A Year with Jesus

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<input type="hidden" value="and" name="method"> <input type="text" placeholder="Search for.." class="form-control" value="" name="words"> <span class="input-group-btn"> <button class="btn btn-default" type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search" name="Submit" form="navbar-search-form" title="Search Heartlight"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-search glyphicon-lg"></i></button> </span> </form> </div> </div> </div>   <div class="subpage-head"> <div class="center header-image-bar"><img style="object-position:center center" class="responsive header-image" src="https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/backgrounds/2032.jpg" title="" style=""></div> <div class="container"> <h1 class=""><span class="h1-devo">A Year with Jesus:</span> 'My Plan to Train and Teach!'</h1> <p class="lead lead-devos noreftagger">Sunday, March 2, 2025</p> </div> </div>  <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-9 has-margin-bottom has-margin-top"> <div class="showsupport"></div> <script type='text/javascript'> showSupport('devos','ayearwithjesus','content-top'); </script> <a name="listen" id="listen"></a><div class="addthis_sharing_toolbox"> <div class="btn-ata-wrapper"> <div class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_default_style" data-a2a-icon-color="#a92a31" data-a2a-url="http://ayearwithjesus.com/note/72/" data-a2a-title="A Year with Jesus: 'My Plan to Train and Teach!'"> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a> <a class="a2a_button_google_gmail"></a> <a class="a2a_dd"></a> </div> </div> <div class="btn-sub-wrapper"> <a href="/community/subscribe.php?devo=ywj"> <button class="btn btn-default btn-sub"> <img class="btn-sub-icon" src="https://img.heartlight.org/devotionals/subscribe.png">Get This <span class="noshowmo">Daily </span>Devo<span class="noshowmo">tional</span> by Email</button></a> </div> </div> <h4>Note from Jesus</h4> <div class="thought-text">Dear Disciple, <br> <br>Leadership and choosing leaders are very important in any group, but especially among My followers. Please notice two things of great importance in the verses below. They will help you have a lasting impact for Me in your world. <br> <br>First, I prayed all night before I chose those whom I would call to be My apostles — those who would be My special emissaries to minister and lead My movement when I was gone. <br> <br>I regularly withdrew to have special times of prayer with the Father to tune My heart to His mission. I also dedicated long stretches of prayer to important events in My life. Selecting My apostles was one of those watershed events. Their selection was so important that I prayed all night! <br> <br>My early church family dedicated themselves to worship, prayer, and fasting to choose their leaders<small> (Acts 13:1-3; Acts 14:23)</small>. So please, don't let choosing leaders for your group, house church, missional community, organization, or congregation become a political event. Leadership is crucial to My mission in the world. Never choose leaders without prayer! <br> <br>Second, no leader, no matter how faithful or influential, can lead alone or forever. I chose twelve in whom I invested My life<small> (Mark 3:13-19)</small>. I trained them to follow in My steps<small> (Luke 6:40; Matthew 20:25-28)</small>. If any leader among My people is following in My footsteps, that leader will choose and train other leaders to assist in his or her work and to continue that work into future generations<small> (2 Timothy 2:1-2)</small>. <br> <br>You can find this principle all throughout the New Testament. A prime example is that I — the Messiah, your <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, the Son of God — chose apostles to assist in My ministry and to continue My work. Other examples of not leading alone are Barnabas working with Paul<small> (Acts 11:22-26)</small>, Timothy with Paul<small> (Acts 16:1-3)</small>, and John Mark with Barnabas<small> (Acts 15:39-40)</small>. Leaders in your day most surely need to follow the examples of My early leaders!</div> <h4>Verses to Live</h4> <div class="verses-text">Leadership is vital for the future of My work in your day. I challenge you to invest in others. Share My truth and My way of life. Then, help them invest in others just as you have invested in them. This approach was the vision I left right before I returned to the Father<small> (Matthew 28:18-20)</small>, this was the method I used to train and teach in My ministry, and this was the method My earliest followers used to train and teach. I call on you and the leaders of your day to do the same.<blockquote><i>Around this time, Jesus went outside the city to a nearby mountain, along with a large crowd of His disciples. He prayed through the night to God. The next morning, He chose 12 of them and gave each a new title of "emissary" </i><span class="brackets">[or "apostle"]</span><i>. <br> <br>They included Simon (Jesus called him Peter) and Andrew (Simon's brother), James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus) and Simon (known as the Zealot), Judas (son of James) and the other Judas (Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus). <br> <br>The whole crowd of disciples (including the 12 now designated as His emissaries) came down together, and they stood on a level area nearby. They were joined by an even greater crowd of people who had come from across the whole region — from all of Judea, from Jerusalem, from the coastal areas of Tyre and Sidon. These people came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed by Jesus of their diseases. Those who were troubled by demonic spirits were liberated. <br> <br>Everyone wanted to touch Jesus because when they did, power emanated from Him and they were healed. <br><small>(Luke 6:12-19)</small></i></blockquote></div> <h4>Response in Prayer</h4> <p>Father in heaven, I confess that I often don't feel like much of a leader. I am also frustrated with the lack of leadership I sometimes see among Your people and in Your church. But I know that You have given me an area of influence in the lives of others. So as I influence those I love and those who are my friends and associates, please help me see ways of involving others to do Your work in my world. In addition, I pray now for my spiritual leaders by name... <br> <br>Please bless them and bless us through their spiritual leadership. I pray that the Holy Spirit will stir the hearts of Your people and that we will be intentional about raising up new leaders for the future. I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, my <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>. Amen.</p> </article> <section class="post-comment-form"> <a name="comments"></a> <h4>Comments</h4> <div id="disqus_thread"></div> <script> var disqus_config = function () { this.page.url = 'http://ayearwithjesus.com/note/72/'; this.page.identifier = 'http://ayearwithjesus.com/note/72/'; }; (function() { var d = document, s = d.createElement('script'); s.src = 'https://heartlightorg.disqus.com/embed.js'; s.setAttribute('data-timestamp', +new Date()); (d.head || d.body).appendChild(s); })(); </script> <noscript>Please enable JavaScript to view the <a href="https://disqus.com/?ref_noscript" rel="nofollow">comments powered by Disqus.</a></noscript> <div class="fb-comments-toggle-button center has-margin-top has-margin-md-bottom"> <button type="button" class="btn btn-md btn-default collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#archived-fb-comments">Show Older Facebook Comments</button> </div> <div class="collapse" id="archived-fb-comments"> <h4>Archived Facebook Comments</h4> <div class="fb-comments" data-lazy="true" data-href="http://ayearwithjesus.com/note/72/" data-numposts="10" data-order-by="social" data-width="100%"></div> </textarea> </div> </section> <div class="showsupport"></div> <script type='text/javascript'> showSupport('devos','ayearwithjesus','content-bottom'); </script>  <h4>Other Devotionals from Heartlight<span class="noshowmo"> for Sunday, March 2, 2025</span></h4> <div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12 cross-promo-wrapper"><div class="well"><div class="cross-promo-title"><a href="http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/passionforpraise.cgi">Passion for Praise</a></div><div class="cross-promo-summary balance-text">A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.</div><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/passionforpraise.cgi?day=20250302"><img style="object-position: center" class="cross-promo-img" src="https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/backgrounds/284.jpg"></a><div class="noreftagger ref"><a class="balance-text" href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/passionforpraise.cgi?day=20250302">'In the Presence of Your Faithful People' </a></div><div class="cross-promo-text"><div class="teaser center balance-text">"I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people."</div><div class="center"><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/dailywisdom/archive.html"><button class="btn btn-default btn-md">More Praise</button></a></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12 cross-promo-wrapper"><div class="well"><div class="cross-promo-title"><a href="http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi">Today's Verse</a></div><div class="cross-promo-summary balance-text">A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.</div><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20250302&ver=niv"><img style="object-position: center" class="cross-promo-img" src="https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/backgrounds/2978.jpg"></a><div class="noreftagger ref"><a class="balance-text" href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20250302&ver=niv">Psalm 37:1-2</a></div><div class="cross-promo-text"><div class="teaser center balance-text">"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away."</div><div class="center"><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20250302&ver=niv"><button class="btn btn-default btn-md">Read Devo</button></a></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12 cross-promo-wrapper"><div class="well"><div class="cross-promo-title"><a href="http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl">Praying with Paul</a></div><div class="cross-promo-summary balance-text">Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.</div><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl?061"><img style="object-position: center" class="cross-promo-img" src="https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/backgrounds/1350.jpg"></a><div class="noreftagger ref"><a class="balance-text" href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl?061">'Pursuing Peace' (Ro. 14:17-23)</a></div><div class="cross-promo-text"><div class="teaser center balance-text">"Dear Father, giver of brotherly love, How wonderful that your kingdom, your rule in people's lives, is not a matter of food and drink, but of..."</div><div class="center"><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl?061"><button class="btn btn-default btn-md">Read Prayer</button></a></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12 cross-promo-wrapper"><div class="well"><div class="cross-promo-title"><a href="http://www.heartlight.org/spiritualwarfare/">Spiritual Warfare</a></div><div class="cross-promo-summary balance-text">A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.</div><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/spiritualwarfare/en/0302/"><img style="object-position: center" class="cross-promo-img" src="https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/backgrounds/1335.jpg"></a><div class="noreftagger ref"><a class="balance-text" href="https://www.heartlight.org/spiritualwarfare/en/0302/">'There Are Only 2 Kingdoms: Darkness, & Light' </a></div><div class="cross-promo-text"><div class="teaser center balance-text">"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show..."</div><div class="center"><a href="https://www.heartlight.org/spiritualwarfare/en/0302/"><button class="btn btn-default btn-md">Read Devo</button></a></div></div></div></div><div class="clearfix"></div>  <h4>Illustration</h4><img src="https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/creations/22696.jpg" class="img-responsive has-margin-xs-top" title="Illustration of — " alt="Illustration of — " style="border-radius: 15px;"> </div>   <div class="col-md-3 has-margin-top"> <div class="showsupport"></div> <script type='text/javascript'> showSupport('devos','ayearwithjesus','sidebar-top'); </script> <div> <h4>About This Devotional</h4> <p>A Year with Jesus is a daily devotional written to help us all reclaim Jesus as the daily <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> of our lives.</p> <p>'A Year with Jesus' is written by <a href="http://www.heartlight.org/contributors/philware.html">Phil Ware</a>.</p> <p>All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from <a href="http://ayearwithjesus.com/about/#voice-translation" rel="nofollow">The Voice™</a>. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.</p> </div> <div class="vertical-links has-margin-xs-bottom"> <h4>More A Year with Jesus</h4> <a href="http://ayearwithjesus.com/archive/"><button type="button" class="btn btn-default full-width has-margin-xs-top">View Entire Archive</button></a> </div> </div> </div> </div>   <div class="highlight-bg"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <form action="/devotionals/subscribe.php" method="post" class="form subscribe-form" role="form" id="subscribeForm" enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded"> <div class="form-group col-md-3 hidden-sm"> <h5 class="susbcribe-head">Get A Year with Jesus by Email<span>Join 1/2 Million Daily Readers!</span></h5> </div> <div class="form-group col-sm-8 col-md-4"> <label class="sr-only">Email address</label> <input name="listname" type="hidden" id="listname" value="ayearwithjesus" /> <input type="email" class="form-control input-lg" value="your@email.com" onFocus="this.value='';" onBlur="if (this.value=='') {this.value='your@email.com';}" name="email" id="address" data-validate="validate(required, email)" required> <span class="help-block" id="result"></span> </div> <div class="form-group col-sm-4 col-md-3"> <button type="submit" class="btn btn-lg btn-primary btn-block" value="submit">Subscribe Now →</button><div class="sm has-margin-xs-top center">By subscribing you agree to our <a href="/support/privacy.html">Privacy Policy</a>.</div> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div>     <footer> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 col-md-6"> <h5><a href="/contributors/">ABOUT HEARTLIGHT<sup> ®</sup></a></h5> <p>Heartlight Provides Positive Resources for Daily Christian Living.</p> <h5><a href="/support/">SUPPORT</a></h5> <p>Heartlight is supported by loving Christians from around the world.</p><a class="button btn btn-success" href="/support/"><span class="support-heart-button">❤</span> Donate</a> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-md-1"></div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-md-2"> <h5>CONNECT</h5> <div class="has-margin-med-top has-margin-bottom"><a href="/community/email.html" class="center btn btn-default btn-footer balance-text">Subscribe to Heartlight</a></div> <p>Stay in touch:</p> <div class="social-icons"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/heartlight.org"><img src="/images/fb-icon.png" title="Heartlight on Facebook" alt="Heartlight on Facebook"></a> <a href="/comments/"><img src="/images/em-icon.png" title="Contact Us" alt="Contact Us"></a> <a href="http://get.theapp.co/b424/" rel="nofollow"><img src="/images/mo-icon.png" title="Get the Heartlight App" alt="Get the Heartlight App"></a></div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-md-1"></div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-md-2"> <h5>SECTIONS</h5> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="/devotionals/">Devotionals</a></li> <li><a href="/articles/">Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/">Artwork</a></li> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="copyright"> <div class="container"> <p class="text-center copyright-text">Copyright © 1996 - 2025 All rights reserved.  HEARTLIGHT is a registered service mark of Heartlight, Inc. | <a href="/support/privacy.html">Privacy Policy</a></p> <p class="center copyright-text-fine-print">Except where noted, scripture quotations are taken from the <a href="https://www.bibleleague.org/bible-translation/" rel="nofollow">Easy-to-Read Version</a> © 2014 by Bible League International.  Used by permission.</p> </div> </div> </footer>    <script src="/js/jquery.js"></script> <script src="/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script> <script src="/js/ketchup.all.js"></script> <script src="/js/script.js"></script> <script src="/js/balancetext.min.js"></script> <script> var refTagger = { settings: { bibleReader: "biblia", bibleVersion: "NIV", convertHyperlinks: true, noSearchClassNames: ["noreftagger"], roundCorners: true, socialSharing: ["facebook","twitter","faithlife"], tagChapters: true, customStyle : { heading: { backgroundColor : "#a92a31", color : "#ffffff" }, body : { color : "#000000", moreLink : { color: "#810303" } } } } }; (function(d, t) { var n=d.querySelector('[nonce]'); refTagger.settings.nonce = n && (n.nonce||n.getAttribute('nonce')); var g = d.createElement(t), s = d.getElementsByTagName(t)[0]; g.src = 'https://api.reftagger.com/v2/RefTagger.js'; g.nonce = refTagger.settings.nonce; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g, s); }(document, 'script')); </script> <script async src="https://static.addtoany.com/menu/page.js"></script>  </body> </html>

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A Year with Jesus