Day 30
We Know God Through Jesus
The Old and New Testaments alike teach us the truths of the Trinitarian form of God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Although they are all three God, at the same time God is one. We see them in their separate forms most clearly in Jesus’ Baptism. Jesus is in the river being baptized, the Spirit is descending on Him as a dove, and the Father is speaking the words, “this is My Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17).
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus and guides us in all truth, (John 16:12-14). In the same way Jesus has come to reveal and glorify the Father, so when we see Jesus, we have seen the Father. (John 17:25-26). God in His Trinitarian form exists to glorify Himself. When we receive Christ, we receive His Spirit. His Spirit then gives revelation of Jesus, and Jesus gives revelation of the Father so that we may know God in all His fullness.
Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is “the exact representation” of His Father. Although I have characteristics of my father, I am not his exact representation. To be his exact representation is to be all that he is in every way. Jesus is all that the Father is; the Father is all that Jesus is in every way. When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus responded in John 14:9-11, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”
John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:14 then says, and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Who is this “Word” that John speaks of? It is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, God who took upon flesh and dwelt among men. John called Jesus the “Word” in this text of scripture. The Greek word for this is Logos. It is the same word that we get the word logo. Like many other churches our church has a logo. When we made our church’s logo we wanted it to represent who we are as a church. We wanted it to be a visual description of who we are and what we stand for.
Jesus is the Word of God. He is God that has taken upon flesh to dwell among men to be a visual description of God so that we may see His glory. If we desire to know God, we must know Jesus. Although we see Jesus in all of the Bible, Old and New Testaments alike, the greatest place to discover the truths of who Jesus is in the gospels. We see His passion, we see His compassion, we see His likes, we see His dislikes, we discover His heart, and we learn His truths.
The man that led me to the saving grace of God gave me the greatest advice anyone could have ever given. He told me to start reading God’s Word and advised me to start in John. I had never read the Bible before. As a matter of fact, before I became a Christian I didn’t like to read anything. However, that night I was drawn to His Word, and I started reading through the book of John. Although I wasn’t much on reading, I read through the whole book of John that night without putting the Bible down. After finishing John, I then started Matthew; after Matthew I was intensely glued to God’s Word.
The day I accepted Jesus in my heart and started reading His Word I was a drug addicted young man full of hate and bitterness. I was at the lowest point of my life where I was continually contemplating ending it all. Yet, by the time I had concluded reading the gospels, this bitter and broken man was transformed to a blazing inferno set on fire for the Lord. Why? Because for the first time in my life, I discovered who Jesus truly was, and I fell madly in love with Him!
Although I had accepted Christ into my life just prior to reading His Word, my life was still broken. I had read through John, and I was now deep into Matthew. Just at the break of daylight after reading all night, I started reading how this glorious man-God’s own Son, God in the flesh-laid down His life for me on the cross. Although I had been told many times prior, it struck me for the very first time that Jesus laid down His life on the cross for me.
Out of compulsion I fell on my face before the Lord weeping. All I could say was “I’m sorry Lord, I’m sorry.” After a period of time (how much I do not know) a sense of overwhelming peace came over me with a love like I had never known before. God’s presence had consumed me. The God of whom I had searched for in written word came to life within me. His Word spoke to me that night because Jesus is the Word of God, alive and well still to this day, dwelling among men. If you seek Him, you will find Him!!! (Jeremiah 29:13).
I often think of where I might be today had I not taken the advice of the pastor who led me to the Lord and started reading God’s Word. I didn’t start reading the Gospels with the intention of seeking Jesus. However, after my encounter with God that day, He set me on a lifelong path of seeking Him. I came to know who He is, and that very day, I willingly chose to lay my life down in full pursuit of service and surrender unto Him. I came to know who He is and the fact that He was, and is, and always will be worthy of a life of surrender. Paul said in II Timothy 1:12, “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him.”
Day 30 Prayer Guide
- Ask God to reveal any sin or mindset that would prevent Him from hearing your prayers.
- Repent of any such hindrance and ask for God’s forgiveness.
- Ask God to remove any doubts and keep you focused on Him.
- Seek the Holy Spirit to consume you during this time to lead you. Be obedient to Him.
- Spend some time praising God for the fact that He is able. Quote some scriptures or some of His characteristics to Him in praise.
- Pray that the people of God will repent of sins and mindsets that dishonor and hinder Him.
- Pray that God would reveal prideful attitudes of self-sufficiency and bring about repentance.
- Pray that our foremost desire would be to know God more.
- Pray that all Christians would hunger and thirst for God.
- Pray that the world will see the churches utmost desire for God and be drawn to Him.
- Pray that the people of God will stand in faith knowing God can reclaim this land.
- Pray that our churches would be devoted to, and peruse the things that honor God.
- Pray that the people of God would see the need for revival and begin to seek God for it.
- Pray specifically for revival in your church. Pray for your pastor and church leaders.
- Pray that the people of God will be broken hearted over the lost.
- Pray that the church will be a gospel centered church with a heart to evangelize the world while starting in their own back yard.
- Pray that the power of God would fall on the church moving them to prayer and sowing the gospel seed.
- Pray for a great awakening in your community. Name off streets and neighborhoods.
- Do not be judgmental in this, but pray that if there is any within the church who do not have a genuine relationship with Jesus that God would convict their heart and save them.
- Make a list of individuals who are not saved and begin petitioning God for their salvation.
- Pray for repentance of sin and a great awakening in our nation.
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