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Day 1: Lord, let them truly know the hope of Your calling. (Ephesians 1:18). Day 2: Savior, help them grasp of the riches of their inheritance in You. (Ephesians 1:18) Day 3: Father, allow them to glimpse the greatness of Your power on our behalf. (Ephesians 1:19) Day 4: God, remind them that their Advocate sits at Your right hand and they are absolutely secure. (Ephesians 1:20) Day 5: Creator, may they trust You, who sees all. (Ephesians 1:21) Day 6: Messiah, humble their hearts to submit themselves to You -- the head of the church. (Ephesians 1:22) Day 7: Jesus, please plant them in Your church and fill them with Your Spirit. (Ephesians 1:23)   Prayers for Week 3
Day 1: May you experience the Holy Spirit today. (Ephesians 1:14) Day 2: May your faith in Christ Jesus be strengthened. (Ephesians 1:15) Day 3: May your love for the family of God flourish. (Ephesians 1:15) Day 4: May you be inspired to pray for and support others. (Ephesians 1:16) Day 5: May God bless you with a spirit of wisdom. (Ephesians 1:17) Day 6: May you see the revelation in knowledge of Christ. (Ephesians 1:17) Day 7: May your spiritual eyes be opened. (Ephesians 1:18) Jesus' disciples teach us a lot about ourselves and our interactions with God:
First, we tend to focus on the wrong things. Second, our requests and questions often reveal just how out of touch we are with God's plans. Third, God is still always patient with us and desiring to hear from us -- no matter how obtuse we may be. When we pray, we are not trying to impress God -- that will never happen; we are only trying to meet with God -- and that has already happened: Jesus, God the Son, came to earth as a Man, walked with day laborers, ate with sinners, taught women, and loved His disciples to the end. On the cross, Christ took on Himself the punishment of tax collectors, prostitutes, Pharisees, you and me and purchased for those who believe and follow Him entrance into heaven. Through Jesus we are invited to meet with God, today, this moment, and forever. Ps. Praying Through Ephesians Week 3, next week :0) Ri Day 1: Help them feel accepted in the beloved, the family of God. (Ephesians 1:6) Day 2: Open their eyes to the reality of their redemption! (Ephesians 1:7) Day 3: May they accept Christ's forgiveness as completely adequate for all their sins. (Ephesians 1:7) Day 4: Lord, let them experience the riches of God's grace, wisdom, and prudence. (Ephesians 1:7) Day 5: Reveal to them the mystery of God's will. (Ephesians 1:9) Day 6: Remind them of their inheritance that starts now and continues forever in heaven. (Ephesians 1:11) Day 7: Father, show them the security (and undeserved blessing) of being sealed by the Holy Spirit as Your child. (Ephesians 1:13)  This fall I have had the opportunity to actively intercede for many people including missionaries, personal friends, new believers, and believers who are putting themselves through the paces to grow. I didn't just want to be going through the motions to pray for them -- but I wanted to pray things that mattered. And what better way to do that than to pray God's own words for them? So I started praying through Ephesians -- would you like to join me? Day 1: Bless them with grace and peace. (Ephesians 1:2) Day 2: Pray that they would understand God as Father. (Ephesians 1:2-3) Day 3: Ask God to open their eyes to their spiritual blessings. (Ephesians 1:3) Day 4: Let them experience the truth: they are chosen. (Ephesians 1:4) Day 5: May they be holy and without blame before our Savior. (Ephesians 1:4) Day 6: Ask God to give them joy as they realize they are adopted as sons! (And this comes with an inheritance!) (Ephesians 1:5) Day 7: Help them live to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:6)   On my way to work I was listening to the radio preacher and he said, in God's book there are only two days that matter.
The first day that matters is today. This is the day that the Lord has made and we are to rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). I feel this is something lots of people understand this one and it is reflected (often) in one of two ways. Our natural tendency is to: 1. Eat, drink, be merry (Luke 12:19), and gorge ourselves on every conceivable pleasure and vice, OR to 2. Delude ourselves and distract ourselves from the obvious end of all men. Without God though, the final result is similar: excessive self-indulgence in the first case or restrained self-centeredness in the second. But our spiritual tendency ought to be ask God to help us number our days to gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Then we will be able to use today in preparation for "The Day". "The Day" is the second day that matters to God -- this is the day when Christ will return. Life and time as we know it will cease and with it the opportunity to use that life and time to please God. But until "The Day", that opportunity is beckoning to us: The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers...love one another...Be hospitable...without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. -- 1 Peter 4:7-10  A desert-dweller understands when David speaks of his soul longing for God like a dry land. What is amazing is that God is able to satisfy our thirsting spirit and coax fruit to grow in the "driest" of circumstances. He plants us in times and places that are hostile and makes us thrive. He places us in untenable situations and makes us flourish. God enables us to bloom in our world that is a dry, barren land with no water.
Except the Living Water. "...the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters." -- Revelation 7:17 " -- Revelation 7:17 I looked up at the Sandias yesterday and saw what I look for every year -- the aspens have changed color. The top of the mountain now has splashes of brilliant yellow (and the smoke has cleared enough to see this, thank you, God :0). That bright, cheerful color on the mountains means fall is here. The days are still warm enough to be outside, the nights cool enough to sleep well. But, in the northern hemisphere, fall also means everything is about to die and blow away or be frozen and covered in snow. Still, autumn is my favorite season, with is ironic, because I do not like the "fall" seasons in life. I don't like it when life gets harder and colder. I do not like foreseeing "death" and the need for endurance. I don't enjoy fall because I dread the "winter" seasons in life. But watching the Sandias, I know the snow of winter is what waters the spring. The chill of winter, saves the crystallized water so the wildflowers will grow and the desert will blossom again. A mild winter means a dry spring and a dusty (sometimes smoky) summer. As much as I resist it -- that is how it works in life too. Our winters in life provide us proof that God is faithful, able, and willing to bring us through. They build within us a reservoir of experiencing God's love, comfort, and strength. And come spring, like snow and flowers, those lessons learned declare themselves in more Christ-like character and hardier faith.  Jesus worked as a laborer for 30, just like you and me.
Jesus taught anyone who wanted to learn, and probably never earned a dime doing it. Jesus spoke with authority that amazed and confounded, because, where did it come from? Jesus was content with 12 men who faithfully followed -- hundreds of miles on foot not just on Facebook. Jesus left THE throne of heaven, and turned away from the thrones of earth. Jesus did everything God had designed for Him (Philippians 2:5-8) to do because... God doesn't need books or PhDs or charismatic public speaker. He doesn't need armies or strength of arms or politics to use someone. He just needs you -- fully surrendered, heart, soul mind, and body. Jesus never published a book. He probably only ever read a handful -- maybe just one. Jesus never earned an advanced degree. He may not have even gone to school. Jesus was never an internationally renowned speaker. He was a locally infamous revolutionary. Jesus never led armies or held a commission. But He won the greatest victory in human history. Jesus never claimed any earthly power or throne. But He set up an everlasting kingdom.  |
The AuthorCome with me as we grow in fellowship with each other and our Savior to whom belongs the Amazing Escape from sin and death and the Amazing Journey into glorious life. Archives
May 2021
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