DAILY DEVOTIONAL: Mila
Thanks for joining us on the blog today! As a reminder, we are fasting & praying together as a church every Friday. This is our way of honoring God & listening clearly to Him as we navigate this new season. Today let's hear from our 'Ohana Groups and Missions Intern, Mila Espinosa, as she encourages us in our faith!
Mila's Devotional from Hope Chapel Maui on Vimeo.
UNITED PRAYER:
Pray for contentment for all believers in Christ during this time. Pray that we remain content in the midst of uncertain conditions and focus on the One who sustains us. Pray that we can shift our heart postures to find true joy in Him despite our circumstance, and to rejoice in Him always. Pray that we dive into what that means for us, and how we can live it out today as the body of Christ.
“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” Philippians 4:11-12
FAMILY RESOURCES: Journaling Resource
Whether you've been journaling for a long time or haven't ever tried it, it is important to find a way to process your thoughts & emotions with God. Journaling is a great resource and many people find that it's a great addition to their personal devotional time. Find a journal that you already have in your house, purchase a new one, or create a journal with material you may already own. A great start is this exercise: On each page, write a prompt at the top of each. Each of your family can choose to discuss these prompts out loud in order to verbally process. Or, they can choose to each write their answers. Some prompts include:
-When was a time you saw God move in your life?
-When has He answered your prayers? Give specific time He has answered.
-Who is someone you admire? Share a story of how they inspired you.
-What are you learning about God’s character right now?
-What is a day you would relive again if you could and why?
-What was a hard time you went through that you made it out of? How did you see God in that or after it ended?
-What are your prayers right now? Where would you like to see God move in your life?
-What do you feel like you do well in?
-What were things you were thankful for before quarantine? Why?
-What are things you are thankful for now? Why?
-What do you want to praise God for and end this season of quarantine praising God for?
Some other ideas we have for journaling:
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Start a journal together with someone you love. This way you can keep your letters all in one place. You can doodle or draw and let each other know how you are doing and what you are learning. It is special because the more you send it back and forth, the more memories you are creating. (You can do this within the home, or by mailing it back and forth).
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Do a special meal together to simply rejoice together or find good in things. Write these things in your journal afterwards! That way you can go back and read about these special moments. Making good of bad situations can lighten tension some may feel and draw them close to you. This meal could look like a picnic in your front or back yards or having a meal in a different part of your home than normal (picnic indoors on a blanket, or in your living room if you usually only eat at the table). Do something different than your normal routine and be sure to record how these memories impacted you and brought you closer to your loved ones.
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We use the Life Journal as way to read through the Bible in a year, and use the simple SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) to develop a strong daily habit of reading the Word and journaling your thoughts and prayers. Some of us on staff have been journaling this way for over 20 years! You can get a Life Journal here.
FAST AND PRAY:
Let's meditate on this scripture as we fast and pray together as a church on Fridays.
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9