Category: Devotional

  • Our God

    Our God

    Our GOD Hears – Our God Sees – Our God Rescues – Our God Remembers

    Our God  sees us, He  hears us , He rescues us, and He remembers us. 

    We often carry within us a personal image of God, shaped by our experiences and interpretations. But let us set aside our preconceptions and consider the truths revealed in scripture.

    In Exodus, we encounter Moses at the burning bush. God declares, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress… I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them” (Exodus 3:7). This powerful declaration reveals a God who is not distant or indifferent, but intimately involved in the lives of His people. He sees their pain, hears their cries, and acts to deliver them.

    Even before Moses, we find the story of Hagar, an Egyptian slave. In her distress, wandering in the wilderness, the Angel of the Lord finds her. Hagar, in her own words, names God “Behr El Roi – the God who hears” and “the God who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13-14) 

    When the Angel of the Lord met Hagar, He asked her: “Where are you coming from, and where are you going?”

     Our lives are narratives, stories we tell ourselves to make sense of our experiences. Yet, these stories are often incomplete, shaped by our biases and selective memories. But God sees the complete picture, the hidden depths of our hearts. He hears our unspoken cries and understands our deepest struggles.

    To truly see and be seen is a profound human need. It is an affirmation of our worth and existence. God, in His infinite love, sees us completely, not just our outward appearance, but our innermost being. He invites us to bring our stories to Him, to share our burdens, and to find solace in His presence.

    We are called to mirror God’s love by seeing and hearing others, by creating spaces of belonging and acceptance within our communities. We are not meant to live in isolation, but in together, where we can share our stories and find support.

    Reflect:

    1. How has your personal image of God influenced your relationship with Him?
    2. In what areas of your life do you feel unseen or unheard?
    3. How can you create space to truly see and hear those around you?
    4. What stories are you telling yourself about your life? Are they complete and truthful?
    5. What do you need to tell God today that you have been holding back?

    Closing Prayer:

    Heavenly Father, we thank you for being a God who sees and hears us. We acknowledge that our understanding of you is often limited and flawed. Help us to set aside our preconceptions and embrace the truth of your love and compassion. We bring our stories to you, the triumphs and the struggles, the joys and the sorrows. Help us to see others as you see them, with love and understanding. Grant us the courage to be vulnerable and honest, both with you and with those around us. May we create communities where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

    Watch the sermon – You Tube

  • DAY 7 | SUNDAY | Celebration

    As our week of prayer comes to an end, we want to celebrate together and demonstrate what it means to be a people who belong.

    Jesus spent much of his time sharing a meal with people from all walks of life.

    Lk 19: 1-10          Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house, a tax collector

    Lk 10: 38-42     A woman named Martha opened her home to Jesus

    Lk 7: 36-50       A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him

    There are many more stories in gospels like this.

    Sharing meals creates a space for people to feel loved and accepted, heard and connected. We can encounter God and one another and demonstrate hospitality in a tangible way.

    As we begin our journey together, creating a community of people who belong, let’s celebrate the end of our prayer journey around a table and share a meal together.

    My Prayer Response:

    Ask God to show you who you can invite to the table

    Ask God to show you who to pray with

    Ask God to make you a listening presence for someone

    My Daily Response:

    Have fun

    Laugh together

    Make time for connection

    Have communion together

    Build relationships with someone new

  • DAY 6 | SATURDAY | reflect on your race

    Paul the Apostle, writing to the church at Phillipi, encouraged them to continue growing in Christlikeness through every season of their lives. He uses the image of an athlete in a race:

    Philippians 3:13-15 (NIV)

    But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

    We are all running our own spiritual long-distance race and it’s important that we regularly reflect on where we’ve been and where we are going.

    First, reflect on your own personal journey of following Jesus. Our stories are all unique because each one of us is unique, bearing the image of God.

    • His Goodness
    • His Faithfulness
    • My Gratitude
    • My Worship
    • My Service

    And then transition to this past week and the themes of our devotions and prayers.

    What do they mean for our personal lives and the race we are running?

    What do they mean for us individual as we find ourselves in a community of people – His church?

    What do they mean for us as a community as we live out our lives together?

    • What’s your next step?               Bring your brick.
    • Identify distractions.                    Don’t stop walking.
    • Clarify your focus.                        Build a people who belong.
    • Participate with people.              Live your legacy through a Kingdom community.
    • Pray to the promise keeper.      Surrender your life to   God’s sovereignty.

  • DAY 4 | THURSDAY | Paricipate with people


    What we prioritise in our lives is expressed through our practical living.

    This means our vision needs to move from our hearts and toward our hands where we can work toward achieving measurable goals.

    Nehemiah’s vision of a secure and thriving community was expressed through his practical act of rebuilding the city walls together with God’s people. So, how can we express the priority of building a people who belong in a practical way?

    By building a space in which God can work with us so that we become a more connected community of people who belong, just as the restored walls of Jerusalem created a safe space in which the Israelites could belong and thrive for generations.

    This is our wall of Jerusalem to rebuild in this season of our journey together, and it will involve partnering in the work together with our time, talents and treasure.

    In Philippians 1:3-8 (AMP) Paul the apostle thanks the church for their “participation and partnership [both your comforting fellowship and gracious contributions] in [advancing] the good news”

    The word partnership here is a Greek word, koinonia, often translated ‘fellowship’. It means a sharing in something, participating in something divine and eternal.

    This partnership could be seen through the way the Israelites rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem together.

    Nehemiah 3:1-4 (NIV) describes people partnering when,

    • Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. 
    • The men of Jericho built the adjoining section,
    • Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.
    • The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah.
    • Meremoth, repaired the next section.
    • Next to him Meshullam, made repairs, and next to him
    • Zadok also made repairs.

    If you and I were to partner in building together, what next step could I take? The answer is: bring your brick! That’s how the Israelites did it in alignment with their vision.

    Like Eliashib, Hananel and Zadok each contributed to rebuilding the walls as we read earlier in Nehemiah 3, so too you and I bring our brick to contribute to building the space God has given us a vision for. And that brick is represented by your financial contribution over and above your tithe toward achieving the total sum of R300 000 to complete the work.

    My prayer response:

    Ask God to guide you in preparing your contribution toward building the walls as a partner in Southside Church.

    Pray for our miracle offering services on Sunday the 4th of May and Gods provision of more than we could ask or imagine in resources.

    Acknowledge that all provision comes from God and surrender your trust to Him for the areas in your life in which you need provision.

    My daily practice:

    Adopt an attitude of gratitude.

    As you go through your day recognize the many blessings Gods given you that you may usually overlook. Think about your job, or your health.

    As you come to the end of your day pray back to God with gratitude for the many blessings you recognized he bestows upon your life.

    Gratitude makes what we have enough and helps us see Gods provision in our personal lives. “I am blessed to be a blessing.” (Genesis.12:2)

    Because I am blessed, I can bring my brick in being a blessing to others.