? Yes. For your next step, I suggest reading Secrets of the Secret Place. I wrote it precisely for where you’re at right now, and it has a track record of helping many people. If you read it prayerfully, it will put fresh fire on the altar of your heart and fuel your desire to pray more.

You have launched into the glorious adventure of an intimate, communing relationship with Jesus Christ. May the word of Christ dwell in you richly, and may you abound in every good work!

Resources for growing in prayer:

◆            Secrets of the Secret Place, by Bob Sorge.
◆            Growing in Prayer, by Mike Bickle.
◆            Stay connected at PrayerReset.com

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