Running from God
Spend some time praying the P.R.A.Y acronym. Praise God for who He is and what He is doing in your life. Repent of your sins before Him. Ask God for the things you need. Yield to him areas of your life that you need to yield. Set a timer and pray for 15 minutes.
Read Jonah 1:4-16
Jonah refused to believe God and resisted God’s leading and guidance. Jonah ran from God’s presence (which was a silly thing to think he could do). We can often do the same time. Review some of the reasons you listed last week as to why we run from God.
The contrast of Jonah, a man who knows the Lord, asleep in the boat while the unbelieving sailors on the deck of the boat are crying out to the gods of their tradition or choosing is stunning.
How has God woke you up to the realization that you, as a person who knows Christ, were sleeping on the job?
As you read through the verses in Jonah, it becomes very apparent he comes to that moment of realization that he will need to sacrifice himself to save others.
How has God use the sacrifice of others to reach you?
How has God been calling you to sacrifice to reach others?
It is easier for Christians to run from God in private and personal matters. It’s much more difficult to run from God when others can see what we are doing. We realize that money is a very personal and private matter for many people, but it is something that God is deeply interested in. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21).” What does running from God in relation to our money look like? What does it look like in your life?
What does the Bible teach about giving? Read these verses and write down observations: Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Mark 12:41-44. Write out some observations.
Who do you consider to be generous? Write out the qualities of that person:
For you to consider a person financially generous, what percentage of their income would they need to give away?
An exercise of sober realization – Spend some time looking at your financial records for the past six months.
- How much have money have you given away?
- Take that number and divide your income during that time. That gives you the percent that you have given in the past six months.
- Are you proud of that number?
- Would you consider yourself a generous person?
- What is keeping you from being a generous person?
- What are you missing out on when you aren’t as generous to the capacity God has given you?
Spend some extended time asking the Lord to show you and help you realize areas in your life where you are running from him. As he shows you, remember to repent of that sin and turn toward him.
Now ask God to wake you up to where you need to sacrifice to help save others and commit to follow through with what he puts on your heart as you exercise your faith in Him
