Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.
Reading: Luke 9:23-25
Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.
Jesus never promised an easy path—He promised a transformative one. When He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him, He's inviting us into total surrender. This isn't a one-time decision but a daily recommitment. Before baptism, we must honestly assess what we're leaving behind and what we're embracing. What old patterns, sins, or allegiances need to die? The transition from unsaved to saved should be dramatic, not subtle. Today, take inventory of your life. What are you clinging to that prevents full surrender? True discipleship begins when we stop negotiating with Jesus and start obeying Him completely. The unstoppable force of the church is built on individuals who've genuinely counted the cost.
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…
- Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).
- Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Jesus, I surrender my whole life to You today. Show me what I’ve been holding onto and give me the courage to lay it down. Teach me to deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow You without hesitation or compromise.
- Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.
Faith Steps:
- Do a personal inventory: Write down specific habits, sins, or attachments that are competing with your surrender to Christ.
- Act on one area today: Choose one thing to lay down and intentionally replace it with obedience (prayer, Scripture, or accountability).