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March 24, 2023

Day 3 : The Invitation of Jesus | 12-Day Guided Prayer

Welcome to Day 3 of Our Guided Prayer

Note: This prayer meditation is first and foremost designed to be listened to, so we encourage you to listen to the audio as you read along.

 

TRANSCRIPT:

Hello Church on the Move family,

Welcome to our 12-day guided prayer podcast.

Today is day 3.

Take a moment to prepare yourself to pray over the next few minutes by putting away distractions, setting aside mental to-do lists, and finding a place where for the next 10 minutes or so you can give yourself entirely to the task of prayer.

See yourself placing any worries or situations outside of your control at the feet of Jesus.

Let’s begin by praying a simple prayer. If you find your mind wandering or it’s difficult to focus simply return to prayer by repeating this phrase. Take a deep breath, rest your thoughts on God and pray:

Jesus, I want to know You more. 

Our prayers over the next several days are based on reflections from the life and teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

Today we are going to consider Jesus’ invitation to His first disciples to follow Him.

Found in Matthew 4:18-22,

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Before Jesus ever calls these two sets of brothers to follow Him we read that He sees them. Jesus isn’t just walking up to everyone He sees inviting them to follow Him. He is looking at something deeper than mere appearance.

He sees them and knows they will respond in faith. They aren’t perfect, we just need to read the rest of the gospel accounts to see that. But they are ready.

What does Jesus see when He looks at each of us?

Does He see someone who is distracted? Someone who is too busy to look up? Or someone who, no matter what they might be occupied with in the moment, is ready to follow Him wherever He may lead?

Take a moment to reflect now. Jesus sees you. He sees you in your day to day life. What does He see? How would you respond to Jesus if He walked up to you with the invitation to drop everything and follow Him?

Now, let’s consider what it was about Jesus that made these fishermen willing to drop their nets, to leave their livelihoods and their families behind. Maybe they heard about His baptism?

We don’t read anything about Jesus healing or doing miracles before this point in the story. But we do read just before this interaction that Jesus had begun preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” There is something that they see in Jesus that resonates deep within them. Is it His boldness? His authority? Is it the way He talks to them?

Of course they would have questions, doubts even. But Jesus clearly meets the criteria of someone they were looking for, someone they were willing to leave everything behind for.

Talk to Jesus.

Is there something that you’ve been looking for that has distracted you from seeing Jesus? Talk to Him about that now. Are you longing for a deeper understanding of who Jesus is? Ask Him to reveal Himself to you for who He really is.

Finally, let’s pray in response to the final verses of Psalm 139 and invite God to search us, to know us, to see us, and to guide us.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!

To end our time today, let’s pray together.

Jesus, just like the disciples who dropped their nets on the shore, help us respond to the call to follow You and love You with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Help us to be on the look out for the invitations that You offer everyday to partner with You in the work You are doing in and through our lives. We want to be people who are ready and looking, and expecting You to move.

Amen.

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