Ask Devotionals

James 4:7-8

August 18, 2023 • Pastor Josh Lewis • James 4:7–8

Have you ever lived in a household divided by the love of rival sports teams? Maybe you even felt obligated to root for both teams out of love and respect for your spouse or in-laws. When our loyalty is divided between two opposing forces, it’s impossible to give our all to either one. James, the brother of Jesus, writes a warning about our loyalty being divided between God and our love of sin. If we continue giving in to the devil’s temptations, we will continue to stumble and give God less than our full devotion. But when we submit our whole selves to God, we are better able to seek and follow His will for our lives! The closer we draw to God, the more we will be able to resist the devil and cause him to flee from us. PASSAGE: James 4:7-8 - “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” PAUSE: James, Jesus’s brother, exhorted the early church to resist the devil! The daily pause is to draw near to the Lord, knowing that when we draw near to the Lord, the presence of the Lord is real and near to us. Come, Lord Jesus.  PRAYER: Father, thank you for your many promises. Help me to draw near to you. Create in me a humbleness and self-awareness to draw near to you. I beg you to deliver me from all temptations and ask for help to resist the devil. 

Matthew 6:9-10

August 17, 2023 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Matthew 6:9–10

Have you ever heard someone say, "Trust me! I have a plan!" The way you respond to is going to depend entirely on who the person is. Do you know them well, or are they a complete stranger? Have they been trustworthy in the past, or have they said this before and let you down? Do you trust in God's plan--his will--for your life? We have talked a lot in this series about aligning our ASK with God's will. We know this in our hearts, but do we still wrestle with hoping that God's plan lines up with MY plan? Do we still truly wish it was our will that would come to pass? Don't feel ashamed, but recognize the weakness in our flesh that causes this. As we seek God's will, start by recognizing God for who He is--our perfect, holy Father in Heaven! We trust in His will because we know Him, and we know the plan for His Kingdom will unfold perfectly as He's planned. PASSAGE: Matthew 6:9-10 - 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done,   on earth as it is in heaven. PAUSE: When is the last time you reflected on the Lord’s prayer? Jesus taught us the 4/4 method of prayer. Prayer is upward to our Heavenly Father, downward to submission to his will, inward to daily needs, and outward towards the temptations that come our way. Meditate on the Lord’s prayer.   PRAYER: Heavenly Father, your kingdom come, let your will be done in me.

Matthew 26:40-41

August 16, 2023 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Matthew 26:40–41

Prayer is a lot of things. It is surrender, it is praise, it is interceding for others. But don’t ever forget that prayer is also work. What I mean is that prayer takes effort and discipline. Because the flesh is weak and because we have an enemy that actively opposes us having a vibrant prayer life, we find that real prayer does not come easy. We often just don’t feel like going deep with God. We are too busy. We are too superficial. We are too tired. The truth is that it takes planning ahead and blocking off time and saturating your soul in His Word and then choosing to show up at your appointed time with God to make prayer work. And not just one time, but regularly as a rhythm of life. So lets wake up and get to the good work of vibrant prayer! PASSAGE: Matthew 26:40-41 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” PAUSE: Our flesh would rather sleep than confront the messy decisions of life. If not sleep, we escape with our addictions, our binges, and our passions. Jesus encouraged us to pray against those temptations that wage within our flesh.    PRAYER: Father, deliver me from evil. Lead me not into temptation. Create within my soul a desire to be constant in prayer and to fight against my flesh.   

Matthew 26:39, 42

August 15, 2023 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Matthew 26:42, Matthew 26:39

In the journey of the Christian life we will regularly face the tension of “my will” verses “Thy will”! Jesus was clear that the spiritual journey of His followers would not be easy. It will be filled with trials, tests and persecutions. And in the midst of all this He calls us to be on mission with Him in the building of His kingdom. There are people to love that are hard to love. There are souls to be saved. There is an enemy on the attack against our hearts. And so prayer, real prayer, becomes essential. Jesus models for us the prayer of honesty in which we lay before the Father our desires and our fears. But then Jesus shows where all prayers must finish, the prayer of ultimate surrender. “Your will be done in my life. No matter what that means, where that leads. God give me the faith and the strength to live Your will, for Your glory!” Amen PASSAGE: Matthew 26:39, 42 - And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”… Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” PAUSE: Jesus taught us that our Heavenly Father welcomes honest prayer. Jesus did not want to suffer and die. He begged his Father to take that cup of burden away from him. We can be honest with our Heavenly Father, it’s okay.  PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to be honest in my prayer life. I openly admit that life is hard, I am struggling, and I want my story to be different. 

Matthew 26:36-37

August 14, 2023 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Matthew 26:36–37

The Christian life is not for Lone Rangers! Jesus saves individuals by His blood bought grace. But He saves each individual into the Body of Christ, the Family of God! We are to live in deep, life on life, community with one another. We are to be deeply devoted to one another and build each other up in the faith. And one of the greatest privileges of the Christian community is the call to pray to our saving God together. This might be a Life Group praying with and for each other. It might be two or three friends informally meeting to encourage each other and pray. There is a special dynamic that happens when a brother or sister in Christ is praying with you. So who are your people that you are doing life together deeply with? PASSAGE: Matthew 26:36-37 - Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. PAUSE: Prayer is often a solitary occurrence. Jesus asked his three closest disciples to pray with him. Prayer is so much sweeter and more powerful when we pray together. Who can you invite to pray with you? When we face the temptation to abandon God’s will, we need others to join us in prayer.  PRAYER: Father, grant me friends to pray with. Forgive me, for praying alone. Help me to realize we are better together when we pray together.    

Week 4

August 14 - Matthew 26:36-37 August 15 - Matthew 26:39, 42 August 16 - Matthew 26:40-41 August 17 - Matthew 6:9-10  August 18 - James 4:7-8

Ephesians 5:15-17

August 11, 2023 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Ephesians 5:15–17

There have been nights that I walk through the kids' rooms in the dark, and all of a sudden a sharp pain shoots up my foot! If only I had shined a light on the situation, I would have avoided the unnecessary pain of stepping on that toy. Walking in the dark is a lot like walking without listening to the will of the Lord. When we ignore God and try to rely on our own plan, we experience pain and heartache that could have been avoided by shining God's light on the situation. Don't get me wrong--we as Christ followers are guaranteed to face pain, suffering, trials, and persecution in this life. But when we follow God's will and walk in wisdom, we will avoid the additional, self-inflicted pain caused by walking in the dark. PASSAGE: Ephesians 5:15-17 - 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. PAUSE: Paul encouraged the church in Ephesus to walk in wisdom day by day. Wisdom is not a decision; wisdom is a lifestyle. We walk in wisdom when we make the most of our time and seek clarity on the Lord’s will for our life. PRAYER: Father, thank You for the gift of wisdom. As I learn to pray in this series, help me to ask wisely.  Today, show me what to do and help me do it!

Proverbs 3:5-7

August 10, 2023 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Proverbs 3:5–7

You might have knowledge, but do you have wisdom? You might ask, what's the difference? Let's look at baseball--two pitchers know how to throw a fastball, curveball and changeup, but how do they know which one to throw in a 3-2 count in the bottom of the 9th against the leadoff batter? They need wisdom. In the medical field--two doctors have might have the same education, but how do they know which medication to prescribe based on the patient's history? They need wisdom. You see, wisdom is more than just head knowledge. Wisdom is being able to put your knowledge into practice. So often in life we rely on our own knowledge and we think we can handle a situation by ourselves. Our verse in Proverbs today reminds us that instead of relying on our own knowledge, we need to fully trust God to guide us in wisdom. When we seek His will in all that we do, He will show us which path to take. That's wisdom! PASSAGE: Proverbs 3:5-7 - 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,     and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him,     and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes;     fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. PAUSE: These verses from Proverbs have been memorized and appreciated for centuries, but are they applied? Wisdom is applied knowledge. Just as James warned the troubled believers, we need sincere faith and trust in the Lord. Where are you leaning today - your wisdom, Google’s wisdom, or the Lord’s? PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to lean upon You, not myself. I beg You to make my paths straight today, help me not to be a fool, I trust in You.

Proverbs 1:1-7

August 9, 2023 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Proverbs 1:1–7

What is wisdom? Wisdom is God-centered discernment regarding the practical issues of life! True wisdom is not a random collection of principles from a bunch of smart people. We exist in a world created by an All-Wise God and He created His world with beauty and order that are a display of His wisdom. Our access to God’s wisdom is dependent on our relationship to Him. Do we live with a sense of awe of our God? (= what Biblical “fear of God” is). Does our worldview begin and flow out of a deep conviction that the God who made the world and everything in it has also revealed to us His wisdom on how we are to live in this world in a manner that glorifies Him? His revealed Word is full of the wisdom of His ways on every area of life, from relationships to work, from purity to purpose. So dive in and know the Word of God and the God of the Word! PASSAGE: Proverbs 1:1-7 - 1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction,     to understand words of insight, 3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,     in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple,     knowledge and discretion to the youth— 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,     and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying,     the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;     fools despise wisdom and instruction. PAUSE: When is the last time you read the book of Proverbs? We need wisdom and knowledge more than ever, Proverbs is for us today.  Wisdom is not a mystical gift from above. Wisdom requires being a student of God’s Word and the pursuit of knowledge. Create a plan to read one proverb a day.   PRAYER: Father, create a desire within my soul to pursue You. Initiate a passion to study Your Word, to read, and to grow in my knowledge of You.  

James 1:6-8

August 8, 2023 • Pastor Mike Fanning • James 1:6–8

James is not telling believers to stick their heads in the sand and pretend that they never have any doubts! Scripture, especially the Psalms, are full of examples of people of faith wrestling with doubts. Doubts about God’s presence and God’s promises. Doubts caused by the unfairness they see living in a fallen world. So, rather than deny our doubts we need to begin by acknowledging our doubts. Don’t be afraid to say “God, here is where I’m at, this is what I’m struggling with.” But then don’t stop, keep praying! Pray through your doubts all the way into faith!! Once we express our doubts to God we are free to fully focus on His character and His promises and His faithfulness to us in the past. In this process of praying through, we end up with a faith in God that is real and strong.  PASSAGE: James 1:6-8 - But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. PAUSE: James challenged the dispersed believers to approach God in faith. A sincere faith that believes that God is good and delivers on what He has promised. Often, we as believers have doubts. We doubt God’s goodness and we doubt God’s existence. When you pray, do you pray with faith or with doubts? PRAYER: Heavenly Father, increase my faith. Forgive my doubts, worries, and fears. I ask for wisdom again today and I acknowledge that You will give it.

James 1:5

August 7, 2023 • Pastor Mike Fanning • James 1:5

Life is complicated! Life is often very hard! The trials of life come at us from all directions. Hard decisions, hard relationships, hard circumstances! Often the path before us is foggy and unclear. As believers we often wrestle with the question of “what is God’s will for this situation?” Or a good question to ask might be, “how do I walk through this trial in a manner that most honors God both in what I do and how I do it?” When we turn these questions into prayers, they are prayers for wisdom. The good news is that we serve the All-Wise God! And as His children He is able and willing to share His wisdom with us. The one requirement is that we ask Him with believing faith! Truly believing He will give us His wise counsel and discernment. Then it’s up to us to put that wisdom into action. PASSAGE: James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. PAUSE: Even if we as Christ-followers can feel overwhelmed with life. We often feel stuck and confused about the circumstances we find ourselves in. James. the brother of Jesus offers a clear path to breakthrough, we simply need to ask God for wisdom. Pause right now, and ask God for the wisdom you desire.   PRAYER: Father, forgive me for my anger and manipulation when I feel frustrated with life. Today, I ask for wisdom when I need it most. Thank you! 

Week 3

August 7 - James 1:5 August 8 - James 1:6-8 August 9 - Proverbs 1:1-7 August 10 - Proverbs 3:5-7 August 11 - Ephesians 5:15-17

Colossians 3:16-17

August 4, 2023 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Colossians 3:16–17

Have you ever tried assembling something without reading the instructions? The directions might seem confusing, the parts and pieces it illustrates don't seem to line up with reality, or you think you can figure it out on your own? That's definitely been me before--times when I get frustrated with the directions and try to do it on my own. But there have also been moments when I've gotten stuck, studied the directions a little closer, and realized they were pointing me in the right direction all along. I just didn't understand at first. Sometimes we fall into the same temptation with the Bible--when there are things WE don't understand or don't seem to line up with how WE see a situation, we toss it aside and go our own way. But we need to never forget the foundational truth that Scripture is God's word, and HE sees things with perfect clarity. In whatever we do in life, we should allow Scripture to guide us, giving thanks to God for His truth. In the moments we don't understand, we need to ask God for wisdom and search His words again. And like Paul says in this passage, we need to surround ourselves with a community of believers to learn and grow with. PASSAGE: Colossians 3:16-17 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. PAUSE: Paul encouraged his disciples to remain in the Word, to worship with other Christians, and to be thankful. Ask the Lord to glorify Him in whatever you say and do. End the week, where we started praying for spiritual wisdom.  PRAYER: Father, thank you for this series. Change me from the inside out, may I live for You and Your glory. Grant me knowledge into Your will for my life. 

Colossians 3:1-2

August 3, 2023 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Colossians 3:1–2

Have you ever been so focused on something that it consumed every moment of your thought life? You go to bed thinking about it. You wake up and it's the first thing on your mind. I know that's true for myself when I've been weighing a major life decision, or if I'm anticipating something really exciting coming up. It's easy for us to get caught up with the things going on around us and fill our thoughts with things of this world. But when our thoughts are full of earthly things, it leaves no margin for time with God. Instead of going through life fixated on what's around us, we need to first set our minds on God. Invite Him into your everyday life, and ask for His knowledge and wisdom in those moments. Show your affection to God by giving Him your attention! PASSAGE: Colossians 3:1-2 - If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. PAUSE: This world catches our attention, but it is God who wants our affection. Prayer is the key to a healthy relationship with God. Spend a few moments looking up to God and asking Him for the knowledge and wisdom you need.  PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to keep my eyes on You. Help me to resist the temptation to focus on the problems below, help me see You instead. 

Colossians 2:6-7

August 2, 2023 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Colossians 2:6–7

The Christian life is 100% a life of faith! We only become Christians when we place our faith 100% in Jesus, in His death for our sins and resurrection unto new life. That is the initial act of faith. But once we are saved we are commanded to continue to exercise trust in Christ day by day. We trust in Him that He is Lord of our lives and that He is at work in our lives shaping us to become more and more like Jesus. We trust Him with our sin struggles, we trust Him with our life decisions, we trust Him with our key relationships, we learn to trust Him with everything! I have found that trust begins with prayer, where I tell God that I am trusting Him. There is something important about expressing it. But trust doesn’t end with prayer. Trust then goes into obedient action mode. As I trust God, I receive His strength and wisdom and courage to follow through on the direction He is leading me. O Lord, increase my faith! PASSAGE: Colossians 2:6-7 - Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. PAUSE: Paul reminded the Colossians that they were to walk by faith. Spiritual growth and development are dependent upon being rooted and grounded in Christ. Every time we pray to God, we exercise our faith muscle. Memorize and meditate on the passage for 10 minutes, it is a life-changer.  PRAYER: Father, may my prayer life abound in thanksgiving. Today, I am thankful that I am in a relationship with Christ. Help me grow in my knowledge of Him.