Happy Lord’s Day Beauties!
Thank you for joining me here on our 2024 New Year’s 40 Day Journey. I’m honored and consider it a true privilege to provide encouragement as you grow in your relationship with Jesus. This journey experience is not a Bible Study; however, it will help facilitate your spiritual growth and will point you to the Holy Spirit to provide revelation about the lies you believe and the truth that will set you free. Our key scripture to memorize is “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)
This 40 Day Journey will lead you into a greater intimacy with Jesus. What could be greater than that? The process comes with sacrifice and hard work. Are you willing to put in the time and effort to see real change? Believe me, it’s worth it!
I found a beautiful article from Michael Mavromatis on intimacy with God. He says, “Intimacy with God is a term that is often used to describe a close and personal relationship with God. It goes beyond merely knowing about God but involves experiencing Him, talking to Him, and listening to Him. It’s an intimate connection that is built on love, trust and a deep respect for our creator.
Experiencing God is an important aspect of intimacy with Him. It’s not just about knowing God intellectually, but also experiencing His presence in our lives. When we experience God, we come to know Him more fully, and our relationship with Him grows deeper.
Talking to God is another important aspect of intimacy with Him. Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with God, and it allows us to communicate our deepest thoughts and desires to Him. When we talk to God, we open our hearts to Him and allow Him to speak to us in return.
Waiting upon and listening to God is also crucial for developing intimacy with Him. God speaks to us in many ways, including through His Word, through the Holy Spirit, and through other people. When we listen to God, we can hear His voice and His guidance, and we learn to trust Him more fully.
In addition to experiencing, talking to, and listening to God, intimacy with God also involves being validated by Him. We were created by God, and He knows us better than anyone else. When we seek intimacy with God, we come to understand our true identity as His children, and we find validation in who we are and why God created us.
Developing intimacy with God is a vital aspect of our spiritual journey. It involves experiencing Him, talking to Him, and listening to Him, as well as being validated by Him. As we deepen our relationship with God, we come to know Him more fully and find the fulfilment and purpose, the life as He intends for us, that can only come from a close and personal relationship with our Creator.
In conclusion, developing intimacy with God is essential for you and your journey in life. It requires a personal and close relationship with God, built the expectation and belief that God, can and will listen to you. But, more importantly, God desires to have a deep and personal relationship with you.”
Do you believe it? God wants a deep and personal relationship with you? Is there anything preventing you from believing this important truth? Selah. (Stop and ponder these things.)
The ultimate goal of the 40 Day Journey is in elevate your intimacy with Jesus, and there is a preparation needed to begin your journey. Can you imagine taking an extended journey without planning ahead and making the necessary preparations? This journey is of great significance and requires nothing less.
The instructions for making the most of the journey using the You Are Beautiful, Selah journal are found in the first few pages. If you’re not using this particular journal and will be using another one, here are some basic instructions for you to follow. Please pray as you begin each day for the Spirit’s revelation and for courage to accept what He shows you. Next you’ll play the “You Are Beautiful” song from the website. You may want to close you eyes as you listen, or perhaps get up and dance with Jesus as the words and music fill the room. You’ll then journal on the day’s lyric. “What do I believe about this truth?” It’s a chance for you to be honest about what you currently believe. The next part is critical. Spend time with God. You may want to pray, dig in the Word of God, praise Him with music, take a walk in nature, draw a picture…however you enter into the presence of God, do it. Let Him speak to your heart about the truth He wants you to know. After your time with God, write down your response to the revelation of His truth. Lastly, write your personal prayer to Him. Let your guard down, and pour out your heart to Him through your written prayer.
Now that you know how to use the journal on a daily basis, you’ll need to understand how to prepare for the journey. Let’s start by defining our expectations. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want God to do? What are you willing to do, to give, and to surrender in order for you to consider it a successful experience? Selah. (Stop and ponder) Take time to pray and ask God about these things. Find a place in your journal to write down your answers. You will want to refer back to them during your journey.
Next, we need to plan for obstacles along the way. Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal anything that may stand in your way of a smooth journey. I know from personal experience, as well as hearing from several women who’ve taken this journey, having a busy schedule is a big obstacle. Like with this example, we have to create an action plan to overcome road blocks.
Take charge over anything standing in your way! You have the power to make your schedule. What will you do to allow for more time to spend with God each day and journey with Him? What sacrifices might need to be made? Is it worth it? Like your expectations, please write down a list of obstacles standing in your way, and beside each one, write down your action plan to overcome it with victory.
Lastly, we’ll look at motivation. Why do you want to take this 40 Day Journey? What’s calling you to a deeper relationship with God? Has something changed? Do you find yourself in a valley and want to be brought out, or are you in a mountain top place in your life where you want to grow even closer to God? Is it somewhere in between?
I love Psalm 42:1-2, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (NIV) King David, often quoted as “the man after God’s own heart”, wanted to be in the presence of God and in deep relationship with Him more than anything else. Is that where you are? Longing for God? Longing for Truth?
Please write down your answers in your journal. Trust me, you will want to review your motivations, your “why” on those mornings when it’s hard to get out of bed and get to your journal. Let it remind you of all the reasons you’re taking the journey.
All of our journeys will be different, but we can all agree that today, as we begin, there is an uncertainty about where our journeys will take us. That’s okay. Do not fear. Though the experience is unknown, we do know the one who is leading us, and He will be with us to love and care for us the entire way.
The universal goal is change. We are asking God to reveal the lies we’ve been believing and replace them with His Truth. The battle is waged in our minds. Transformation occurs when we trust God and allow Him to change our thoughts. Are you ready for this kind of change? Selah.
Let’s pray… Dear Lord Jesus, we come to you today in great anticipation of all you have in store for us during our 40 Day Journey. You have created each one of us, perfectly and wonderfully. May we come to know the truth of who we are in you, Jesus. Reveal to us the lies and deception we’ve believed and replace them with your truth. Lord, take back what the enemy has stolen and give us newness of life so we may pursue you and our purpose. Holy Spirit, help us to surrender our control and bring comfort and peace to us during our journey experience. We welcome the change you have for us - from glory to glory. We love you, Lord, and we lift up our prayer in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Falling In Love - Phil Wickham
Love and Blessings,
Kendra
