Prepare Your Heart for God’s Word

Current Teaching Series 40 Days in the Word

Prepare Your Heart for God's Word By Rick Warren — Feb 1, 2017 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:19b-21 NIV). Let’s say you’re a gardener. You’ve learned that you can take the exact same seed and plant it in three different locations and get three different results. In one spot, you’ll get giant tomatoes. In another, you’ll get small tomatoes. And in a third, you’ll get nothing. What’s the difference? It’s not the seed; it’s the soil. The soil must be prepared for the seed. The same is true when you hear God’s Word. Your heart has to be prepared for the Word. If you get up late, have trouble finding a parking spot, and are irritated as you rush into church, you’re probably not going to hear God’s voice! You’re not in a receptive mood. That’s why you can take two people to church, set them side-by-side, and one will walk out thinking God really spoke to him and the other won’t get anything out of the service. The heart of one person was prepared; the other’s heart wasn’t. The Bible says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:19b-21 NIV). For good reception, this passage teaches you have to have four attitudes: You must be quiet. You can’t hear God if you’re talking. You have to be calm. You can’t rush God. If you’re frantic, you’re not going to hear God. The Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God.” My translation of that is: “Sit down and shut up.” You have to be clean. Before you can meet with God, you need to take out some emotional and spiritual garbage. You need to get rid of the stuff that stinks in your life. You get rid of the garbage by confessing your sin to God and agreeing with him that what you did was wrong. You need to be humble. Be ready to do whatever God tells you from his Word. A prideful attitude won’t work. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Why are silence and active listening such difficult things to practice? What can you do to minimize your distractions so that you are able to listen well? What emotional or spiritual garbage is keeping you from hearing God’s voice today? What new habits can you adopt to help prepare your family to hear from God during church, family or individual devotions, or at any time?

Our Gift: 40 Days in the Word Study Kit + Bookmark Build a more vibrant relationship with Jesus! A close relationship with Christ doesn’t happen by accident. You have to make spending time with Him a priority every day. And you have to approach that time with the right attitude. Pastor Rick Warren shows you how to get more out of God’s Word and deepen your daily time with Jesus in his 40 Days in the Word study kit. Through a 200-page study guide and six-part DVD teaching video, you’ll learn… LEARN MORE

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Series Summary Message 1: Building My Life On The Bible Message 2: Why Can I Trust The Bible Message 3: How The Bible Changes Us Message 4: Seeing What God Wants Me To See Message 5: How To Study a Bible Passage Message 6: Understanding the Meaning of a Text Message 7: Integrating God's Word In My Life PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe