We live in a world of anxiety, depression, sadness and fear. However, through Jesus, God gives us hope for a future that far exceeds today’s troubles. So, as we pray, let’s “Seek Him” about hope for ourselves as well as for those He has entrusted to us. May You Pray for Hope Along the Way!
During our May You Pray conversations, we want to Start with Praise and then Pray for People Each Day. As we do this, the most important thing we can pray for them is that they would Know Jesus Better Today. How do we get to know Jesus and help others know Him too? Let’s “Seek Him” about this through our next theme verse in Ephesians 1:17.
As we focus on prayer in May You Pray, we Start with Praise for God, and then we can move on to praying for other people in our lives! In this conversation, let’s look at Ephesians 1:15-16 and seek Jesus about who He wants us to pray for and how He wants us to pray for them! May You Pray for People Each Day!
God hasn’t just given us a few blessings. Through Jesus, God lavishes His people with every spiritual blessing, including grace and peace and so much more. The Apostle Paul praised God for this. The word for “praise” here actually means “blessed” or “worthy.” Because God is worthy to be honored and celebrated, before Paul prayed for any blessings for himself or anyone else, he started with blessing and praising God.~ What are some blessings God has given you? Read Ephesians 1:1-14 and name several things you can praise God for from these verses. Take a moment to pray aloud your gratitude to God for these blessings!
We want to pray every day, all the time, continually – – – right? I know I do! Prayer is a priority to me. However, I find I need an occasional jump start in prayer. Sometimes I need to learn more about prayer and be challenged to press into prayer in new ways. If you feel the same, then I invite you to join me in the upcoming series! The spiritual discipline of prayer is so important that, once a year, the Family Disciple Me ministry especially focuses on prayer during our “May You Pray” conversation series! During a prayer campaign, we look at various aspects of prayer. This year, we’re exploring the Apostle Paul’s amazing prayer in Ephesians 1, and we’re talking about these five highlights: May You Pray and Start with Praise! (click HERE for the conversation guide #1 in this series!) To get started, listen to the podcast intro for this conversation HERE May You Pray for People Each Day! (click HERE for the Conversation Guide #2 in this series!) The podcast episode that goes along with this conversation can be found HERE May You Pray to Know Jesus Better Today! (click HERE for the Conversation Guide #3 in this series!) The podcast episode that introduces this topic can be found HERE. May You Pray for Hope along the Way! (click HERE for the Conversation Guide #4 in this series!) The podcast introduction for this conversation can be found HERE! May You Pray for God’s Power to be Displayed! (click HERE for Conversation Guide #5 to complete this series!) The podcast episode that accompanies this conversation is HERE With each of these conversations, I invite you to listen to the accompanying podcast episode, which gives the introduction and some background for that specific passage of Scripture. Then spend time with the Lord, seeking Him through the conversation guide. Ask Him the questions “what, why and how” for the theme Scriptures, and consider the additional questions posed in the conversation guide. Along the way, or after you personally go through a conversation guide, invite someone else into that conversation with you. I’m inviting my family to join me in this year’s series, and I’m also sending the invitation to many of my friends, too. Those far away can join by following along on the Family Disciple Me Instagram or Facebook or the above conversation weblinks. But I’m also intentionally having conversations about this with those who gather with me around the dinner table and small group. I encourage you to think about how YOU can invite your loved ones into this year’s prayer campaign with you! Our goal in everything with the Family Disciple Me ministry is to “Seek Him Speak Him!” This month, let’s do this especially in our prayer lives! I can’t wait to hear what God does in your life as you and your loved ones lean into Him through prayer. Be encouraged! ❤️ Tosha
This jubilee is a time of speaking freedom, restoration and encouragement into the lives of those around me!
Kids ask for plenty of stuff. They ask for snacks and wishes and goodnight kisses. They ask for help tying shoes and smearing on glue. They ask for pushes on swings and a great deal of things. Yes, kids ask adults for a lot – but, “disciple me!” – usually not! (At least, not at my house!) The closest I ever got to having one of my children asking me to “disciple” them was when my sweet little Christianna, all of about six, asked me to read the Bible with her. That was one of my very favorite moments of young motherhood. However, it was just one moment out of years of mothering five kids. My kids asked me for plenty of things but not “disciple me!” Still, regardless of whether or not our kids actually articulate the request, I do believe that they are asking us something very important. The next generation entrusted to us wants to understand why we believe in Jesus. Even if they’re not speaking the overt questions, they want to know who God is to us, what He has done in our lives and why faith matters. Making Disciples in Our Own Homes In the days and years of relationship, we have the amazing privilege of meeting with God in our own lives and then making Him known to the next generation. What’s more, regardless of what the kids in our lives call us, if we call ourselves followers of Christ, then we have been given a great commission: “Go into all the world and make disciples…” What better place for us to do this than with the people already entrusted to us? This is a really big deal – to teach the next generation to love God, to know His Word, and to wholeheartedly live for Him. But, how do we do this? In the midst of all the things they are asking us, we’re already busy doing 1,000 things every day. How do we fit discipleship into our life, too? How do we make disciples in our own homes? Discipleship happens one conversation at a time. Day by day, month by month, year by year. Discipleship happens in the midst of all the questions we’re asked and answers we’re giving. Discipleship is something we can weave in and through the fabric of our days and times with our kids. God’s Call for Discipling Our Kids What’s more, discipleship is part of God’s plan for families. When He established Israel as a nation, one of the first things He told them to do was to start teaching their kids about Him. He said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) Daily along the way, God wanted His people to highlight their love for Him and what His Word says. Since Jesus called His followers to make disciples, then we can see His command in Deuteronomy to apply to us today, too. He wants these talking points to be part of our conversations whether we’re staying at home or on our way somewhere, whether we’re getting up in the morning or going to bed. Personal Devotion Leading to Relational Discipleship What we talk to our kids about in discipleship can, first and foremost, be born out of our own devotions. When we meet with God – be that in His Word, in prayer or in any of the ways that we can come to know Him – then we have the privilege to make Him known to those entrusted to us. We tell them about what God wants to do in their lives by starting with what God is doing in our own lives. We get to share with our kids our “Jesus Stories,” to help them see what real relationship with God looks like. At Family Disciple Me, we call this the “Seek Him Speak Him” mindset. Sometimes it helps to have guides along the way, which is why the Family Disciple Me ministry exists. We can personally be encouraged by the blogs and podcasts, then we can put that inspiration into practice through biblical, meaningful conversations using the app resources (coming by Spring 2024!). With Family Disciple Me, you will be encouraged to SEEK the Lord in your own life then turn around and SPEAK Him into those around you. One verse, one truth, one theme at a time, you will be inspired to disciple your kids out of what God is doing in your life and devotions. Let’s face it: your kids will probably not ask you to “disciple” them any more than mine did. However, our kids’ lives are asking the questions, and Family Disciple Me helps us intentionally answer them through the amazing, life-changing, eternity-impacting adventure of discipleship. Be encouraged! ❤️ Tosha Add Your Heading Text Here
As my husband and I raised our five children, I began to realize that our kids’ minds start out similar to an empty Connect Four grid, waiting to be filled.
Relationship with Jesus isn’t like going through kindergarten through high school, in that you’re only qualified once you graduate. Instead, as with Jesus’ disciples, relationship with Jesus is about spending time with Him along the way and sharing Him with others. No diploma or super hero status required.
God doesn’t play hide-and-seek with our hearts; He promises we will find Him. Will we take Him up on His great invitation?
