June 9th 2013 Childlike Faith-Light and Easy Yolk, pt. 4 – 5 tools for battle

As we close out our time of looking at how Jesus walked with a light and easy yolk and invites us to “learn from him” to do the same, we get real practical with 5 tools that help us fight the battle for a soul at rest and a light and easy yolk.

If you want a study tool to go along with the podcast, see Lift Notes here:

Childlike Faith: light and easy, part 4

June 9th, 2013  by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passages: Matt 11:25-30; 15:5-11; Luke 5:15-16 Hebrews 4:3,11

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ …learn from me, …For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”    Matthew 11:25–30    

Now we who have believed enter that rest…¹¹ Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest… Hebrews 4:3,11

We have to ___________ to enter rest.

 

5 tools/practices to fight the battle for a soul at rest.

1.   Change your _______________.

Do you believe that God’s _________ for your life is that you walk with a soul at rest with a light and easy yolk? It is!!

Practice: Once a day, declare a prayer of faith: “Thank you Lord that today, in you, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It’s a promise of God that you are expecting/trusting in him for more of today.

 

2.         Abide in God’s love as your source of ___________ and ______.

Practice: Start the day with an Identity Prayer  that soaks in the loving gaze of the father as your source of identity and joy, before you ask about anything you have to “do”, so that you are not defined by what you do and achieve.

Examples of Identity prayer to soak in/meditate on, “Thank you Father that today when I woke up:

I am your beloved child/son/daughter (1 John 3:1)

Your goodness and mercy pursue me today (Psalm 23:8)

It makes you happy to give me your kingdom (Luke 12:32)

You have plans to bless and prosper me and not to harm me (Jer29:11)

You delight in me (like a good parent) so much it makes you sing, loudly! (Zephaniah 3:17)

 

3.    Steward your time with __________ as the priority.

Practice: Go through your calendar and steward your time with this lens: Do I/we have time to abide alone with God on a daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal basis?

 

4.     Learn to __________ your own vineyard

Jesus cultivated an awareness of God’s presence ____________ the day.

Do you know how to feel what is going on in your soul?

Do you know those things that take you away from resting in God’s presence?

Do you know the activities that help get the “gaze of your soul” reconnected to God?

Practice: Quiet yourself and “check in” with your heart/soul throughout your day.  How do you feel? Can you feel your soul resting in God’s presence or are you wrestles, distracted, burdened?  Choose an activity that helps your heart get reconnected to God’s presence.

 

5.      Give him your ____________

Practice: When you feel a burden, stop and pray. Picture what that burden is as a heavy load on your shoulders, then imagine taking that burden and giving it to Jesus for him to carry instead.  And pray words that go along with it like: “Thank you Jesus that you want me to cast my burdens on you so that I can walk with a light and easy yolk.  I entrust this burden into your good care, onto your strong shoulders.”

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