Each year, Presentation Ministries discerns all prophecies received and summarizes them in a few sentences. Several years ago, the summary prophetic theme we discerned the Lord telling us was: "Come. Abide. Rest. Trust."
1) Come. We cannot remain in the same place. We must continually move toward Jesus. We must come to Jesus, and to no one else, to nothing else (Mt 11:28).
2) Abide. Once we have come to Jesus, we must stay with Him. Jesus asks us to remain with Him (see Mt 26:38), and not gradually wander away from Him. We must make our abode in Jesus and in His Word (Jn 8:31-32).
3) Rest. Just because we have come to Jesus and are abiding in Him doesn't mean we will continue to do so. As St. Augustine said: "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee" (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 30). Jesus says that in Him we will find rest (Mt 11:29). However, we must strive diligently to enter into His rest (Heb 4:11), lest we allow the cares of this world to rob us of Jesus' rest (Mt 13:22).
4) Trust. Here is the "catch." Once you come, abide, and rest, you realize you have a cross to carry and a battle to fight. Jesus' heart is focused on the conversion and salvation of all. He wants all to come to know the Lord (1 Tm 2:4). So we must take action and obey. We'll be called to take risks and carry our crosses as His soldiers. We need to trust.
Come. Abide. Rest. Trust. Jesus "will refresh you" (Mt 11:28).
| PRAYER: | Father, all I want is to know Your Son (Phil 3:10). |
| PROMISE: | "Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart." –Mt 11:29 |
| PRAISE: | St. Kateri Tekakwitha was orphaned at age fourteen, baptized at age twenty, and lived only until the age of twenty-four. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College