ASK!
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, James, my half brother, hit the nail on the head when he taught about why My people lack so many of the simplest and yet most essential things they need to live the committed life of a disciple: Where do you think your fighting and endless conflict come from? Don’t you think that they originate in the constant pursuit of gratification that rages inside each of you like an uncontrolled militia? You crave something that you do not possess, so you murder to get it. You desire the things you cannot earn, so you sue others and fight for what you want. You do not have because you have chosen not to ask. And when you do ask, you still do not get what you want because your motives are all wrong — because you continually focus on self-indulgence. (James 4:1-3) You are a child of the Father in heaven. Your Father paints a fresh sunrise every morning and mellows the sky into a new color palette every evening. Your Father listens to you attentively. He cares about what is happening in your life. So ask the Father for what you truly need. Seek after Him. Share your burdens, both spiritual and physical, with Him. Be honest with Him. Ask for Him to reign in you and in your world. As you pray, realize this: your Father longs to give you the gifts you need to live for Him. So one of the greatest blessings you can ask the Father to give is the Holy Spirit. The Father longs to give this gift, even to those who already have the Spirit living inside them. He wants you to be: full of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, comforted by the Spirit, purified by the Spirit, transformed by the Spirit, and reminded about Me as the Holy Spirit reminds you of My words and My actions. Praying for the Spirit to be present with power is one of the most basic of all prayers for My disciples. Before the apostles began their mission to reach all nations for Me, they first prayed… and they prayed… and they prayed (Acts 1:12-14). I had asked them to go back to Jerusalem and to wait for the coming of the Spirit with power. That is what they did. As they prayed, just as I promised, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with power. Because of this Spirit-power, they changed the world… for good… forever! So can you, if you… PRAY! So are you praying for the Spirit to come with power in your day and in your life? The Father longs to give you the supremely good gift of the Holy Spirit. So ASK in prayer! Verses to Live There are so many truths packed into these few verses that you find below. As you read them, I want you not only to notice My simple teaching at the end of these verses. Request the Father send you the Holy Spirit. Also, notice the simple, childlike prayer I teach you to pray at the beginning of these verses. Pray as a child speaking to your loving Father in heaven. You don’t need a lot of words. You don’t need fancy words. Come and offer your heart to the Father in humble adoration and ask Him for the most basic needs in your life. From His loving grace, your Father wants to bless you with what you most need and what He longs to give to you: the good gift of the Holy Spirit! Another time Jesus was praying, and when He finished, one of His disciples approached Him. Disciple: Teacher, would You teach us Your way of prayer? John taught his disciples his way of prayer, and we’re hoping You’ll do the same. Jesus: Here’s how to pray: Father in heaven, may Your name be revered. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for tomorrow, And forgive us for our wrongs, for we forgive those who wrong us. And lead us away from temptation. And save us from the evil one. Imagine that one of your friends comes over at midnight. He bangs on the door and shouts, “Friend, will you lend me three loaves of bread? A friend of mine just showed up unexpectedly from a journey, and I don’t have anything to feed him.” Would you shout out from your bed, “I’m already in bed, and so are the kids. I already locked the door. I can’t be bothered”? You know this as well as I do: even if you didn’t care that this fellow was your friend, if he keeps knocking long enough, you’ll get up and give him whatever he needs simply because of his brash persistence! So listen: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking. Some of you are fathers, so ask yourselves this: if your son comes up to you and asks for a fish for dinner, will you give him a snake instead? If your boy wants an egg to eat, will you give him a scorpion? Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. (Luke 11:1-13) Response in Prayer O Father, I want to see the influence of Your grace triumph. I want to see Your name glorified above all other things and all other beings. I have been so blessed with earthly blessings and with the blessing of Your grace. I deeply
Today’s Verse – Amos 5:14
Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. —Amos 5:14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Many illicit and evil groups claim to have God on their side. Horrific things have been done under the disguise of a “Christian” movement. Jesus, however, told us we could recognize people by their fruit. Those who seek good and abhor evil, live with righteous character, and practice faithful love, justice, and mercy are the ones who have God with them. Let’s make sure the visible holy qualities of God in us match our claim that God’s presence and approval are in our lives! My Prayer… Thank you for your presence in my life, Almighty God and loving Father. Please forgive me for the times when I let sin and selfishness crowd you and your character out of my life and bring reproach to your name. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to live as your holy child while displaying your righteous character to the world. In Jesus’ name, I ask and yearn to more perfectly reflect your righteous character, gracious compassion, faithful justice, and tender mercy. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Purpose and Power
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, You probably know the story that is told by Doctor Luke in the verses below. Familiarity can sometimes lead you to miss something important in the story. After My ascension to the Father, My closest disciples returned “to Jerusalem, filled with intense joy, and they return again and again to the temple to celebrate God.” These are the same disciples who were distraught and immobilized by My death. Why? Why the “intense joy”? Why “celebrate God”? Why be glad that I had left them to return to the Father? Notice two things that My disciples received from Me in the joyous goodbye in the verses below: I promised to send My disciples the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. I gave these disciples a clear mission. They were to begin where they were (Jerusalem), go to the surrounding regions (Judea and Samaria), and share My message with the world (the farthest places on earth). I gave My followers a purpose and the power to carry out that purpose. So today, as you read these verses about My parting from My disciples, I want you to remember something important. You have the same purpose they did, and you have been given the same power I shared with them. I don’t want you making excuses! I don’t want long faces! It’s time for some “intense joy” as you “celebrate God”! Celebrate the salvation given you through My death, burial, and resurrection. Celebrate because you have a great purpose for your life in the world. Celebrate that I have poured out all the power you need to live up to the purpose I gave you! Verses to Live There are two sections of Scripture today. Both were written by Luke, the physician. The first one is from the beginning of the book of Acts. Here Luke summarizes some of the things from his gospel, including some of My last instructions to My disciples. The second Scripture is from the very end of Luke’s gospel and records My ascension and the disciples’ following My instructions to return to Jerusalem. To a lover of God, Theophilus: In my first book [the gospel of Luke], I recounted the events of Jesus’ life — His actions, His teachings — from the beginning of His life until He was taken up into heaven. After His great suffering and vindication, He showed His apostles that He was alive — appearing to them repeatedly over a period of 40 days, giving them many convincing proofs of His resurrection. As before, He spoke constantly of the kingdom of God. During these appearances, He had instructed His chosen messengers through the Holy Spirit, prohibiting them from leaving Jerusalem, but rather requiring them to wait there until they received what He called “the promise of the Father.” Jesus: This is what you heard Me teach — that just as John ritually cleansed people with water through baptism, so you will be washed with the Holy Spirit very soon. When they had gathered just outside Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives, they asked Jesus, Disciples: Is now the time, Lord — the time when You will reestablish Your kingdom in our land of Israel? Jesus: The Father, on His own authority, has determined the ages and epochs of history, but you have not been given this knowledge. Here’s the knowledge you need: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be My witnesses, first here in Jerusalem, then beyond to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest places on earth. (Acts 1:1-8) Then He [Jesus] leads them [His disciples] out to Bethany. He lifts up His hands and blesses them, and at that moment, with His hands raised in blessing, He leaves them and is carried up into heaven. They worship Him, then they return to Jerusalem, filled with intense joy, and they return again and again to the temple to celebrate God. (Luke 24:50-53) Response in Prayer Forgive me, O God, for thinking negatively, for not believing fully. Forgive me for not taking the time to rejoice because of the purpose you have given me for my life. Forgive me for not celebrating the power of the Holy Spirit to live out that purpose. Let the joy of heaven and the Holy Spirit’s power move me, stir me, and propel me to share Your grace with great joy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – 1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. —1 John 5:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Yes, we can KNOW we have eternal life! Don’t settle for less!! Confidence is so crucial that God sent his Son to die and be raised so we could know that eternal life with Jesus is our destination, not just our journey. While that eternal life begins and is experienced now (John 5:24), what we experience here is only a hint, a foretaste, of what lies ahead in our glorious and eternal future with the LORD Jesus. My Prayer… Thank you, heavenly Father, for your plan of salvation and the cost you paid to make it happen. Thank you for giving me confidence now in my eternal future with you as your child. Thank you for heaven, hope, and my home with you forever. To you belong all the glory and praise, and I pray in your name, LORD Jesus. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The Hebrew Scriptures
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, In today’s verses, I AM in the final preparation stages of leaving My disciples and ascending back to the Father. Although the promised Helper, the Holy Spirit, would come later to them on the day of Pentecost, I wanted to open their minds and help them see that many passages in the Hebrew Scriptures (your Old Testament) pointed to My birth, life, death, and resurrection. As I journey with you through the New Testament the rest of this year, you will find many different passages from the Hebrew Scriptures that are quoted in the different writings that make up the New Testament. This continuity is a reminder that your Bible is the story of the Father’s plan of redemption, revealed through the Holy Spirit and delivered through My work in your world. One of the responsibilities of the prophets in the early church was to help explain how these Hebrew Scriptures pointed to Me. Matthew took a special interest in pointing out how My ministry fulfilled these Scriptures. The early sermons by Peter, Stephen, and Paul in the book of Acts used these Hebrew Scriptures to affirm My identity as the Anointed One of Israel, the Messiah. I promised to send the Holy Spirit to My disciples to help them know the truth and to help the early witnesses speak My message and remember My words and deeds. And the precious time I had with My closest disciples just before My ascension was crucial in beginning the process of connecting them to My story and the grand story of the Scriptures. What happens is all part of Our — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s — plan to redeem your broken world. When you look at your Bible, I want you to know that it is all part of My story. I existed even before the beginning and then as Creator (Colossians 1:15-17). I was promised as a Savior after the terrible rebellion in the garden when Adam and Eve rejected the Father’s instructions and chose to live their own way. I was there leading My people through the parted waters of the sea delivering them from Pharaoh’s hand. I was there in the pillar of fire and the cloud that led My people through their wilderness wanderings. I was there when the promise was made to Abraham and to David that a descendant would bless all nations and reign as Lord and King forever. I was there when the prophets spoke of My coming. I was there all through the journey, but I became flesh, being born of a virgin in fulfillment of the expectations and prophecies about My coming. Because I was there all along in the events recounted in the Hebrew Scriptures, I want you to remember what Paul told Timothy about these Scriptures. Notice especially the underlined part and realize that I can open up the power of the Hebrew Scriptures to you and help you find life and salvation in them: So surely you ought to stick to what you know is certain. All you have learned comes from people you know and trust because since childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which enable you to be wise and lead to salvation through faith in Jesus the Anointed. All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17) Verses to Live The Hebrew Scriptures lead you to Me. Your faith in Me helps you understand those ancient words and brings you the salvation the Scriptures anticipate and declare. Jesus: I’ve been telling you [Jesus’ disciples, after His resurrection] this all along, that everything written about Me in the Hebrew Scriptures must be fulfilled — everything from the law of Moses to the prophets to the psalms. Then He opens their minds so they can comprehend the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus: This is what the Scriptures said: that the promised Anointed One should suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, that in His name a radical change of thought and life should be preached, and that in His name the forgiveness of sins should be preached, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to all nations. You have witnessed the fulfillment of these things. So I am sending My Father’s promise to you. Stay in the city until you receive it — until power from heaven comes upon you. (Luke 24:44-49) Response in Prayer Almighty God, I thank You for Your work in creation through the ages. I thank You for working for my salvation and redemption. I thank You for promising to send the Messiah, Jesus my Lord, long before He came to earth. I thank You for Jesus’ story that was proclaimed by those inspired by Your Spirit and that is now my own story of salvation. In Jesus’ name, I thank You. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – 1 Thessalonians 5:12
Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. —1 Thessalonians 5:12 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What are you doing to bless the lives of your spiritual leaders? Do you pray daily for them? Do you send them notes of encouragement? Do you thank them for their loving attention? Do you respond to their correction and take heart in their affirmations? Leaders don’t need to be followed unthinkingly, but often, they get no support for their efforts. Let’s make their work a blessing and not a burden (Hebrews 13:17). Let’s respect our leaders who work hard among us! My Prayer… Thank you for our spiritual leaders, Almighty God, the Great Leader of Israel. Bless their families with faithfulness, their lives with health, their influence with Godly impact, and their leadership with willing followers. May you, dear God, be praised and glorified by the unity of your people and the quality of our leaders. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
My Prayer
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Follower, The verses you will read today come from a very emotional time on the night I was betrayed. These verses are My prayer for My disciples. I want you to notice five things I say to the Father — five important truths and areas of importance to Me. First, I spoke to the Father about Our glory. I looked forward to the day when My disciples would fully experience this “collective glory.” I had this glory with the Father “before the creation existed.” This shared glory before creation should remind you of the love We shared long “before the foundations of the cosmos were laid.” I began and ended My prayer with these thoughts. Second, I prayed for unity. I prayed for My earliest disciples to be one. I wanted this to be more than just the unity of easy times and pleasant talk. I wanted this unity to be as real as the unity the Father and I share. My first disciples had great opportunities and faced harsh resistance and vicious persecution. They needed to be one just as the Father and I are one. Third, I prayed for you. Yes, I prayed for you nearly two thousand years ago! You see, I prayed for those who would believe in Me because of the apostles’ testimony. That is My prayer for you: I want you to be one — unified in mission, purpose, and grace. This desire is not just because I want you to get along with each other, but also because I want the world to believe in Me and that the Father sent Me. Your unity should reflect Our unity to the world. Fourth, being one in genuine unity is really a reflection of love. I had told My disciples that a defining characteristic showing they are My disciples would be their love for each other (John 13:34-35). This genuine love, love like the Father and I have for each other, is a foretaste of the grace, joy, life, and glory that the Father and I long to share with you in Our home. The Helper, the Holy Spirit that I have given you, fills you with this love and all its attendant graces (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22-23). Finally, I want you to notice that My prayer as I faced My crucifixion was not for Me. I would pray later in the garden from the depths of My heart about what I faced. However, this prayer in today’s verses was for My disciples in every age — for the apostles and first disciples who would take My love and My message to the world and for you who are recipients of that message centuries later and who are also called to take My Love and My message to the world. Never for one moment think My heart is not concerned for you and your part in My family and how My family will impact the world. Verses to Live I want you to read this prayer several times. Listen behind the words and between the lines. Feel the depth of My love for the Father and for you. Recognize that there is so much going on in these words that is bigger than just the words themselves. These words share My heart about eternity, glory, love, and family, and you are an important part of each of these! Jesus (lifting His face to the heavens): Father, My time has come. Glorify Your Son, and I will bring You great glory because You have given Me total authority over humanity. I have come bearing the plentiful gifts of God; and all who receive Me will experience everlasting life, a new intimate relationship with You (the one True God) and Jesus the Anointed (the One You have sent). I have glorified You on earth and fulfilled the mission You set before Me. In this moment, Father, fuse Our collective glory and bring Us together as We were before creation existed. You have entrusted Me with these men who have come out of this corrupt world order. I have told them about Your nature and declared Your name to them, and they have held on to Your words and understood that these words, like everything else You have given Me, come from You. It is true that these men You gave Me have received the words that come from You and not only understood them but also believed that You sent Me. I am now making an appeal to You on their behalf. This request is not for the entire world; it is for those whom You have given to Me because they are Yours. Yours and Mine, Mine and Yours, for all that are Mine are Yours. Through them I have been glorified. I will no longer be physically present in this world, but they will remain in this world. As I return to be with You, holy Father, remain with them through Your name, the name You have given Me. May they be one even as We are one. While I was physically present with them, I protected them through Your name. I watched over them closely; and only one was lost, the one the Scriptures said was the son of destruction. Now I am returning to You. I am speaking this prayer here in the created cosmos alongside friends and foes so that in hearing it they might be consumed with joy. I have given them Your word; and the world has despised them because they are not products of the world, in the same way that I am not a product of the corrupt world order. Do not take them out of this world; protect them from the evil one. Like Me, they are not products of the corrupt world order. Immerse them in the truth, the truth Your voice speaks. In the same way You sent Me into this world, I am sending them. It is entirely
Sending the Great Helper
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, My ascension back to the Father was a wonderful blessing. I know that you would love to have My physical presence with you — to see Me minister, heal, cast out demons, teach, and preach. That was also true of the eleven apostles and My closest disciples that I left behind as I ascended to the Father, so I told them not to believe what seemed so obvious to them: But the truth is that My departure will be a gift that will serve you well, because if I don’t leave, the great Helper will not come to your aid. When I leave, I will send Him to you. Without My ascension, My departure, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have come to their aid and the Helper wouldn’t be available to aid you. My ascension meant that I would send the Holy Spirit to be My people’s Helper — your Helper. The Spirit helps My disciples point others to the truth about Me. The Helper gives My followers strength to face their trials. The Helper works through My friends when they proclaim Me. The Helper convicts lost people of their sin, of their need for righteousness, and of their need to change because the world they trust, along with the powers of evil behind it, have already been defeated. The Helper guides My beloved disciples into the truth about Me. In a couple of days, I will begin sharing the book of Acts with you. The opening verses of Acts tell about My ascending back to the Father (Acts 1:1-11). I commissioned My disciples to share My story of grace with the whole world, but I told them to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, before beginning their mission. The Spirit’s coming on the day of Pentecost ignited them on their mission with power (Acts 2:1-4). All that I promised them about the Helper came true as they lived out this mission. This little band of believers, propelled by the power and presence of the Helper, changed the world. I have given you this same Helper, the Holy Spirit, to empower you to impact your world like this first band of believers altered their world! Verses to Live Just as those early disciples changed the world, I am calling on you to rely on this same Helper to empower, to strengthen, to inform, to guide, and to propel you to change your world. The last words in today’s verses remind you that I am confident in the Helper’s power to do this: The Spirit has unlimited access to Me, to all that I possess and know, just as everything the Father has is Mine. That is the reason I am confident He will care for My own and reveal the path to you. This same Holy Spirit is at work in you because I have ascended to the Father and sent the Helper to you! Jesus: I will send a great Helper to you from the Father, one known as the Spirit of truth. He comes from the Father and will point to the truth as it concerns Me. But you will also point others to the truth about My identity, because you have journeyed with Me since this all began. I am telling you all of this so that you may avoid the offenses that are coming. The time will come when they will kick you out of the synagogue because some believe God desires them to execute you as an act of faithful service. They will do this because they don’t know the Father, or else they would know Me. I’m telling you all this so that when it comes to pass you will remember what you have heard. It was not important for Me to give you this information in the beginning when I was with you. But now, I am going to the One Who has sent Me, and none of you ask Me, “Where are You going?” I know that hearing news like this is overwhelming and sad. But the truth is that My departure will be a gift that will serve you well, because if I don’t leave, the great Helper will not come to your aid. When I leave, I will send Him to you. When He arrives, He will uncover the sins of the world, expose unbelief as sin, and allow all to see their sins in the light of righteousness for the first time. This new awareness of righteousness is important because I am going to the Father and will no longer be present with you. The Spirit will also carry My judgment because the one who rules in this world has already been defeated. I have so much more to say, but you cannot absorb it right now. The Spirit of truth will come and guide you in all truth. He will not speak His own words to you; He will speak what He hears, revealing to you the things to come and bringing glory to Me. The Spirit has unlimited access to Me, to all that I possess and know, just as everything the Father has is Mine. That is the reason I am confident He will care for My own and reveal the path to you. (John 15:26-27; John 16:1-15) Response in Prayer O Father, I take seriously Jesus’ commission to reach the world with Your grace. I trust that the Helper Jesus promised is alive in me. I trust the Holy Spirit will help me share You with the world. I thank You for the Spirit’s presence within me and His power available to me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – 1 Timothy 5:10
No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. —1 Timothy 5:10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… This devotional falls near Mother’s Day for many in the Western Hemisphere. For all of us, however, it is a great time to honor our godly mothers, especially widows. To our shame, many modern churches have copied the leadership roles (or at least the leadership names) listed in the New Testament. We have bishops, elders, shepherds, pastors, ministers, deacons, ministry leaders… Why have so few churches had a “Widows List”? Why have we seldom recognized and valued godly women like the early church leaders did? Paul said that the women on the “Widows’ List” had proven their godliness in lives well lived with genuine character. Paul emphasized that the Church should help support and care for them so they can continue their lives of ministry unworried by their essential needs. In a time when the world honors mothers, let’s make sure our godly women, especially godly widows, are honored for their good deeds and service to God’s people. Let’s ensure they receive the love, support, and respect God wants them to have in the Church! Notice that this year we are using the date to be a selection tool for our verses — May 10 (5/10) for 1 Timothy 5:10 — which challenges us to consider overlooked verses like this one! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… O Father, thank you for those women among us who have been faithful to their husbands, loving to their children, and hospitable to your people. Forgive our churches for not valuing these godly examples and resources of inspiration and ministry more. During this challenging time, open our eyes to those godly women among us whom we need to serve, support, and bless. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Despised?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, During My earthly ministry, I warned My disciples that following Me would not be easy. The words you read in the verses below were spoken right before My own rejection, betrayal, arrest, torture, crucifixion, and death. My warnings sounded ominous to those disciples gathered around Me on the night of My betrayal. This particular part of My warnings took on a much greater sense of foreboding after My crucifixion: “If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. … If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less.” The beloved disciple remembered these words of warning and reiterated them decades later: “Brothers and sisters, don’t be shocked if the corrupt world despises you” (1 John 3:13). Persecution has been and will continue to be very much a part of being My disciple (2 Timothy 3:12). When your role model is the crucified Messiah, then you should expect to face some pretty stout challenges yourself. In the first part of the verses below, I told My disciples the reasons that they would face persecution. Persecution and loss of rights for My disciples are becoming more and more prevalent in your world, too. Just like My first followers, you need to know that you are not alone as you face trials, ostracism, distrust, false accusations, persecution, and even death. I AM with you! I promised My disciples that I would be with them through the presence of the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit. In today’s verses, this promise follows immediately after the very honest acknowledgement of the hardships. The work of the Holy Spirit is to be with you, to be My presence in you, and to give you peace. The Spirit is your Helper and Advocate. Even in the worst of situations, the Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say when you are under trial (Luke 12:11-12). Even if all others seem to abandon you in your hour of need, I will never abandon you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5-6). You may face difficult times, but you will never have to face them alone! Verses to Live Please remember that I have called you to be different from the world. I have called you to be salt and light in the world of decay and darkness. You are not “of the world,” so the world won’t accept you. Yet be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. My glorious position is your assurance of future glory! Jesus: If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. If you were a product of the world order, then it would love you. But you are not a product of the world because I have taken you out of it, and it despises you for that very reason. Don’t forget what I have spoken to you: “a servant is not greater than the master.” If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less. If they accepted what I have spoken, they will also hear you. Everything they do to you they will do on My account because they do not know the One Who has sent Me. If I had not spoken within their hearing, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for ignoring My voice. If someone despises Me, he also despises My Father. If I had not demonstrated things for them that have never been done, they would not be guilty of sin. But the reality is they have stared Me in the face, and they have despised Me and the Father nonetheless. Yet their law, which says, “They despised Me without any cause,” has again been proven true. I will send a great Helper to you from the Father, one known as the Spirit of truth. He comes from the Father and will point to the truth as it concerns Me. But you will also point others to the truth about My identity, because you have journeyed with Me since this all began. (John 15:18-27) Response in Prayer I pray to You, dear Father of mercy and God of all grace. Sometimes I feel like I am swimming upstream against the current of popular opinion because I follow Jesus. Forgive me, dear Father, for being weak at times. Remind me of Your abiding presence within me through the Holy Spirit. Give me words to say to those who doubt or disbelieve You. Give me wisdom to know how and when to share my faith in Jesus with others. Bless me with courage when I feel alone and with confidence to remember Jesus’ promise of the Spirit’s presence and help in my times of need. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.