Fellow Workers
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with {an attitude of} thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, {as though} seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:2-6
Help me to be steadfast in my praying to you, even to stay awake that I may pray! Fill my life with thanksgiving to you.
I pray for all your servants everywhere that you may open a door for us to proclaim your Word, to declare the now-public secret- Christ crucified, glorified, and coming - and to make the message clear, as we ought to speak.
In the name of Jesus I ask you to fill our lives with your holy life.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
Merry Christmas
May God bless you this day with the gifts of His hope, His peace, His joy, His love, and especially His Son.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Put On the New Self
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:15-17
Let Christ's peace rule in our hearts. Let us be at peace in his one body. Fill our hearts and mouths with overflowing thanksgiving. Let Christ's word dwell in us richly. Let us teach and admonish each other in all wisdom. Let us impart grace through the songs flowing from thankfulhearts. May we do everything, whatever it is, in the name of our Lord Jesus.We give thanks to you, our God and Father, through his name. Amen.
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Colossians 3:12-13
Merry Christmas.
Let Christ's peace rule in our hearts. Let us be at peace in his one body. Fill our hearts and mouths with overflowing thanksgiving. Let Christ's word dwell in us richly. Let us teach and admonish each other in all wisdom. Let us impart grace through the songs flowing from thankfulhearts. May we do everything, whatever it is, in the name of our Lord Jesus.We give thanks to you, our God and Father, through his name. Amen.
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Colossians 3:12-13
Merry Christmas.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Fruitful Prayer Life
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10
Prayer is the means by which we relate everything we do to a sovereign, almighty God. It is the process of acknowledging God as having a right to rule in our lives and to be the source of everything we are and have. He is our life, our hope, and our strength, and we owe Him all thanksgiving, and honor, and praise. We keep our total being licked in to God through His Word and by the link called prayer.
Through prayer we confess our sins and receive forgiveness and are cleansed from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Through prayer we reaffirm our position in Christ. Ephesians 1:15-23
Through prayer we take opportunity to give God the thanksgiving He deserves. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Through prayer we know God and become rooted in Him. Ephesians 3:14-21
We must also pray in the name of Jesus. "I will do whatever you ask in my name...You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:13-14
Praying in Jesus' name means pray in the character and nature of Jesus. According to Romans 8:34, Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us, so, as we pray in His name, our prayers are passed on to the Father.
Our prayers must line up with God's Word. In John 15:7-8, Jesus says, "If you remin in me and my words remain n you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you may bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." If we are praying "in the Spirit" and according to God's Word, then we are in agreement with God.
We must pray according to God's will. In 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. As we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, all the things we need will be given to us. Matthew 6:33 Sometimes this means denying our own desires, asd asking God instead for what we know He wants.
Prayer is, and should be, part of every Christian's life. It is the way we communicate with God, in order to give Him praise and thanksgiving, as well as to confess our sins.
We need to know how to pray..in His name, according to His will, with clean hearts, just as we need to pray with faith that our prayers will be answered and fruit may result.
Prayer is the means by which we relate everything we do to a sovereign, almighty God. It is the process of acknowledging God as having a right to rule in our lives and to be the source of everything we are and have. He is our life, our hope, and our strength, and we owe Him all thanksgiving, and honor, and praise. We keep our total being licked in to God through His Word and by the link called prayer.
Through prayer we confess our sins and receive forgiveness and are cleansed from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Through prayer we reaffirm our position in Christ. Ephesians 1:15-23
Through prayer we take opportunity to give God the thanksgiving He deserves. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Through prayer we know God and become rooted in Him. Ephesians 3:14-21
We must also pray in the name of Jesus. "I will do whatever you ask in my name...You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:13-14
Praying in Jesus' name means pray in the character and nature of Jesus. According to Romans 8:34, Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us, so, as we pray in His name, our prayers are passed on to the Father.
Our prayers must line up with God's Word. In John 15:7-8, Jesus says, "If you remin in me and my words remain n you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you may bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." If we are praying "in the Spirit" and according to God's Word, then we are in agreement with God.
We must pray according to God's will. In 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. As we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, all the things we need will be given to us. Matthew 6:33 Sometimes this means denying our own desires, asd asking God instead for what we know He wants.
Prayer is, and should be, part of every Christian's life. It is the way we communicate with God, in order to give Him praise and thanksgiving, as well as to confess our sins.
We need to know how to pray..in His name, according to His will, with clean hearts, just as we need to pray with faith that our prayers will be answered and fruit may result.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Salvation
I trust in you for salvation, O LORD! Genesis 49:18
This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. Colossians 1:21 - 22
You made salvation possible! Thank you, Father. I am so thankful that in your love you gave up your Son to reconcile us to yourself through his body of flesh offered in death on the cross. You wanted me to be holy and you made it possible!
You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13
But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. Psalms 18:2
But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God." Psalms 50:23
You have given me the shield of your salvation; your help has made me great. 2 Samuel 22:36
This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. Colossians 1:21 - 22
You made salvation possible! Thank you, Father. I am so thankful that in your love you gave up your Son to reconcile us to yourself through his body of flesh offered in death on the cross. You wanted me to be holy and you made it possible!
You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13
But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. Psalms 18:2
But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God." Psalms 50:23
You have given me the shield of your salvation; your help has made me great. 2 Samuel 22:36
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Psalms 23
The LORD the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Morning Prayer
"Pray always," St. Paul says in his letter to the Thessalonians. (1 Thessalonians 5,17)
Paul wants prayer to be part of our daily life. But that's not easy. As soon as our eyes open in the morning we're often in a rush. Get ready! Go! And we're off to work or school or gym or travel or the chores of the day.
Morning prayer gets us ready for what the day brings. St Basil, a wise 4th century saint from Asia Minor, said:
"We pray in the morning to give the first stirrings of our minds to God. Before anything else, let the thought of God gladden you."
Begin the day by seeking God's blessing, the saint advises. God meets us in the morning not as a taskmaster, but as a loving presence who strengthens and gladdens us for the day.
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 22
Prayer - and it may be just a short prayer - enables us to begin the day, not alone, but with God. It raises and gladdens our tired spirits that so easily lose their appetite for life. It provides a strengthening grace so that we enter the day, not groaning, but hoping in our Savior and our God.
"Why are you cast down my soul, why groan within me? Hope in God. I will praise him still, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42
And what about living our day wisely? We need wisdom in our words, thoughts, and in the choices we make. Why not ask for the wisdom of God?
"Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart." Psalm 90
Before going into the day, let's pray.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20
We need Jesus in our midst, so we need to pray together with other believers.
Paul wants prayer to be part of our daily life. But that's not easy. As soon as our eyes open in the morning we're often in a rush. Get ready! Go! And we're off to work or school or gym or travel or the chores of the day.
Morning prayer gets us ready for what the day brings. St Basil, a wise 4th century saint from Asia Minor, said:
"We pray in the morning to give the first stirrings of our minds to God. Before anything else, let the thought of God gladden you."
Begin the day by seeking God's blessing, the saint advises. God meets us in the morning not as a taskmaster, but as a loving presence who strengthens and gladdens us for the day.
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 22
Prayer - and it may be just a short prayer - enables us to begin the day, not alone, but with God. It raises and gladdens our tired spirits that so easily lose their appetite for life. It provides a strengthening grace so that we enter the day, not groaning, but hoping in our Savior and our God.
"Why are you cast down my soul, why groan within me? Hope in God. I will praise him still, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42
And what about living our day wisely? We need wisdom in our words, thoughts, and in the choices we make. Why not ask for the wisdom of God?
"Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart." Psalm 90
Before going into the day, let's pray.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20
We need Jesus in our midst, so we need to pray together with other believers.
Good Shepherd
Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:7, 9-10
In the sheep pen, the shepherd functioned as a gate, letting the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for us. He offers access to safety and security. Christ is our protector. Some people resent that Jesus is the gate, the only way of access to God. But Jesus is God's Son - why should we seek any other way or want to customize a different approach to God?
Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. John 14:6-7
In the sheep pen, the shepherd functioned as a gate, letting the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for us. He offers access to safety and security. Christ is our protector. Some people resent that Jesus is the gate, the only way of access to God. But Jesus is God's Son - why should we seek any other way or want to customize a different approach to God?
Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. John 14:6-7
Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalms 100:3
Thank you, God, for providing a sure way to get to you!
Have you taken Christ's offer of life?
Father,
May I never forsake Jesus, who has done so much and given up so much to bring me into your family. Forgive me when I deny my commitment to Him by selfish and weak actions and reactions and please mature me to be more like Him.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
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