UGA Wesley

So, the posts that we saved for re:course posted on the day they were saved (not the day they are posted). So, "unglamorous life" and "intercession" are posted twice, for those of you who didn't scroll back and see them before. Sorry for the confusion. We'll get it on track, now!

Several years ago I had the opportunity to talk with a respected intercessor. I asked her what piece of advice she would give regarding prayer. Her response: “intercede for people out of the desire in your heart.” Intercession certainly comes easier for some than others. I’m not going to attempt to explain why. It has never been a natural, or easy, practice for me. However, the thought of praying out of the desires in my heart makes so much sense and makes intercession so much more natural. How often to you think about your close friends and family? Take that opportunity to pray for them (might only take few seconds, or you might find you have more to say than you thought).

For your consideration: Ezekiel 22, Isaiah 53:12, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34

Challenge: Pick a favorite spot (for example: next to the fireplace, front porch swing, coffee shop, the park). Go to that place and spend 15-20 minutes in silence. During that silence spend the first 10 minutes praying on behalf of someone that you love – the first person who comes to mind. Then spend some time praying for someone who is really hurting over something – the first person who comes to mind. Then, if you wish, spend a few minutes interceding for some of the people that you see around you.

The following is an excerpt from a speech that Mother Teresa gave at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.

“I can never forget the experience I had in visiting a home where they kept all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them into an institution and forgotten them -- maybe. I saw that in that home these old people had everything -- good food, comfortable place, television, everything, but everyone was looking toward the door. And I did not see a single one with a smile on the face. I turned to Sister and I asked: ‘Why do these people who have every comfort here, why are they all looking toward the door? Why are they not smiling?’”

“I am so used to seeing the smiles on our people, even the dying ones smile. And Sister said: ‘This is the way it is nearly everyday. They are expecting, they are hoping that a son or daughter will come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten.’ And see, this neglect to love brings spiritual poverty. Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried. Are we there? Are we willing to give until it hurts in order to be with our families, or do we put our own interests first? These are the questions we must ask ourselves, especially as we begin this year of the family. We must remember that love begins at home and we must also remember that 'the future of humanity passes through the family.'”

As unglamorous as it sounds, our family is one of our greatest ministry opportunities. We would rather change the world than change our households. Many of us come from broken homes, dysfunctional families, and parents who do not know the Lord. Regardless of our circumstances, God is calling us to love and minister to those near us. Seize the position you have in your family and bring the truth of Christ. Ask the Lord today how you can begin to show love and service to those that are often the hardest to love.

“It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where love for each other must start.” – Mother Teresa

Do you find it hard to love your family? How can you show the love of Christ to your family during this Christmas break? Do you spend time in prayer for your family? Share with us your struggles and successes in relation to ministering to your family.

Click here to read the full speech by Mother Teresa

Two day challenge:
One of the more religious of our activities, if we’re honest, is daily quiet time. We are heaped with guilt when it doesn’t happen or is shorter than we intended or we doze during prayer, as if our life in Christ amounted to an hour a day (or whatever). Good news: it doesn’t.
From God’s perspective, our life in him is meant to be lived with some sense of continuity. John 15 makes us out to be a limb on a vine. All our fruit, all our lives come from the vine. There is something that is stolen from us if we live as if the substance of our spiritual life is lived in a morning ‘time with God,’ namely a life lived with the presence of God as our constant companion. It is for that purpose that he gave us his Spirit, so that our lives can be hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
So here’s the challenge: For the next two days, intend to involve God with every part of your day. For some of you, this is part of your life already (consider this a reminder!). For the rest of us, what we’re undertaking here in no religious duty—you don’t get points for ‘well done’ or points taken away when you forget. It’s an exercise to jumpstart a movement of proximity of our lives to God’s life. So, when you get dressed, ask the Lord. Talk to him in the shower. Wait in silence for him when you’re in traffic. Address your thoughts to the King of the universe and ask him for editing.
Spiritual life is more than a quiet time—it’s a dynamic life lived with the glad Spirit of God as he plays in the world in ten thousand places.

John 15: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser…abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to talk with a respected intercessor. I asked her what piece of advice she would give regarding prayer. Her response: “intercede for people out of the desire in your heart.” Intercession certainly comes easier for some than others. I’m not going to attempt to explain why. It has never been a natural, or easy, practice for me. However, the thought of praying out of the desires in my heart makes so much sense and makes intercession so much more natural. How often to you think about your close friends and family? Take that opportunity to pray for them (might only take few seconds, or you might find you have more to say than you thought).

For your consideration: Ezekiel 22, Isaiah 53:12, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34

Challenge: Pick a favorite spot (for example: next to the fireplace, front porch swing, coffee shop, the park). Go to that place and spend 15-20 minutes in silence. During that silence spend the first 10 minutes praying on behalf of someone that you love – the first person who comes to mind. Then spend some time praying for someone who is really hurting over something – the first person who comes to mind. Then, if you wish, spend a few minutes interceding for some of the people that you see around you.

During the Holiday Season, we are often really busy with good things, such as buying gifts, visiting family, and hanging out with friends. But, sometimes we keep ourselves so frazzled that we forget to take advantage of the break that we have.

It’s easy to whittle away our three week holiday without taking any time to really rest. Breaks from school and work can be a time to refresh, regroup, and recharge, if we are intentional to rest.

Genesis 2:1-4 tells us that God rested. Resting is allowing not only time for our bodies to relax, but our minds as well. During a break we have more time to delight and enjoy life through rest. This doesn’t mean we should sleep our break away, although, catching up on some shut eye will definitely happen! But, it does mean that we need to allow our minds to be at peace, not worrying about life back at school, our future, or what classes we’ll have next semester.

Psalm 23:2-3 says “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”

During the Christmas Holidays God gives us an opportunity to lie down in green pastures, to be still and allow him to renew and restore our souls.

Challenge: Take time this break to just be: with God, friends, and family. Still your mind, take time to read a good book, seek God, and enjoy the things in life that often are crowded out by your school work.

Scripture: Psalm 23, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 91:1, Matthew 11:28

It is so easy for us to literally take a break from everything when we have holidays and time off from school. Mindless activities often fill our days and weeks can even go by without the slightest idea of how we have spent our time. While we want to relax and rest during the break, we don't want to just become couch potatoes and waste away the three weeks.

Retreats, breaks, and holidays are great times to gain perspective in life. We need to gain perspective (God's perspective) on singleness, finances, being stressed out, family situations, and many other things.

When we take a step back from our regular routines we are able to see things more clearly and our view of everyday life can be interrupted with new ideas, thoughts, and outlooks.

Perspective is the ability to see things in right relationship. It is a specific view point in judging and understanding events especially in regards to how things relate to one another. Gaining perspective is when we look at our lives from the bigger picture. We pull ourselves back from the entrenched ways we live our lives and see our lives from height, from the bird's eye view.

However, this won't happen by itself. We need to be purposeful and take the time and opportunities we have in our lives to gain perspective. During the holidays we can gain perspective because there is time to view our lives from different angles. Being away from Athens will place us in many different environments where we can view our lives and how it relates to others' lives.

Challenge: Take time today to ask God for His perspective on your life. Ask Him to give you fresh perspective and to show you the bigger picture, especially on the things that worry you. Stress and worry are good indicators of what we need fresh perspective on.

Media: check out this link...http://www.wimp.com/amazingsights/

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2