Friday, September 27, 2013

A Dependent Daughter Study - Depend on God or Man? - There is NO Question!!

Welcome back, I'm sorry for the delay in this post, but have been praying for those of you working through this study. Again feel free to share any thoughts, questions or insights in the comment section of my blog or email them to me. Asking God to speak to you through this week's lesson.


I’ll admit I’ve spent most of my life battling an addiction. I’ve been addicted to the approval of others and have spent years trying to please them. Worries about what others think have consumed me at times. Thoughts about not being good enough and never measuring up have overwhelmed me. By seeking others’ approval, I’ve depended on them to define my worth, affirm my abilities and determine my next step. And friend, when we are depending on someone other than God, we’re not depending on Him. Join me now as we dig a bit deeper into this and seek to understand what makes God so dependable!!

Prayer -
Dear Heavenly Father, You are good, You are powerful and You are loving. You have the desire and ability to give us exactly what we need. We know you are faithful so please Lord forgive us when we depend on others instead of You. This week we ask You to open our eyes to see where and when we are depending on anyone other than You. As we look into Your Word remind us who You are…a loving Father, who knows exactly what we need and provides it in Your perfect timing. Lord, we ask You to strengthen our desire to be Your dependent daughter. In Jesus Name, Amen

Day 1
1. Growing up we depend on our parents, as an athlete we depended on teammates, if we are married we depend on our husband and as friends we count on one another. Make a list of how you depend on others.



2. Now take some time and discuss your list with God. Ask Him to show you if you’re depending on others wrongly, if you’re putting them in a place that belongs to Him.




3. God created us for relationship. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:9 that two are better than one; God knew we would need each other, but we must remember our most important relationship must be the one we have with Him. The people we have in our lives are all human...though they are able to help us, they were never created to be our everything and though they may be dependable, we are not to be dependent of them. Read these verses and make note of what makes God more dependable than man -
Psalms 118:8


Isaiah 2:22 -



Isaiah 49:15 -


Micah 7:5-7 -


Proverbs 29:25 -


Psalm 146:3-6


Friends in the verses above we're reminded that God is more dependable than man...I pray those words from God Himself encourage you to turn to Him before others and trust in Him more than you do the people in your life. As I've journeyed through this process of becoming a more dependent daughter, God's shown me I don't just struggle with depending on others, but at times I depend on myself before I depend on God. Is this something you struggle with? Take some time to pray about this now.



Day 2
4. In the next lesson we'll spend more time with this topic but for now take a look at the following verses and make note of what we must do in order to live a life dependent on God rather than ourselves.
Luke 9:23


Proverbs 3:5


1 Corinthians 1:24-25



5. As children of God we are able to depend on God as our Father. I am a parent with good intentions, but too often I fail; God on the other hand in the perfect parent. Read Luke 11:11-13...what picture does this paint of your heavenly Father? How does it encourage you as God's dependent daughter?




6. We've established the fact that we are to rely on God rather than depend on man. Let's take some time and look at a few of the things God has to offer.
Psalms 37:4



Psalms 37:23-24



Psalms 46:1



Psalms 68:19



Psalms 116:6



Proverbs 13:24



Isaiah 40:29



Matthew 6:11



Matthew 11:28



John 6:35



Galations 5:22-23




Philippians 4:6



2 Peter 1:3


Day 3
7. Think about all God has given you in the past; I pray that encourages you as you think about what He will provide in the future. Romans 8:32 provides a picture of His greatest gift and a reminder of His precious promise from Philippians 4:19. Read these two verses...ask God to speak to you personally through them. Make note of what He has to say.





8. In closing, spend some time meditating and praying over the following verses. Ask God to use them to encourage you as you strive to be His dependent daughter.
Psalms 27:1

Psalms 37:23-24

Proverbs 3:5

Isaiah 41:10,13

Jeremiah 17:5-9

Philippians 4:6-7

1 Peter 5:7

9. Close this week's study by writing a prayer of commitment. Share with God your desire to depend on Him rather than man. Ask Him to open your eyes to when you rely on others, or yourself, for strength, affirmation, wisdom... Praise Him for being a Father we can depend on and thank Him for making you His dependable daughter.





Closing Thought - Remember if you're depending on others or your self, you're not depending on God.


2 comments:

Wendy Blight said...

What a great teaching today...reminding us that friends, even believing friends, will let us down. Only One being in the universe is totally dependable and faithful and will never hurt us because He is good and only does what is good for us!!

Praying for your lesson this week to bring God's living and active Word alive in the hearts of the women who read it!!

Blessings,

Wendy

Jill Beran said...

Wendy, thank you for stopping by, encouraging me and offering your prayers! It means more than you know!