3 Steps to Being a KINGDOM BUILDER in Your Life Today - Part 2预览

This five-day study plan uncovers the second of three key guide words to help you live as a Christian and help build God's Kingdom in your daily life at home, around town, and at work.

The guideword is this: BLESS others.

As before, there’s a key idea behind each letter of the word B-L-E-S-S for you to discover.

Today, we start with the letter “B,” which stands for “Begin with prayer,” just like Jesus did when he was on earth.

Let’s start by looking at Jesus’ prayer at the beginning of his ministry – when he was just putting together his team.

In Luke 6:12-16, we see that Jesus went away one day to pray – and when morning came, he was ready to announce who his disciples would be. Although he was the son of God, Jesus still prayed all night about who to put on his team.

Each day, you are faced with countless decisions, ranging from the simple –“What shall I wear?” or “What shall we eat for dinner?” – to the more complex – “Should I quit my job and find a new one?" or "Should we move house?” – and everything in between.

It’s fair to say that you make most decisions without too much thought, but do think more – and maybe also pray about – the bigger decisions.

Jesus Christ, the son of God, prayed all night before announcing his disciples. If he was the son of God, wouldn’t he already know? So why did he pray and pray all night about that? And what does that say about you praying for your decisions?

More often than not, you make your decisions just as a normal part of your life at work, at home, or around town. You might pray the big ones to God – but even then, you’re likely not praying about them all night! Am I right?

Mark 1:32-37 provides another example of Jesus going off to pray. In this case, Jesus has just got started with his ministry, healing a number of people and building up quite some enthusiasm, and then – poof! – he’s disappeared from the scene. Nobody even knows where to find him!

Where was he? Gone again for his quiet time of prayer. Jesus prepared for decisions and started his day with prayer. Shouldn’t you also support your decisions and start your day with prayer? Certainly, you're no smarter than Jesus or better connected to God when it comes to decision-making, are you?

Trying to leverage the foundation of your “NICER” characteristics to “BLESS” those around you will turn out better when you begin your day, your meetings, your activities – your whole day – with prayer.

And, as you pray, you should expect to hear back from God, receiving the assurance that you can trust Him to help you at your point of need right when you act to BLESS others. Check what the Bible says about this:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

These verses in Proverbs are so rich that they are worth an entire study plan of their own. So when you read the Bible passages for today’s devotion, read the verses from Proverbs to yourself several times over and over, and read them OUT LOUD.

Then, consider what God’s word is saying to you.