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CHAPTER 1
SESSION 1
Purified
PURIFIED IN THE RIVER OF THE WATER OF LIFECalled, Loved, Accepted, Forgiven, Whole
THE RIVER OF LIFE
Then the angel showed me THE RIVER of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, THE TREE OF LIFE with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The LEAVES of the tree were for the HEALING of the nations.
REVELATION 22:1-2, ESV (EMPHASIS ADDED)
AN INVITATION TO COME
The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
REVELATION 22:17, ESV
The beginning to your beautiful creative journey of transformation starts with an invitation from Jesus!
PREPARING YOUR HEART
Worship
To worship God is to celebrate God's perfection. Much of the time we spend our time in prayer and gratitude for things pertaining to ourselves. Worship helps us shift our focus upward, to God alone. Focus your attention upon God your Father and celebrate the wonder of who he is.
Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of the most ancient Mystery, that majesty which philosophers call the First Cause but which we call Our Father Which Art in Heaven.
A.W. TOZER
Worship prepares my heart to listen and learn from the truth of God's Word and feel his presence by my side. Worship is declaring the goodness and glory of God. Sometimes it helps me to put on worship music and I speak the truth of the words, and other times I worship God with words that flow from my heart. This establishes an environment where I am in a quiet place with Jesus and he does the inner work of transforming my life like a pearl.
HANNAH HART, A COLLEGE STUDENT LEADER
Prayer
The process of creating your pearl starts with a single grain of sand entering the living membrane of an oyster. In spiritual terms, this is an invitation for you to come to God in prayer. Prayer is communication between you and God. This will become the foundation from which new growth in your life will be cultivated. Prayer forms a partnership between you and God where you can be honest about all that is in your heart and mind. This opens up an invitation for the Spirit of God to flow into the deeper places of who you are. Through prayer you get to know each other. You talk. He listens. He talks. You listen. You ask him questions. He asks you questions. You surrender. He shapes. You reevaluate. He molds.
Jesus is inviting you to come to this beautiful River of Life that flows from God's throne to receive what you need for your journey. Whether you feel close or far away, the lessons in this Purified section will help you hear the Spirit of God calling you to come to him and be touched by his love. No matter what your background or your past or current situation is like, I encourage you to stop and listen.
Read and meditate on Revelation 21 and 22 on pages xxiii–xxvi.
When I think of where God is, based on Revelation 22:1, I think of the mountains, where pure, clean water flows from the purest source.
THE RIVER OF LIFE
Reflect on these verses again:
THE RIVER OF LIFE
Then the angel showed me THE RIVER of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, THE TREE OF LIFE with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The LEAVES of the tree were for the HEALING of the nations.
REVELATION 22:1-2, ESV (EMPHASIS ADDED)
AN INVITATION TO COME
The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
REVELATION 22:17, ESV
Look at the picture to your right. Imagine Jesus is at the river calling you to come to him. Where do you imagine you are?
Place yourself in the picture either with a drawing or with a symbol of a pearl representing your life. Add anything else that comes to mind.
Color in the drawing, choosing colors that reflect how you feel.
Write the five key words for this lesson somewhere in the picture: Called, Loved, Accepted, Forgiven, Whole.
Create
Express yourself in your own unique way on this spread.
When you close your eyes and imagine hearing Jesus calling you to come to the river, what comes to your mind or how do you feel in your heart?
Draw something that reflects what you imagine and feel. Place yourself somewhere in the picture.
Write five words that represent your picture.
Write a prayer to God asking for what you desire as you begin your journey.
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MAKING A PERSONAL CONNECTION
The previous lesson was focused on introducing you to the beauty of the Kingdom of God. As you meditated on the verses in Revelation 21 and 22, it was my hope that you could imagine the beautiful river that flows from the throne of God. That you would stop and listen and hear Jesus calling you in your heart to come to him.
Over the years, I have noticed many girls feeling far from God. It was not always because they were choosing to live apart from God's ways but somewhere, deep in their spirit, they felt as if he was so far away and it was up to them to somehow reach him. It seemed impossible. They wanted to know him. They just didn't know how.
The good news of the gospel is that we do not need to be the ones to reach out to God and try to find a way to get to him. He has come to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
FOR God loved the world SO MUCH THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH but have eternal life.
John 3:16
It is through your faith and belief in Jesus that the beauty of the Kingdom of God begins to transform your life.
Wherever you are in your life right now, take a moment to close your eyes and imagine what you learned about the Kingdom of God in this session. When you believe in Jesus, he brings the beauty of his Kingdom into your heart.
On the following spread, use the left side to write a prayer and/or journal your thoughts.
Color the picture on the right side, thinking about the words in this lesson. The beautiful blue river is like a symbol of the Holy Spirit flowing like water into the cracks and crevices of your heart to bring comfort, healing, and peace.
The mountains represent God our Father. There is a mystery to God and still many things to search for and discover about him. God is always calling out to us, inviting us to explore more about him and give us new perspectives. The sunrise casting light over the mountain peaks represents Jesus, the Light of the World. He asks us to follow him, and he provides a path for us to know where to go and how to live according to his Kingdom.
Create
He has planted eternity in the human heart.
ECCLESIASTES 3:11
Reflect on everything you have read about the Kingdom of God, your belief in Christ, and where you feel you are when thinking about your heart.
On this page, write a prayer or journal your thoughts.
Color the picture to your right and feel free to add to the picture.
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FOR THE LORD GOD IS A sun and shield: THE LORD WILL GIVE grace and glory: NO GOOD THING WILL HE WITHHOLD FROM THOSE THAT walk.
Psalm 84:11, KJV
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Cultivating Pearls"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Christina DiMari.
Excerpted by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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