If you would like to extend this over a week, you can easily do one of the points each day of your devotion.  For a printable version, click here.   

Monday

Think of a time when you were in a hurry when God wasn't.  When and what was it?  __________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - God does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what He is doing.  (NCV)  

Romans 4:17 - 22:  As it is written:  "I have made you a father of many nations."  He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed---the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  (NIV)

God gave him a promise that he'd have a baby who'd become a great nation, which later became the nation of Israel.  But Abraham had to wait one hundred years for that baby.  That's a long time to wait.  What do you do while you're waiting on God?  _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday

Describe a time when a situation was out of your control.  _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 4:17 - Abraham believed in God who gives life to the dead and who creates something out of nothing.  (NCV)

Don't focus on what you can't do.  You focus on what God can do.  

Luke 18:27 - "What is impossible with men is possible with God."  (NIV)

Describe a time when you focused on what God could do.  ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 4:17 - Abraham believed in God who gives life to the dead and who creates something out of nothing.

What did Abraham put his faith in?  ____________________________________________________________

Are there some situations in your life right now that you need to give over to God and start believing in what He can do?  __________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday

Romans 4:18 - When hope was dead within him, Abraham went on hoping in faith...He relied on the word of God...  (Ph)

Have you ever felt that way?  That hope was dying inside of you?  How do you know when hope is dying inside of you?  You start using the word "never."

What made you feel hopeless?  _________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

When you come to a dead end rely on the promises:  

Hebrews 11:17 - While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, so he offered his son Isaac..."  (LB)

What promise from God is meaningful to you?  _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday

Romans 4:19-20a - Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead...and Sarah's womb was also dead.  Yet he didn't waver with unbelief..."  (NIV)

Abraham recognizes that he and his wife are beyond childbearing years.  He's 99, his wife is 89 and it is a medical impossibility that they're going to have children.  He doesn't deny the facts.  He faces them with faith.  

How do you think he did that?  _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spend some time in prayer and ask God to increase your faith in Him.  

Friday

Romans 4:20-21 - Abraham never doubted.  He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened.  He was completely sure that God was well able to do anything He promised.  (LB)

How would you describe his faith?  _____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

How sure are you that God's timing is perfect?  ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - God does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what He is doing.  (NCV)

Pray and ask God to give you the name of someone who needs to worship with you on Sunday.