PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY MARCH 21, 2024. 

SUBJECT : PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

Memory verse: "Pray without ceasing.” (First Thessalonians 5 vs 17.)

READ: Luke 18 vs 1:

18:1: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray, and not to lose heart,

18:2: saying, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.

18:3: Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’

18:4: And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 

18:5: yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”

18:6: Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.

18:7: And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him, though He bear long with them?

18:8: I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

INTIMATION:

Prayer brings us before God in communion with Him. Humbly being at all times in the presence of God is the secret to continual triumph of the believer, hence the reason to pray at all times. Though we cannot spend all our times on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times. 

Emphasis here is not on a continued action of prayer, but on a continued attitude of prayer. This attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing His presence within us, and determining to obey Him fully. Then, we will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, and short prayers. In other words, the Christian should be in s state of mind that he can at all times take part in the action of praying to the Father. Consistent prayer means keeping our requests continually before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. 

It is the desire of the Father that His children approach Him in prayer. Prayer is the natural response of those who recognize their need for the help of God in their lives. To persist in prayer does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Jesus’ lesson in the passage we read today is that if an unrighteous and unconcerned judge would act upon the persistent requests of a pleading woman, then certainly the persistent pleas of the righteous to a concerned God would attract His response to the pleas of the righteous.

Faith is essential to prayer. Faith is the recognition of the faithfulness of God, and engenders our committing ourselves and our matters to Him. Sometimes you think that God will not hear you because you have fallen short of His high standards for holy living, but if you have faith, and have trusted Him for salvation, you should know that God has forgiven us and He will listen to us. 

When we live by faith, we are not to give up. God may delay answering, but His delays always have good reasons. Faith shouldn't die if the answers come slowly, for delay is not denial, and that may be God's way of working His Will. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope.

God not only welcomes us in prayer, He is waiting for us to pray. We, the godly—those who are faithful and devoted to God—should know that God is waiting for us to approach Him in prayer and should be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers at His own time (which is usually the best timing for us). 

Some other times you grow tired of praying because it seems God is not answering you, but a Christian's persistence in prayer is an expression of faith that God answers prayer. Always be confident, and know that God is present, always listening, and always answers in the best ways known to Him. 

A praying attitude is not a substitute to regular times of prayer, but should be an outgrowth of those times. Too often we pray glibly and superficially. Serious prayer, by contrast, requires concentration. It puts us in touch with God’s Will and can really change us. Without serious prayer, we reduce God to a quick-service pharmacist with painkillers for your every ailment. 

However, the Holy Spirit, being the sole interpreter of the needs of the human heart, makes His intercession therein. Inasmuch as prayer is impossible to man apart from His help (Romans 8 vs 26), believers are exhorted to pray at all seasons in the Spirit (Ephesians 6 vs 18; Jude 20). 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace for persistent prayer, as a demonstration of my absolute faith, and dependence on You in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BELIEVERS WORTH TO GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 20, 2024.

SUBJECT: BELIEVERS WORTH TO GOD! 

Memory verse: "They shall be Mine, says the Lord of Hosts, On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." (Malachi 3 vs 17.)

READ: First Peter 2 vs 9 - 10:

2:9: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

2:10: Who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

INTIMATION:

The love of the Father marked the believers out for the position of sons and daughters way back before the morning stars sang their first anthem, and they are made to the praise of His glory. He planned that the believers should be holy without blemish before Him. He marked them out for the position of sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself; and they are the marked ones. They have been chosen by God as His very own, and His jewels, a special treasure to Him above all people, and the believers are to Him a kingdom of priests, as Christ has made them kings and priests to God that they shall reign on the earth. 

He has blessed them with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1 vs 3). They are rich in Him, and have His fullness. They are sufficient in His sufficiency. All that He has they have. Believers are what He says they are. And the Father has told them that they are in the Beloved. The Father sees them as His own righteousness in Christ Jesus. "And you are complete in Him," and this completeness is over and above all that the believers can ask or think or desire. 

The believers have been called to represent God to others. They are united with Christ as members of His body, and they join in His priestly work of reconciling God and people. God has given them eternal life in Christ. Their eternal life with Christ is certain because they are united in His powerful victory. God’s incomparable great power is available to help the believers. 

Now, look at the conclusion of the whole matter about the believers as the apostle Paul puts it: “....We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor power, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8 vs 37 - 39.)

These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scriptures. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: hard times, persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But apostle Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can separate the believers from Christ’s presence. God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid nor moved in our anchor in Him.

Now, as a believer, you know your worth to God in Christ. You see your vast responsibility. You can pray for you now know how. Take your place in Christ. Dare to act your part. Dare to let God use you. Dare to let love reign in your life. Dare to be in your daily life what He says you are. Dare to do what He says you can do. Dare to confess that you are what He says you are. All is yours. Use them. As you act on the Word, the Word reacts in You; it builds up in you, and so you grow in Christ. Believers are partakers of His Nature, of His very substance and Being.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are awesome, merciful, and compassionate. In all the world there’s none like You. Your love for me is unparalleled and unfathomable. You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, and made me partaker of Your divine nature. Forever You are my God and Father. I am persuaded that nothing will ever take away my love for You, in the mighty Name of Jesus’ I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHAT HAS THE LORD SAID?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MARCH 19, 2024.

SUBJECT: WHAT HAS THE LORD SAID?

Memory verse: "So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue: for you shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” (First Samuel 30 vs 8.)

READ: First Samuel 23 vs 1 - 5:

23:1: Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

23:2: Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and smite these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go, and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

23:3: But David's men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

23:4: Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.

23:5: And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

INTIMATION:

What has the Lord said in that matter? What has He said in your situation? What has He said in that your endeavor? Such aforesaid questions are the anchor of a wise decision, and action. Inquiring from the Lord puts us on a safe drive to God ordained destination. It makes us triumphant in all our life’s endeavors. 

This truth is known from ancient times. God is the source of all truth. Whoever seeks the truth from Him will receive it and will be preserved from error. This is His promise. Knowledge of this led the faithful of ancient times to enter into communion with God when seeking the truth and the right ways. 

They inquired of God by means of human expedients, and were answered by Him through the same channels. They were well aware that the ‘good spirit world’ in the service of God is the agent of His will, and that to consult the spirit beings of God's Kingdom is equivalent to inquiring of God Himself. They were equally well aware that there is such a thing as an ‘evil spirit world,’ and their daily experience had taught them the possibility of communicating with this also. 

David was a classic example of a man who was extensively used to the practice of inquiring from God, and the results are known to all Bible scholars. David sought the Lord’s guidance before he took action. He listened to God’s directions and then proceeded accordingly. This is the way to go by all believers in God. This privilege is given to us by God Himself. He said, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33 vs 3.) 

David’s trust and confidence in God’s guidance among other things is unparalleled in the Scriptures. David fought his battles the way God instructed him. In each instance he; (1) asked if he should fight or not, (2) followed instructions carefully, and (3) gave God the glory. He never, at any point, tried helping God like King Saul. 

For Christians, we can err in our “battles” by ignoring these steps of David, and instead; (1) Do what we want without considering God’s Will, (2) do things our way and ignore advice in the Bible or from other wise people, and (3) take the glory ourselves or give it to someone else without acknowledging the help we received from God. All these responses are sinful.

Wisdom demands that rather than trying to find God’s Will after your action, or having to ask God to undo the results of our hasty decisions, we should take time to discern God’s Will beforehand. We can hear Him speak through the counsel of others, His Word, and the leading of His Spirit in our hearts, as well as through circumstances. 

For instance, David knew he would become king (First Samuel 16 vs 13; 23 vs 17; 24 vs 20), and although the time seemed right when Saul was dead, but David still asked God if he should move back to Judah, the home territory of his tribe (Second Samuel 2 vs 1). Before moving ahead with what seems obvious, he first brought the matter to God, who alone knows the best timing. This should be the pattern of all believers in Christ.

Only those who put their whole faith in Him and who look up to Him for help, will God allow to inquire of Him. But all those who hold communion with the evil one—the devil and his cohorts, and who look for help from the spirits of the abyss, God will reject. It is not the half-hearted, not those who today turn to God and tomorrow to the devil, not those who today pray and devote tomorrow to wickedness that God will answer. This was the truth in olden times, and it is still the truth today. 

Prayer: Abba Father, the end is known to You from the beginning. Endue me with Your excellent spirit that I may seek You, and Your counsel at all time, before any moves of mine, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LET YOUR LIFE COMMUNICATE YOUR FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 18, 2024.

SUBJECT: LET YOUR LIFE COMMUNICATE YOUR FAITH!

Memory verse: "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel," (Philippians 1 vs 27.)

READ: Philippians 1 vs 12 - 14:

1:12: But I want you to know brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

1:13: so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;

1:14: and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

INTIMATION:

Let the conduct of your life communicate your faith as a Christian, showing others the strength of your commitment to serving God, and living for Him. God has chosen us to be Christ’s representatives on earth. Therefore, we should live our lives worthy of the calling we have received—the awesome privilege of being called Christ’s very own. People are watching your life. Can they see Christ in you? How well are you doing as His representative?

The conduct of your life should reflect your faith in Christ and growth stage in life. For instance, If you are a parent and a Christian, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand His purposes for their lives, and to send them out on their mission in the world.

It is obvious that our lives must support and validate the message we communicate. Before most unbelievers will accept the Bible as credible, they want to know that Christians are credible. This is why the Bible, in our memory verse, says, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ...." Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Christ and His Good News. It is not enough to hear or read the Word of God or even know it well. We must put it into practice. 

How easy it is to listen to a sermon and forget what the preacher said. How easy it is to read the Bible and not think about how to live differently. How easy it is to debate what a passage means and not live out that meaning. Exposure to God's Word is not enough, it must lead to obedience to that Word. It is your obedience to the Word that the unbelievers look out for before accepting your message of the Good News.

The apostle Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote his epistles to the churches in various locations. For many people, being imprisoned would cause them to be bitter, discouraged, and give up, but the apostle Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread the Good News of Christ. Even in prison, he was fearlessly speaking for Christ. He became an encouragement to many Christian then who were afraid of persecution.

For Christians today, we may not be in prison, but we still face many circumstances that can lead to discouragement—times of indecision, financial burdens, loss of our jobs, various forms of hardships, family conflicts, church conflict etc. Our acts in such situations will reflect what we believe, and communicate to others, especially the unbelievers who we really a . We should become an encouragement to others by the way we live. When we live faithfully for Him during difficult situations, we encourage others to do same.

We should live in such a way that we are a credit to the Message of Christ. The apostle Paul’s life has always communicated exceeding faith in Christ to many. His utmost desire is for Christ to be magnified in his body, whether by life or death. He summarized his faith by saying, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1 vs 21.) Whether he lived or died, he wanted Christ exalted in his conducts. 

To those who don’t believe in God, life on earth is all there is, and so it is natural for them to strive for this world’s values: money, popularity, power, pleasure, and prestige. For the apostle Paul, however, to live meant to develop eternal values and to tell others about Christ. His purpose in life was to speak out boldly for Christ and to become like Him. And this should be the core of all believers’ conduct.

Prayer: Abba Father, let my words and actions be the exact expression of my faith in Christ, and the selling point to unbelievers. Give me the grace to live in accordance with this desire of exhibiting at all times absolute obedience and trust in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SERVANTHOOD LEADS TO TRUE GREATNESS IN CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 17, 2024.

SUBJECT: SERVANTHOOD LEADS TO TRUE GREATNESS IN CHRIST!

Memory verse: "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23 vs 11.)

READ: Mark 10 vs 42 - 45: 

10:42: But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

10:43: Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

10:44: And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

10:45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

INTIMATION:

Service is a process of attending to, or meeting the need of, and subjecting one's will to that of another. Christlike or Christian attitude in service is such that lays aside rights in order to serve others. Service is the key that opens the door of true greatness in Christ. In our memory verse, Jesus stated that the one amongst His followers who serve others is the greatest among them. To Him, true greatness comes from serving—giving yourself to serving God and others. 

Businesses, organizations, and institutions measure greatness by personal achievement. In Christ’s kingdom, however, service is the way to get ahead. Rather than seeking to have your needs met, look for ways that you can minister to the needs of others. Service keeps us aware of others' needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Jesus, the greatest man, came as a servant. Believers should be selfless rather than self-centered in our service to God and to man. Instead of expecting God to serve us, we are to serve Him for who He is, not for what we get from Him.

When you serve others, even in carrying out ordinary tasks, you are serving God. And because ultimately we serve God, every service has dignity. For instance, in First Samuel 2 vs 11 the Bible says; "But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest." In other words, Samuel was Eli's helper, or assistant, in his priestly duties—service to God, and the Scripture recognized him as a minister to God, therefore, he was God's helper too, though he was an assistant to Eli.

Jesus, the greatest man ever, came as a servant, and challenged society’s norms. To Him, greatness comes from serving—giving of yourself to serve God and others. When we give our lives in service to Christ, we discover the real purpose of living. Real discipleship implies real commitment—pledging our whole existence to His service. In Matthew 16 vs 24, Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me...” “And He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10 vs 38).

To take up our cross and follow Jesus means to totally commit ourselves to His service, identifying with Him publicly, and acknowledging our readiness to experience certain opposition, and to be willing to face even suffering and death for His sake. God should be our first priority. Jesus calls us to a higher mission than to find comfort and tranquility in this life. The apostle Peter was regarded as the head of the apostles by Jesus, hence His challenge to him to tend His sheep; handing over to him at His departure from the earth; and extracting real commitment in follower-ship, and discipleship from him:

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah,  do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord, You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said Again the second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to Him the third time, “Simon, the son of Jonah, do you love Me?” ....And He said to Him, “Lord You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” (John 21 vs 15 - 17.)

It was in the same manner that the apostle Peter instructed elders in the early church, and even in the churches today, extracting total commitment from them: “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Sheppard the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lord’s over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” (First Peter 5 vs 1 - 4.)

Our care for others is a measure of our greatness. How much concern do you show for others? This is a vital question that can accurately measure your greatness in God’s eyes. How have you expressed your care for others lately, especially the helpless, the needy, the poor—those who can’t return your love and concern? Your honest answer to that question will give you a good idea of your real greatness.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of servanthood, that I may serve You, and others selflessly, and when the Chief Shepherd appears, I will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!