Daily Devotional
The Power of Accountability
By Bonnie St. John
This week's topic: The Power Of Accountability
If you want to deepen your experience of these daily devotional messages and thus your relationship with God, consider choosing a prayer partner to share this journey with you.
Going through each devotional with a friend or prayer partner creates a great opportunity to discuss your thoughts, feelings and insights along the way, deepening your understanding. It is also helpful to have someone who will hold you accountable and challenge you to stay on track. And of course, as we know, where two or more are gathered, He is there. So with a prayer partner it’s a mini-prayer meeting!
Whatever frequency you set up, daily, weekly, or even monthly, you can meet in person or by phone. Try starting each meeting with a prayer. You can read the daily devotional out loud, and discuss any insights that emerge. Or, if not meeting daily, each of you can bring one devotional that has touched you since the last time you met. Take turns reading your devotional message and explaining why it resonated with you.
You may also want to prayerfully commit to your partner that you will take certain actions or make changes in the time before your next meeting. Close with a prayer to strengthen you and your prayer partner for the journey.
At your next meeting, you can check in on whether you were able to accomplish your goals (or not—we are human!) and how the discussion topic showed up in your actions and attitudes. Sharing this journey with a partner will significantly increase your ability to learn to live God’s joy in the world; it can double your joy! Having a partner keeps you accountable and therefore makes a more powerful impact on your life.
Are you willing to experience the power of accountability?
If you’ve decided that having a prayer partner feels right to you, take time now to list three potential prayer partners. Get in touch and if your first choice isn’t available for this journey right now, keep trying until you find someone who is.
You are on your way!
Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NKJV
Bonnie St. John is a professional speaker and Olympic medalist, who has appeared on the Today Show, CNN, the 700 Club, and Life Today. The author of How Strong Women Pray and Live Your Joy, Bonnie St. John is committed to reaching out to the world with a message of triumph over circumstance. For more information about Bonnie, log onto http://www.bonniestjohn.com…
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Accountability of Passion
Daily Devotional
The Accountability Of Passion
By Lisa Birch
This week's topic: The Power Of Accountability
I got sucked into reality TV recently about a popular entertainment industry mogul.
He talked about how he hadn't slept for days because of the projects he was so heavily involved with. On this particular mission he set out to deliver new and different work and he went at it full force. He surrounded himself with top talent, fine tuned the good stuff, got rid of the bad, learned new techniques, stretched his skill set, and practiced to near perfection. He put in as many if not more hours than his support team. He was clearly exhausted, but still driven to create the best.
I'll have to admit that by the end of the episode I was sold on this man's passion.
A person of mogul status doesn't get to where he is without passion. Yes we all strive to be and do our best, but when passion shows up it takes on a different look.
It's peculiar and relentless. It elevates things to a new level and is strong enough to push you past the point where others normally stop. Rest is vital for the body and balance is key, but there are times when passion overrides sleep and even satisfies the appetite.
When all signs indicated that the guy in the reality show should slow down or stop, the power of passion held him accountable to keep going.
Think about Christ.
He was tired, beaten and bloody, but nothing could stop His passion (thank God!). No boundaries, no persecutions, no haters.
Not even death.
If you're passionate about anything at all, you've made some sacrifices in your life and you've realized some successes. But how much passion do we truly have for God and His word?
Even 99 percent isn't enough.
Lord, I pray by the power of Your Holy Spirit that I develop a passion for You that's so intense it holds me accountable like nothing else will. Make me crazily ambitious for Your word, and set me on fire to love, serve, honor and put you first every day. Amen.
Scripture Of The Day: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6
Publisher of Vertical Fix online magazine, Lisa Birch has a passion for music with integrity. Along with her husband Chris, Lisa is the co-founder of Vertical Fix internet radio. A 15-year writer and editor, Lisa has contributed writings for corporate, creative, editorial and ministerial environments. For more on Lisa, log onto http://www.verticalfix.com.
The Accountability Of Passion
By Lisa Birch
This week's topic: The Power Of Accountability
I got sucked into reality TV recently about a popular entertainment industry mogul.
He talked about how he hadn't slept for days because of the projects he was so heavily involved with. On this particular mission he set out to deliver new and different work and he went at it full force. He surrounded himself with top talent, fine tuned the good stuff, got rid of the bad, learned new techniques, stretched his skill set, and practiced to near perfection. He put in as many if not more hours than his support team. He was clearly exhausted, but still driven to create the best.
I'll have to admit that by the end of the episode I was sold on this man's passion.
A person of mogul status doesn't get to where he is without passion. Yes we all strive to be and do our best, but when passion shows up it takes on a different look.
It's peculiar and relentless. It elevates things to a new level and is strong enough to push you past the point where others normally stop. Rest is vital for the body and balance is key, but there are times when passion overrides sleep and even satisfies the appetite.
When all signs indicated that the guy in the reality show should slow down or stop, the power of passion held him accountable to keep going.
Think about Christ.
He was tired, beaten and bloody, but nothing could stop His passion (thank God!). No boundaries, no persecutions, no haters.
Not even death.
If you're passionate about anything at all, you've made some sacrifices in your life and you've realized some successes. But how much passion do we truly have for God and His word?
Even 99 percent isn't enough.
Lord, I pray by the power of Your Holy Spirit that I develop a passion for You that's so intense it holds me accountable like nothing else will. Make me crazily ambitious for Your word, and set me on fire to love, serve, honor and put you first every day. Amen.
Scripture Of The Day: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6
Publisher of Vertical Fix online magazine, Lisa Birch has a passion for music with integrity. Along with her husband Chris, Lisa is the co-founder of Vertical Fix internet radio. A 15-year writer and editor, Lisa has contributed writings for corporate, creative, editorial and ministerial environments. For more on Lisa, log onto http://www.verticalfix.com.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Power of Accountability
Daily Devotional
Accountability
By Tanya James
This week's topic: The Power Of Accountability
Accountability; what a 14 letter word!
But what does it mean?
"Accountability is the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable"
So why do I think OUCH when I think of accountability?
Because for true accountability to take place, there has to be a serious level of transparency, and for many that is a hard place to be. YET, there is so much power in it.
I remember before I got married and I had finally decided to obey God's mandates as it related to abstinence until marriage; one of the first things I did was find accountability partners.
People that I could trust and confide in that would not just pray for or with me but people that would help keep me in check. You know, people that would call after my date with tall, dark and handsome, just to make sure I was home...in my bed...by myself.
There were MANY of days I wanted to dodge my accountability partners or to tell them to leave me alone because I was a grown woman and could make my own decisions, but God sent them into my life to help me get off that fence of sexual immorality.
I needed that support system even if I didn't always want it! We all need support systems because it's not always easy to keep our commitments to living a life pleasing unto God.
Just make sure you are walking with someone that will help you in your commitments (whatever they are) and not people that will encourage you to go against God's word.
Proverbs 13:30 says "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."
Find yourself an accountability partner, but make sure you use wisdom; don't have a fool holding you accountable! And once you find that person, be open, transparent and totally honest and watch how God will use them to make you a better person!
Scripture Of The Day: "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." - Proverbs 13:20 NASB
Founder and president of The Master Plan, Tanya James is the author of From Promiscuity to Proverbs 31: Getting Off the Fence of Sexual Immorality. For more information about Tanya, log onto http://www.armedanddangerous.biz or http://www.themasterplan.biz.
Accountability
By Tanya James
This week's topic: The Power Of Accountability
Accountability; what a 14 letter word!
But what does it mean?
"Accountability is the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable"
So why do I think OUCH when I think of accountability?
Because for true accountability to take place, there has to be a serious level of transparency, and for many that is a hard place to be. YET, there is so much power in it.
I remember before I got married and I had finally decided to obey God's mandates as it related to abstinence until marriage; one of the first things I did was find accountability partners.
People that I could trust and confide in that would not just pray for or with me but people that would help keep me in check. You know, people that would call after my date with tall, dark and handsome, just to make sure I was home...in my bed...by myself.
There were MANY of days I wanted to dodge my accountability partners or to tell them to leave me alone because I was a grown woman and could make my own decisions, but God sent them into my life to help me get off that fence of sexual immorality.
I needed that support system even if I didn't always want it! We all need support systems because it's not always easy to keep our commitments to living a life pleasing unto God.
Just make sure you are walking with someone that will help you in your commitments (whatever they are) and not people that will encourage you to go against God's word.
Proverbs 13:30 says "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."
Find yourself an accountability partner, but make sure you use wisdom; don't have a fool holding you accountable! And once you find that person, be open, transparent and totally honest and watch how God will use them to make you a better person!
Scripture Of The Day: "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." - Proverbs 13:20 NASB
Founder and president of The Master Plan, Tanya James is the author of From Promiscuity to Proverbs 31: Getting Off the Fence of Sexual Immorality. For more information about Tanya, log onto http://www.armedanddangerous.biz or http://www.themasterplan.biz.
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