Text: John 15:1-8
Memory verse:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)
Some have ignorantly believed that early morning quiet time is not feasible for CEOs, top government officers and political office holders. No, everyone needs to maintain connection with the Source of life to continue to live and be fruitful, be it pastors or CEOs. In fact, the words, work and worship have the same Hebrew root word, ‘avodah’. God’s original design and desire is that our work and our worship would be a seamless way of living. Our work is our worship. If you will worship God with your work, then you need to get Him involved from the beginning of each day. You must not see your work as separate from your worship. God wants to be glorified and draw men to Himself through your work. Joseph, as a prime minister of Egypt, Daniel as governor of the province of Babylon and chief adviser of the king, and Nehemiah as the governor of Judah, all honoured God with their work and positions. Their unimpeachable character and witty wisdom were traced to their connections to the Vine (Gen 41:38-39; Dan 5:14).
A Christian statesman of Great Britain in the late 18th and 19th century, Williams Wilberforce, once said, “I must secure more time for private devotions. I have been living far too public for me. The shortening of private devotions starves the soul. It grows lean and faint.” After a failure in Parliament, Williams reflected that his problems may have been due to the fact that he spent less and less time in his private devotions in which he could earnestly seek the will of God. He submitted, “God allowed me to stumble.” Even though, God didn’t cause it, he simply stumbled because he was cut off from the Source of his sustenance. ““I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). If a man is weak in his private devotion, he will be weak everywhere. Like E. M. Bounds said, “Our ability to stay with God in the closet means our ability to stay with God out of the closet”.
Friends, if you see work as your worship, you won’t live in the spirit on Sunday and live in the flesh for the rest of the week. Yet, you can’t live in the spirit when you are disconnected from the Spirit. Keep your early morning daily appointment with God and He will live His life and work His will through you in your work.
Prayer points
1. Father, please, help me to see my work as my worship from now and be glorified through it in Jesus name.
2. Father, please, fill me with wisdom and prepare me for each day’s work during my morning private devotion with You in Jesus name.
Today’s declarations
1. Since I see my work as my worship, I start my day by receiving instructions from Him to do the work.
2. God lives His life and works His will through me when I maintain my connection to Him through daily private communion
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng