Progressing
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1
In any progress, it involves moving forward. For us as Christians, not any move forward necessarily means progress unless the move is from God. When we think of progress, there are 3 kinds. It can be a beginning of something new in our life which God calls us to embark on, or it is a progression through the seasons or phases in life or the things we do, or it could be a combination of the 2.
Progress needs not mean that we should shift our position in life (though sometimes that is inevitable), but it does mean that if we want God’s very best for our life, we cannot remain at where God has not called us to be, or what God has not required us to do. Sometimes we need to give up something, in order to receive the new. For example, in giving to the Lord what He asks, or in honour and worship of Him, we put ourselves in a position of receiving the new. In forgoing food in fasting, we open ourselves to His presence. In sacrificing our time to pray and intercede, we open our lives to His miraculous works. The list can just go on.
“We often remember seasons of life in two ways: One, for the good left by the experience and two, for their demand for “change” necessary to transition well into the next season.
In the process we learn to leave behind negative emotions – those culprits of emotional baggage that make for unhealthy lifestyles. We forget and forgive yesterday’s circumstances with its give-and-take in relationships and focus instead on the many benefits gained.
Always remember, anything new begins best in a context of prayer and is best interpreted from a prayer perspective. Prayer moves us forward into a new day with renewed hope and fresh vision. Our hearts merge with God’s heart. In alignment with Him we receive “grace for grace.” (John 1:16)” (Adopted from Shirley Weaver’s Devotional)
To keep moving forward in God’s destiny, we need to keep growing our prayer life.