Christ is in union with each of His children and He feels our hurt, He has empathy with the unfair treatment we receive. He understands our pain. He warns that we will be hated of all men and He knows it is for His sake that blows and hatred will be inflicted upon His precious people. Yet we are encouraged to rejoice in our sufferings, with exceeding great, and overflowing joy, knowing that it is for His sake that we are ill-treated all day long. He is the living Head of His Body, the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us. Suffering in this life develops, in us, a godly character and patient endurance, which is honoring to the Lord. As Members Of Christ’s Body, should we not joyfully identify with Christ’s earthly suffering, knowing that He lived and died so that we might be identified with His glory and live eternally? Yes, we should rejoice; exceedingly, that we As Members Of Christs' Body and partakers of His sufferings. It is by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection that we have not only been forgiven of our sins and clothed in His righteousness, but we are His blood-bought children, who have a blessed hope, a glorious future, and life everlasting, Amen. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Our United Prayer:
Thank You, Father, that we are part of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, and that we are in union with the Lord Jesus. Thank You that He understands all that we are facing in our lives today and that we are partakers in His sufferings. Help us to keep an eternal perspective ever in our sights, and we praise Your name for the blessed hope and glorious future that You have purposed for all Your people. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN. Not only have we been reconciled to God through Christ, but as members of His Body, we have been commissioned to carry out and continue the ministry of reconciliation that Jesus Himself started during His earthly life. It is not God's will that anyone should perish but that all come to faith in Jesus. So, He has made us His witnesses. We have become ambassadors for Christ. He Has Given Us The Ongoing Ministry of reconciliation so that others may hear the good news, trust in Jesus for the salvation of their soul, and be reconciled back to God. Not only through time but into eternity. It is as if God Himself were making an appeal to the lost through us. Today, God is ready to use us to be His ministers of reconciliation. Let's all be ready and willing to witness to a fallen world the wonderful works of God so that lost sinners may obtain eternal redemption through Christ and return into fellowship with our Heavenly Father, through time and into eternity. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, what an amazing privilege that You should use such as us to be your mouthpieces and be used as an ambassadors for Christ, to a lost and hurting world. Enable us to share the news that God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and that we can partake in that reconciliation, simply by believing in Him. We pray that many may come to trust in Jesus as their Savior in the days that lie ahead. In Jesus' name, AMEN. Too often, Christ's commission is only seen as an evangelistic call to lost sinners, but it has far wider implications for it is equally a call to teach those that are saved, all believers need to learn of Christ and to be grounded in the Word of God. God wants all people to be saved and also to come to a knowledge of the truth. It is a fact that all disciples of Christ are believers in Him, but not all believers in Christ become His disciples. Only a believer who is learning of Christ and growing in grace can truly be called a disciple of Christ. Only a believer who is being washed in the water of the Word, pressing on for their upward call in Christ Jesus, and maturing in their faith, can truly be called a disciple of Jesus. Let Us All Become True Disciples Of Christ as we learn more and more of Him. As we walk in Him, may the natural overflow be a desire to tell those we meet of the wonderful love of Christ Jesus and the salvation found in believing in Him. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, it is our desire to know You more, to learn more of You, and to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. Give us teachable spirits, we pray, so that we may grow in grace. We pray that You would enable us to go and disciple to others in Your strength so that together we come to a knowledge of the truth in Christ Jesus, in Whose name we Pray, AMEN. The godly are called to trust in the Lord and to hold fast to their faith, Our Hope Is In Christ. The believer is called upon to delight in the things of God, those are the qualities of life that have everlasting joy, eternal purpose, and heavenly rewards. We are to maintain our faith in the power and promises of God, He will vindicate all His children and His justice will shine as brightly as the sun. We are to be still in His presence and to patiently wait for the Lord to act on our behalf. Let us daily be still in the presence of the LORD as we wait patiently for Him to act. Do not worry about evil people who prosper nor fret about their wicked schemes, they will eventually be cut off. The LORD will rescue the godly from the wicked in His own time and His own way. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Our United Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for the times that we have allowed the wicked ways of the ungodly to disturb our rest in You. Keep us from anxious thoughts, and may we learn to be still in Your presence, to rest in Your love, and to wait patiently for You to act, knowing that You work all things together for our benefit and for Your glory. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. We should rejoice that as the elect of God, we are set apart for God and are being sanctified by the Spirit of God. We should live in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ so that His grace and peace may be multiplied to all who are called by His name. It is only by God's abundant mercy that we have come to this living hope in Christ and, by God's grace, have been endowed with an inheritance that is incorruptible and will never fade away. The paradox of our faith is that we can rejoice in the midst of our suffering and distresses. The mystery of our call to glory is that we can rejoice greatly despite our trials and losses, because We Have An Unfailing Hope in our eternal inheritance and the glorious redemption of our bodies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we have been given new birth and a living hope through the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we are being prepared for the coming glories of our heavenly home, help us to rejoice in our future hope despite the distresses of life’s various trials. May we keep a heavenly perspective, knowing that You have promised to keep us by Your mighty power. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN. The Word of God is not only our plumb-line for truth but also should be Our Handbook For Life And Living. All Scripture have been written for our learning, but the New Testament gives specific guidance and instruction on living the Christian life in this Church dispensation. The instructions earlier in the epistle of James, cover a wide range of topics that enable the believer to live a life that is honoring to the Lord. It helps us to deal with trials and temptations in a godly manner. It warns of the futility of doubting God's Word and reminds us of the beautiful fruit that comes from a spirit of patience and grace. He warns against conceiving sin in our heart and the devastation that can be caused by an unguarded tongue. He exposes the dangers of allowing partiality to influence our judgement about other people, and teaches on faith and works, justification and sanctification, and the dangers of an unstable mind. James also teaches about the effects of true and false wisdom; the cause of covetousness and its righteous cure. And here in this verse, the apostle simply explains to his readers the consequences of knowing what is godly and honorable in the sight of the Lord, and yet refusing to carry it out. Therefore, he warns, to the one who knows the right thing to do yet does not do it, to him it is sin. Living the Christian life as God intended and instructed, should be the main aim of the Christian, and failure to do so is identified by James as a sin which should be confessed to the Lord and addressed in our life if we are to remain in holy fellowship with the Father and grow in grace, to His honor and glory. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for this truth in the book of James that when we know what is righteous and yet do not do it, we are committing a sin in Your eyes. Forgive us for the times when we have known that something is evil but done it anyway, when we have avoided doing what is right, or when we have turned a blind eye to some need or necessity. We pray that from this day forward, we would not only know what is right but be ready and willing to carry it out, through Your strength and for Your greater glory. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. As members of the Church, we are to live a life that is worthy of our calling. We are to clothe ourselves in humility before God our Father, and We Are To Walk In The Unity Of The Spirit, in the bond of peace. And in this passage, we are given the many elements of unity that are ours in Christ Jesus - our one and only Lord and Savior. The universal Church of believers is one Body which is inhabited by the same Holy Spirit of God. The Trinity is integral in this passage, where we stand united by one faith through believing in the one, unchangeable body of truth which is recorded in the eternal Word of God. As believers in the gospel, we were all baptized into the Body of Christ by the Spirit of God and are being built up into a holy habitation for the Lord. We all acknowledge one God and Father of all, "Who is over all and through all and in all," for by grace through faith in the eternal Son of His love, we have been redeemed and declared righteous in the eyes of God and He has made us His children. one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus is the Word made flesh and that in Him is eternal life. Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who is building us into a holy habitation for our God and Father. Thank You for the Word of life and the truths that it contains. and thank You that by faith in Christ Jesus, we have the right to call You our Father in Heaven. Thank You that we are part of that universal Church and for the elements of unity within the Christian faith that bind us together in Christ - for Your praise and glory, AMEN. As redeemed children, we have been bought with a price and saved by grace through faith. We Are Ambassadors Of Christ and servants of God who are called to be His witnesses to a world in need. But however glorious our salvation and privileged our service, our calling first and foremost is to worship Him, to delight to do His will, to treasure His Word in our hearts, and to remain in the center of His will for the rest of our lives. May our highest joy and greatest delight be to live in the center of God's will and to treasure His Words in our heart. May our lives be a savior of thankful worship and reverential praise so that we may live, move and have our being in the center of His will. May we become true witnesses to our Father in heaven and a true reflection of Christ within, so that through us, God will be glorified in the world. I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we delight to do Your will and meditate on Your Word. Multiply our desires for You, we pray, so that our lives may be testimonies to Your love and grace. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. This much-loved passage gives real insight into our position in Christ and reminds us that because We Are United With Him By Faith, we are to love one another as Christ loved us. We are also to abide in His love and trust His purpose for our lives. Jesus, and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, is the heart of all who desire to produce much fruit to the glory of God. The one who is prepared to give up the good for the very best will discover the inner joy of Jesus that is reserved for those that can say from their heart Jesus spoke many things to His disciples so that His love and peace could reign in their hearts and that their joy might be full to overflowing. The joy of the Lord is often couched in the fellowship of His suffering and pain so that the good purpose of the Lord is fulfilled to their eternal benefit and to the glory of God. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Help us to abide in You, always, so that we may be joyful, fruitful, and bring much glory to You. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN. It is trials and tribulations in the life of a Christian that refines our trust in God and increases our dependence upon the Lord. The personal difficulties and dangers that we face in our everyday life, and our reaction to the distresses and despair of others is often the determining factor of whether we Hold Fast To What We Believe of Christ's sufficient strength OR whether we allow seeds of doubt to darken our hearts to the goodness of God. And when we doubt, we become tossed in a sea of uncertainty: No matter what the status of a believer is, it is imperative that we are rooted and grounded in Christ and not reliant on our own sufficiency's or strength. The one that is rich should never trust in their riches but trust in the Lord with all their heart and not rely on their own bank-balance, influence, education, or positions to hold them steady. Similarly, the poor must never lose sight of the truth that God had given us everything we need for life and godliness and that IN Christ we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing: "For greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Let us praise God for His goodness and grace and seek to stand firm in Christ and hold fast to the promises of God, for our eternal benefit and to His greater glory. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pray that in Your grace we will stand firm in this evil day and in Your strength. We will patiently endure all the trials and tribulations that the enemy throws in our paths. What an amazing blessing to look forward to that after enduring temptations by relying on Your strength, You will reward us with the crown of life. Lord, Your blessings and love for us are more than we could hope or imagine. Thank You, in Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. The message of the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Jesus Himself promised that if HE was lifted up and the gospel of God was spread abroad, the Spirit of God would draw all to the Lord Jesus. The salvation of another person's soul is not dependent on os or the impressive words we use. We are simply called to preach the Word and to tell the truth of the gospel of Christ. It is not our responsibility to 'save' someone. Salvation is the responsibility of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. However, we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, do have a responsibility to share the good news with others as led by the Holy Spirit, so that their faith and ours does not rest on man's wisdom but on The Power Of God, Alone. so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, forgive us for the times that we have sought to do things in our own strength or tried to use our own powers of persuasion to lead others to Christ. Help us to share the truth of the gospel, simply and truthfully, as led by the Spirit of God. So that our faith and theirs may be founded on the truth and not influenced by worldly rhetoric, to Your praise and glory. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. The kingdom of God is that heavenly sphere of life where His children are willingly governed by the Holy Spirit in which righteousness reigns - and it refers to the Body of Christ, the Church of the Lord Jesus. Christians do not live by bread alone, but by the whole truth of God's Word, and the reach of God's rule stretches far beyond the question of temporal needs such as eating, drinking, and the necessities of this world. The substance of God's kingdom does not consist of external things which are passing away but of spiritual matters which are eternal. Reconciliation to God, gives birth to righteousness, peace, and joy in the Lord. Righteousness outlines our relationship with God. Having been forgiven of our sins, we have been placed into right relationship with Him and it behooves us to live righteously before Him all the days of our life. He has promised to uphold us with His righteous right hand, all the days of our life. Peace is the status that we are called upon when dealing with our fellow men and women, Christian brothers and sisters, so that as far as it depends on us, we are to live at peace with all, reflecting the character of our heavenly God. Joy should be the outer expression of our inner attitude of contentment, The joy of the Lord is our strength. Let us all walk in righteousness, peace, and joy today, glorifying God in all we do. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pray that we may walk in righteousness before You. Help us to be at peace with everyone around us. Give us the joy in our hearts that comes from fully submitting our lives into Your hands and being led by the Spirit in everything we do. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Human nature generally indicates that we are able to love the people who love us. Unsaved men and women prove this to be true. Loving those that love us comes naturally, and although there may well be a selfish motive underlying human love, Jesus tells us that if you only love those that love you, there is no credit connected with this in God's divine administration. Loving, lending, and giving to others, too often has an ulterior motive. Financial institutions, for example, only lend to those they are confident will repay. But, whether it's a friendly bank or a kindly person lending to others, there is generally an expectation that they will be receiving some sort of remuneration. This may be the way of the world, but Jesus introduced a heavenly standard that can only be implemented in a redeemed life - as empowered from above. Jesus called upon us to love our enemies as well as our friends. We are to love our adversaries and pray for those that are antagonistic towards us. We are to love those that oppose us and are hostile towards us, and we are exhorted to do good to them. Jesus even calls us to do good and to lend to others while expecting nothing in return. This is not normal human behavior, but is unmistakably The Conduct The Lord Expects from a Christian who is honoring Him in their action towards others. This teaching of the Lord Jesus has nothing to do with justification. We do not become children of God by being good or offering interest-free loans to other people. We are saved by grace through faith in the sacrificial work and glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ - and this is non negotiable. May the love and grace of Christ fill our hearts, so that we will manifest the love of God to others, in word and in deed, and become a reflection of Christ Jesus our Savior and bring honor and glory to His holy name. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, our own, human love is found wanting and without the love of Christ flowing through us, We are incapable of living as You would have us to live. Fill us, day by day, with the love of Christ so that we may love our enemies, pray for those that despitefully use us, and show goodness and grace to others in need. Help us to reflect the godly characteristics of Christ in our everyday life, to His praise and glory. This we ask in His precious name, AMEN. To Achieve The Peace OF God that we all desire so deeply, sinful humans must first have peace WITH God, through faith in Jesus Christ. When He came to earth so many years ago, the Lord Jesus came to finish the transgression to make an end of sin, and to make atonement for iniquity through His sacrificial death so that He could bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy, and anoint the most holy place. Although Christ is Prince of Peace and will one day reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, He knew that His message of salvation would cause tremendous division, even splitting precious family relationships, because the message of the Cross is diametrically opposed to the old sin nature of humans. We are called to proclaim the truth of God's Word, even when it is unpopular. We are called to be a light to the world and to stand up for what is right. This is not an easy battle, but one that we must fight with courage and faith. When we do, we can be sure that God will be with us, fighting for us and giving us the strength we need to stand firm in our faith. True peace can only be found in a relationship with Jesus. He is our source of strength and courage. Let us cling to Him, seek His counsel, and trust Him to lead us in the paths of righteousness. Through Him, we can have true and lasting peace, no matter what storms may come our way. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to us. We know that through His death, we are made right with You. We recognize that His coming was not to bring peace in the world, but to bring a sword that is able to divide the world between those who will accept His love and those who will reject it. Give us courage to stand for the truth of Your Word even in the face of opposition. Help us to trust in You even when it means going against the world. As we face these conflicts, fill us with Your peace that surpasses all understanding. In Jesus' name we Pray, Amen. Faith sets no limit on God's ability, for the one who is ready and willing to trust Him in all things, submit to His will, and not permit mountainous problems or seemingly impossible situations to adversely influence their faith in God's ability, is the one who will witness great things in their life. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His ability to heal the broken-hearted, cast out demons, set the captive free, make the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, has never diminished over time. Nothing is too difficult for You. “’If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the lessons we can learn from the man who cried out to the Lord Jesus for help and was reminded that "all things are possible to those who believe." May we never forget that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that Your power to heal and help in every situation, is as sure today as it was when You healed the sick and turned water into wine. Thank You that by grace through faith in Jesus, we can come to the throne of grace for mercy to find help in time of need. Keep us from doubting Your Word, increase our faith in the days ahead, and prevent us from being adversely influenced by the mountainous situations we seem to be facing. Lord, we do believe. Increase our love and trust for You. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. |
Prayer
We are a growing group of people praying daily for and with others. We were led to start an online ministry to deliver what is needed more now than ever, a place where you can go to easily to submit a prayer request or requests involving others to pray for your needs. The Power of Prayer. Matthew 18:20- For where two or more come together in my name, there I am among them. You are never alone in prayer. The Power Of Numbers Praying.
We ask you to pray for this ministry, for its success in helping others in need of prayer. Archives
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