2 Cor. 3:4-6
“Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before god. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent ministers of a new covenant-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Since I arrived on my training grounds I have been flooded with much info and the excitement of going overseas and fulfilling God’s plan for me. As I get excited I am also stressed about having the ability to do what I am going to Africa to do. The task is so much bigger than me and I haven’t had much schooling. God wanted me to have a great start on this journey and not stress about being capable and He gave me this verse. He said to me through this verse that I will make you able through my spirit! How amazing is that, God is so good to me! But how do I tap into this Spirit that is going to guide me, well that’s also amazing God gave me the answer right after I read that verse, through abiding in Him. So right now I am reading “How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life”, by Dr. Gregory Frizzell. In reading this God is speaking directly to me, saying Shanna in order to be effective in Africa you need one thing……ME! Through all this training that I will receive in the next two months it would all be worthless if I didn’t know my Savior and ABIDE in HIM!!!! He made that so clear and evident only an hour after revealing this scripture to be in my quiet time. We had a main session where Elbert began to talk about unity, and he used verse
John 17:20-24
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them my glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Wow, that is amazing!! This verse is saying to me that Jesus is praying that I might abide in Him just as He abides in God. And the result of me abiding in Christ in this intimate way in the world knowing that Christ was sent and loves the world just as God loves Christ. Wow, what love that is. So this weekend is our personal retreat and my prayer is that I might abide in Christ just like He abides in God that I might portray God’s love correctly and fully to those in Africa!!! Please pray with me and for me!