Scripture Union Daily Guide 23 February 2023 | Devotional

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Today’s Topic: The Price for True Discipleship

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, I request that you help me to encounter you as I meditate on your word.

Question(s) for Reflection
• Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
• Q 7: What truth is God revealing to me in this passage?

Outline For Scripture Union Daily Guide 23 February 2023

Peter’s confession of Christ as the Messiah is quickly followed by rebuking the Lord for speaking so openly about His suffering, rejection, and death (vs.27-32). This shows that Peter did not understand the true meaning of Jesus’ Messiahship. The Messiah must suffer and die before being glorified through resurrection (See Isaiah 53). Thus, an in-depth knowledge of Jesus is a need for all His followers. Read vs.34–38 again and notice the conditions Jesus laid down for true discipleship.

If we live for ourselves, we will lose ourselves, but if we lose ourselves for His sake and the Gospel’s, we will find ourselves. Self-denial is giving up things or activities for a good purpose. But denying self is to surrender to Christ and to be determined to obey His will. This dedication is followed by daily “dying to self’ as we take up our cross and follow Him. To the ordinary person, we are losing ourselves, but from the divine perspective, we are finding ourselves (v.35).

And as we follow Him, we shall face different challenges. Stephen and James were executed. John was imprisoned. Many others had it relatively easier. See 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Matthew 28:20b for the Lord’s assurances as we yield to His warnings in vs.34-38.

• Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?

Closing Prayer
Lord, help me to know you, to carry my cross daily, and to follow you.

NATIONAL PRAYER BULLETIN

PRAYER FOCUS: SHARING THE LOVE OF CHRIST
My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. – 1 John 15:12

THANK GOD FOR:
► The love of God that has kept us thus far in all we are doing.
► The family relationship we have in SU where we all look out for each other’s good.

PRAY FOR:
► Grace to continue to strengthen our relationship with trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as we share our love for the brethren.
► Increase in kindness, demonstration of love within our SU, family members and to all those around us.
► Expression of our love especially to the less privileged, orphans, widows/widowers and those who need it most amongst us.
► Leaders who will take care of the less privileged in Nigeria and not those who will steal Nigerian resources.

PRAY AGAINST:
► Every spirit of arrogance, jealousy and impatience among us in SU.
► Failing to pray for one another, not being kind to one another, or even loving one another.

Offer a prayer of faith in line with Psalms 107:8 ‐ 9

One Year Bible Reading Plan
Leviticus 10,11, John 5

Thanks for reading Today’s Scripture Union Daily Guide 23 February 2023 | Devotional