We have control over our prayer life, our relationship with Jesus.
Francis ChanRead
Following Jesus is not about diligently keeping a set of rules or conjuring up the moral fortitude to lead good lives. It's about loving God and enjoying Him
Interpretation
Following Jesus is centered on love and relationship rather than strict adherence to rules.
This quote emphasizes that true discipleship is not merely about observing religious laws or moral codes, but rather about cultivating a genuine love for God and experiencing joy in that relationship. It challenges the notion that faith can be reduced to a checklist of behaviors, highlighting the importance of connection and enjoyment in one's spiritual journey.
In practice
During a sermon about the true essence of following Jesus.
We have control over our prayer life, our relationship with Jesus.
A disciple is a disciple maker.
Don't fall into the trap of studying the Bible without doing what it says.
Our God listens to us. Our God is a living God. He's not a block of wood you made up that's not going to answer you. My God listens to me. He answers me.
...I don't have to worry about not meeting His expectations. God will ensure my success in accordance with His plan, not mine.
People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.
To pray is to dream in league with God, to envision His holy visions.
For Ragamuffins, God's name is Mercy. We see our darkness as a prized possession because it drives us into the heart of God. Without mercy our darkness would plunge us into despair - for some, self-destruction. Time alone with God reveals the unfathomable depths of the poverty of the spirit. We are so poor that even our poverty is not our own: It belongs to the mysterium tremendum of a loving God.
Keep your life in its constant contact with God that his surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left. Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as he likes.
Prayer might not change things, but it will change my perspective of things. Prayer might not change the past, but inevitably, it changes the present.
Lord Jesus, cause me to know in my daily experience the glory and sweetness of Thy name, and then teach me how to use it in my prayer, so that I may be a prince prevailing with God.
None of us feels the true love of God till we realize how wicked we are. But you can't teach people that - they have to learn by experience.
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