The Faith Journey: A Devotional

Expressing Your Faith

Faith in God is such an amazing thing! It's so wonderful and joyous that it's uncontainable. It's so wonderful that you have to lift your arms to the Lord and praise Him!

So, what do you do to praise Him?

Maybe you draw to express your faith.

Maybe you sit in nature and think of God's creation.

Maybe you just talk to Him.

How do you express your faith? What do you do each day to set time aside for God?

I don't know about you, but I write to God almost every day. I have a prayer journal and devotional by my bedside. Some nights I just write down bible verses. Some nights I just open the bible and read. Some nights, I write in my prayer journal.

If you don't know where to start in expressing your love for God, and especially His love for you, here's my method I use that I learned from a mission trip. It may not be for you, but this worked wonders for me. It's so fulfilling.

First, you have four subjects. Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. In that order, (you can spice it up if you want, but I just always use that order) I write prayers to God in my notebook. Here's what each section is:

Adoration:

Here, you praise God by reflecting on and speaking about who He is.

Confession:

In this section, you confess your sins. Once we come to realize who God is, using the adoration, we come to face who we are - sinners. We confess our sins because God is holy, just, and forgiving.

Thanksgiving:

Next, thank God for all He has done. Here, we're thankful for a life free from the chains of sin. We no longer carry the guilt of our sins and so we approach God with grateful hearts, thanking Him for His great work in our lives. Take time to thank Him. Remember, there is always something to be thankful for!

Supplication:

On the last section, we pray. Now that our perspective is clear about who God, who we are, and why we're thankful after the previous sections, we come to Him with our requests.

This is a wonderful way to just spend time with God. It's a great way to connect with Him and praise Him. This method may not be the way for you, but give it a shot. It certainly can't hurt!

Here's one I recently wrote. This prayer journal just brings out all the honesty, the hurt, but especially the joy. I love this time I can spend with Him.

Adoration:

God - you're amazing. You're so merciful to me, a sinner. You love me so much that it's hard to grasp at times. You are so powerful, and you show it. I see your power and love everyday. Most of all, you are loving. You love everyone. Even me. Even though I don't deserve your love, you still love me anyway. You're always there. I can always count on you.

Confession:

God, I've sinned. I sin every day. I confess that I have evil thoughts. They are dark and selfish. Please forgive me for such thoughts. I also judge others. I look, without knowing, and I judge them. You, Lord, are the only judge. Forgive me for judging when I really can't.

Thanksgiving:

Thank you for all the blessings in my life. There are so many I can't even begin! Thank you especially for my church and all the wonderful people there. Thank you for my ever-growing faith. Thank you for a wonderful home, both at church and on the farm. Thank you for a loving family. Thank you for nature and all those beautiful moments in nature I'm blessed enough to witness. Thank you for everything. Every moment of every day. Thank you for every little miracle in my life that is really so, so great.

Supplication:

God, help me to not think evil thoughts. Look - this is already about me. Help me to not be so selfish. Help me to always put others before myself. Help me to serve others for you. Help me to not judge others. That is your job alone. Help me to always appreciate everything in my life; every blessing, every hard lesson, every moment. Most of all, be with those in need. I am not in as great of need as many, Lord. There are so many others who need your help above me. I must remember that. (Right here I have many personal prayers naming many people I shouldn't name here. Just know, all the people in your heart you know need help, pray for them.) Be with all the the unbelievers and bring them to you. They need you. Help me, and all of us, to keep you at the center of our lives. Help us to never doubt you! I love you!

Amen.

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Sometimes, I just pick out bible verses that have to do with praising, confessing, thanking, and asking from God. Each way helps me and gives me time with the Lord. Here are some verses that really go to my heart:

Adoration:

"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." - Psalm 69:30

God's name is above all names! He is so great, so wonderful, it's only right that we thank and praise Him. Praise Him in your own way, in words, in writing, in song - it does not matter. Just praise Him above all else!

"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I whom you have delivered." - Psalm 71:23

Shout for joy for the Lord! He delivered you. Jesus saved you and freed you! How could you not shout for joy and sing praise when you have been saved?

Confession:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

We all sin every day, and we must go to God and repent of our sins. The Lord is just and merciful. He is so forgiving! God will forgive you if you ask Him for forgiveness. Just go to Him.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." - 1 Peter 5:6

God will lift you up! Go to Him in confession, and he will answer. He is so mighty and so powerful that He will forgive you unconditionally. You are free, and He'll lift you up if only you come to Him!

Thanksgiving:

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." - 1 Chronicles 29:13

Thank God for all the blessings in your life. He loves you. He loves you, a sinner. You are so very blessed, and so very loved, so thank Him.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:17

Live for God. Everything you do, everything you say - do it in His name, and for Him alone. Give thanks to God!

Supplication:

"Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer." -Psalm 4:1

God will answer when you call. He will always, always hear your prayer.

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." -Psalm 145:8

Call on God, for He is near. God's right there beside you even when it may seem like He's not. If you call on Him and ask of Him, He will be right there.

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God is so good! Make time for Him, and He will be right there, always.