Food for the Garden: Acts of Faith

Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Set time aside to pray.   Traditional prayer times include morning, midday, evening and compline (end of day).  We pray for a variety of reasons.

• To communicate with God: We pray to communicate with our God and to develop a relationship with Him. Through prayer, we express our love, gratitude, and requests to God.

• To seek guidance and wisdom: We pray for guidance and wisdom in making important decisions in our lives. God can provide us with the insight we need to make the right choices.

• To ask for forgiveness: We pray to ask for forgiveness for our sins and to seek God's mercy. Through prayer, we can ask God to forgive us and help us to live according to His will.

• To express our needs and desires: We pray to express our needs and desires to God. We may ask for help with personal or financial problems for ourselves or others, or for healing from illnesses.

• To worship and give thanks: We pray to worship God and to give thanks for the blessings in our lives. Through prayer, we can express our gratitude to God and praise him for his goodness.

Overall, we pray because prayer is an important way to communicate with God and to seek his guidance, forgiveness, and help in our lives.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth,

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

forever. Amen.

Reading Scripture

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

Set time aside to read from scripture.   It may be a single verse, a short passage or one or more chapters.  Any amount of time spent reading scripture is valuable. 

We read the Bible for a variety of reasons.  

• To learn about God: The Bible is the primary source of information about God. Through reading the Bible, we learn about God's character, his actions, and his plan for humanity.

• To understand our faith: We read the Bible to better understand the teachings of Jesus and the tenets of our faith. The Bible provides guidance on how to live a good and meaningful life, and studying it helps us grow in our faith.

• To find comfort and hope: The Bible contains many passages that provide comfort and hope during difficult times. We can turn to the Bible for solace and guidance when we are struggling or feeling lost.

• To obey God's commands: The Bible contains many commands and instructions from God that we should follow. Reading the Bible helps us understand what God expects of us and how we can live in accordance with His will.

Overall, we read the Bible because it is the word of God and it contains important teachings and guidance for our lives.

Worship

Come, let us bow down in worship,

    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker

Psalm 95:6 (NIV)

Make a plan and attend a communal worship service, prayer service, fellowship meeting or bible study.  We attend worship services for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons:

• To worship God: We attend worship services to honor and glorify God. Through singing hymns, praying, and listening to sermons, we express our devotion and gratitude to God.

• To learn about the Bible: Worship services often include a sermon or message that teaches from the Bible. We attend services to learn more about the teachings of Jesus and to deepen our understanding of the Bible.

• To connect with a faith community: Worship services provide an opportunity for us to connect with other Christians. We can share our experiences, support one another, and grow together in our faith.

• To receive spiritual guidance: We attend worship services to receive spiritual guidance from pastors or other church leaders. We may seek advice on personal problems or struggles, or guidance on how to live according to our faith.

• To find inspiration and motivation: Worship services can be a source of inspiration and motivation for us. Through hearing uplifting messages and singing songs of praise, we can feel encouraged and strengthened in our faith.

Overall, we attend worship services because it is an important way to honor God, deepen our understanding of our faith, connect with others, and receive guidance and inspiration for our lives.

Service

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14 (NIV)

Look for an opportunity to serve and act on it.  An act of service involves helping others and serving them in some way.  Service is a donation of time.  Here are some examples:

Volunteering

• Volunteering at a church, local charity or organization

• Assisting with a community clean-up effort

• Serving food at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter

• Participating in a fundraising event for a worthy cause

Helping Others

• Helping someone with their yard work or home repairs

• Providing transportation for someone who cannot drive

• Tutoring or mentoring a student who needs help

• Helping someone move into a new home

• Cooking a meal for someone who is ill or grieving

• Offering to walk a neighbor's dog or pet-sit for them

Visiting and Listening

• Visiting someone who is homebound or in a nursing home

• Listening to someone when they need to talk

• Checking in on someone who might be going through a tough time

Giving

Honor the Lord with your wealth,

    with the firstfruits of all your crops;

Proverbs 3:9 (NIV)

Look for an opportunity to give and act on it.  An act of giving is one that involves sharing resources such as money, gifts and tangible goods with others. Here are some examples:

Donating Money

• Donating money to a church, charity or organization

Donating Goods

• Donating food or clothing to a local shelter or food bank

• Donating blood or plasma

• Donating books, toys, or other items to a children's hospital or organization

Gifting To Someone

• Giving a gift to someone for no particular occasion

• Paying for someone's meal or drink

• Offering to buy groceries or supplies for someone in need

• Paying for someone's education or training to help them improve their life

Kindness

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Look for an opportunity to be kind and act on it.   An act of kindness is a loving gesture that can make a difference in someone's day or life.  

Examples of kind, thoughtful messages:

Thanking Someone

• "Thank you." - A simple expression of gratitude can go a long way.

Complimenting Someone

• "You did a great job!" - Acknowledging someone's efforts and accomplishments.

• "I admire your resilience." - Recognizing someone's strength in the face of adversity.

• "You make the world a better place." - Expressing appreciation for their positive impact on others.

• "You have a beautiful smile." - Offering a genuine compliment to brighten someone's day.

• "Your kindness is inspiring." - Acknowledging someone's compassionate nature.

• "You have a great sense of humor." - Complimenting someone's ability to make others laugh.

• "You're a good listener." - Recognizing and appreciating their attentive and supportive nature.

Encouraging Someone

• "I believe in you." - Offering encouragement and support.

• "I'm here for you." - Letting someone know you're available to help or listen.

• "You're not alone." - Showing empathy and understanding during challenging times.

• "You're doing your best, and that's enough." - Encouraging self-compassion and self-acceptance.

• "I'm proud of you." - Sharing pride in someone's accomplishments or personal growth.

• "Your friendship means a lot to me." - Letting someone know they are valued in your life.

Kind Correspondence

• Sending a thoughtful message or card to someone

• Writing letters of encouragement to those serving in the military or overseas

Other Faithful Acts

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-41 (NIV)

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Being obedient to God means following God's commands, teachings, and principles as revealed in the Bible. It involves willingly submitting one's will and desires to God's authority and living in accordance with His will.

Obedience to God is a response to God's love and grace.  God is the creator of all things and has revealed Himself through various means, including Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.