Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31
This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 22 of Advent, and today John Piper seeks to stir awe and wonder in the hearts of believers who may have lost such feelings towards the gospel after hearing it again and again, perhaps as a result of growing up in the church. Piper draws an analogy of awe and wonder we sometimes have as a result of movies we watch and he correctly states that this awe and wonder means that we are capable of these feelings, and that we must bring them to bear upon hearing of the gospel. He writes: "[w]hen Jesus said, “For this purpose I have come into the world” (John 18:37), he said something as crazy and weird and strange and eerie as any statement in science fiction that you have ever read. Oh, how I pray for a breaking forth of the Spirit of God upon me and upon you; for the Holy Spirit to break into my experience in a frightening way, to wake me up to the unimaginable reality of God." For believers (nearly all or perhaps all) who have been in this state from time to time, we should recite the same prayer.
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My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God, worthy of awe and wonder every moment of every day - You came into the world to save me - amazing and what a blessing - the greatest gift of all time. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a blessing. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
