Practical Tips to Deepen Your Roots

I will wrap up our devotions this week with some practical ways you and I can deepen our roots in Jesus.

Practical Tips to Deepen Your Roots

Most days I read The Daily Article, written by my philosophy of religion professor at Southwestern Seminary, Dr. Jim Denison.

Dr. Denison writes that Jesus spent Wednesday of Holy Week in prayer and preparation for what was to come, and we know what was coming both on Friday and then on Sunday! If Jesus thought it important to have a robust prayer life and to prepare for service to the Father, then surely, we should as well.

Dr. Denison writes,

The good news is that God redeems our greatest challenges by using them to draw us into our deepest reliance on him. The more we know we need help beyond ourselves, the more likely we are to seek it. Abraham Lincoln testified:

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

If only we were as wise as our wise president.

I am convinced that self-reliance is the greatest temptation American Christians face. We live in a culture that prizes self-dependence and rewards the "self-made" person.

The problem is, God cannot give what we will not receive. He can bless us to the degree that we are dependent on him.

He calls us to "cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22). If we bear our burden ourselves, we forfeit his best. If we use our challenges to draw closer to our Father, he redeems them for his greatest glory and our greatest good.

(Source.)

Amen, and well stated, Dr. Denison.

I will wrap up our devotions this week with some practical ways you and I can deepen our roots in Jesus:

Soak your soul in Scripture, and marinate your mind with prayer and meditation. One helpful discipline I do each day is to pray back to God the Scriptures I read that morning. This discipline helps keep my mind on Jesus.
Begin each day with prayer. The ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) model is easy to remember and most helpful. I use this personally, and our church does as well at our weekly House of Prayer meetings.
Invest your time. Dr Bruce Leafblad helped me more than anyone to see the importance of spending extended time with Jesus. In order to make an A in his class, I had to pray an hour a day. I was up for the challenge and made my A. But after that semester, I felt the Holy Spirit ask me, "Now what are you going to do?" Would I go back to my 5-minute quiet times or spend extended time with the Lover of my soul? In 1986, I chose to spend more time with Jesus each morning, and it has made all the difference.
Contentment. As we spend time with our Lord, a beautiful thing happens: our souls are fully satisfied. God conforms us more into the image of Jesus, and we are content.

May the Lord bless you today and throughout this weekend. Deepen your roots by spending extended time with Jesus in Bible intake and prayer. You will bear fruit, prosper, and finish well.