It was in the slums of Mumbai, India, that God taught me what it means to be a devoted disciple of Christ. Women who were destitute by the world’s standards, but who are rich in Christ, surrounded me. These women had forsaken all to follow Him, but they had light in their eyes, smiles on their faces, and contagious joy. They gathered on the dirty floor of the slum house, which was smaller than my bedroom, with eager anticipation of hearing the word of the Lord. My sisters in Christ in India melted my heart as they showed me two important qualities of a devoted disciple of Christ – hunger for the word and humility.
A Devoted Disciple is Hungry for the Word
A disciple is a learner, a student of Christ. They sit at the feet of Jesus, learn from Him, and adhere to His teaching. Jesus is our Master, our Teacher, instructing us on every issue of life. Every time we open His word to learn from Him, we should pray to have the demeanor of a devoted disciple.
Some of those women in India didn’t own a Bible, or they couldn’t read, so anytime they got to hear the word of God, it was a treat to them. They were eager to listen and savored every word. Their spiritual hunger reminds me of two passages:
- 1Samuel 3:19 KJV ~ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
- Proverbs 27:7 KJV ~ The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
Have you lost your spiritual appetite?
Sometimes we can lose our hunger for the word of God because we are full of worldly material that feeds the flesh, like social media and other entertainment.
When was the last time you sensed a deep spiritual hunger in your soul for the Bible? If it’s been a while, ask God to change your heart and give you an increased appetite for His word. It’s prayers like those the Lord delights in answering!
Beware, though, spiritual hunger usually comes because of trials, seasons of drought and discouragement, times of lack that make us dependent on the Lord.
It's in the uncomfortable and unwanted tribulations of life that we develop a spiritual hunger for the Bread of Life. Click To TweetMatthew 5:6 KJV ~ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
A Devoted Disciple is Humble
Humility was the other thing that marked these disciples in India. They were teachable women who recognized their desperate need for the things being taught. So often women are defensive about biblical womanhood. They are easily offended, prideful, and unwilling to change. These women get stuck in sin patterns because they won’t humble themselves before God and be receptive to truth.
A devoted disciple of Christ is humble, acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Master. Therefore, she lives the abundant life Christ died to give her, realizing that less of her means more of Him. (John 3:30)
Isaiah 57:15 KJV ~ For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Have you forgotten His grace?
Our sisters in India are devoted disciples because they are immensely grateful for the grace of God saving them from sin, death, and hell. They are in the lowest caste in India, considered worthless and treated no better than dogs. But Jesus doesn’t see them that way. He chose them, accepted them, forgave them, and redeemed them.
By the grace of God, they went from rags to royalty, and if you’ve accepted Christ, you have too.
Remember His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Recall your low estate before Jesus saved your soul and rescued you from sin. Recognize where you would be without Christ and repent of apathy and pride.
Return to the joy of your salvation, and rest in God’s love for you. Sit at His feet, and soak up His word, and be a devoted disciple, learning from Him, leaning on Him, and living for Him.
Psalm25:4-5 KJV ~ Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
More on being a devoted disciple:
God isn’t just good, He’s GREAT!
3 Reasons Why Prayer is Essential to Your Spiritual Growth
4 Signs of a Stressed-Out Servant and 4 Steps to Restore Spiritual Serenity
Looking for a guest blogger?
If you need someone to contribute articles to your website, or to collaborate with you on a project, you can view my portfolio and my beliefs to see if I would be a good fit for your readers. Contact me at dailyhisdisciple@gmail.com with what you are looking for.
Every Devoted Disciple Needs a Jesus Journal!
I designed and published a tool to help Christian women to know Jesus more. My Jesus Journal focuses your time in the word on learning more about the Lord and cultivate a closer relationship with Christ.
Intended to be used alongside your daily Bible reading, My Jesus Journal has space to record the date, the scriptures you read, and lined spaces to write your observations about Jesus you saw in the text. At the bottom of that page is a verse from the KJV Bible about Jesus. The next page is for writing your prayers related to what you discovered in your reading. And there are extra prayer pages in the back.
Beautiful, portable, and affordable!
If you are looking for a tool to help you grow in your knowledge of Jesus, build intimacy into your relationship with Him, and deepen your love for the Lord, then My Jesus Journal is just what you need!
Beautifully designed with your spiritual growth in mind, My Jesus Journal is perfectly sized to fit into your purse, backpack, or diaper bag. You can grow on the go when you use wait times for Bible study.
Priced at just $8.99, you can purchase one for yourself and a friend, or consider buying one for your entire ministry, to begin a season of seeking Jesus together. It makes an excellent gift for any Christian woman in your life! Click on the picture to order today:
Pray With Confidence
Prayer is a must for a devoted disciple of Christ. Along with memorizing and meditating on the Bible, it helps us to be sober-minded during the storms of life. If you want a stronger prayer life, then check out Pray with Confidence. It’s a website for helping women overcome prayer obstacles, and I am one of the regular contributors.
Here are some links I think will help you be a devoted disciple daily:
When Your Prayer for Pain Relief Goes Unanswered
3 Short Prayers for Spiritual Stability
Check out the prayer resources, Bible verses, and tough questions tabs as well. There are many great options for your spiritual growth!
A Subscription Box for Christian Women
Have you heard of Butterfly Box? It’s the premiere subscription box for Christian women, and it is delightful! Gifts are my love language, so it just blesses my heart to receive goodies in the mail. My first Butterfly Box did not disappoint.
My Butterfly Box was beach-themed and filled with beautiful treasures, like a scented candle, a magnet, a handheld wooden cross, a lip balm, and a devotional. There was also a large beach bag to carry it all in! I absolutely love it, and I love what they stand for.
They are on a mission to uplift women, support them, and help them know Jesus loves and values them. Their boxes include Bible studies and books to help bring the living Word of God into their hearts and homes. Butterfly Box supports Christian businesses and families and sponsors various ministries throughout the year. For the month of August, they are supporting the Iowa SIDS Foundation.
You can find out more information about the mission of Butterfly Box on their About Us Page.
If you would like to try out this outstanding subscription box or are interested in getting it for a friend, you can order one here: Butterfly Box Subscription Page.
Learn more about Butterfly Box here!
Thank you so much for this post….Great blog post!! God Bless.. We are disciples for Christ… And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15…It feels good working for the world.
Amen! Thanks for reading. 🙂
precious! Thank you for touching my heart deeply. I pinned on my ministry board, and am coming back…. Blessings in Christ.
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for reading and sharing!! Blessings right back at ya! 🙂
I love your sentence: “Every time we open his word to learn from him we should pray to have the demeanor of a devoted disciple”. Thank you for the inspiration to come to God hungry and humble enough to learn. I think that can take me from boredom (at times ) to joy and growth 🙂 Thank you.
Praise the Lord! My prayer is that every post I write, inspired by the Spirit,would convict, correct, and cause women to examine their heart and their relationship with Christ. They definitely work me over lol. Thanks for reading! 🙂
WE all go through seasons of drought, when we think our appetite for the Word is waning, and our resolve to continue our learning process weakens. Here are some things that help me in the “slow season”……. I try to get next to a new Christian knowing some of that enthusiasm will be contagious……. also they are full of questions and it gives me an opportunity to share the Word I have stored up plus there are always questions I can’t answer and start eagerly searching the Word for what God has to say about it! Then I look for ways to be the hands and feet of Christ. All learning and no action makes me sleepy. I also “disciple-watch” ….. nothing gets me more excited than to see followers of Jesus growing and living out the faith. Yes, times of trouble will draw me nearer to my Lord and send me running to the Word for answers…… but times of joy will do this too…… I count my blessings and then go searching the Word for scriptures to paint my prayers with thanksgiving to the one true God who provides them all.
Thanks for prompting me to take a closer look at my own “discipleship” resolve. I WAS in a little rut. I think I’ll count my blessings…….. 1-Annie!!!!!
Thanks for always being so encouraging Mom, I love you! 🙂
May God continue to “restore the joy of your salvation!” I know it’s possible!
Amen! 🙂