SEPTEMBER 17
Hey friend!
Today is a good day! Sometimes you need to remind your soul. One of the big mysteries of life is how much disparity I experience in my initial mood of the day. Sleep certainly helps, but there are some days I just wake up in a bad mood. Can anyone relate?
It’s good to have a few verses in your mind that you can fight a bad mood. One of my favorites is Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Today is the day the Lord has made! I will command my soul to rejoice – even if I don’t feel it.
Maybe today, it’s hard for you to rejoice. Sometimes life’s circumstances really pull us away from joy. This is why you need some reasons to rejoice that are not based upon your circumstances.
Paul gives us a good reason to rejoice in today’s prayer – Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT):
“I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will go down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
There are so many voices in my head that speak against the truth in these verses. Even when I know the voices are lying, they still affect me. These voices speak death. They tell me I should quit. They tell me that I should be further along in my journey. They tell me that I am not good enough. These voices are all lies straight from the pit of HELL!
I need the voice of LOVE spoken over me. And you do, too!
I’m certain that Paul had the same battles, and the people in his churches faced the same struggles we do. I believe this is why Paul prays for us to “experience the love of Christ.”
Sometimes you need an experience, not just more knowledge.
You can tell me God loves me, but until I experience it deep in my soul, I am not changed.
Nothing will change you and the people around you like encountering love. Love that is not based upon performance or perfection. The love of Jesus displayed on a cross for you to make you right with God.
Let’s ask Him to help us experience that love today.
You might pray something like this…
“Father, we pray that you would help us experience the love of Christ today. Thank you that His love represents your love. Thank you for the fact that your love is too great to understand it fully.
Today, I am not asking to understand it fully. I’m just asking to experience it a little bit more.
Please help erase the voices of doubt and the accusations in my mind. Please help me be a representation of your true love to others as I encounter your love.
I pray that you would fill The Bay Area with your love! Fill our church with your love. Help us be a voice of love to hurting people all around us!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Hey, I’m praying for you today. Some of you may be in deep-seated sadness or brokenness today.
You are deeply loved! You matter to God, and you matter to me.
If I can help you in any way or pray for you personally, please let me know.
With love,
Pastor Andy
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Thank you for your love and prayer on my behalf.
God bless you!
It’s so hard for me to believe that the creator of the Universe is interested and loving me.
Today, I am not asking to understand it fully. I’m just asking to experience it a little bit more.
Yes Amen!
Thanks Andy
Thank you Jesus for today’s wisdom, a light went off in my head. I get so frustrated at times when I try and share the word of God with friends and family. Because I know the love of God I’ve felt it deeply and I so badly want all to know it, but it was only now that I just realized that they just hadn’t had the “amazing experience of God’s love” just yet. Abba I pray over your children that are so hurt and sad that are completely loss during this season. I pray that they may experience your amazing love today I want them to drown in your love father so that all those aches and sorrows would just completely disappear so they can be renewed in your supernatural peace, strength and hope. In Jesus mighty name, I give you all the glory!!!
Amen
Lord, thank you that you love us just as we are. Help us to reflect your love in our dealings with others and to show them the same compassion you show us.
God’s intervention in my life, which often is beyond my understanding, has grown my love for christ. It has taken an abundance of patience and growth for me to completely surrender to God and allow him to guide my life. Dear Lord I pray that you wash away all of my pain, doubt, fear, and anxiety to replace it with your unconditional love. Let my friends and family also experience your deep love for them and that they will dedicate their lives to you.
Thank you Andy! Love has been the focus of my other readings and meditations this week. It’s so exciting when God’s truth and voice runs through the different ways that I am seeking him.
It took me a long time to believe that God loved me. I had head knowledge but still did not embrace it fully. The shame & guilt of my past blocked me emotionally from believing that God truly loved me. It wasn’t until I acknowledged my pain and let God into that pain that was causing me shame did it really click. Thank you for the reminder of that experience years ago that really freed me to know and exist in the fullness of God’s love.
I woke up in a bad mood today! I didn’t sleep well and just felt immediately grouchy. This is an important reminder to reframe my thoughts on days I wake up grouchy for no reason. Thank you for sharing the message verse and prayer. I’m really so grateful and enjoying this prayer initiative, echo groups and all the support from church this challenging season and year. God bless pastor Andy and our leadership team at Echo!
Lately I’ve been waking up screaming in my sleep from bad dream due to high blood glucose and a terrible past. I waking snarling and grumbling at people. Maybe if I cry out to Jesus for help in my bad dreams instead of human help, they will go away. Then I can say “my hero Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior “. I can say it now, because He is.
Thank you, thank you, Pastor Andy ! I’ve loved the Sept daily devotionals, all of them, and especially today. Speaking out about the lying voices in my head that speak against the truth and that speak death. Yes, they are lies straight from Hell ! I have had recent experiences that God loves me; yes, experiences. And what needed Joy I felt !! I choose Faith ! I will give HIM first place at my table ! Thank you to all our wonderful pastors at all our campuses. All of of your sermons touch my heart. God Bless you