Complimentary and in-depth 8-week program kicks off exciting initiative as lead devotional to Shine Bright 365

June 20, 2022

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — American Christianity is on the decline, with only one in four Americans claiming to be a practicing Christian. With this drastic decrease in Christian values in America, prayer, Bible reading and daily devotions have fallen to the wayside. This is where D. L. Moody Center’s (moodycenter.org), a unique destination for spiritual renewal, comes in.

In order to combat this decline in Christianity in America, D. L. Moody Center’s latest new eight-week devotional, “Becoming Useful to God,” focuses on cultivating eight characteristics essential to the life of every Christian. Building on the revolutionary book “Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody” by D. L. Moody Center President Dr. James Spencer, the devotional provides a tangible, easy-to-follow guide that users can follow to grow closer to Christ and become useful to God in their own lives.

Spencer stated, “As participants walk through the devotionals and complete the various exercises, I pray that they will have a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that as we trust God enough to obey Him and to walk according to his wisdom, we will not only be blessed beyond measure, but will be useful to God.”

The second week of the devotional is titled “Prayerful” and walks participants through Matthew 6:5-15 where Christ analyzes the purpose of prayer and provides his followers with the Lord’s Prayer. Spencer dives deep into the several aspects of prayer Jesus touches on, providing unique insight on what prayer is meant to accomplish.

“When we pray, we do not simply seek to have our petitions answered,” Spencer stated. “Rather, in prayer, we admit our utter dependence upon the Lord to restore order to a chaotic world.

“Becoming a prayerful people requires that we understand the basic nature of prayer. It is not

something we do to demonstrate our piety to others or to manipulate God into doing what we

want. Instead, it is a means of aligning our desires with God’s desires, placing our lives in God’s

hands by praying to an audience of one, and trusting Him to give us all we will ever need.”

Spencer concluded, “As I’ve come to realize, prayer is itself a means of resistance. We resist the temptation to determine our own course. In prayer, we have the opportunity to set aside our agendas and thoughts to hear God.”

“Becoming Useful to God” is offered at no cost from D. L. Moody Center as part of it’s “Shine Bright 365” initiative. “Shine Bright 365” is a year-long comprehensive campaign designed to encourage believers to shine bright for Christ in a dark world. The project is inspired by the famed evangelist D. L. Moody himself, who stated, “In the place God has put us, He expects us to shine, to be living witnesses, to be a bright and shining light. While we are here our work is to shine for Him.”

Spencer summarized, “Modern life is complicated, but the message of the Gospel is simple. The purpose of ‘Shine Bright 365’ is to cut through all the distractions and bring Christians back to the basics of our faith.”

The D. L. Moody Center is also pleased to announce the launch of their new 10-day Bible plan, Living As If God Exists (Because He Does), on the YouVersion app.Inspired by the ‘Go Dark, Shine Bright’ campaign, this plan encourages readers to turn their focus from their own stories to step into God’s big story.  

The D.L. Moody Center is an independent non-profit organization located in Northfield, Massachusetts. Dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of Dwight Moody, the D. L. Moody Center is a catalyst for spiritual formation in New England and beyond through evangelism and discipleship.   

As a destination for spiritual renewal, the D. L. Moody Center is not a school. Nevertheless, there is much to learn by studying D. L. Moody and what God accomplished through his life which began in New England, at the Northfield, Massachusetts campus, the heart of Moody’s ministry as well as his childhood home.   

Learn more about D. L. Moody Center by visiting moodycenter.org or follow the ministry on Facebook or Twitter. 

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