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0:02 Before we pray, let's first take a moment to listen to God's word and then we'll pray together. Being able to take time to listen to God before we start our day. Be still and wait with him can transform the whole of our day. The Bible says in Isaiah 40:31, "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. This is the promise of the Lord for those who wait. Those who can be still and listen,
0:47 those who can make time to start their day with the Lord. This is the secret of having a fruitful and productive day. The discipline of sitting with God early, being still, and listening to him is one we all must come to without fail. The Bible tells us how this was a part of Jesus' life and a part of the apostles routine. I also think there is something very important in today's devotion that I want us to pay attention to. The charge today is not just to come early. It is to come be still and listen.
1:33 When scripture asks us to be still, it tells us to come to a place of rest, a place of being quiet, being patient, and putting a hold on our worries even as we come before the Lord. The Bible says in Psalm 37:7, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." The contemporary English version of the Bible renders this verse as be patient and trust the Lord. Both tell us the same thing, to be still. To be patient, even if that is the last thing we want to do. Being able to be still can be hard.
2:19 In fact, it is not something many of us have practiced. I know when I wake up in the morning, thoughts are already jumping into my head, particularly those unsolved issues I carried over from the night before. The moment the day breaks, I am already thinking of the things I need to do, the places I need to be and what I need to take care of. And that is where we must begin our discipline. We must come to a place where we build the ability in ourselves to set all these worries and cares aside. We must get them out of our minds. We deliberately unclog our minds from
3:05 the thoughts that are trying to settle in them. And we go to God fully in stillness and quietness. If we do not do this, we really cannot maximize that time in his presence. And when we become encumbered, bothered and worried, it is highly unlikely that we will hear anything from him. To avoid wasting our time or having unproductive times in his presence, we must train ourselves to be still. After this, we also listen. It is not enough to come. It is not enough to be still. But we must listen when he speaks.
3:51 The psalmist says in Psalm 85:8, "I will listen to what God the Lord says. He promises peace to his people, his faithful servants, but let them not turn to folly." Just as the psalmist has declared, we also must come willing to listen because that is really the beauty of our own waiting and the secret of the fullness that comes to us in his presence. That is really when the Lord begins to speak to us, communicate with us and open our hearts to his word. And that is what we came for. Now, many of the verses we have gone through today have been very clear on
4:36 the benefits of waiting on the Lord, the benefits of being still and knowing him, and the benefits of listening to him. I would like to highlight some of what they have shown us today so that we can know what happens to us when we make time for the Lord. When we come to him being still and ready to listen. The first verse today was Isaiah 40:31 which says, "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
5:23 The first thing Isaiah points out to us is that when we wait on the Lord, as we should, there is always a renewal of strength. I believe we all know just how important that is. We know how days can deplete our strength, how they can hollow us out before the sun goes down, and how they can literally sap our strength. This verse tells us today that if we need to have our strength renewed, the best place for that renewal is in the presence of the Lord. It is in waiting upon the Lord. This verse tells us that after our strength has been renewed, we shall mount up with wings like eagles
6:10 and then we shall run and not be weary. I do not know about you, but I think that is a good way to start any day without weariness, with enough strength to navigate the day. And not just strength in my body, but strength in my mind, strength in my spirit. Strength everywhere. I am not tired. I am not withdrawn, worn down, waiting for the day to just end. but instead I am active and alive by the spirit of the Lord and enjoying the day. So strength is assured to us when we
6:56 wait on the Lord. I am reminded of another verse of scripture today where the Bible says that when our mind is stayed on the Lord, he will keep us in perfect peace. When we make time for the Lord, when we get still and listen, there is something that begins to happen to our minds, peace begins to seep in because we are assured by the word of the Lord. We are assured by his presence. Our worries melt away and instead we are encouraged because the truth settles in us. And that truth that has settled in us gives us a sound mind throughout the day. A mind that knows what the Lord is
7:42 saying. A mind that knows what the Lord is doing. And a mind that knows that the Lord is for you, with you, and not against you. And for as long as he is for you throughout your day, you know you are covered. And that assurance brings peace. Sometimes it may not even be a scripture that is on our mind. It may just be the sheer fact that we are in his presence that gives peace. A peace that passes all understanding. Another thing that is added to us when we make time to get quiet with the Lord early in the morning is that we receive direction for that day.
8:27 It may be a scripture. Something may simply come to our minds. It may be a knowing or an assurance in our hearts. But by all means, when we set out to seek the Lord before our day, the Lord speaks over our day. And as we commit that day into his hands, he makes sure to direct us. And finally, it renews our minds. Scripture tells us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is the place where we receive that renewal. This is the place where our minds meet
9:14 with God and we are brought closer to him. I believe there is no wasted moment in the Lord's presence. He is often moving us towards something, answering a prayer or transforming us. When we submit to this daily renewal, we are transformed. That is why today we must make it a priority to be still and to listen to God before we start our day. I invite you to join me right now to pray together. Heavenly Father, I have heard your words today and they have blessed me.
10:00 They have given me new understanding, caused me to look inward, and help me see where I need to make changes. Until now, all I have really kept is a few minutes of prayer that have not been consistent. I notice now that I have not been able to maximize the start of my day. I have not been able to be still and listen. I ask Lord that you help me today to learn to be still and also to learn to listen. I have walked blindly for long enough. I have lived daytoday groaning under the weight of the day. I choose a different path today and that
10:48 path is to stay with you. Today Lord, even as I start, I ask for the grace to be still. Father, teach me to be still. Teach me to be able to get quiet at the beginning of my day so I can come into your presence. Teach me how to cast off worry, to cast off the baggage I have brought from the previous day, and to cast off the thoughts that are trying to capture my mind. Teach me to cast them off, Lord, and be still in your presence. And also, Lord, teach me to listen. Teach me to listen when you speak.
11:34 Teach my ears to be inclined to your words and open to you. Let no part of my mornings be wasted. Let no part of my devotion be wasted, but rather let them bear fruit. I also pray today, Lord, that everything that comes with making time for you, waiting, being still, listening, and being in your presence will come to me. I receive overflowing strength from this day forth. Strength that is enough to navigate my day. I also decree that even as I step into this, my peace will be stable. The peace that surpasses all understanding will be mine from this day
12:20 forward. I stand against worry. I stand against fear. I stand against anything that unsettles me and causes me to be agitated. The peace of the Lord fills my life. I also ask that the renewal of my mind that comes from being in your presence will be evident in my life. My mind is renewed by the Lord from this day forth. Direction is clear to me from this day forth. From today onward, my days are different. My days are productive and everything around me bears fruit in Jesus' name. Heavenly Father, I thank you again for opening my ears to hear and my eyes to
13:07 see. Thank you for the gift of your word that has caused a shift in me today and brought me into a new reality. I also thank you Lord for answered prayers today, for the productive days ahead, for a renewed mind, for peace, for strength, and for the gift of your presence. in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. I hope this devotion helps you begin today with a still heart before God. If you have any prayer requests, feel free to share them in the comments. We would be honored to pray with you. And if Grace Oasis Ministry has blessed your life, please consider joining our Patreon or supporting us through buy me
13:54 a coffee. At this time, your support is the only source of funding for this ministry as we continue sharing God's word every day. If you are not able to support today, that is completely okay. Your prayers and support mean so much to us. May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. God bless you.
