Horizon Church August Bible Reading Plan: Consecration - 14 Days of Prayer & FastingSample

Creating Space for God to move | Ps Aziza Green

My husband, Mat and I were married at the tender age of 23. Both recent graduates, we came together with next to nothing; a nice set of linen, some fancy cutlery and around 10 boxes of old books. Our entertainment, naturally, involved a lot of reading—me: Norton’s Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (getting my money’s worth from that hefty English Lit 1001 collection), and Mat: Milton’s Paradise Lost (not kidding, a little-known fact is that Mat wrote an honours thesis on the epic poem).

Life was simple, unencumbered and light.

Since then, our lives and our home have been filled to the brim with activity, small humans, responsibilities, all manner of objects and more love than we ever thought it possible to contain.

I know I’m not the only one navigating a life that is full—be it with work, family, social commitments, serving, kids, study, et cetera. We are all bursting at the seams, and for the most part it is glorious and fun and fulfilling. At times it can also be a stressful juggling act. We worry about the details, about our clashing schedules and competing deadlines, about provision and all the to-dos that never seem ta-done.

We may find ourselves yearning for more simplicity, more space, maybe just a little hushhhhh.

When life is (delightfully, chaotically, terrifyingly) full it can be hard to know the order of things. Jesus provides clarity by teaching us, in no uncertain terms, what comes first.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus instructs, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

To seek first His kingdom is not only a practical imperative, but also an exercise in trust. God’s promise to us is that if we value His reign and diligently pursue righteous (good, excellent, right) living, we can trust Him to satisfy our needs.

Do you trust that when you put aside time and space for God, when you prioritise His presence, Kingdom and agenda that you still have enough? In fact, that you will have more than enough!

In our frenetic days, in all the rushing to and fro, God invites us into His easy rhythm. Even when—perhaps especially when—life is at its busiest, seek God first and all the rest will fall in line.

Prayer Focus:

• Spend time in worship, focusing your attention on Jesus
• Seek His kingdom and will for you and your loved ones
• Bring your needs, concerns and requests to the Lord and allow His peace to minister to you as you trust Him to work on your behalf