“But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 (NLT)
CHALLENGE
Cultivate transparency: create an environment of trust, acceptance, honesty, forgiveness and support.
PREPARATION
- Praise God for who He is
- Confess your sinfulness and need for cleansing
- Allow His Spirit to draw you near
- Listen as He speaks to you
REQUESTS
- Ask God to reveal to you the areas of your life that you need to bring “into the light”.
- Pray for the courage to be more transparent about them.
- Ask God what you can do to help develop a safe, caring place within the Westheights community where you and others can share, confess and find prayer support.
THANKSGIVING
- Thank God for hearing you.
- Trust that God is at work to accomplish His will.
OPTIONAL READINGS
- Romans 15:5-6
LIFE STORY
I’m convinced that God made us to be most healthy when we’re transparent with each other—when we take the time and in humility bring the dark areas of our lives into the light.
Light reveals. Light exposes. Light allows us to see clearly—every wart and every wound. Living in the light calls for an open display of who we really are.
I meet with a “prayer group” regularly, but what we really do is keep each other in the light. And as a result, we “have fellowship.” It’s an incredible formula. It’s far more than friendship. We don’t actually go out of our way to socialize—we’re all of varying ages and stages—but I care for each of these women intensely, and have known the trust, acceptance and protection of a community that constantly encourages me to live in the light, confess and be forgiven. Mostly, we celebrate the goodness of God in our lives, and pray for concerns. But I also tell them when I’ve blown it big-time, when I’m confused, when I feel like I’m failing as a parent, when I want to give up—on my marriage, my ministry, or my faith. We tell each other when our thoughts are selfish and ungodly—even just a little bit—or when we’re fighting temptation, bringing everything into the light. We pray for each other. And we see each other through.
There’s been a remarkable freedom in that. I guess God only knew there would be.
Contributed by: Charlene Neuman