Faith That Blossoms Slowly - Your Nightly Prayer - April 12th

Faith That Blossoms Slowly
Your Nighlty Prayer
by Chelsey DeMatteis

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:24

SOMETHING TO PONDER

I dropped into the front seat and exhaled. I played one of my favorite songs to slow my heart rate and my pace, and, most importantly, to set the tone for my spirit. “Slower I Go” by SEU began to fill my car and supply me with the reminder I so desperately needed.

“Slow feet, slow plans
Steadfast in patience
Rid me of my quickness
I'll be soon to listen
Slow feet, slow plans
Steadfast in patience
Rid me of my quickness
I'll be soon to listen
It seems as though the slower I go, the faster I arrive.”

I need to go slow and remember to grow slow. What I mean by grow slow, in a world that tells us otherwise, is that when we’re growing in our faith, we have to take intentional time to do so.

Picture this seed with me. A maple tree starts as a teeny tiny seed, the size of 0.1-2 inches. Now ask yourself: can I rush the process by which this tree grows? The answer is no, but what you can do is destroy it by doing too much too quickly or by not nourishing it properly. We are the same, quite literally and most definitely spiritually. We cannot rush the process of growth. When we try to, we experience: overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, and a false need to perform when we don’t even have an understanding of what it is we’re actually doing.

What did the beginning days of your faith look like? Maybe they were like mine, but I’m sure some pieces and parts are very specific to who you are. When I first began walking with Jesus and hungered to know Him intimately, it was as if a fire was lit in my soul. I wanted to know all about who God was, not as Creator, but as my friend, my safe place, and Jesus as my Savior. The best part: as fast as I wanted to learn, my understanding was very limited, so I could only go at one pace. A slow pace and the fruit that came from that pace set the precedent for how I would pursue my faith now. I have to go slow if I want to know the heart of God at the depth at which I desire.

If I had to pick a disciple that I think would be in the same camp, I’d ask Matthew to sit with me. He was a tax collector by trade and had no real allegiance to anyone. People weren't fans of who he was, and I think, in my days before walking with Jesus, people felt much the same about me. Imagine Matthew coming to the place of surrendering his life to Jesus and deciding that he would now have an allegiance to one person, the Savior of the world. And that Jesus would welcome him with open arms and trust him to help build his church. I don’t think Matthew got a fast track to faith. I think it was anything but that. It was slow. We know he had to walk with Jesus, talk with Him, and watch the way He lived. He had to learn the lessons of faith not by studying the word but by living it out day after day. You cannot do that at a breakneck pace.

When we hunger and thirst to grow, we have to rest in the gift of the process it takes to become the person the Lord is molding us to be. Just like the maple tree seed, it takes decades for it to take on its shape and develop beautiful foliage. Like Matthew, he wasn’t thrown into the field of ministry; he spent time growing under Jesus before stepping into his role to grow the church. The same goes for you and me. We grow, learn, and live best at a slower pace. To my brothers and sisters in Christ, settle into the passenger seat of your life, let Jesus be the one who leads. Exhale as you grow slowly. Trust Him to complete the perfect, good work He has set out to do. Rest in His pace, and experience His peace.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
Thank you for the gift of seeing the beauty in growing slowly in creation. It is evident that the greatest work is done in the slow, steady, nourishing work. Please help me find comfort in seeking a pace that pleases you. The pace of the world is the opposite of what you call us too. It is fast and furious. Keep my eyes fixed on you and the ways you call me to live. Remind me in the seasons I want to run ahead of your Spirit that you’re longing for me to meet you where you are. Keep me steady, bless me with healthy roots, and build in me a slow-grown faith.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. What are 3 areas in your life you can show down?
2. What type of pace did Jesus live?
3. What pleases God most: a slow life that produces good fruit or a fast life that produces burnout?

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Johannes Plenio

Chelsey is the voice behind the Living with Less Podcast and author of the 52-week devotional More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Women's Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She also writes Bible reading plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and at her website ChelseyDeMatteis.com.

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