Becoming Like Jesus: Silence and SolitudeSample

The Compassionate and Gracious God

Here we are, at the end of this journey. Hopefully, the end of this plan is not the end of your practice of creating space to experience the presence of God. By this point, you’ve likely discovered the joy and power that comes from getting quiet, getting alone, and asking God to speak to you. Don’t lose that. There is nothing more powerful or profound than intimacy with Jesus. He loves you. So much so that He died for you. The more we make time for Him, the more we learn just how worthy of our love He is. For this final day, we are going to go all the way back to the beginning. To the passage of Scripture that we started with 35 days ago.

Let’s dive in.

Pray…

Father, thank you for meeting with me these last five weeks. It has been an absolute gift to get in your presence. I’ve fallen more in love with you every day, and I have no plans of stopping. Thank you. I love you. In Jesus name, amen.

Read…

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord , the Lord , the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” - Exodus 34:6-7 NIV

Consider…

Who is God? What is He like? What does that mean for you? There are no more important questions than these. And the passage we just read is God’s answer. He is the compassionate and gracious God. He is merciful and He is also just. He doesn’t allow evil to go unpunished, and He maintains love for thousands. He created the universe with a word. He formed human beings from the dust of the earth and the breath in His lungs. He put a plan in motion to rescue us from sin that culminated in the cross of Christ. He has placed His Spirit inside of us. And He has promised to come back to finish what He started. God is good.

As you look back on this journey, where have you seen God’s goodness in your life? What has He shown you? What has changed about the way you see Him? How about the way you see yourself? What about the way you treat other people?

Listen…

Find a comfortable place where you won’t be distracted. Maybe a cozy chair, a closet, or even sitting outside on a porch.

Set a timer for 5-10 minutes.

Ask God to speak to you, and sit quietly, eagerly listening for what He has to say.

Settle in by praying these words adapted from a prayer the Apostle Paul included in Ephesians:

Father God, Give me the power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Fill me to the brim with all the fullness of you. In Jesus name, amen.

When you get distracted, repeat the prayer above to help you bring your attention back to God.

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you spent together and head into the rest of your day with a clearer sense of His presence.

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