Our Prayer Lives Become Powerful
Jesus said: ask and receive. Abiding in him allows us to pray with great boldness and to experience answers to our prayers. We pray in accordance with his will because we are abiding.
Abiding also allows us to pray with confidence and growing faith as we receive answers. We may still misfire from time to time but we see growing success in our prayer.
Our Excuses Mean Nothing To God
So, why is it that our quiet time with Gods word is the first thing to go when we get busy? While we are chasing kids and tackling chores, cooking meals, chauffeuring little people to practice/recital/tournaments, the Bible gets dusty and our prayers get stale. I personally use the excuse, I cant read the Bible now because Ill just be thinking about the pile of dishes in the sink. Let me do those first. I repeat this excuse for all of the chores. Then, when its the end of the day, Im too tired to open the Bible. Ill abide in Gods word tomorrow when Im rested. Then the cycle starts over.
These excuses mean nothing to God. The fact that dirty dishes took precedence over the Savior who died on the cross for me is more than just embarrassing its criminal. Im so very thankful that I am loved despite my selfish, sinful ways.
So, instead of continuing the vicious cycle of squeezing Jesus out of our busy days, lets fight to keep him in it. We need to find creative ways to abide in Gods word because its the most important thing we can do for ourselves and for our families. Our little ones are looking to us to see how they should interact with the Bible. If we never touch it while bringing them up, the chances of them doing so when they are grown are drastically diminished.
What Does The Bible Say About Abide In Me
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
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That Your Joy May Be Complete:
The word joy in John 15:11 means cheerfulness, calm delight, and gladness. The joy Jesus shares with us as His followers is the fullness of joy He experienced when He sat down at the right hand of the Father and His glory was restored. Jesus promises us that His joy will spread through our lives. Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief and we will never experience pain beyond what He did but we will have trials and suffering in this life. The mark of a true Christian is one of joy that is manifested apart from their circumstances. We can truly rejoice in the Lord always .
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
~ 1 Peter 1:8
To abide in Christ means to keep up a habit of constant close communion with Himâto be always leaning on Him, resting on Him, pouring out our hearts to Him, and using Him as our Fountain of life and strength, as our chief Companion and best Friend. To have His words abiding in us, is to keep His sayings and precepts continually before our memories and minds, and to make them the guide of our actions and the rule of our daily conduct and behavior.
~ J. C. Ryle
Examples Of Abide In A Sentence
Rules for Old Men WaitingNew Republicabideabidedabide oregonliveabide The Arizona Republicabide Bon Appétitabide chicagotribune.comabideForbesabide The Weekabide PEOPLE.comabide San Antonio Express-News
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘abide.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Three Keys To Abiding
Abiding has a continual, hour-by-hour nature to it, a constant looking to Jesus through the Scriptures. If we could avoid gospel-amnesia and remember his grace, we could barely stand an hours absence from him. These saints give incredible definitions to help us grasp abiding in Christ. Heres mine:
To abide in Christ daily requires dependence upon the Holy Spirit in which we do three things:
- Walk by faith
- Spend focused time
- Engage in intentional actions
We daily preach the gospel to ourselves plan to abide throughout our days and read Scripture, pray, live in community with others, and fight sin . We do this as we live dependent upon the Holy Spirit to bring us closer to Christ.
To be in Christ means to have a new legal standing and a new relational orientation. We do not solely want to be made right with Godwe want to be with God. We are new creations in Christ, freed from sin and worldly pursuits to abide in him. And he gives us what we need to pursue this by giving us himself.
Are you eager to say with David, Earnestly I seek you my soul thirsts for you? May the Holy Spirit spark in us a want for more of Christ. May we yearn with holy urgency to know the depths and riches of the love of Christ, grasped through abiding.
Why Does It Feel Harder To Abide In Gods Word Today Than It Was 2000 Years Ago
We have Gods Word at our fingertips but we struggle to find time to read it. There is a Church in every neighborhood but we rarely make time to go listen to scripture being read. Religious freedom is our hallmark but we take it for granted and prefer comfort to the conviction of the Bible. To be still is scary.
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Do You Want To Know What It Means To Abide Under The Shadow Of The Almighty If Yes Then You Need To Read This Blog Join Us Now As We Explore How Christians Can Enjoy The Benefits Of Living Under Gods Shadow
You probably have heard about the shadow of the Almighty mentioned in Psalm 91:1. Most, if not all, will automatically think about the Gods protection.
We read in Psalm 91:1:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most HighShall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
The shadow of the Almighty brings to mind how a mother bird would cast her wings over her young to provide shade and protection.
However, I would like us to think deeper about what it really means to abide under the shadow of the Almighty. How does God protect His people and why would the writer of Psalm 91, who is thought to be King David, use the analogy of a shadow to describe the special protection God provides to His children?
Join me now as we study Psalm 91:1 and see what it means to abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
How Do We Abide In Christ
Drawing from His wordbelieving it, clinging to it, resting in it, focusing your life upon itis like constantly refreshing ourselves with living water. We are renewed and have eternal life because of it. First, we have to receive the word and believe it. Then we have to live within its parameters and stay in connection with our Savior Jesus so we continue to draw that life-giving sustenance from Him. The vines-branches analogy in John 15 gives us the closest instructions on how we are to abide in Christ. As the verses indicate, we are to abide in Him, abide in His love, and keep His commandments. The evidence that we are abiding in Him is in the fruit we bear.
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To Listen To God You Must Abide In Gods Word
How do you abide in Gods word? Read the Bible right? Well to understand scripture we have to know the intended audience. Did the people in Jesus day own a bible like modern Christian?
No, the disciples didnt have Bibles. They might not have even known how to read and if they did it would not have included all the languages the Bible was written in at the time.
We take for granted how recently the Bible has been translated into common languages. Until a century or so ago, to read the Bible you needed to know Latin.
Has it only been possible for people to abide in the Word of God in recent years? Nope, that would be Ludacris!
My Joy May Remain In You
Lastly, Jesus tells us, when we are obedient to Him, His joy will remain in us.
And Jesus doesnt want to give us a little bit of joy. He wants to give us a full measure of it. His joy is a complete joy, overflowing with love and full of acceptance.
But to receive His joy, Jesus asks us to obey Him just as He obeyed the Father. Then we will have His joy just like in this Bible Verse
I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
This is the prayer Jesus prayed over His disciples. But He prayed it for us too. That we would have the full measure of His joy within us. And know the deep and abiding love He has for us every day.
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A Prayer To Abide In Christ By Abiding In The Word Of God
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for all the conveniences of this modern life. Forgive me for spending more time amusing my self with entertainment than musing over the truths of Your Word.
You said abide with Me and I want to walk through life every day with You but I tend to make Bible reading a chore instead of a date with You. Forgive me. I read more Bible Studies than actual verses to grow with You. Help me strip away everything that distracts me from hearing Your loving voice and just sit with You.
Teach me what it looks like to really Abide in Your Word.
Amen
***abide in the Word 70
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Our Fruit Confirms Us
Fouth, abiding proves whether the attachment to the vine is coursing with life or is merely artificial and external. Heres John 15:8: By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. Fruitfully abiding with life, love, and joy coursing into us through the connection between us and the vine proves we are disciples . That is, abiding and fruit-bearing confirm us.
The negative is also true. John 15:6 says, If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. Earlier , John says if anyone doesnt bear fruit, hes taken away.
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What Do We Do In Order To Abide
The answer to this question is in Jesus statement By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
To abide, we must take on the attributes and commitment of the disciple:
A learner we eagerly learn everything we can from our Master. This means we spend much time listening to his voice through the Word, asking questions in prayer. In order to better learn, we work on perfecting our listening skills so we can hear him better.A follower we follow Jesus wherever he leads us. That means we are obedient to him. He leads primarily through:The Word, prayer, worship and fellowship with other followers of Jesus.An apprentice we do the work our Master does with increasing efficiency and effectiveness. This means we engage in ministry, something for every believer. We learn and do Kingdom work whatever that work may be. The apprentice is discovering and exploring their spiritual gifts.
Choose The Right Synonym For Abide
bear, suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, stand mean to put up with something trying or painful. bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking. forced to bear a tragic loss suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing. suffering many insultsendure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties. endured years of rejectionabide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest. cannot abide their rudeness tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful. refused to tolerate such treatment stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching. unable to stand teasing
continue, last, endure, abide, persist mean to exist over a period of time or indefinitely. continue applies to a process going on without ending. the search for peace will continuelast, especially when unqualified, may stress existing beyond what is normal or expected. buy shoes that will lastendure adds an implication of resisting destructive forces or agencies. in spite of everything, her faith enduredabide implies stable and constant existing especially as opposed to mutability. a love that abides through 40 years of marriage persist suggests outlasting the normal or appointed time and often connotes obstinacy or doggedness. the sense of guilt persisted
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What Can The Shadow Of God Do To You
Most commentators would say that the shadow of God here pictures how a mother bird gathers her young under her wings.
I would also say this shadow is like the pillar of cloud God used to shelter the sojourning Israelites from the blazing heat of the sun as they travel across the hot wilderness.
There are different things that the shadow of God can do to you.
First, it protects you from harm. Gods protection is likened to a shadow that protects you from the heat of the sun.
Gods shadow provides not just shade, but also a cover. It hides you from harm and it hides you from the sight of your enemy.
Second, Gods shadow brings life. The shadow of God is diametrically OPPOSITE to the shadow of death mentioned in Psalms 23. In Gods shadow, it brings life. It does not bring destruction, but rather it preserves the life and health of His people.
Third, Gods shadow provides comfort. We all know how comforting it is to be under a shade. When we work outside our home, we dont want to stay too long under the sun. When we play outside, we appreciate it when the sun is not as hot as it is during noonday. We are more comfortable under the shade rather than be in the middle of a dessert.
Fourth, Gods shadow brings inner peace. When you look at any shadow, you know that its source is just near it. In the same way that when we choose to live under Gods shadow, we have the confidence that God is just near you.
Can We Lose Our Salvation
Now this is what provokes Caseys question about perseverance or eternal security. Can we be born of God can we be authentically, in a living way, united to Christ and truly Christian and lose our salvation? Now, In Johns understanding of abiding, the answer is no. No we cant. I say this for two reasons.
The essential meaning of our active abiding is receiving and trusting all that God is for us in Christ.
First, in John 10:2829, he says, quoting Jesus, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fathers hand. He is bending over backwards to say, When I choose someone for myself and they hear my voice and I take them to be my sheep and my children, that never changes.
Heres the second reason I think John means this, and its the answer to what in the world is going on with broken-off branches. I think 1 John 2:19 is a description in the church of what it means that certain branches are broken off. It says, But they were not of us for if they had been of us, they would have continued that is, remained or abided with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
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