Daily Reflection: Sacred Rhythm of Celebration
Day 1: Assess
Read Philippians 4:4-7.
How well do you rejoice in the Lord, celebrate? Does it feel awkward? Are you able to be gentle and reasonable with others?
What barriers stand in your way to truly celebrating?
Prayer: Joyfully thank God for as many things as you can possibly identify. In an appropriate setting, do so loudly. Honestly confess the reasons why you don’t joyfully celebrate more often and more deeply.
Day 2: Reject Anxiety, Make Your Requests Known to God
Read Philippians 4:4-7.
What vague concerns are causing your life to feel divided, like you are falling to pieces?
Write as many down as you can and then bundle them up in a request to God, thanking Him that he is the one with ultimate authority.
Prayer: After presenting your requests to God, try joyfully thanking God as you did yesterday--as loudly as possible in your setting. Was it easier to do so today?
Day 3: Let the Peace of God Guard Your Heart and Mind
Read Philippians 4:4-7.
How much energy do you invest in making sure you are safe? That others won’t hurt you and that circumstances won’t get beyond your control?
Confess to God how often you assume that you must be the guard of your heart and mind rather than resting in the fact that He is responsible for this.
Prayer: Try once more to joyfully and loudly rejoice in the Lord. Is this discipline becoming more authentic in your life? Are you seeing the connection between joy and trust?
Day 4: Anticipating the Ultimate Celebration
Read Revelation 21:1-4.
What difference does it make to you that death, mourning, crying and pain will ultimately be completely eliminated?
How does this truth change the way you view your current experiences of life?
How well do you represent this reality in your daily living?
Prayer: Ask God to fill your life with joyful anticipation of what He will ultimately accomplish so that you become a visible sign of how people will live when He makes all things right.
Day 5: Initiate Celebration
Read Nehemiah 8:10.
Identify a reason to celebrate today--the simpler the reason, the better.
Find a way to joyfully give thanks to God for this and celebrate with a group of people at work or at home.
Prayer: Thank God for the gift of celebration that causes us to rest and relax, to be filled with joy and laughter. Thank God that He can be trusted with common ventures of life.
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