Seeds of Spring: A Woman's 40-day JourneySample

Planting and Tending Your Garden

SEED OF TRUTH
Read Ephesians 5:11-14.
What are the warnings in this passage?

PLANT THE SEED
Quietly recite today's focus verse to yourself. Hide it in your heart and meditate on it throughout the day.

Ephesians 5:14
"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

WATER THE SEED
As the Lord has revealed areas in your life and heart that need to be changed, how can you awake the sleeper in you? What are some things that might help wake you up? One example is making sure that you are in the word and meditating upon it every day and throughout each day.

There are times when we are reading or watching TV that we know we are sleepy and almost expect ourselves to fall asleep. There are other times when we are completely unaware and we just drift off. The deception of spiritual sleep is similar. We can be lulled to sleep by the enemy, who is very subtle. We seem wide-awake one moment and asleep the next. The letter of James can be very helpful to those of us who want to be sure we aren't being deceived. James 1:22 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (If you have time now or later today, read James 1:19-27). Ask the Lord to help you really hear these words.

In Romans 10:17, Paul explains, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." One of the most important places to dispel the darkness is in our own hearts. We can bring that darkness out into the light by shining the light of God's word upon it throughout the day - by meditating on His word (Psalm 119:11). Even if you have had a hard time until now memorizing and meditating upon your scripture, begin again today; it is never too late to try again to walk in the path of righteousness.

BEAR THE FRUIT
Awake and rise from the dead.

CLOSE IN PRAYER
Ask the Lord to bring to life all that has been planted in your heart today.