Posts Tagged ‘devotion’
Your Secret Space
Posted by thomas | Filed under devotion, hillspowerhouse
Several months ago some of our friends bought a 2-bedroom townhouse. It was really nice. After living there for a while, they noticed something odd. It seemed like there was a wall out of place. They looked around and all the signs pointed to a “space” behind the wall, over the garage, that they couldn’t access. They visited their neighbours to “spy” out their “space” and sure enough they had a third bedroom. So one day we went over to their place and crawled through their roof and saw that all chords and aircon tubes were running to this “space”. We cut a hole in the wall and found this fully functional room, which only needed a door to be used properly!!
I loved it, it was so C.S. Lewis.
Our lives can be like this. God calls us to devotion and He calls that place of devotion “the secret place”. It’s a place of intimacy and communion.
Before we have a life of devotion, we know there is something missing in our lives. We see this empty “space” that we know should be something. We look in our neighbour’s lives and see a functional and life-giving devotion. You have a fully functional room and all you need is an access point.
This Wednesday we have our very first Encounter Night. It’s a night, where we take extra time to worship, pray for people, prophecy over each other. We will still be having the Word preached by our youth pastor, Chrishan.
The secret place of devotion is a personal thing but sometimes we need each other to break through to that place, before we take it home and make it intimate.
Can I encourage you to be there this Wednesday and come expectant to have an encounter with Jesus? He SO desires to meet with you and see you live a life of breakthrough for His name’s sake.
Bless you as you continue chasing after Him,
Thomas & Kat
What is SOAP?
Posted by Hillsong | Filed under citypowerhouse, hillspowerhouse
Why is it that having a devotion always seems easier to talk about than to actually have? We have all been there…Bible is open, CD is playing your favourite worship track, notebook and pen is ready but then what do you end up doing? Clean up your room, make a cartoon in your notebook or write sms to your mates.
What we are hoping to do here is to introduce a method to your devotion that has helped a lot of people and we pray it will help you too. Remember: the method is not what is important but spending time with God is. The method is in place so that on those days, where you are not “feeling it” you can ignore your feelings and still read the word and have a devotion.
What you need is a bible, if you don’t have one, ask your parents or your Connect Leader at church, and we will get one for you. Then you need a journal (notebook of any sort; size and style is irrelevant, as long as there is paper in it, you’re good) and then a pen.
What we want to introduce to you is what is called S.O.A.P.
It’s an acronym, which stands for:
Scripture
Observation
Application
Prayer
So this is how it works…
Scripture
What you do is read a passage in the Bible. You can follow the reading plan we have available on this site, if you want, or have your own. We’d recommend you to have some sort of system though, so that you are actually getting through the Bible rather than just the old “flick and pick”.
In your daily reading, you then pick a particular verse that you like and write that verse word for word in your journal.
Observation
What are some highlights in that verse or some key things that stood out? These can be phrases you liked, something that stirred or challenged you or even something that you didn’t quite understand. Pick those few things and then write down your thoughts about it. Don’t think this has to be a sermon or an in depth theological work; the purpose is just to give some thought and meditate on the Word.
Application
Alright, now what are you going to do about it? Now that you have read and thought about this verse in the Bible, how will you live it out? What will change? What mindsets, thoughts, words and actions will reflect the Truth from this passage?
Prayer
Now commit it all to God… Write your prayer down; You can pray for your family, friends and any life situation that touches your heart. Be honest (He knows it all anyways).
What an amazing journey we are about to start together… Being a generation that is committed to public passion and private devotion…
Thomas Hansen