Each member of Christ's Body is to carry out their service to the glory of God, by using their spiritual gifts and graces wisely, within the wider Church community. Each is to guard against traits that mar their testimony, such as immaturity, instability, and gullibility. Every member of His Body to put away deceit and lies by clothing themselves in truth. We are to keep a check on all forms of fleshly anger, which can manifest itself in explosive rage, smoldering resentment and even a display of smug self-righteousness. We are to abstain from all forms of jealousy, vindictiveness, and vengeful thoughts, resentment and bitterness that can give the devil an opportunity to shipwreck a life, tarnish a believer's testimony, or stunt a Christian's spiritual growth. When we clothe ourselves with Christ by Putting On The Whole Armor Of God, we are protected against spiritual wickedness and the devil has no opportunity to deceive our hearts, shipwreck our souls, and cause us to stumble in our Christian walk. Let us rejoice in the enormous privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus, but let us also take on board the great responsibility we have for living a life that honors the Lord, by putting off the old self and putting on the new. Let us carry out our service to God in the power of the Spirit and use our gifts and graces wisely and for the benefit of the wider Body of Christ. and do not give the devil an opportunity. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the many privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus and that in Him we have all that we need for life and godliness. Help us take responsibility for living our lives in ways that honors You. As we walk by the power of the Holy Spirit, may the devil have no opportunity to deceive us with His lies and cause our testimonies to be shipwrecked. Help us to remain in Christ, moment by moment, taking every thought captive to Him and walking in spirit and truth for Your greater glory. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. The love of Christ is a divine love, a love that streams to us from the heart of God, God is Love. The Lord Jesus was soon to demonstrate how deep that love was for all who receive Him as their redeeming sin sacrifice, for greater love has no one than this, that the Man Christ Jesus, would lay down His life for His friends. There is a legitimate reason that we are called upon to live godly in Christ Jesus, to walk in spirit and truth, to submit to the teaching and training of the Holy Spirit, and to learn obedience through suffering: "To love one another as Christ loved us, by this all people will know that you are my disciples." A disciple is one that learns from Christ. No surprise that early in his ministry Christ said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me," so that at the end of His life He could give a new commandment: That we love others as He loved us. When, in the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians put to death the lust of the flesh, the things of the world, and the pride of life, and choose to walk in newness of life, we walk in love. Only as we allow Christ to live in us, will His love stream through us so that by this will other people know that we are learning of Christ, that We Are His Disciples. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father we want to learn from You, to know You more, and to love You better, to walk in spirit and truth, to grow in grace, and in knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We want to love others as You love us. Let our lives be true testimonies to the world that we are Your children, Your friends, Your bond-servants, and Your disciples, so that our lives may bring honor to Your name. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. There are many 'patterns' in the Word of God that are there for our learning which act as illustrations of godly living. Christ's life was one such pattern, and His life was lived in the way that God desires all His children to live - a sacrificial life of dependent trust in the Lord for all things, a holy life that is prepared to say, "Thy will, not mine be done," to the glory of God. Paul used his own life as an example of how to live in spirit and in truth - how to live by faith and not by sight. He demonstrated a life that had died to its own desires and lived for Christ alone. The teachings of Paul are a healthy outline of sound doctrine. Paul's words should not only act as a model of teaching but care should be taken that the truth of the gospel of God, which is recorded in Scripture, is not watered-down or discarded as being old-fashioned. Neither should its message be 'softened' in order to become socially accepted or politically correct. Not only are we to stay true to the never-changing written Word of God, which was inspired by the Spirit of truth, but this glorious gospel of God is to be delivered with faith and shared in love and should remain our benchmark for truth. Without faith it is impossible to please God and love, alone, comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. Faith must never be compromised but the truth must always be delivered in love. Similarly, the truth must never be compromised BUT the truth should always be shared by faith and in love. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your written Word. We pray that we may retain the standard of sound words that was delivered to the saints by the apostle Paul. We pray that we would share the whole counsel gospel of God and hold fast to the truth without compromise. Enable us, we pray, to deliver the truth in faith and in love, to the glory of God the Father. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. The Bible is the Word of the living God and should be accepted as the plumb-line for truth. It is God's inerrant instruction manual on life and living. It is without error because it has been breathed out by the Spirit of the Almighty Creator Who is Life and Truth. The Word of God is not only our daily bread but is living, powerful, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. It is because the Bible does not white-wash sin, but identifies it as a ruinous evil which impacts the lives of every human being, that it is held in such contempt by so many people. But we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, should recognize God's Word as the most precious tool in our Christian arsenal which provides all we need for life. The opposite is true of those that reject the Lord Jesus and spurn His goodness. They are not pure in God's sight but are identified as lawless, disorderly, and ungovernable people. They are identified throughout the Word of God as rebellious, disruptive, mutinous, and seditious, and John makes it very clear in this verse. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge You as the God of the universe and Lord of our lives. We thank You that in Your grace, You sent the Lord Jesus to pay the price for our sins and declared us righteous in Your sight by faith in His sacrificial death and Resurrection. There are many, Lord, who are still walking in rebellion against You and are cloaked in sin and lawlessness. We pray that they would open their eyes to the truth in the precious Word of God and be saved by grace through faith in Christ for which we give You thanks and praise. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. God is jealous of His holy name and He is protective of His people and His character. He is not only perfect love but also consummate justice. He is protective towards those who trust in Him, but also metes out chastening and correction for His people. There is a reluctance in the churches of today to admit that our God of comfort, hope, joy, and love, is also a jealous God, Who avenges evil, judges the wicked, and destroys His enemies. The book of Nahum is a stark reminder: "Those who plot against the Lord, will be brought to complete destruction." We live in the midst of much uncertainty and confusion. The proud nations of the world rage together, and the arrogance of evil humans who strut along the corrupt corridors of power and pass legislation that angers the Lord, are seeking to entrap His people. But we must never forget that GOD is in control of the entire universe. The same God that flung stars into space and rides on the winds of the wind, has scheduled every day of our individual lives and promised to care for each of His own. Praise His holy name! We must never forget that The LORD Is Good And A Stronghold in difficult times, and He knows those who have taken refuge in Him. The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Who You are and what the Lord Jesus has done for us. Thank You for being our good and gracious God. Thank You that You are our stronghold in the day of trouble and the Comforter to Whom we can fly for refuge. How we praise You for Your never-failing faithfulness to Your people and grace towards the Church. Thank You that You are not only a God of love but a God of justice and that a day is coming when You will avenge all those that have suffered at the hands of Your enemies. We pray for those who have not yet trusted in You and remain dead in their sin and ask that they may be convicted of sin and come to faith in Christ. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. God gives His people both provision and protection, and though to the casual eye this may not always seem to reflect the bitter circumstances of life through which many Christians have to pass today. However, it is also true to say that although this heavenly provision and protection is eternally secure for all God's people, many stand witness to His miraculous hand at work in the everyday challenges and difficulties of life, through which we all have to pass. We read that the steps of the one who delights him are established by the Lord, and the word 'established' means that they are ordered, secured, and fixed by our Father in heaven. Nothing on the earth below nor in the heavens above can cause the steps of those that have been made righteous through Jesus Christ to stray so far or to fall so heavily, that God in His grace will not reach down and to pick us up. How blessed we are to have A God Who Delights In Our Way, Who is intimately involved in every detail of our lives and Who upholds us with His righteous right hand. The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; Our United Prayer:
Thank You, Father, that our steps are ordered by You, that You take delight in establishing the way we should go, and are able keep us from falling. Help us to set Our hearts on things above, knowing that Christ is seated at the right hand of God as our eternal provider Who delights to order our way and establish the paths we should take. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. God knows the importance of praise, the power of prayer and the benefits that accompany a thankful heart in the life of a believer, which is why so many writers of scriptures exhort us to rejoice in the Lord, to pray without ceasing and in everything to give thanks. This magnificent song of praise and thanksgiving that rejoices in his never-failing faithfulness throughout the generations in which glorifies in His return, will resound throughout the whole earth rejoicing in God's unfailing faithfulness and praising enthusiastically in the name of the Lord. Give Thanks To The Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever, AMEN! You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank You that by grace through faith we have come to recognize You as the Messiah, Savior of the world and God of the universe, Who loved us so much that You came to earth to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins. We praise and thank You for Your grace towards us and for Your never-failing faithfulness . We look forward to that day when nations, the leaders the priests and the people will gather together in praise and thanksgiving to welcome Jesus as their Messiah, their Savior, their Lord and their God, in Whose name we Pray, AMEN. We can be sure that a sense of awe in our God and a trusting reverence for the person and work of the Lord Jesus is a great protection from the fear of people and our concern over what they can do to us. Such fear becomes a trap. Fear of people paralyses our hearts. Whereas a reverential, trusting heart in the promises of our heavenly Father means safety. In His power we can stand fast in the evil days. In His strength we can resist the devil. Under the authority of the Holy Spirit we have the means to Put On The Protective Armor Of God, that He Himself provides as a defense against all those that would seek to destroy us. The one who devotes to the Lord and takes refuge in Him.. with a reverential fear of God, and who treats Him with worshipful obedience and lives uprightly, is acceptable to Him and is sure of being received and welcomed by Him. Let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles us; body, soul and spirit, and bring our consecration to completeness as we trust in His unfailing mercies. The fear of people is a dangerous trap but the heart that trusts the Lord is kept in safety. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our God and that there is nothing that people can do to harm or unsettle us. We pray that the eyes of our hearts may remain fixed and focused on You.. with reverential fear and a childlike trust. Keep our hearts from the fear of people. You have promised that those that trust in You are kept safe from all adversaries, thank You in Jesus name we Pray, AMEN. Wealth and riches are not forever, and the crown of rulers and their scepter of authority will not endure. We live in a perishable body, and the peace and security for which we seek so earnestly is short-lived. The earth mourns and is withering away, while people in exalted positions, will ultimately fade away. Understanding that we bring nothing into the world and can take nothing out of it, is also a reminder of Our Daily Dependence On The Lord, Who has promised to provide for the everyday needs which He provides in accordance with His riches in mercy. It encourages us to trust Him to fulfil His promises, and it develops an unshakable faith in His Word, while discouraging the human propensity towards self-sufficiency and selfish pride. To accept that we have nothing about which to boast, helps each one of us to realize that without Him we can do nothing, all we are, and all we have, and all that has been given to us, is from His bountiful supply. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching us the important principles of life in this present world. May we take this truth to heart, never forget that we were born with nothing, and remember how transient this life is. Thank You for Your amazing plan of redemption, and that by grace we have been given an eternal inheritance that will not fade away. We praise You that in Christ we have all we need for life and godliness, and that we been clothed with His own righteousness. Keep us from being tempted by the glittering prizes of this fleeting world system, and when we are tempted by material possessions, help us to recognize them as the gaudy trinkets of a world that is passing away. Thank You for our salvation and our new-life-in-Christ. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Paul is reminding us that we alone are responsible for our words, our deeds, and the way that we conduct our life, but so also are our brothers and sisters in Christ. They too are individually responsible for what they say and what they do, what they eat or what they drink, what they wear or where they go. However, too often we become critical of Christian brethren who do not conform to our own set standards of preferred behavior patterns, feeling that they should change or modify this behavior or that habit. Instead of concentrating on those around us, we should, in everything, live as unto the Lord, for Each Of Us Are Accountable To God alone for the way we live our lives. None of us have the right to 'play God' in the lives of other believers, and should the actions or behaviors of another not meet with our local tradition or personal practice, we have no right to inflict on others our own set standards. In the same way, we should not be bound to have the peculiarities of others inflicted upon us. This is in no way is cause for us to excuse or wink at another's or our own sin, which is a completely different issue. But whatever we do we should do as unto the Lord, one day we will all stand before God, to give an account of ourselves to Him. Let us take to heart this issue of personal responsibility and make it our primary motive to live a life that is honoring to the Father. Let us take account of how we live, and let us permit others to do the same in their lives, without fear or favor, we are only accountable to the Lord for our life and the life we have lived. So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Our United Prayer:
Help us, Lord, to live our lives unto You, and forgive us for the times we have wrongly criticized or interfered in the lives of others. Help us to be more responsible to live our lives in a manner that is pleasing to You. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. God's plan of redemption and reconciliation can be traced throughout the Scriptures. The price of sin had to be paid, but only the shedding of the innocent blood of a Kinsman-Redeemer could be sufficient. The blood of bulls and goats could not satisfy God and Christ was given to pay the price through His own precious blood. This is indeed a great mystery that staggers our understanding... but His blood WAS sufficient and through faith in Him and Him alone, we have obtained eternal redemption. Today, God is ready to use us to be His Ministers Of Reconciliation: "Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." Having restored those who believe on His name "He did not count our trespasses against us, but He committed to us the word of reconciliation." God, in His grace, made us ministers of reconciliation to point others to Himself. May we 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. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, what an amazing privilege that You should use us to be your mouthpieces and be used as ambassadors for Christ, to a lost and hurting world. Enable us to share the wonderful 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 Savior in the days that lie ahead. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. The word, 'prosperity' today nearly always refers to material wealth, but in context, we see that it is this dear man's physical health and bodily condition that John is praying will prosper. John's prayer is that Gaius' physical health will reflect his obvious Spiritual Strength And Christian Maturity. This verse clearly contradicts the distorted teaching of certain 'prosperity teachers' and 'faith-healers' who insist that if sick people do not recover, it is due to a lack of faith, or that if you are materially poor, you are not a spiritual believer because God wants all Christians to be materially wealthy! Such teaching is false and biblically incorrect. May we seek to be more like the beloved Gaius, who walked in spirit, truth, and love, and was faithful in whatsoever good works he undertook, for the sake of saints and strangers alike. May we behave as he did, no matter what physical problems we may encounter, although this dearly beloved elder had an obvious disability, he was a worthy example of a godly saint who lived a life that was pleasing to the Lord, and for His greater praise and glory. Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the exemplary life of Gaius and this precious blessing written to Him. Thank You that You call us beloved and for all the blessings You pour into our lives. We pray that our souls would prosper with the riches of knowing You. We pray that, day by day, we would come to a deeper knowledge of the Lord Jesus as He increases in our lives. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. We are urged to Put On The Whole Armor Of God and equip ourselves with the spiritual weaponry that is ours in Christ Jesus, Who alone is able to assure us of victory over the evils of this present age. One identifying characteristic of these end times in which we live, is that men and women would always be learning new things but never being able to come to a sound knowledge and pure understanding of the gospel message. They would become captive to the ever-changing tweets and twitters that tickled their fancy, they would keep on learning new things but would never be able to come to a real understanding of biblical truth. Today, we are surrounded by unbiblical cults and religious groups who ply their own unscriptural interpretations on illiterate, unsuspecting, and gullible people. Each lay claim to the truth, yet all deny the Lord Who bought them in one way or another. The Word of God is true and stands fast forever. The Word of truth is unchanging and unchangeable. May we look to Jesus the incarnate Word made flesh, Who died and rose again so that we who believe on Him would never die, but gain forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the Word of God and the wonderful truths that it contains. We recognize that there is such an explosion of knowledge in these last days. Knowledge is put on a pedestal, and people work very hard to increase their knowledge of worldly things. We pray that these learned people would come to the knowledge of the thing they need the most, a saving knowledge of You. Keep us from being drawn into the lust for knowledge, and give us the discernment to recognize and reject teachers and teachings which water-down the good news of the gospel of grace and pervert the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Give us teachable spirits and the courage and grace to stand fast in the truth and to share the good news with those we come in contact with, for Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. The eternal God loves us in three tenses: past, present, and future, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is a divine love that cannot be compared with the inadequate love of fallen mankind, but is a love so penetrating that He sent the unique and only begotten Son of His love to be the propitiation for our sins. That single act of the Father should stagger us to the core of our being, that God sent Christ as a gift of His grace to be made a curse for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him. His love extends into the never-ending, eternal future, no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor has it entered into the imagination of mankind, the glories that God has prepared for those who love Him. Since the eternal God loves us in three, staggering tenses, we ought also to love one another. Loving one another, being compassionate and kind, forgiving one another, and meeting together with our brothers and sisters in Christ are mentioned multiple times in Scripture, making this subject close to the heart of God. How can we say that we love God if we do not show that same love to each other? May we choose to Love One Another As God Loves Us, in so doing, we will be a blessing to those around us and glorify our beloved Lord and Savior. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your eternal, incomparable, and unconditional love towards us, staggers us to the core of our being, when we look at Jesus. Father, we choose to love as He loved and ask that in Your strength, You would work in us to do your will and do Your good purpose in our lives. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. God stepped into the pages of history many times to pronounce His judgement on a Christ rejecting sinful world following an extended period of grace at creation, the flood, the tower of Babel, and also at the Cross. We are not appointed unto wrath, God's fury against sin in our lives was poured out on Christ, our substitute and Savior. One day God will say 'enough' and everything in heaven and earth will be shaken and destroyed. Everything that is not of Christ , everything that is connected with this fallen, ungodly world system. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, the apostle Peter warns us that to be clear what sort of people we should be, in holy conduct and godliness. Peter exhorts us to purity and holiness, to holy behavior and godly conduct. Our labor should not be in perfecting the things of this world which will one day all be destroyed, but perfecting our relationship with our Savior, to know Him more clearly, to love Him more dearly, and to follow Him more nearly, day by day. In the time we have left, let us store up treasures in heaven, where moths and rust will not destroy. Let Us Share The Life Saving News of salvation to all we meet; let us love one another as Christ loved us; let all we do in the days we have left on this earth all to the glory of God. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for telling us the fate of the heavens and the earth; that it will all be burned up, pass away, and be dissolved. It helps to put into perspective our love for this world and the things of this world, compared with the things of You which will never pass away. Help us to hold onto everything of this world lightly and to draw ever closer to You, day by day, being conformed into Your image. 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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