Day 1: Following Jesus illuminates life.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

There are only benefits when we choose to follow Jesus. He is the light of the world, and He allows that light to shine through us and in us. His words become like a flashlight shining on the path we walk daily. We do not have to be consumed with worry as we follow Him because He brings light to all of the dark places.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for inviting me to follow You. Thank You for shining Your light into the dark places of my life. Help me continue to embrace that light and follow You faithfully for all of the days You have ordained for me. Amen.

Day 2: Listen for Jesus as He calls you to follow Him.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Just as a baby knows the voice of its mother, we can be that familiar with the voice of Jesus. Imagine Him saying to you, “I know you better than you know yourself; I will never abandon you or leave you out. You are the apple of my eye, and I sing over you with my love. I laid down my life for you so that we can be together for eternity. Come. Follow me.”

Prayer: Lord, although at times I struggle to understand how high, wide, long, and deep Your love is for me, I am thankful for it. Please help me to hear Your still, small voice in my day-to-day life. In Your Name, amen.

Day 3: A heart that serves follows Jesus.

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. John 12:26

We can go through the motions of attending church, singing in the choir, taking communion, and many other things we might consider “serving” God. But real serving comes from a heart that follows Jesus, not from a place of obligation or religion. Serving is not something we do to gain respect and honor from people, we do it so we can be closer to the heart of the Father through following Jesus Christ.

Action: Pray today about committing to serving Jesus in the local church body. Don’t do it out of obligation. Do it out of a desire to follow the example Jesus gave us as He served others.

Day 4: Rest is given to those who follow Jesus

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30

Following Jesus is not meant to be a tedious task. His gentle and grace-filled Spirit desires to give us rest from the work of trying to perform and be perfect. Jesus wants us to put down the things that hold us back and follow His example that will allow us to live in freedom.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am excited to walk in Your unforced rhythms of grace. I want to walk right by Your side so that I can learn Your ways and live in victory. In your precious name, amen.

Day 5: Following Jesus helps us love others.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

When the disciples started following Jesus, they all came with their own baggage. One was a hated tax collector, many of them were loud, foul-mouthed fishermen, and there were two brothers who dealt with ego issues. This was a recipe for relational challenges to say the least. But Jesus told them that if they loved each other well, others would take notice. When we follow Jesus, we should have a desire to love others more fully. How well we are loving others is a good gauge for how closely we are following Jesus.

Action: Take inventory in your relationships today. Is there a friend you are struggling to love well or care for? Do you have strain with a sibling that never seems to end? Ask Jesus to help you follow Him into loving that person regardless of your feelings about them and just see what He can do!

Day 6: Following Jesus brings power and authority

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. Luke 9:1-2

Just as the disciples were called together to receive the power and authority that Jesus gave them, we too are part of that reception. Following Jesus gives us access to healing in our bodies, to take authority over any weapon that the enemy forms against us, and to proclaim the gospel message to the nations. Following Him means getting to make a difference in the lives of others as we walk in His authority.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for inviting me to walk in Your power and authority. I desire to follow You and emulate those things that bring not only myself, but those around me to freedom and victory in this life.

Day 7: Follow Jesus and reach the one.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Matthew 4:18-20

Who we choose to follow determines much of our course in life. Following Jesus will bring personal revelation and salvation, but it ultimately leads us to a place of loving others and desiring to bring others along on the journey. When we follow Jesus we benefit, but those benefits are not for us to keep to ourselves, they are for us to share. It is never about me alone, it is always about who I bring along.

Action: Does telling others about your faith seem scary? Jesus told us to follow Him and then to share the truth of the gospel with the people around us. We want to partner with you in praying for others and in your own personal evangelism journey. Get started now by joining our One Soul Network.

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