PROLOGUE
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We have spent 21 days in centering prayer, focusing our attentions and affections on God. What a precious time it has been. The nearness of God is surely for our good. The kindness of the Lord truly leads us to repentance. The steadfast love of God and his beautiful presence is transformative. Taking time to behold him really does change us. He is with us always. And His steadfast love endures forever.

SCRIPTURE
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“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” -Esther 4:14


DEVOTIONAL

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The scripture in Esther 4:14 is in reference to God positioning Queen Esther (Queen of Persia) in a place of influence so that she could speak up for the Jews who couldn’t speak for themselves. Her obedience to “her” moment in history actually saved her people from being destroyed.
Yesterday, in the United States it was Martin Luther King Day. On this day we celebrate and think upon a life of one who lived and died to work for the Kingdom of God to be established on earth through racial equality.
Dr. King’s life was an example of a life lived “for such a time as this.” He said, “I have a dream.” And he did. That black and white and red and brown and jew and gentile and boy and girl and all God’s children would live together in peace and unity. But the authority of his conviction was on the fact that his dream was originally God’s dream. Dr. King knew what was right. He knew who God was and what God loves and hates. Dr. King knew when he fought for the kingdom of God, he was moving within the will of his loving father and God was with him. He was acting as a prophet, priest, and king, to co-labor with God - to establish “thy kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.” He had confidence to go up against oppression because God hates injustice and robbery.
You are also a prophet, priest, and king. And you were chosen to be alive “for such a time as this.” It is no mistake that you have been brought to this day, to this hour. Your age, your race, your background and lineage, your skill set, your personality, your story - it is all part of this moment. God is wanting to establish and increase his kingdom of peace and love inside of you and establish it on the earth through you.
You may not be called to do something extraordinary in man’s eyes. You may not get the recognition of man. You may never step on a podium or stage. In fact, you may not be called to do it in ways that bring attention to anyone but your loving Father in heaven. Or you may be called to risk reputation, financial stability, the comforts of daily living, and even risk your life. These things are between you and God.
But what is known is this. God is sovereign. God is good. God is with you always. You are secure in God’s love. You are already seen. You are already known. You are already important, and valuable, and irreplaceable to God.
God’s call to us not about comparison. We all belong. We all have a place. We do not need to earn God’s love or man’s praise. There is no need to be bullied by the values of a broken world, by what man sees as valuable or productive. And we all have good works to do that were set out before the foundation of the world.
This is a call to step into your time...each day...saying yes to the love of God for yourself and others...and the purposes of God that he has for you...daily...for such a time as this.


QUESTION
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Where have I said yes to dreaming with God? Where have I said no to dreaming with God? Why? Where have I said yes to living a life of “for such a time as this”? Where have I said no to living a life of “for such a time as this”? Why?

PRAYER
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God wake me up to my design. Wake me up to why you have created me for this place and this time in history. Help me to embrace your dreams!

SCRIPTURE
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“I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb … And they were shouting with a great roar, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!’” -Revelation 7:9-10

DEVOTIONAL
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Imagine this scene. A crowd with people from every nation, every tribe, every people, every language. All standing in front of the throne joyfully worshipping at the top of their lungs. That scene sounds like the most electrifying, exciting, chaotic, joyful, unified display of life I can think of.

How did John know they were from different tribes, tongues, nations, and people groups? He knew because he could see it and hear it! It was a joyful celebration of different people with different languages and colors and expressions of praise.

There were differences of all kinds, but there was something they had in common. They had all been bought with a price and brought into the family of God. They had been redeemed and restored and made whole. And they were unified in who deserved their affection and praise.

Often, when we talk of heaven, we talk as if we will be changed into someone other than who we are. But that is not what happens in heaven. The Kingdom of God is about completion. It is about restoration. It is about returning everything to the original plan - God’s original dream!!! Of course, where sin and trauma and illness and evil of all kinds have twisted us and marred the original design God had for us - that will be removed forever. But Jesus did not come to turn us into someone else. Jesus came to bring us into OUR fullness.

We also might imagine that the harmony in heaven will be a result of us all being the same. But that is not what John saw around the throne. No, he saw a vast multitude of diversity. God’s perfect will is for us to be uniquely different but unified under him.

That is heaven. Everyone different in size and shape and color and background but everyone the same in the spirit of adoption - one God, one King, one Lord, one Father, one Savior. No need to compete for attention or control for security. Instead, in the Kingdom, everyone is satisfied in God’s love and able to fully celebrate and honor the beauty and uniqueness of all God’s children.

by Anthony & Mary Keith Skinner

QUESTIONS
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Am I afraid of people who are different than me? What differences make me the most uncomfortable? Ask God why. Talk to God. Let him transform your thinking through His kindness.

PRAYER
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God, you came to restore me. You came to reconcile all things to yourself. Give me eyes to see your original design for me. Give me a heart to embrace and even celebrate the differences in race, color, personality and nationality of others. Exchange my fears for your peace. Teach me to love as you love.

SCRIPTURE
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“They shared everything they had.” -Acts 4:32

DEVOTIONAL
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“And all the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32)

Where could such generosity come from? To hold all things in common? To see resources as something to be freely shared and given away? To be in one heart and mind? And to be enjoying every minute of it!

Acts 4:32 is fruit from experiencing the presence and belonging of God. His presence and belonging brings the revelation of the knowledge of who God is and who we are in him.

Because we have a secure seat at God’s table, we are forever free of having to watch our own backs or prove ourselves. Instead of being orphans, we are now sons and daughters! We are seen. We are known. We are loved. We are safe. We can bring justice to places by sharing our resources and giving to all who have need. We can invite others to find their secure seat beside us.

The mind of Christ is limitless and vast with creative and redemptive solutions to all problems. The resources of God are without ration or short supply. The power of the Holy Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead and gave Him authority over heaven and earth and under the earth is now living inside of you. He conquered death and then turned to us and said, “Don’t be scared. Go do what you saw me do on earth. I am with you through the ages.”

Let’s remove the boulders of oppression for individuals and systems and prepare the way for the Lord! Let’s create justice with the resources of our faith, our time, our reputation, our connections, our creativity, our favor, our skills, our wisdom, our finances, our compassion. We have access to the power of God for creative miracles and creative solutions. So, press in to your Good Father and find where He wants you to co-labor with Him.

REFLECTION
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We are kings and co-heirs with Christ in His kingdom. He has asked us to do what we see the Father doing and to bring His kingdom to earth. What part of the kingdom is God asking you to share? Do you struggle with hoarding blessings, or do you freely share God’s blessings with others, knowing that you have a limitless supply of God’s goodness?

PRAYER
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God deliver me from an “orphan spirit”, from an attitude of lack. Help me to see where you are calling me to be an Ambassador of heaven and share the blessings of Heaven.

SCRIPTURE
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“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.” Isaiah 61:8

DEVOTIONAL
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We see in Isaiah 61 that God defines quite clearly what He loves and what He hates. He loves justice. That means he loves fairness, equality, and balanced scales. And just as much as God loves justice, He hates its’ opposite - robbery and injustice. He hates wrongdoing and inequality and unbalanced distributions.

There have been cases of injustice and robbery throughout history. But there is a foundational story of robbery and injustice that the whole earth is groaning under. It happened in the garden. The God of the Universe, who created man to live in peace and unity and safety with Him and each other, was robbed of his dream. He was robbed of connection with His children. He was robbed of being known. He was robbed of co-laboring with his kids to increase His Kingdom on earth. And Jesus was robbed of His inheritance — us! This robbery took place when Adam and Eve surrendered the right to be co-heirs with God and care for the earth. (Gen. 1:26)

“What have you done?” God cried. God lost us … and we lost Him. We lost our connection to Him and with that we lost the knowledge of who He is, what He is like, who we are in Him and what we were created for. It was the most devastating and cataclysmic loss of all time.

So Jesus came to take back what was stolen. To balance the scales. To ransom the debt. With the precious payment of His life came the restoration of all things. But this task has not yet been completed. From the beginning of God’s vision, we were made to labor from love to spread His kingdom. So now, as his redeemed, we get to fight with God to restore His original dream. There are good works that have been set out for you since the foundation of the earth.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” To act justly can be translated “to do or create justice.”

In Isaiah 61 we see that God calls us his priests and has anointed us with His presence to bring beauty where there are ashes, joy where there is mourning, and praise for despair. We are to rebuild and restore devastated places. We are anointed to CREATE JUSTICE where there is injustice, inequality and unbalance of every kind. When we do this, the earth is set right again with God’s justice and He receives the glory and the splendor He so rightfully deserves!

REFLECTION
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Where do you feel called to pray or fight for justice? Where have you grown complacent, numb, or despairing with injustice? Where are you participating with injustice on a conscious or unconscious level? Are you afraid to feel the guilt, shame, rage, fear, or sadness that comes when you look at the brokenness around you and the desperate need for justice? Ask God to help you come to Him in truth with your emotions. What are the good works God set apart for you since before the foundations of the earth? Ask God to give you revelation! If you feel afraid or overwhelmed by this question or anything you might feel He is saying, simply talk to Him about it.

PRAYER
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God, I want to live Micah 6:8. Help me to understand what is good to you and how to do it. Help me to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you.

SCRIPTURE

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For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save (sozo) that which was lost. Luke 19:10

DEVOTIONAL
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Jesus came to ransom back what was lost. To rescue his glorious inheritance which is us! Yes, He came to save all of mankind. But what does the word “save” mean? The word save is “sozo” in Greek and it means more than just salvation. It means salvation and healing and deliverance. It means to make whole again. Our beautiful Jesus did not just come to save a part of us. No, he came to save all of us.

We are born into a broken world and we experience brokenness as a result. But God’s nearness is for our good and through His presence He wants to make us WHOLE. Matthew 15:30 says, “A vast crowd brought to Jesus people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all.” We know that Jesus could ONLY DO what he saw the Father doing. The Father wants us saved, healed, and delivered.

We must ask the Lord to help us see the world around us as He sees it. We want to learn to love what He loves and hate what He hates. We want to be moved with compassion as Jesus was - knowing that God has so much more for us and all mankind than what we experience under the curse. We can fight for heaven to be made manifest in the hard stories and places we encounter. We can pray for the healing of tormented minds, sick bodies, and unjust circumstances. Jesus said, “The Kingdom is among you!” We know that nothing is broken in heaven. Our God desires to bring sozo to the earth.

REFLECTION
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Where do I need the Son of Man to come seek and sozo that which was lost in me? In my circumstances? Is there an area that I have been afraid to see healed or delivered in my life due to fear of the unknown or fear of change? Is there any area in which I have grown hopeless in calling out for a savior, healer and deliverer? (Talk to God about your feelings and your experience. Do I feel complacent with the world around me? Where do I need to grow in compassion?

PRAYER
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God you came to sozo me…to save all of me! I confess I want your salvation, healing, and deliverance for every part of me. I want to share your sozo with those around me. Holy Spirit, teach me how to bring of your salvation, your healing, and your deliverance to the sick, the hurting and the lost.

SCRIPTURE
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And He said, "My presence shall go with you.” -Exodus 33:14

DEVOTIONAL
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Romans 8:19 says that “All creation is eagerly waiting, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!” What is creation waiting for? They are waiting for us to bring heaven to earth and take our place as co-heirs with Christ.

How do we do such an abstract, overwhelming thing? We simply bring the presence of God with us as we go through our day. We lean into our relationship with God and do what we “see” the Father doing. (John 5:19) We already have his love. His acceptance. His belonging. AND we have access to the riches of our inheritance in Christ. He wants to go with us where we go. He wants to flow through us to others.

Pentecost, The Reformation, The First and Second Great Awakenings, even our modern day Jesus Movement were sparked and sustained by experiences with God’s presence and the viral transmission of His presence through people captivated and carrying God’s goodness to others. Currently, around the globe and in our nation, there are outpourings of God’s presence that are leading to salvations, healings, reconciliations, social justice initiatives, and cultural transformations of all kinds.

As a vessel, you are simply carrying a spirit of hospitality to the world. You are introducing people to your precious friend, Savior, God and King. You are introducing people by letting the love of God flow through you to them - His power, His presence, His kindness, His healing. If a guest in your house was thirsty for water, would you offer them an empty glass? Obviously, you would offer them a glass filled with water -- because you had water to offer. Jesus said, “Come to me and drink! Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being...! (John 7:37-39)

God wants you to drink of His presence and be satisfied. He wants you to ask for more and more and more of Him. And He also wants you to overflow with His goodness to bless and transform the world around you!

by Anthony and Mary Keith Skinner

QUESTION
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Watching God’s presence touch someone is one of the most thrilling experiences you can have. Do you feel afraid or excited to bring the presence of God to your spheres of influence? If you feel apprehensive, what are you afraid of? Talk to God about it.

Are you willing to ask God to guide you to someone who needs a touch from Him? If so, ask God to show you what to do. He might lead you to pray for someone, speak a word of encouragement to someone, buy a coffee for someone or… who knows! Let God lead you. The Holy Spirit is your personal teacher and guide!

PRAYER
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God, thank you for your presence. Thank you for graciously filling me with your presence. I want to not only be filled with you for myself, but I want to be filled to overflowing for others around me.

SCRIPTURE
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For in him we live and move and have our being.
-Acts 17:28

DEVOTIONAL
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From the beginning, God established a precedent by walking in the garden daily with Adam and Eve. We were all made to walk with and experience God’s presence as a natural, every day part of our lives. This is in our DNA. God actually created us to depend on Him and His presence — even partner with him in our decision-making processes.

Jesus emphasized the importance of this when He said, “I’m telling you this straight. The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does” (John 5:19). Jesus went even further when He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) We are to draw on God’s word and His presence … like we draw each breath.

Did you know that many scholars believe that the name Yahweh could not be spoken at all — only breathed. Many are convinced that its correct pronunciation is an attempt to replicate and imitate the very sound of inhalation and exhalation. Therefore, the one thing we do every moment of our lives is to speak the name of God.*

What is it in the heart of God to want to draw so near to us that He gave Himself a name that we can’t help but speak every moment we’re alive? All of us, always, everywhere, waking, sleeping, with the name of God on our lips. **

Of all the scriptures in the Bible, one of the saddest is when Adam said to God, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” (Gen. 3:10)

Adam heard God, but his response was fear. He was naked (unclothed, unprotected, and vulnerable), so he hid. When we feel fear and when we feel vulnerable, do we run to God’s presence or away from it? God called out to man and said, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). Thankfully He is still calling out to all of us today.

Why is it so important to be in God’s presence? Because God’s presence changes everything! We become what we behold. The presence of God brings release to the captives, healing for what’s broken, and freedom for the oppressed. It’s not our striving or straining — not our performance or working harder at being better. No, it is God’s presence that changes and transforms us.

* Richard Rohr
** Jason Gray

REFLECTION
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“Where are you?” (Gen 3:9) What part of you is hiding from God’s presence? What part of you willingly runs to God?

PRAYER
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God, I know there are parts of my heart that hide from you, even hide from myself. Thank you for being so patient and kind with me. Thank you for calling me by name. Teach me how to run to you, even when I am afraid.

SCRIPTURE

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Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. -Galatians 4:6-7

DEVOTIONAL
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Today we continue to meditate on signs of the Kingdom. Let’s focus on belonging. Belonging is the knowledge of being part of God’s family. It is the spirit of adoption, the spirit of sonship. And it is the opposite of an orphan spirit.

Belonging brings safety and security. It allows us to live from love, not for love. In order to bring the Kingdom to a world that is lost and broken, alone and afraid, it is crucial that we have an understanding that we are securely placed in God’s family - that we belong.

Imagine an orphan on the street. They have to look out for themselves. Their goal is to survive. They must stay vigilant at all times, looking for their next meal, their next escape, and their next shelter. They must try to stay on top, above any danger that might come their way. Orphans cannot rest. Slaves cannot rest either. They have no rights. They are only deemed valuable by what they are able to do or how much they can produce. They are only as safe as their ability to perform.

But God’s Kingdom contains rest because God’s Kingdom is rooted in belonging. In God’s Kingdom, there is enough room for everyone. Everyone has a secure seat at the table. It’s a fact. No one can take your place and no one can steal God’s affection or protection from you. And through your adoption into God’s family, you have access to all things that Jesus has. Thus, from a position of belonging, you can make great sacrifices, endure great misunderstandings and humiliations, practice radical generosity, take great leaps of faith and courage, and celebrate and invest in the lives of others. Life in the Kingdom of God does not require you to live by “survival of the fittest”. Instead, you can lay down your life for another and confidently know that God has your back. In fact, Isaiah states “They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” No. God’s kingdom does not have competition between people. It has invitation and security for everybody. It has belonging.

REFLECTION
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What would our actions and reactions be in our daily lives if we did not live out of fear and self-protection like an orphan or a slave? What would the church look like if each member knew that their place at the table was not up for grabs? What creative and redemptive solutions might be possible if businesses and governmental leaders walked in a spirit of adoption for their city and state? What if competition and self-promotion became invitation and belonging? What sort of place would Nashville be? What would race relations look like if we saw each other as family and not threatening differences?

PRAYER
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Father, awaken my heart now to the truth that have given me the Spirit of Your Son into my heart, and it is crying, “Abba! Father!”. Thank you that I am not a slave, but I am a son/daughter.

SCRIPTURE

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Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? Rom. 2:4

DEVOTIONAL
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Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”. (Matt 3:2) Repentance is part of preparing and widening the road for the Kingdom of God to come. We see in Romans 2:4 that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. Through His kindness, through His grace towards us, we have the opportunity to reject what we want for ourselves that is far less than what God wants for us. We have the chance to repent. To turn. To grab hold of His higher ways.

God wants to bring us into wholeness. He wants to bring us back into the reality of what we were created for and of who we were created to be - His children who are also named as kings and priests. God’s beauty is so far superior to anything that this world has to offer that when we glimpse His beauty, His holiness, the superior wisdom and outpouring of His ways - the natural response is to repent.

Part of repentance is painful. It requires ownership of our actions. There is grief in repentance. We sadden God with our harmful choices. We sabotage experiences and gain real consequences when we sin. We deeply wound others and ourselves when we are not walking in the light. The whole world is groaning under the weight of man’s sin.

But as children of God, repentance is not intended to be frightening. As God’s beloved, we are not coming before a harsh judge. We are coming before a loving father… who has been waiting and watching all along to take our destructive and distracted choices and replace them with a more life-giving way.

As a son and daughter, we are given access to the throne where we may repent of our sins. As kings and priests, we stand in the gap for others. In taking our place for others, we bring the Kingdom Of God nearer to them.

REFLECTION
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David said, One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. (Ps 27:4) David was able to let go of so many things because he was focused on the beauty and the holiness of God.

What might change in you, in your relationships, and in your daily choices if you caught a greater glimpse of the beauty of the Lord? What if our city caught a revelation of the magnitude of God’s beauty? What might change? What do you want to repent of?
Where do you want to stand in the gap for your city?

PRAYER
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God, show me your beauty and your holiness that I might have revelation as to where I am choosing so much less than what you have for me and where I am grieving you with my choices. Ever draw my heart into repentance with your kindness. And let me bring your kingdom to earth by showing your beauty to those around me, that they might be drawn to your kindness and turn to you as well.

SCRIPTURE
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Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 (NIV)

DEVOTIONAL
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When teaching the disciples to pray, Jesus said, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. His language is an invitation to awaken our hearts to a greater awareness of Heaven. His prayer moves us towards cultivating our ability to see beyond what is right in front of our eyes and begs the question, “What is Heaven’s reality?” The more knowledgeable we become to what Heaven looks like ... the more accurately we can pray through our desires, our words and our deeds for ” The kingdom of our world to become the kingdom of our God” (Rev. 11:15).

The kingdom of God coming to earth means that the goodness of God will be manifested in our midst in real and tangible ways. For example, Psalm 89:14 states, “Righteousness and justice are the foundations of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” Think about that. Where your heart longs for justice in a situation is where you are longing for God’s kingdom. Where you show love to your neighbor, you are establishing God’s kingdom on earth.


REFLECTION
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If Nashville looked like the kingdom of God, what would that look like? Can you imagine a city filled with salvations, healings, joy, justice, reconciliation and peace? What part of God’s heart do you burn to see? Dream with God for your family, your church, your city. Remember, “All things are possible for the one who believes” (Mark 9:23).

PRAYER
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Holy Spirit, give me eyes to see Heaven’s reality today in every thought, circumstance and interaction. Begin to expand my faith and my vision for what is possible with you.