RECEIVE
Pastor Calvin Cook
October 7, 2026 — Day 28 of 30
Praying for Ourselves
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings…. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:19–24
Allow me to begin by sharing where I am physically and then where I am spiritually and soulfully.
For the last two days, I have been attending a clergy retreat with brother and sister pastors of the Allegheny West Conference of the Global Methodist Church. It has been wonderful to spend time with those who have become covenant brothers and sisters and to form new relationships.
We need time as followers of Jesus simply to be present with one another. We need opportunities to step away from our normal routines and allow the Holy Spirit to intertwine our hearts without insisting upon our own plans, purposes, or personal agendas.
That is the first truth I am carrying from this retreat:
We need to step away from the ordinary long enough to listen.
Last evening, our speaker, Dr. Madeline Henners, led us through a series of Scriptures intended to help us recognize and experience God’s presence, grow in holiness, and discern what the Lord has for us.
That leads to a second truth: Listening for God and receiving from God must become daily practices.
Hebrews 10 was among the final Scriptures shared. After hearing it, we were encouraged to become quiet, listen, and receive. I believe listening and receiving are among our greatest spiritual challenges. I have shared my struggle with the words of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy will be done.”
We may pray those words, yet still want God’s will to look like our will.
Throughout the evening and into the night, one word continued circulating through my mind: Receive.
Too often, our prayers to receive are really requests to receive what we want, how we want it, and when we want it.
But receiving from God means opening ourselves to how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are working, guiding, directing, teaching, correcting, and sanctifying us into the people God desires us to become.
As I sat with Hebrews 10 this morning, I was reminded that I am who I am and stand where I stand spiritually because Jesus has opened a “new and living way” for me.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we have access to the Most Holy Place. We can draw near to God with sincere hearts and full assurance—not because we have earned that privilege, but because Jesus has made the way.
That truth should become part of our constant conversation of praise:
Thank You, Jesus, for making a way for me to draw near.
I am deeply convicted by the matchless grace of God, who “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” through His power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). But we must be willing to receive that grace.
The problem is not that God is unwilling to work. The problem is often that we want to receive His work only when it arrives according to our preferred methods, traditions, expectations, and timelines.
This can happen personally, but it can also happen within the Church. “My way” can quietly become “our way,” and eventually we may treat our way as though it were God’s only way. Our preferences can then interfere with our participation in the movement of God’s people for the transformation of the world.
Receiving what the Holy Spirit desires to do cannot mean reshaping His direction to satisfy our desires, demands, or appetites.
At the same time, receiving does not mean accepting every thought, feeling, or event as the will of God. We must test what we believe we are hearing through Scripture, the character of Jesus, prayer, and the wisdom of faithful Christian community.
I must confess that there are directions God gives, changes God permits, and acts of obedience God requires that I would not naturally choose. Yet receiving the Spirit’s direction—even when it disrupts my preferences—is part of sanctification.
Hebrews reminds us that receiving is not passive. Because Jesus has opened the way, we are called to: Draw near. Hold unswervingly to hope. Encourage one another toward love and good deeds.
Continue meeting together. Persevere in doing the will of God.
Hebrews 10:36 says: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
Receiving begins with open hands, a surrendered heart, and a willingness to obey. May we receive the confidence to draw near. May we receive the grace to persevere.
May we receive what God desires to do within us—and then faithfully live it out together.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the new and living way opened through Jesus. Teach me to listen and receive. Free me from the need to control how, when, and where You work. Give me discernment to recognize Your voice, humility to receive Your correction, and courage to follow Your direction. Help me draw near, hold firmly to hope, encourage others, and persevere in doing Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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