Today’s Scripture: Matthew 5:3, KJB- “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus was beginning His ministry on earth. He had recently called His disciples to follow him. He was preaching that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. He was healing many people and was drawing a crowd, so he went up on a mountain to teach.
What were the first words he taught His disciples? You must be poor in spirit to be blessed and to receive the kingdom of heaven. We must first recognize our need for the Spirit of God. LORD, I am spiritually poor, bankrupt even, I need Your Spirit.
In John 14:11 Jesus was teaching His disciples that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. We are poor and need God in us. In John 14:16-17, Jesus told His disciples that He was asking God to give us a Comforter and Helper to live with us and in us. We must be spiritually poor so that we are not filled with ourselves so that we have room to receive the Spirit of God. As Jesus stated in John 14:20, on that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he told them when they prayed to begin with “Our” Father. We pray and live with the same Father as Jesus because He is in us too in the form of the Holy Spirit. When we accept how poor we really are and welcome The Spirit of God, we have the same Spirit of Jesus in us. In our poorness we receive the riches of our Heavenly Father.
Yes, LORD I am poor. Even in recovery and twelve-step programs such as Celebrate recovery the first step and principle are to admit our powerlessness or poorness. We must be humbled and broken from our pride, understanding, and strength. We must recognize our need for God. Since Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-based twelve-step program we clearly recognize Jesus Christ as our Higher Power.
Principle 1: Realize I am not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Beatitude 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you see a clear pattern? The very first thing we must know and accept is that we are spiritually bankrupt, we are powerless. To get to the next step, to be who God wants us to be we must know we cannot do this.
Do you see it? This is not only an addiction thing. We are all poor and in need of God.
Heavenly Father, I am crying out to you that I need you. I am poor and in need of all of You. God, I need You to order my day and my life. I am thankful and truly blessed Father God that You bless us with Your Son and Spirit. Live with us and in us Father.
We must confess our need and find comfort and help in the Spirit of God. Have You been blessed to receive Jesus and the Spirit in you? If not, simply admit that you are spiritually poor and that you need Jesus and the Holy Spirit with you and in you and you will be blessed.
Today’s Prayer: Father God, I need You. I am poor and needy and powerless without You. I am thankful for the teaching and presence of Jesus. I am thankful LORD that You are Our Father. I need You LORD to be with me and in me today. Thank You Father for being in every moment. Please continue to teach and guide me in Your way. Show me now Your way to help me glorify You today so I may share Your riches. Amen.
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