A Heart That Follows God
When we plant apple seeds, we expect an apple tree to grow. It’s the seed and the roots that decide what kind of tree grows in the soil.
Similarly, when we belong to God we expect goodness and righteousness to grow in our lives. It is the fruit of our actions that tells us what kind of seeds we’ve planted.
One of the ways we can identify the work of God in our life is by watching what type of fruit we produce. A sign of a growing and godly life is a heart that desires to live and act in accordance with God’s Word. Only someone who has spent time with God will produce that type of action in their life.
John cautions us to be mindful of what type of fruit our lives produce. When we truly belong to God, and we spend time with Him, our lives will naturally produce goodness and right living.
The goal is not to be prideful about how many good deeds we do, but instead, to cultivate a heart that wants to selflessly do good to others in the name of Jesus. We may not be perfect, but our hearts should desire to follow God.
Take a moment to think about your thoughts and actions over the past week. Do they reflect a heart that has been in a close relationship with God? Think of some steps you can take to create regular rhythms of spending time with God.
Prayers for Anxiety
The feeling of anxiety might be one of the most common human experiences. Every person, at some level, has felt anxious or worried. While it is a common human experience, that doesn’t mean that it’s the ideal human experience that God wants for us.
Anxiety can often occur in moments when we feel like we’re losing control of a situation, or maybe even when we feel helpless. We can feel anxious when we’re uncomfortable or nervous.
In each of these scenarios, God wants to provide an answer and a help for when we’re struggling. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul encourages the church community there to bring all of their worries and anxiety to God through prayer.
While we sometimes think we can fix our problems, we’re actually inadequate at it. God is the only one who truly knows exactly what we need.
In Scripture, God is called our Provider, our Healer, and our Sustainer. He is ready and willing to help us when we’re in need. Because of that, we have so much ...