John 14:8 | Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

John 1:35-39 | The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, rekindle my longing for you.

DAILY THOUGHT: GOD’S LONGINGS
When we genuinely long for God, we also long for what God wants. God longs for the healing of our communities, of our relationships and of our lives. The big question always is: How do we give visibility to God’s longing where we are? Whenever we reach out to a stranger, get alongside someone who is grieving, listen to those who are rejected and seek to bring reconciliation where there is painful conflict and division, we make real the longings of God for a healed world, whether we speak about God or not. We become visible signs of God’s longing for healing of our whole universe.

DAILY PRACTICE:
Praying the daily prayer request. Pray it slowly, thoughtfully, expectantly. In the quiet ask the Lord to bring into your mind some person or situation that needs healing. Once you are clear about this, ask the Lord to help you think creatively about how you can be a visible sign of God’s healing love in the next twenty-four hours. Commit your thoughts to the Lord and ask for the Lord’s help and guidance in carrying out this intention.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

John 14:8 | Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

John 1:35-39 | The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

LENT IS FOR LONGING

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, rekindle my longing for you.

DAILY THOUGHT: KEEPING OUR GOD-LONGING ALIVE
In many respects we could say that a human being is, by definition, “a longing for God”. Lent is an important time to pay attention to this yearning and to keep it alive in our hearts. For when it dies, and it can die, we die as well. We will never truly come home. We will miss out on what we have been created for. This is the supreme tragedy that can come our way in this life we have on earth. Can you see why we need to constantly find ways in which we can consciously rekindle our longing for God?

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray the daily prayer request. As you sit with the Lord today, ask yourself: “What are those activities and experiences that keep alive my God-longing? How can I build these things more intentionally into my daily life?” As you think about these questions do not forget to share what you are thinking with the Lord and to listen to what the Lord may be saying to you as well.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

Psalm 63:1-2 | You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

John 1:35-39 | The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, rekindle my longing for you.

DAILY THOUGHT: OUR DEEPEST LONGING
Put bluntly, our deepest longing is for God. At the centre of our hearts, beneath all the other desires and yearnings, there exists this persistent and intense longing to know God in our lives. We should not be surprised. We have been made by love, in love, to love. We are divinely designed for divine connection. God has made for himself, as Augustine once said, and our hearts will always be restless until they find their rest in God. Read Psalm 63:1–2 to catch a glimpse of our restless and yearning hearts. This deepest longing is our bus-ticket home.

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray your daily prayer request. Place your hand over your heart, feel your heartbeat and pray these simple words: “Lord, rekindle my longing for you.” You may find it helpful to pray these words a few times in your quiet time today, allowing some silence in between each time, so that they can spend time simply resting in your longing for God. Breathe in the love of God that surrounds us.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

1 John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. | For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Matthew 4:1-11 | Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

DAILY THOUGHT: FACING TEMPTATIONS

When we draw aside to listen to God we may also sometimes struggle with dark thoughts and desires that don’t come from God. This happened for Jesus when he was tempted by the evil one in the desert. We can be sure that we will also struggle in this way. We need to learn to distinguish what God may be saying to us and what the evil one may be tempting us with. As we do this, we find courage and strength knowing that Christ has also been tempted and he knows exactly what we are going through. We can call out to him in our struggle and find grace to help us in our time of need. Christ Jesus empowers us to overcome temptations in the same way he did.

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray your daily prayer request. Today think about the ways in which you are tempted to be unfaithful in your friendship with God. Share these temptations with Christ and listen to what he may be saying to you. Thank him for both his understanding of your temptations and for his availability to help you overcome them.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

REMEMBER: Hebrews 4:12 | For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Matthew 4:1-11 | Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

DAILY THOUGHT: OBEDIENT LISTENING
We listen to God so that we can be more faithful in our walk with God during the day. Listening to God needs to lead us into obedience. This is what happened for Jesus in his desert experience and what must happen for us in our “desert space”. When we have heard God speaking to us, we have more to give to others, often in very practical ways, in our homes and at work or in the wider community. The more we receive in listening prayer, the more we have to give in our active lives. Or, we could say that we retreat to listen to God so that we can advance in our obedience to God in the world.

DAILY PRACTICE:
Follow the rhythm of yesterday. After making your daily prayer request, meditate again on the temptation story of Jesus (Matthew 4:1–11). This time picture the scene in your imagination, using all your senses and imagine yourself talking with Jesus about his experience. Is there a particular image of the story that captures your attention? What do you think the Lord may be saying to you? What would you like to say to him?

Let the Word of God live actively in your life… Take a deeper look at the reading.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W