LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Sunday 8th June 2025
THE SAVOUR OF THE WORLD
Scripture Reading: John 4:1-42
And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard Him and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:41-42
Many of us were introduced to Christianity by our parents. They took us to church when we were born. They taught us to pray and read the Bible. Over time, we called ourselves Christians but our relationship with God was shallow because it was based only on our parents’ relationship with God.
Others build their faith around a church or a pastor and not their own faith in God. It is misplaced to think that associating with others who have a genuine faith in God automatically means that we also have a relationship with the Lord.
Usually, people whose faith is based on someone else’s faith go through a faith crisis in their teen years and early twenties. They come face to face with situations that make them question what they truly believe concerning their faith. And when they face such challenges, their faith in God gets wobbly because there is no personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Though others may introduce Christ to us, we must know Him for ourselves. The people of the woman’s village first came to believe because of her testimony. But thereafter, they encountered Jesus for themselves and their faith then rested on their own personal experience with the Lord.
We must consciously receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. If you profess to be a Christian but have not sincerely accepted Him in this way, you must do so. That is what really makes you a Christian. And if you’ve just been a churchgoer without any real relationship with Christ, it’s time to truly commit to the Lord and Head of the Church.
We must build a habit of going to God in prayer. It is through sincere, heart-felt conversation with God that we develop a relationship with Him. This is not the religious and mechanical form of prayer, but the kind that is like a child who freely talks with His father. Through such prayer, we deepen our faith and dependence on Him.
Do you know the Lord for yourself? It is my prayer that you will get to know Him, grow in Him and His word and learn to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I have decided to follow Jesus. Help me to live as your child, all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
