100 Days of HopeSample

Dwelling In The Shadow Of His Wings

What are the ingredients for a successful Christian life? • Spend private time with God • Pray continuously • Listen to his voice • Obey his commands

Notice how much of this recipe pertains to simply our personal relationship with God. Seventy five percent of our success consists of spending time listening and praying. Many times we put our Christian “work” or “mission” ahead of our relationship with God. I believe, if you want God to work significantly in your life, give Him 30 minutes a day in prayer.

The Bible says that one who truly lives for God, dwells in the secret place (the shadow) of the Most High. How is this done? It’s done by spending private time with Him, alone, in solitude, God and you, no one else. Of course, as followers of Christ, we can’t stay in that private place forever. We all have a responsibility to go and do his will, but our first responsibility is to be intimately acquainted with Him.

As busy as we are, and with all the things we have on our minds, it is often very hard to pause, take time, and focus all attention on God. It requires effort to focus our mind on the Lord and enter into His presence, but it is worth it! There is no other place where you will acquire God’s perspective so completely. When we invest our time dwelling in the secret presence of the most high, whether we feel it or not, we have been transformed.

Jesus often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. With all that is going on in His life and his ministry, He would always slip away to dwell in a secret place on a regular basis. He understood that His relationship with the Father took precedence over His relationship with the world.

Prayer: Lord, I praise you for your goodness and that you allow us to abide with you. Help me to seek you first in my life and to put my time with you above everything else.