Enterprise United Methodist Church

04/08/2023

04/06/2023

Welcome

Welcome to our prayer journey. This year’s theme, “Who I Am in Christ” was selected to complement the Lenten sermon series here, the “I Am” statements of Jesus. It is not necessary to have heard the sermons to understand the prayer journey. However, if have not heard the sermons but would like to, they can be found on the church page. It is recommended that you read the devotionals in the given order but it is not required. This is designed as an individual experience with God. It takes around thirty minutes to just read all nine of the devotionals. We encourage you take your time with each devotional. Really think about it and how it applies to your personal relationship with Jesus. The sanctuary is available if you wish to spend extra time in prayer and meditation. Please, take your time and enjoy the journey.

04/06/2023

I Am Loved

How many commercials for dating apps have you seen today? How many rom-coms have you watched? We live in a world that is obsessed with finding love.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
I John 3: 1
We, as Christians do not need to go hunting for love. Love has been poured out upon us. God has drenched us with His great love. If we do not begin with the knowledge that we are loved by God it is hard to find who we are. Our relationship with God needs to center on the simple fact that He loves us with an undying, all-encompassing love.
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
Psalm 136: 1 - 3
The seven “I Am” statements made by Jesus that are recorded in the Gospel of John give examples of how the lavish and enduring Love of God for us is manifested in Christ. As you move forward on this prayer journey the devotionals are focused on how those statements of Christ impact us.
Because Jesus is The Light of the World, I am unafraid.
Because Jesus is The Gate for Sheep, I am known.
Because Jesus is The Good Shepherd, I am pursued.
Because Jesus is The Bread of Life, I am satisfied.
Because Jesus is The Way, the Truth, and the Life, I am transformed.
Because Jesus is The True Vine, I am grateful.
Because Jesus is The Resurrection and the Life, I am alive.
Underlying those statements is the fact that Jesus is The Son of God. As the Son of God, He loves us with the same lavish, enduring love.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3: 16

Because Jesus is the Son of God, I am LOVED!

God of Love, look kindly upon me, as I grow in faith. I know that I am not alone on this journey as your Spirit encompasses me. Help me take time to listen and reflect on the words of scripture and the devotionals. May I be powerfully moved by You. Help me to not be in such a hurry that I miss the riches you have in store for me. Your Spirit lives deep within me, but sometimes I forget that. So I ask for Your Spirit to continue to shape me and help me to remain open to Your presence and power. Amen.

04/06/2023

I Am Unafraid

Did you have a nightlight as a child? Do you leave a light on when you leave the house just in case? Why does everything seem scarier in the dark?
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
John 11: 9 - 10
My grandmother told me as a child she was very afraid of the dark. Her father appeased her fear by always having the lamp burning at night. Living in a rural area with no light other than the moon, grandma would search out that lamp light as she walked home. Looking to that lamp not only kept her on the right path, it gave her great comfort to know her father had lit it, lovingly hanging it for her to see, and would be there waiting for her.
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
Psalm 119: 105
Jesus warned us about walking in darkness because we are likely to stumble. He came as the Light of the World to illuminate our path. He drives back the darkness of this world, so we can find our way. The light does not dim when the darkness intensifies. Darkness can never drive out the light. We live in a world where the spiritual darkness is intensifying. That is extremely terrifying. However, the spiritual light of Jesus will never dim in the darkness of this world. His light will drive back the darkness.
The more we focus on the Jesus the Light, the less the darkness will scare us. Keeping our focus on Jesus drives back the darkness and leads us to our eternal home.
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8: 12

Because Jesus is the Light of the World, I am UNAFRAID!

Creator God, You calmed the chaos with the words “Let there be light.” I invite Your presence now into the dark chaos and confusion of my life. You have always shown the way from darkness to light. As I struggle in my current darkness calm my fears and help me to see the light. Grant me the grace to overcome fear and keep my focus on Your Light in this darkness. Amen.

04/06/2023

I Am Known

Have you ever felt invisible? Left out, the only one without a present under the Christmas tree? Longed for someone to call out your name, to see you?
17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
Exodus 33: 17
Many years ago, as a Scout leader I wanted the girls to do a service project at Christmas. The girls collected donations for an orphanage in Ukraine. Among the donations was a large box of dollar store teddy bears, enough for every child in the orphanage to get one. The contact person sent a list of the children’s names written in Ukrainian. The names were printed and tied with ribbon to each bear. Shortly after Christmas I got an email with a picture of the children holding their bears. The attached note said many of the children cried when they got their bears because most of them had never received a gift with their name on it. Something so simple that most of us take for granted. We use gift tags to keep track of who gets what and who get credit. The name gets a quick glance then is forgotten. To those children that simple gift tag meant that someone somewhere loved them enough to know their name.
43 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
Isaiah 43: 1
Jesus called you by name! He didn’t just yell, “Everybody come here.” He lovingly calls every one of us by name to follow Him. We are His and He seeks to keep us safe.
10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
John 10: 1 – 6
He calls us into the fold and keeps away those who would steal us. When it is time to go out, He again calls you by name to follow Him. We are His and He is ours. He will protect us as long as we listen to His voice. Jesus has lovingly set Himself as the gate to keep us safe.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
John 10: 7

Because Jesus is the Gate for Sheep, I am KNOWN!

Father, Thank you for calling me by name. Thank you that I have ears to hear you voice. I ask that you teach me Your voice better so I will not be lead astray. Thank you that I don’t have to know it all, I only need to follow Your voice. Your word reminds me to not follow those that strive to lead me away from You and the safety of the fold. Teach me how to let You lead. Less of me and more of you in the name of Jesus, Amen.

04/06/2023

I Am Pursued

As a child did you ever run away from home? Who came after you? Were they relieved when they found you? Were you glad to be found?
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Psalm 23: 6
David writes of his intimate relationship with God. He tells of God being right beside him, guiding and protecting him. This is why verse six used to confuse me. Why are goodness and love behind him? Did this mean the best of life was behind David? Maybe that is why most every funeral I have been to uses Psalm 23. I did an in-depth study of this passage and it really changed my outlook.
This is one of those times where the limits of the English language affect the translation. I was thinking of follow in terms of a stray dog following me home. David used the Hebrew word “radaph” for follow. It means more than just simply wandering behind. Radaph means to set off after someone in order to catch them. Less of a stray dog and more like a lifeguard swimming toward a drowning man.
David goes on to say this was not a one-time occurrence, it is all the days of life. No matter where he went or what he did Goodness and Mercy would be hot on his tail. Even if he wanted to escape them, he couldn’t. God, with an attitude of compassion and forbearance toward his offences, was in pursuit of him with the intent to overtake and encompass him all the days of his life no matter where he went or what he did.
The Bible tells us David was a man after God’s own heart. I fear I fall short of that mark. I often wander from the pasture and end up lost in the wilderness. Does Psalm 23 apply to me the same way it did to David? Most certainly, and then some.
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.
Luke 15: 3 - 6
The goodness and love David described as pursuing us is fully embodied in the person of Jesus. It is with that goodness and love that Jesus came for the lost and the runaways. He chases after me! When He catches me, He carries me back to the pasture. Once I am safe, He celebrates my return. No matter how many times I run off, Jesus will always come after me. He does not want anyone to be separated from the flock.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me”
John 10: 14

Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd, I am PURSUED!

Dear God, Thank You for pursuing me daily. You deserve my time, my hearts, my everything! Thank You for not giving up on me, You are faithful and constant. Help me to be faithful and constant. May my life be a reflection of the love and devotion You have shown me, in Jesus’ name Amen.

04/06/2023

I Am Satisfied

What is the longest you have gone without food? Did you reach that place of such deep hunger that you would do almost anything for a piece of bread?
15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.
John 14: 15 – 20
In Bible times, bread was essential. Bread was central to every meal. Bread meant life. Jesus used bread to perform miracles. More than once he took bread that was meant to feed one and satisfied the hunger of thousands. Jesus understood the physical needs of the crowd. He was moved by compassion for the people to meet that need. Jesus knew that they would not hear his message if their stomachs were growling. As word of these miracles spread, great crowds sought after Jesus.
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
John 6: 26 – 27
Jesus was saddened that many of those in the crowds following him only wanted a full belly. Jesus wanted to give them much more than that. He wanted to provide spiritual bread to fill their souls. It would not do them any good to break bread with Jesus today if they missed spending eternity in Heaven with Him tomorrow.
Jesus stands ready to satisfy the hunger of our souls with His spiritual bread. We feed on His Holy Word the Bible, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers. The more we pursue these practices, the more our spiritual self can be fully satisfied leaving us hungering for nothing. Jesus gladly gives us more than we need.
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6: 35

Because Jesus is the Bread of Life, I am SATISFIED!

Dear God, Thank you so much for the Bible. Thank you that You are the God who provides not only for my physical hunger but my spiritual hunger as well. Please remind me daily that all the things of this world which I am chasing will never ever truly satisfy me. I ask that you would reveal anything in this world that I have been striving for to fulfill me instead of you. Please re-direct my focus back on You. Help me remember, it is you I am to love first and foremost, and it is you who will bring me lasting fulfillment and a nourishment. Forgive me for looking elsewhere. I love you, Lord. Thank you satisfying my soul. Amen.

04/06/2023

I Am Transformed

Have you ever tried to change your image? More than a new hair style or wardrobe, truly change who you are? What was harder, making the change or getting those closest to you to see the change?
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
Acts 9: 1 – 2, 13 - 15
The foster care system, for the most part, lacks family inclusion. When a child ends up in the system for behavioral issues, that child undergoes therapy and training to control or eliminate the problem behavior. They have to prove themselves rehabilitated in the courts to be released back to the home. Meanwhile the family gets periodic check- ins but little in the way of rehabilitation. That leads to a transformed child being returned to the same environment that led to the problem, making it difficult for that child not to change back.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
Acts 9: 26 - 28
Saul had completely changed. He went from killing people belonging to the Way (followers of Jesus) to being willing to die for Jesus. His encounter with the truth of who Jesus is left him forever transformed. Saul had to prove himself changed, not to God but to the church. They feared Saul and for good reason. They didn’t trust that he was transformed by an intimate encounter with Jesus. It took Barnabas standing up for Saul for the others to give him a chance.
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
John 14: 6 – 7
Like Saul, when we have that intimate encounter with God and are transformed into a child of God, it is hard to get the people around us to see the new us.
Remember that you are transformed and that God will give you the strength to remain strong in that transformation. When you trust God, others will soon notice the transformation.

Because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I am TRANSFORMED!

Heavenly Father, I offer unending praise for the transforming power of the Truth of who You are and who I am in You. Strengthen me to stand firm in my faith. Give me the courage to live so boldly for You that everyone I come in contact with will know I am a Christian. Grant me meekness and patience to prove my transformation to those who know me best and struggle to see me in a new light. Help me to be like Ananias and Barnabas, seeing the transformation of others and helping them stay the course. I love you, Lord, and pray these things in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

04/06/2023

I Am Grateful

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? What is the focus of your resolutions? There is something about the turning of a calendar that makes us reflective.
7 Sing to the LORD with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they call.
Psalm 147: 7 - 9
Copied from Facebook:
I’ve been thinking a lot about New Year’s resolutions.
This year, I think it will be more about what I stop doing:
1. I will stop saying “I’m starving,” because I’ve never actually experienced the pangs of true hunger;
2. I will stop saying “I’m exhausted,” because, last time I checked, I wasn’t working three jobs to make ends meet;
3. I will stop thinking “I’m waiting,” getting impatient when meetings run long or when someone is late, because I am fortunate to have the gift of time;
4. I will stop complaining about the cold (or more likely in this polar bear’s case, the heat) because I have the luxury of a home with a boiler and a roof to shelter me from the sun;
5. I will stop obsessing over trivial things like the weight I gained, or worrying about things I cannot change like the bills I have to pay. I am fortunate to have working legs and arms to exercise or go to work to earn more money;
6. I will not feel sorry for myself in any circumstance because I have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to family and friends who will come to my aid if I ask; and
7. I vow to start each day with an expression of thanks for all of the above.
As my dad says, “Always have an attitude of gratitude.”
What is your resolution?
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
John 15: 5 – 9
When we as the branches remain firmly attached to Jesus the vine, we have all we need. All we need to do is ask and it will be done. God loves us. Our gratitude is a natural response to Him.
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
John 15: 1

Because Jesus is the True Vine, I am GRATEFUL!

Dear God, Thank You for Your amazing power and work in my life. Thank You for Your goodness and blessings over me. Thank You for bringing me hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening me for Your purposes. Thank You for Your great love. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for always being with me and will never leaving me. Thank You for forgiving me when I don't thank You enough, for who You are, for all that You do, for all that You've given. Help me to set my eyes and my heart on You. I love and need You, this day and every day. I give You praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! Amen.

As you read the following song lyrics, notice the gratitude of not just the boy and his family, but also that of the teenage girl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xnSqIfwdmw

04/06/2023

I Am Alive

Have you ever watched children playing with what seems like inexhaustible energy and wished you could bottle that energy? Do you ever feel so overwhelmed and exhausted, so buried in life that you feel like the walking dead? How do you ever feel alive again, get back to your youth?
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 3: 1 - 3
I like the idea of born again, go back to before all the aches, pains, stresses, and responsibilities of being an adult. I long for those carefree days of youth when I was full of hope and ready to take on the world. That is just not possible, is it?
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
John 3: 4 - 6
Nicodemus questioned the ability to go back and be born again. He had missed the point. It wasn’t about the physical rebirth. Jesus offers a spiritual rebirth. We feel overwhelmed and buried in life – bad decisions, circumstances beyond our control, and sometimes just having too many things on our plate – we feel exhausted and dead. We feel hopeless and defeated. Jesus reaches out with this spiritual rebirth and resurrects us.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11: 21 – 26
Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave, giving him back his physical life. But He gave him and us so much more. Jesus came so that we might have a new life – one full of hope, freedom, and love. A life that only He can give us. When we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, He gives us this new life.
Jesus promises that the life we have now is not the end. There is a better life, a new life, an eternal life yet to come. That life begins the minute you accept Christ as Savior.
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and He makes us eternally alive when we trust in Him as our Lord and Savior.

Because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, I am ALIVE!

If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, if you aren’t alive in Christ, we encourage you now to pray and ask Him to become your Savior and give you this new life.
First Time Salvation Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name, Amen.

If you have already accepted Jesus as your Savior, take a moment to thank God for your new life.
Renewing Your Commitment Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am not without sin, and I ask for Your forgiveness. Help me daily to turn from sin. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead that I may have eternal life. I praise You for coming into my heart and life. I thank You that I am now alive in You. Help me to trust You more and follow You closer. You are my Lord and Savior, for this I offer You unending praise. In Your Name, Amen.