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Overview
In an accessible, inviting format, this forty-day devotional experience weaves inspirational readings on faith and prayer with quotes and excerpts from John Wesley. Each selection offers a simple daily pattern of reflection with a prayer, scripture, a short reading, quotes from John Wesley, and a blessing to take with you through the day. Even those new to Wesley or a daily prayer guide will find this book an easy read for reassurance and inspiration during the Lent and Easter season. Those familiar with Rueben Job's writing will be delighted to find selections of his writing from the past two decades in a new format.
Packaged in a flexible, soft-cover binding with a ribbon bookmark making it perfect for gifts.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781501836022 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Abingdon Press |
| Publication date: | 01/03/2017 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 1 MB |
About the Author
Rueben P. Job was a United Methodist bishop, pastor and acclaimed author and served as World Editor of The Upper Room publishing program. Best-known for the classic book, Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living, he also authored or co-authored A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants, A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader, Living Fully, Dying Well, Listen, and co-edited Finding Our Way: Love and Law in The United Methodist Church. Bishop Job also chaired the Hymnal Revision Committee that developed the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal.
Read an Excerpt
40 Days with Wesley
A Daily Devotional Journey
By Rueben P. Job, Pamela C. Hawkins
Abingdon Press
Copyright © 2017 Abingdon PressAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5018-3602-2
CHAPTER 1
Day 1
The True God
Prayer of Presence
Creator God, author of all that is and lover of all that you have made, deepen our awareness of your mighty acts past and present and your constant presence with us every moment of our existence. Invade our minds, senses, and hearts like a quiet sunrise, a refreshing rain, a beautiful bouquet, a commanding voice, a trusted companion, and a loving touch — because we want to know you and remember who you are with every breath we take.
By the power of your grace, transform us more and more until we become beautiful reflections of your presence and likeness in all that we do and are, as we offer all that we are and have to you in the name and spirit of Christ.Amen.
Scripture
What you worship as unknown, I now proclaim to you. God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in temples made with human hands. Nor is God served by human hands, as though he needed something, since he is the one who gives life, breath, and everything else. From one person God created every human nation to live on the whole earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. ... In fact, God isn't far away from any of us. In God we live, move, and exist. As some of your own poets said, "We are his offspring."
Acts 17:23b-28
First Wesley Reading
And as the true God, he is also the Supporter of all the things that he hath made. He beareth, upholdeth, sustaineth, all created things by the word of his power, by the same powerful word which brought them out of nothing. As this was absolutely necessary for the beginning of their existence, it is equally so for the continuance of it: Were his almighty influence withdrawn, they could not subsist a moment longer. Hold up a stone in the air; the moment you withdraw your hand, it naturally falls to the ground. In like manner, were he to withdraw his hand for a moment, the creation would fall into nothing.
Sermon 77, "Spiritual Worship," Works 6:426
Reflections
God is sovereign and therefore God is able to care for and provide for all of creation.
In a world of almost instant communication and graphic story-telling about the tragedy and pain of the world, it is easy to forget this ancient truth.
Once we lose the concept of God as sovereign, our prayers, our faith, and our very souls begin to shrink. To believe in a severely limited God takes the heart out of reverence and out of prayer.
Commitment to a god that is too small will stifle any hope for a transformed world and dull our efforts to bring such a world into being. We become prisoners to our own weaknesses and the evil of the world when we forget that God is sovereign and God is able. Not only our salvation, but our prayers, our hope, our trust, our work, and our very lives are at risk when we follow a god too small to meet the needs of all of creation. Wesleyan theology never suffered from this weakness.
From the very beginning Wesley was clear about the sovereignty of God. He never doubted God's ability to care for and provide for all that God had created. God was omnipotent and there could never be any threat to God's power. Wesley did not minimize human responsibility but was always clear that God was sovereign and absolutely no worthy human endeavor could occur without God's participation. If God were to withhold participation, the creation itself would collapse.
Prayers that are completely dependent upon a sovereign God will touch the most troubling parts of our lives and society as a whole. Once we begin to incorporate belief in a sovereign God into our lives, we will be unafraid to throw our energies into the struggle that seems overwhelming without God. Fear, anxiety, and hopelessness are driven from our lives, for this sovereign God loves us and is able to care for us. We can live confidently and faithfully because God is able to care for and provide for all of creation.
Second Wesley Reading
In a word, there is no point in space, whether within or without the bounds of creation, where God is not. Indeed, this subject is far too vast to be comprehended by the narrow limits of human understanding. We can only say, the great God, the eternal, the almighty Spirit, is as unbounded in his presence, as in his duration and power.
Sermon 111, "On the Omnipresence of God," Works 7:239
Time for Silent Reflection and Journaling
Blessing
The Lord will protect you on your journeys — whether going or coming — from now until forever from now.
Psalm 121:8
CHAPTER 2Day 2
God Made Known
Prayer of Presence
Lover of all who are lost,
Uncertain and alone,
Confused and frightened,
Arrogant and disrespectful,
Anxious and fearful,
All who are seeking a safe and secure home,
And all who are already comfortably at home in your presence,
Come to me now and
Make yourself known to me
As I seek to quiet the noise of the world,
The anxiety of my heart and mind,
And the call of unfinished tasks
So that I may recognize and welcome your voice,
Embrace your presence,
Understand your call,
And invite you to change me more and more
Into that wonderful image you have of me
As your faithful, loving,
and obedient child.Amen.
Scripture
In the past, God spoke through the prophets to our ancestors in many times and many ways. In these final days, though, he spoke to us through a Son. God made his Son the heir of everything and created the world through him. The Son is the light of God's glory and the imprint of God's being. He maintains everything with his powerful message.
Hebrews 1:1-3a
First Wesley Reading
Holiness is another of the attributes of the almighty, all-wise God. He is infinitely distant from every touch of evil. He "is light; and in him is no darkness at all." He is a God of unblemished justice and truth; but above all is his mercy. This we may easily learn from that beautiful passage in the thirty-third and fourth chapters of Exodus: "And Moses said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And the Lord descended in the cloud, and proclaimed the name of the Lord, — The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, and forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin."
Sermon 114, "The Unity of the Divine Being," Works 7:266
Reflections
Despite our tendency sometimes to follow lesser gods, we know that, as Christians, the God we profess is a particular God. We know that the call of Jesus to follow him is a call to follow the God he lovingly called Abba and to whom he fully gave his own life.
It is in Jesus that we have the clearest picture of who God is, what God does, and how God invites us to live as God's children.
The God Jesus reveals shatters all of our little ideas about God and reveals a God who is author and creator of all there is. In Jesus we see a God who reverses the values of our culture and turns upside down our scheme of priorities, leaving us gasping at the sight of such bone-deep love, justice, and mercy. In Jesus we see such bold and radical truth that we tremble in awe and then cry out for help as we try to practice the faithful way of living he demonstrated so splendidly.
In Jesus we see a God who is not swayed by popular opinion, loud adulation, or noisy rebellion. In Jesus we see clearly a God who is not controlled by any ideology, philosophy, concept, force, or power. In Jesus we see a God who is never under our control but always free of any control, and who may act and create as it seems wise and is in keeping with God's will.
Jesus reveals a God who is always and forever beyond us, completely other than who we are, and yet who wants to come and dwell within us (John 14:23). Jesus reveals a God of love.
Second Wesley Reading
In a word, there is no point in space, whether within or without the bounds of creation, where God is not. Indeed, this subject is far too vast to be comprehended by the narrow limits of human understanding. We can only say, The great God, the eternal, the almighty Spirit, is as unbounded in his presence, as in his duration and power.
Sermon 111, "On the Omnipotence of God," Works 7:239
Time for Silent Reflection and Journaling
Blessing
God of love beyond my comprehension, hold me close so that I may be as aware of the beat of your heart of love as I am of the beat of my own heart as you guide me through the day.
CHAPTER 3Day 3
Seeking God
Prayer of Presence
God! My God! It's you —
I search for you!
My whole being thirsts for you!
My body desires you
in a dry and tired land,
no water anywhere.
Yes, I've seen you in the sanctuary;
I've seen your power and glory.
My lips praise you
because your faithful love
is better than life itself!
So I will bless you as long as I'm alive;
I will lift up my hands in your name.
Psalm 63:1-4
Scripture
With what should I approach the Lord and bow down before God on high? ... He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:6a, 8
First Wesley Reading
Almighty and everlasting God, the sovereign Lord of all creatures in heaven and earth, we acknowledge that our beings, and all the comforts of them, depend upon thee, the Fountain of all good. We have nothing but what is owing entirely to thy free and bounteous love, O most blessed Creator, and to the riches of thy grace, O most blessed Redeemer.
A Collection of Prayers for Families, Works 11:245
Reflections
To love God with all of one's being was clearly an idea that captured the attention of John Wesley early and stayed with him to the end. He believed and practiced that loving God with all of the heart was the foundation for Christian living.
Faithfulness to God was a lifelong quest for the Wesley brothers. They learned from study and experience that this journey of faithfulness begins in the heart.
This quest of seeking God's presence and direction may seem overwhelming until we remember that Jesus told us we would have all the help we need in discovering what we must know in order to live fully as his disciples. He said, "The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you" (John 14:26). We are not left on our own to learn how to pray or how to discern God's will; our Companion, the Holy Spirit, is our teacher and guide as we learn how to live more fully in relationship with God. It is God who chooses to make our way known to us, and it is God who does the revealing, leading, and instructing.
Second Wesley Reading
We came in the evening to Boroughbridge, where, to my great surprise, the mistress of the house, though much of a gentlewoman, desired she and her family might join with us in prayer. They did so likewise between four and five in the morning. Perhaps even this seed may bring forth fruit.
Journal from May 31,1742, Works 1:374
Time for Silent Reflection and Journaling
Blessing
Seek the Lord when he can still be found;
call him while he is yet near.
Let the wicked abandon their ways
and the sinful their schemes.
Let them return to the Lord so that he may have mercy on them,
to our God because he is generous with forgiveness.
Isaiah 55:6-7
Three Simple Rules
• Do No Harm
• Do Good
• Stay in Love with God
CHAPTER 4Day 4
Listening for God
Prayer of Presence
Holy God
of unconditional love
and unlimited presence,
I come to make myself fully available
to you, your will, and your way.
Speak to me gently and clearly,
for I am yours
and desire to hear, understand,
and be obedient
to your slightest whisper.
Speak, for I am listening.
Scripture
Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain. He was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, "Lord it's good that we're here. If you want, I'll make three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, look, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son whom I dearly love. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!" Hearing this, the disciples fell on their faces, filled with awe.
Matthew 17:1-6
First Wesley Reading
When I was about twenty-two, my father pressed me to enter into holy orders. At the same time, the providence of God directing me to Kempis's "Christian Pattern," I began to see, that true religion was seated in the heart, and that God's law extended to all of our thoughts as well as words and actions. I was, however, very angry at Kempis, for being too strict; though I read him only in Dean Stanhope's translation. Yet I had frequently much sensible comfort in reading him, such as I was an utter stranger to before: And meeting likewise with a religious friend, which I had never had till now, I began to alter the whole form of my conversation, and set in earnest upon a new life. I set apart an hour or two a day for religious retirement. I communicated every week. I watched against all sin, whether in word or deed. I began to aim at, and pray for, inward holiness. So that now, "doing so much, and living so good a life," I doubted not but I was a good Christian.
Journal from May 4, 1738, Works 1:99
Reflections
Jesus often sought silence and solitude to pray and seek his beloved Abba's direction. No matter where we are in our busy and noisy world, we can do the same, but it will take practice, patience, and perseverance.
Our greatest challenge will be to learn to listen to the many ways in which God is speaking to us all the time — through Scripture, creation, history, current events, the stories of others and of our own lives, and the moments of our daily existence — and then to trust that the Holy Spirit desires to guide us as we learn how to pray and discern God's purpose and will for us in every situation. In other words, we will have the Master Teacher as our tutor for the rest of our lives — a teacher with all knowledge and compassion and the desire to see us live life fully, joyfully, productively, and faithfully.
John Wesley saw and experienced what we see and experience. It is impossible to live as a Christian if we are unattached to God. Our spiritual and even our physical lives become shambles without the constant companionship with God that prayer alone can make possible. Consequently, Wesley determined to be a man of ardent and consistent prayer. An exact replica of his disciplined life of prayer may not be possible for us, but I can be instructive as we fashion our own way of living with God in the world.
Second Wesley Reading
Margaret Ropert, about eight years old, has been thoughtful for some time. The other day, while they were at family-prayer, she burst into tears and wept bitterly. They asked, what was the matter. She said she was a great sinner, and durst not pray. They bade her go to bed. She no sooner came into the chamber than she began crying, and clapping her hands, so that they heard her across the street; but God soon bound up her broken heart. Being asked how she felt herself, she said, "Ten times better. Now I can love God. I wish you would sit up and sing with me all night." She has been happy ever since, and as serious as one of forty.
Journal from June 26, 1762, Works 3:105
Time for Silent Reflection and Journaling
Blessing
God of love and compassion, grant me grace to walk in companionship with you this day so that I may hear and respond to your call and walk in faithfulness and peace this day and always.
CHAPTER 5Day 5
Trusting God
Prayer of Presence
Loving God, I offer open hands, open mind, open heart, and a willing spirit to hear continually your calling and sending voice. I abandon my life and ministry into your care with the assurance that you will lead me in paths of righteousness and goodness.Amen.
Scripture
Let my whole being bless the Lord!
Let everything inside me bless his holy name!
Let my whole being bless the Lord
and never forget all his good deeds;
how God forgives all your sins,
heals all your sickness,
saves your life from the pit,
crowns you with faithful love and compassion,
and satisfies you with plenty of good things
so that your youth is made fresh like an eagle's.
The Lord works righteousness;
does justice for all who are oppressed.
God made his ways known to Moses;
made his deeds known to the Israelites.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
very patient, and full of faithful love.
God won't always play the judge;
he won't be angry forever.
He doesn't deal with us according to our sin
or repay us according to our wrongdoing
because as high as heaven is above the earth,
that's how large God's faithful love is for those who
honor him.
Psalm 103:1-11
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 40 Days with Wesley by Rueben P. Job, Pamela C. Hawkins. Copyright © 2017 Abingdon Press. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Foreword,Introduction,
Day 1: The True God,
Day 2: God Made Known,
Day 3: Seeking God,
Day 4: Listening for God,
Day 5: Trusting God,
Day 6: Living Prayerfully,
Day 7: Becoming a Prayerful People,
Day 8: The Human Condition,
Day 9: Remembering Who We Are,
Day 10: A World of Darkness,
Day 11: God's Beloved Children,
Day 12: Our New Nature,
Day 13: The Way of Love,
Day 14: Life in Christ,
Day 15: Holiness of Heart,
Day 16: God's Grace,
Day 17: Prevenient Grace,
Day 18: Forgiveness,
Day 19: Justifying Grace,
Day 20: Sanctifying Grace,
Day 21: The Means of Grace,
Day 22: Holiness of Life,
Day 23: Opposition Along the Way,
Day 24: Saving Faith,
Day 25: Do No Harm,
Day 26: Do Good,
Day 27: Stay in Love with God,
Day 28: Life of God in the Soul,
Day 29: When All I Hear Is Silence,
Day 30: Searching the Scriptures,
Day 31: Prayer,
Day 32: The Lord's Supper,
Day 33: Reaching Out to the Poor,
Day 34: Doing God's Justice,
Day 35: Tension Between Being and Doing,
Day 36: Longing for More,
Day 37: Losing Our Way,
Day 38: Finding Peace with God,
Day 39: Having the Mind of Christ,
Day 40: Only One Thing,
Guide to Each Day's Readings,