Prayer Power Unleashed
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Child of the Father, Today I want you to read the prayers of Paul for the new Christians in Thessalonica. Frequently your scholars break each of these letters into two parts: Paul’s love for and relationship with My Thessalonian disciples (1 Thessalonians chapters 1-3; 2 Thessalonians chapter 1). Paul’s practical teaching about morality to new Thessalonian Christians (1 Thessalonians chapters 4-5; 2 Thessalonians chapters 2-3). However, Paul’s letters to these Thessalonians are woven together around his prayers for them — the prayers in the Verses to Live section below. These prayers were central to his message just as prayer was essential in Paul’s ministry. Prayer held a place of central importance in the great apostle’s life, especially his ministry through his letters to the Thessalonians. Everything Paul said, did, and taught was surrounded and incubated in prayer. Paul was remarkable in so many ways. He was My messenger, especially to the Gentiles. He was a church planter among the nations in various cultures. In addition to these great attributes, Paul was extremely dedicated to prayer. To their own peril, some church leaders in every age have ignored the power of intercessory prayer. They have forgotten to pray with thanksgiving for beloved disciples in whom I AM doing My work. The leaders can be seduced by the devil to think that their plans and their power have accomplished the great things done among them. Paul did not do this. Prayer was his daily fuel! As you read his prayers below, remember that Paul prayed like this for all of the churches. In nearly all of his letters, he prayed for many people by name and indicated that he did so every day, for years. Feel the love in his prayer language. Recognize that Paul knew that he could take new disciples only so far in their growth. He knew they needed Our — Father, Son, and Spirit’s — presence, intervention, and grace to grow into the places they needed to be. Feel Paul’s affirmation in his thankfulness for these disciples. Take note of the themes he addressed in his teaching that were first addressed in prayer. Appreciate Paul’s affection in the emotional weight of the words he chose when he prayed. Paul’s prayer ministry with the Thessalonians was a vital part of his ministry with them, to them, and for them. Verses to Live Paul was formally a citizen of Rome. He was a citizen of Jerusalem during his rabbinic training. He was also a citizen of the world in his ministry. He knew multiple cultures and multiple languages. He knew how to travel over land and sea. He was trained as a Jewish rabbi, yet was called to reach the non-Jews of the ancient world. He was willing to be eternally damned if it meant the salvation of his own people — the Jews (Romans 9:3). He also risked his life repeatedly to take My gospel to Gentiles (2 Corinthians 6:3-5). Paul’s power to do all of this was rooted in his relationship with Me. His prayer life kept him connected to the Father through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Read these prayers of Paul for the Thessalonian Christians several times and be blessed! We always thank God for all of you in our prayers. Your actions on behalf of the true faith, your tireless toil of love, and your unfailing, unwavering, unending hope in our Lord Jesus the Anointed before God our Father have put you consistently at the forefront of our thoughts. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3) May God Himself, our Father, along with our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, navigate our way to you. May the Lord flood you with an unending, undying love for one another and for all humanity, like our love for you, so that your hearts will be reinforced with His strength, held blameless and holy before God, our Father, when our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, appears along with all His holy ones. Amen. (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13) So now, may the God of peace make you His own completely and set you apart from the rest. May your spirit, soul, and body be preserved, kept intact and wholly free from any sort of blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus the Anointed. For the God Who calls you is faithful, and He can be trusted to make it so. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) Brothers and sisters, we cannot help but thank God for you, which is only appropriate because your faith is growing and expanding and because the love demonstrated by each and every one of you is overflowing for one another. (2 Thessalonians 1:3) All this is why we are constantly praying for you, so God will make you worthy of the great calling you have received from Him and will give you the power to accomplish every good intention and work of faith. Then the great name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified through your lives, and you will be glorified in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, our Liberating King. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12) Now may our Lord Jesus (the Anointed One Himself) and God our Father (Who has loved us, comforted us eternally, and given us a good hope by His grace) bring comfort to your hearts and strengthen your wills to accomplish every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) And now, dear friends, may the Lord of peace Himself grace you with peace always and in everything. May the Lord be present with all of you. (2 Thessalonians 3:16) Response in Prayer Father, forgive me. As I read these prayers of Paul, I am convicted. I am convicted of trying to do too much on my own. I am convicted of not seeking Your grace and power. I am convicted of praying too little. I am convicted of not letting others know of the good things I am praying for
My Coming Again
Note from Jesus Dear Fellow Heir of Glory, As God’s child and as My younger sibling in the Father’s family of grace, you are an heir of glory. The glory that I enjoy with the Father will one day be yours also. My coming again is on your horizon. I will come again in the glory of My Father and the angels. This glorious day is your future. Glory awaits! Paul wanted the new believers in Thessalonica to realize that My “coming” in glory is their future. He wanted them to remember that they will celebrate Me as their “coming” King Who returns in heaven’s glory. They needed to be reminded that they will be reunited with all those who have followed Me as their Lord throughout all time, and they will be vindicated for their faith in Me. The Thessalonian disciples had several in their number who had died since Paul left. They weren’t worried about them experiencing heaven, but they were worried that their loved ones would miss My “coming” in glory — the big celebration when I return in My heavenly glory for all those who belong to Me. (The Greek word Paul chose to speak of My “coming” again was parousia, a word used in Paul’s time for the joyous return of a king from his victory. My “coming” is sometimes called “the rapture” in your day.) The first paragraph in the verses below focuses on the glorious reunion of all who belong to Me when I come again. Those who are still alive when I return will be changed and will join those whom I have raised and given glorious, immortal bodies, and both groups will join Me in My glory forever. (For more on immortal resurrection bodies, see 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.) While you grieve for those who have died, you don’t grieve like those who have no hope. Your being with Me and with all those who belong to Me — a great grand reunion of all those in My family — is certain. Glory is your destination. Joy is the language of My “coming” for you! These promises are very useful to encourage and comfort each other! In the second paragraph, Paul is talking about the same event, but from a totally different perspective. My “coming” is glorious for those who belong to Me, but the second paragraph looks at My “coming” again from the vantage point of those who are not ready. My “coming” should motivate you, My disciple, to live in ways that prepare you for My return. While you can’t know the time of My “coming,” you shouldn’t be surprised because you are purposely living for Me and awaiting that day with longing. You don’t take part in the works and the life of darkness because you are “all children of light.” These insights should also give you a firm basis for your own encouragement and comfort, as well as a foundation to encourage each other to faithfulness, vigilance, and holiness. The last paragraph is from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. Persecution, opposition, criticism, and false teaching had all intensified for this band of new disciples. They needed to be reminded that their suffering was worth the short-term pain for the eternal gain — victory when I return and the eternal glory they will share with Me. Paul wanted them to wake up and get themselves ready for the battles ahead, but to do so knowing their victory is assured, and their sacrifices are worthwhile because of their ultimate glory. I will bring justice and victory to them. I will also bring salvation in every sense of that concept, to them and to you. Verses to Live My “coming” in glory is much debated, sometimes feared, and often ignored. I hope none of these three reactions is your reaction. I want you to anticipate the great things that will be yours when I return in glory. I want you to find comfort in knowing that what you do for Me is never in vain. I want you to have a sense of urgency in living for Me because I am always ready to step back into history and return for those who are My own. So please read through these related, but distinctly different, teaching sections about My return. Know that I AM “coming” back for you and for those who love Me and live their lives for Me! Brothers and sisters, we want you to be fully informed about those who have fallen asleep in death so that you will not be overwhelmed with grief like those who live outside of the true hope. Here’s what we believe: since Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, God will bring with Jesus all who have died through Him. For we can say all this to you confidently because it is the word of the Lord: we who are still alive and left behind when the Lord comes will not precede those who have fallen asleep in death. On that day, with a command that thunders into the world, with a voice of a chief heavenly messenger, and with a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven; and all those who died in the Anointed One, our Liberating King, will rise from the dead first. Then we who are alive and left behind will be snatched up together with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This is how we, the resurrected and the living, will be with Him forever. So comfort one another with this hope, and encourage one another with these words. Now, brothers and sisters, you don’t need further instruction from us or anyone else for that matter regarding how the seasons and times will play out. That’s because you know the truth well enough. The day of the Lord will race onto the scene and surprise us like a thief in the night. People will
Today’s Verse – Deuteronomy 7:26
Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. —Deuteronomy 7:26 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… A little corruption, a little poison, and a little rotten are not all that bad, are they? Of course, they are! God has made us pure and perfect in Jesus (Colossians 1:21-23). What a glorious thought! Why would we want to stain his perfection with what is evil, putrid, rotten, and detestable? Our Father wants us to dedicate ourselves to him and to live as his holy people (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:13-16). God wanted Israel under Moses to know that they MUST stay away from wicked things that God had slated for destruction. In case we want to dismiss this kind of warning, God had Paul write the first-century Christians: It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. …reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 5:22). Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Holy and Righteous God, please empower me to resist temptation and to run away from sin. Give me a more passionate desire to cherish and protect the purity you have given me through the sacrifice of Jesus. Please give me a holy revulsion to evil and wickedness. Draw my heart closer to yours, and give me a passion for your holiness. Thank you for making me holy and precious in your sight. In Jesus’ name, I commit my body to honor you. 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.
Riot!
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Your world is filled with many influences that vie for the control of your heart and the practice of your faith. In the multi-cultural and pluralistic world that is open to all religions, be careful of the devil’s lies about freedom and openness. Some people don’t like the exclusive claim of the authentic Christian faith, and they work to silence My message and My disciples. The efforts of these people have never succeeded in stamping out My message and never will. My own words, along with the claims of My early disciples, didn’t sit well with some people in Paul’s day and they don’t sit well with some people in your day: Jesus: I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) Peter (filled with the Spirit): There is no one else [other than Jesus] who can rescue us, and there is no other name under heaven given to any human by whom we may be rescued. (Acts 4:12)These exclusive claims met with strong resistance as Paul shared My message with the multi-cultural people of Ephesus. However, I want you to notice in the verses below that it was when Paul’s preaching against idols began to have an economic impact that people were incited to become a riotous mob. Underneath much of the criticism that comes to My people and My message can be found two issues: The economic impact of My message on those who want to operate based upon greed and exploitation of others. The personal impact and loss of the freedom of choice related to morality — some people don’t want anyone telling them what is right and wrong. Paul and his mission team faced the first issue in Philippi with the freeing of the woman who had an “occult spirit” (Acts 16:16-24). The men who were profiting from her fortune-telling were furious that her liberation from demonic power meant they could no longer make money by exploiting her condition. Later Paul met both issues simultaneously — spiritual conflict and economic conflict — in the city of Ephesus. The clear-headed and legal approach the town clerk used in this volatile situation defused the emerging riot in Ephesus. Paul was blessed by the rule of law in both Philippi and Ephesus. Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, and this citizenship entitled them to certain legal rights. Paul was not afraid — in Philippi or wherever he found himself — to insist on these legal rights (Acts 16:35-40; Acts 22:25-30; Acts 25:1-12). You cannot and must not submit to the coercion of political or religious authorities who oppose your efforts for Me. (I will share more on this principle when I guide you through the books of 1 Peter and Revelation.) When you have legal recourse to protect yourself and your rights, please know that you can and should avail yourself of these rights and privileges (Romans 13:1-7). Part of what made conditions “the right time” (Galatians 4:1-4 NLT) for My coming and for the launch of My message was the influence of Rome — the Romans had a system of laws, commerce routes, and the acceptance of one language as the language of commerce. As long as they could, My early disciples made use of all three of these conditions to help spread My message. Verses to Live The town clerk in the events described below in Ephesus was not My disciple, but he was a good and decent man who was concerned for order in his city. I have used, and will continue to use, such good people to help My disciples in every era. Don’t be afraid to make friends of such people, just as Paul did in his ministry (Acts 19:31). Eventually Paul felt he should move on again [from Ephesus]. The Holy Spirit confirmed that he should first travel through Macedonia and Achaia and then return to Jerusalem. Paul: I must eventually see Rome. So he sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed a while longer in Asia. It was during this time that a major incident occurred involving the Way. An idol maker named Demetrius had a profitable business, for himself and for others, making silver shrines for Artemis (also known as Diana by the Romans), one of the deities worshiped in Ephesus. Picture this: Demetrius calls a meeting of all the artisans who are similarly employed in idol making. Everyone in the idol industry comes together. Demetrius: Men, we are all colleagues in this fine line of work. We’re making a good living doing what we’re doing. But we’d better wake up, or we’re all going to go broke. You’ve heard about this fellow Paul. Here in Ephesus, he’s already convinced a large number of people to give up using idols. He tells them that our products are worthless. He’s been doing this same kind of thing almost everywhere in Asia. It’s bad enough that he is slandering our fine and honorable profession, but do you see where this will lead? If his lies catch on, the temple of Artemis itself will be called a fraud. The great goddess of our region, the majestic deity who is revered here in Asia and around the world, will be disgraced. The crowd goes wild with rage. They start chanting. Crowd: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Soon the whole city is filled with confusion, and a mob forms. They find Paul’s Macedonian travel companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, and drag them to the theater. Paul wants to go confront the crowd and protect his friends, but the disciples hold him back. Even some provincial officials of Asia who are friendly to Paul send him an urgent message, warning him to stay away from the theater. Enraged voices are shouting on top of each other, some saying one thing, some saying something else. The
26 Jul 2024
Verse 11 of Isaiah 3 is a warning to the wicked. Verses 12-26 also mention the unjust, cruel and proud. May we depend on the Holy Spirit to help us deal with anything that would make us fall in any of those categories.
Living Your Dream
Are you living the dream God placed inside you? You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalm 139:13-16) This is an interesting time of year. Untold thousands of young people graduate from high schools, colleges, universities, and graduate programs this time of year. In fact, many have already left school for grander things. It’s an exciting time for them and their families. I know we’re thrilled and proud of our own daughter-in-law for completing her degree in Physical Therapy! (Way to go Mandy!) So now all of these graduates are off and on their way up. We want to tell them, “Go live your dream!” When I was not quite three years old, my dream in life was to be a garbage man. Now that may not sound like much of an ambition to you, but think about it a minute from the perspective of a three year old. You have a really big, noisy, moving truck with lots of knobs and levers. It goes by everybody’s house and they put stuff out for you to get. When you dump that stuff in the back of your truck, this big metal deal turns and the trash all disappears. Now how cool is that? Once while visiting my grandparents, I heard the garbage men. I went out to watch them. When they left my grandparent’s yard, I followed them to the next … and to the next … and across two streets … and … my mom realized I was gone and was terrified. They found me by listening to the sound of the garbage truck and realizing that is where I must be. I was following my dream! You have a dream. I’m pretty sure for most of you the dream isn’t to be a garbage man. If it is, well that’s cool. I’m with you on that dream! Let me tell you something about your dream no matter what it may be: it was placed in your heart by God himself. See the little guy in the picture? (Okay, if you get this via email you don’t see the picture, but it’s of a little baby twelve weeks after conception. His right leg looks like it’s kicking something or pressing the accelerator of a car.) He is so small no one knows he’s there — well no one knows except God. In Psalm 139:13-16, we are told that from our conception, God knows us, has a purpose for us, and has a plan for us to live that purpose. In other words, God has given us a dream! No matter whom your parents may be, no matter how you came to be, you are not an accident. God has known you all along and has a dream for your life that he has placed inside you! Your job in life is to go live that dream! Are you living your dream? I wanted to be a garbage man when I grew up. Guess what? I am … sorta. I help run Heartlight, which is a high tech kind of company. I love all the high tech devices because they are useful, they do cool things — cooler than all the noise, levers, knobs, and stuff the garbage truck did. In addition, I’m a minister. I get to help people take the garbage in their life and leave it at the curb and let God take it away. I’m getting to live the dream that God planted in me! Hope you are getting to do that, too! If you are, you already know what I’m about to say. If not, let me share a couple more things with you about that dream. I believe God wants you to understand some things about the dream God has placed in your heart. First, you will face obstacles, challenges, and distractions to keep you from living your dream. Satan opposes the work of God and he will oppose it in your life. It won’t be easy to stay focused on God’s dream he’s place in you. But you can and you must. Second, you must honor the Dream Giver with your dream. If you cannot live your dream and honor God, then it’s not really an honorable dream — it’s not your real dream. If you have to sacrifice your character, your integrity, or your faith for your dream, then it isn’t really a worthy dream. God, the great Dream Giver, gave you your dream. He will not give you a dream that does not bring honor to him. Third, don’t settle for less than the dream God placed in you. He made you for that dream. He made you for his purpose. Don’t settle for something less than God’s dream. It will be too little, too confining, and too costly in the long run. You may be like a lot of people who are not sure of the dream God has placed inside them. In addition to reading the New Testament, I recommend Bruce Wilkinson’s book, The Dream Giver. It will help you find, identify, and pursue your dream and the great Dream Giver who placed it in your heart. If you are a graduate, or a parent of a graduate, use this transition as the time when you re-commit to the dream God gave you. That way if people can’t find you, all they have to do is listen for the sound of your dream and know that this is where you will be! Image from Adobe Firely, generated with AI. Used
Daily Prayer for July 26
Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. Psalm 119:89–91, NIV Lord God, we thank you for your Word, greatest and most glorious of all that comes to our human life. Every day we want to find more joy in your help, in what you are doing for us. Again and again we feel and rejoice in the new help, new strength, and new courage for life given by your Word. We seek and seek to find Jesus Christ, the eternal Life. He will surely come to establish your kingdom. Praise to your name, eternal, glorious, almighty God! Be with us poor, lowly people. Strengthen us in spirit, and enable us to persevere until everything is fulfilled that is promised by your Word. Amen. Recent articles on Plough An Irreplaceable Cog in the Wheel Keturah Hickman If you make yourself indispensable, who will continue your work when you are gone? Read now For the Least of These Jason Storbakken The Bowery Mission in Manhattan takes its cues from Jesus’ words. Read now Gerhard Lohfink: Champion of Community Timothy J. Keiderling We don’t follow Jesus alone. Read now Who Gets to Tell the Story? Lore Ferguson Wilbert In R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface a woman sells her dead friend’s novel as her own. Read now The Wonder of Moths Caroline Moore Gorgeous and fragile, moths showcase nature’s richness and vulnerability. Read now
Today’s Verse – Acts 7:25
Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. —Acts 7:25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Timing can be everything. Well, maybe not everything, but an important thing. God’s plan and power provide us with everything. Finding God’s timing and power for his plan is crucial. When Moses took it upon himself to redeem God’s people before God called him to do so, Moses failed. After being humbled in the wilderness for forty years, God then called Moses back to deliver the people of Israel at God’s divine moment and according to the Almighty’s plan. The results led to the Exodus — the redemption and rebirth of God’s holy people from Egyptian bondage. Let’s pray for wisdom to understand God’s timing so we can live out our lives for his purpose, according to his plan, and based on his power. My Prayer… Dear Heavenly Father, I am often impatient and frustrated by having to wait. Please forgive me, dear God, for trying to rush your timetable and assuming my plan is yours. Please give me Spirit-led wisdom to know what to do, where to go, and when to act. In Jesus’ name, I pray for this patience and understanding. 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.
25 Jul 2024
There is uproar all around. The times look uncertain. Worry engulfs our hearts and we are concerned about our future. The news around us does not look encouraging either. May we keep calling out to God concerning our country and its future. May we not tire of whispering a prayer for our children. May we share our fears and concerns with Him. Problems of this magnitude need His intervention. Isaiah 3:1-10.
Today’s Verse – Romans 7:24-25
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! —Romans 7:24-25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Our bodies are mortal and flawed. Our weakness and sin taint them. But, by the grace of God given each of us in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10) and the transformational power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18), our future does not rest in the dust with our decaying bodies, but in the power of our perfecting LORD. Jesus is our Deliverer and the Holy Spirit — as Paul will explain more fully in Romans 8 — is our Empowerer! My Prayer… Almighty God, thank you for the gift of life beyond the death of my mortal flesh. Thank you for giving me holiness beyond my sin-stained flesh. Thank you for delivering me from death and bringing me into your glory. Thank you for providing the power of the Holy Spirit to transform me to become more and more like Jesus. Now, dear Father, may my words, deeds, and thoughts reflect your grace and power in all I do today and each day that follows. 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.