Editor's note: Join disciples around the world in January as we devote ourselves to prayer and action. Each day, Disciples Today will publish a devotional from 31 Days of Prayer by Daniel Berk. Follow along on Facebook with your comments and prayer requests. We look forward to an amazing year as we seek God together!
Scripture
"See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live." – Deuteronomy 4:5-9 (NIV)
Daily Devotional
How quick I am to lose sight of the gift God has given us in prayer! Just stop and think about this – the creator of the universe, the author and perfecter of faith, the great I AM, the Alpha and Omega, the one who has the power to raise men from the dead and to literally separate bodies of water, and who also has the wisdom, detail, and love to knit you together in your mother's womb – THIS God has made himself completely accessible to us in prayer. 24 hours a day; seven days a week; 52 weeks a year. There is no other nation, religion, or people so great as to have their god near them the way our Lord and Christ is near us every time we come before him! And on top of that, he has given us a righteous and perfect set of laws to guide us! What a gift!
But as Moses reminds the Israelites in this passage, we too must not be quick to forget the things our eyes have seen God do in our lives, or let them slip from our hearts as long as we live!
Daily Challenge
Just as the Israelites were told to remember all God had done for them, such as delivering them from the hands of Pharaoh or giving them manna from the sky, take time today to remember all God has done for you. Write out a list of specific ways in your life that you have seen God work and seen his love. It could be something as "small" as the traffic being clear on a day you were running late, or as "big" as God clearing all obstacles for you to pass a class, get a job, or move to a new location. After writing these things out, pray to God thanking him for how he has worked/is working, and praising him who allows us to approach him at any time! And finally, take time at some point in your day to share this list with another person. Tell them how you have seen God work in your life!