God

Serving God: Listen Eagerly
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Serving God: Listen Eagerly

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day six in the tenth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Listen Eagerly

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.“
James 1:19-20 (NIV)

What types of things are you eager to listen to?  Why?  Are there things, or people, that you try to avoid listening to?  Why?  Do you ever feel trapped in a conversation and try to find a way out?  What could you do to listen more eagerly in such a time?  How eager are you to listen to those you serve with?  Why?  How about to those you serve?  Why?  Are you more likely to listen or to want to be listened to?  Would the people closest to you agree with your answer?

We have all likely had times when something happened that caused us to listen eagerly to every detail we could possibly hear.  I think of national tragedies such as 9/11 and the space shuttle Challenger disaster.  Everyone I knew was glued to a news source, eager to hear whatever could be told.  It didn’t matter how minute or trivial the details may have been, we all were eager to hear every last word.  We would do well to apply that same eagerness to our desire to hear every last word of those we serve and those we serve with.

As you pray, ask God to help you to be a person who is quick to listen.  Pray that you would listen to others with an eagerness that encourages them to speak.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Listen Patiently (03/18/21)

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This is the audio from the March 18, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Listen Patiently
by

Serving God: Listen Patiently

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day five in the tenth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Listen Patiently

“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.“
Acts 26:2-3 (NIV)

How quickly do you get tired of listening to someone?  How likely are you to interrupt a person before they are done speaking?  How often do you quit listening to someone because you think you already know everything they could say?  Has your listening to someone ever revealed an unexpected surprise?  How difficult is it to continue to listen to something that you suspect will challenge your beliefs and way of life?  How will listening patiently help you as you serve today?

I have a rather slow speech pattern.  Unfortunately, most of the world doesn’t seem to know what to do with such a thing.  It is nearly impossible to finish a sentence because I have met very few people who know how to listen patiently.  Many of the people we serve, and serve with, have the same frustration with us but for a slightly different reason.  Often times the very heart of what they want to tell us is buried deep toward the end of a conversation as it takes great courage to build up to what they need to say.  It is through our patient listening that we discover how we need to serve.

As you pray, ask God to give you patience in listening.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Listen To God’s Son (03/17/21)

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This is the audio from the March 17, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Listen To God’s Son
by

Serving God: Listen To God’s Son

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day four in the tenth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Listen To God’s Son

“While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’“
Luke 9:34-35 (NIV)

What does it mean to listen to someone?  Does that mean the same thing to you as hearing someone?  Why?  What types of things make you believe that a person has listened to you?  What would make you think they have not listened?  How often do you listen to God and His Son, Jesus Christ?  Would the people closest to you agree with your answer?  What evidence could you give to support your answer?  How does listening to God’s Son about everything help you as you serve?

Sometimes we give instructions to someone, perhaps someone we have served or serve with, only to get a response of, “I hear you.”  How we take that response usually hinges on a variety of variables including tone of voice, body language, and physical action that accompanies the response.  When someone says, “I hear you” and they are immediately doing what was instructed, we tend to believe they actually listened.  If there is no change in what they are doing, we conclude they may have heard but they weren’t listening.  God wants our listening to be put into action by the way we serve others.

As you pray, ask God to help you be an obedient listener to the instructions that come from His Son.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Listen For Reconciliation (03/16/21)

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This is the audio from the March 16, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Listen For Reconciliation
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Serving God: Listen For Reconciliation

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day three in the tenth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Listen For Reconciliation

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.“
Matthew 18:15-16 (NIV)

How often do you find yourself at odds with someone?  What kinds of things tend to extend the distance between people?  What things help to bridge the gap when differences have divided people?  Have you ever been wronged by someone you serve with?  By someone you serve?  Have you ever wronged someone you serve with?  Someone you serve?  Have you ever resolved any of those issues?  How many of them were misunderstandings that a resolution was helped along by deliberate listening?

While not always a cure for every conflict, few conflicts are ever resolved without purposeful listening.  When you serve, there will always be a need for reconciliation because even in the best of circumstances, we do things that offend those we serve with and those we serve.  When we listen for reconciliation, we are able to hear beyond the facts and listen to the heart of the person we need reconciled with. 

As you pray, ask God to show you any situations in your life where you need to listen for reconciliation.  Pray that you would not ignore the conflict, but that you would listen for the common ground that you have in Christ.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Listen For Understanding (03/15/21)

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This is the audio from the March 15, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom