The King is With Us

Luke 24:21

but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

For the two men on the road to Emmaus, dejection had set in.  They had hoped for a King that would redeem their land.  They were so consumed by what they sought, they could not recognize their King when He joined them.

For all of us that have grown up in an era where instant gratification has become the norm, waiting on the Lord to answer our prayers is one of the most difficult challenges that we face.  We often feel dejected when we have not seen our prayers answered.  Generally, we are guilty of demanding something from the hand of God without fully seeking the face of God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we ask that You open our eyes so that we can see You in all the commonplace things that surround us.  Give us the strength to overcome the depression and oppression that we find in our world.  May we always be mindful of all that is ours because of the price that was paid by Your Son, Jesus.  May the world see our joy as we live in Your constant presence.

To Die is Gain

Philippians 1:21

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

One of the greatest blessings that true Christians receive from The Cross is victory over death.  We are able to face our death bed with an exuberance that the world cannot understand.  We know that Our Savior is waiting to receive us and that He has prepared a place for us that is free from all misery and weakness.

Yet we know that we are called to remain in this world for as long as Our Lord has work for us to do. The longer we remain here to serve Him, the greater will be our reward in heaven.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the eternal inheritance that You have set aside for us.  We long to claim the rights of the heirs of Your kingdom.  As we wait for that time of glory, equip us to be your laborers in these end days.  Arm us against the attacks of the enemy as we help bring the church to completion by showing the world the living Christ that is within us.  

A Life of Service

1 John 3:16

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

The life of Jesus Christ was the epitome of servanthood.  He poured Himself out upon the needs of the people, especially the need for salvation from sin.  He was willing to be the sacrificial lamb.  He was willing to be the door mat under people's feet.  He sought no recognition.  He sought to show us what love is.

Prayer,

Heavenly Father, we pray that You will take us to the foot of the Cross to seek a life of service to all men.  We pray that You will teach us how to minister in love to those around us.  We pray that you will build us up so that we may forsake the need for recognition, except in Your eyes.  May our lives be a reflection of our Servant King. 

The Exchanged Life

2 Corinthians 5:14

Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.

It is the righteousness of our beloved, Jesus Christ, that shines forth in us when we submit ourselves to be vessels of His perfect love.  The love of Jesus in our lives is what allows us to show the world what living for Christ is all about.  If we ever try to show the world Jesus through our own holiness, and not through the righteousness that we have received from Our Savior, we will fail.

Prayer,

Heavenly Father, we pray that our living testimony will be anchored by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  May Your strength be perfected in us so that our weaknesses may be overcome.  May the world see the way, the truth and the life of Jesus through us as we leave our old lives behind in exchange for the our new lives in Christ.

The God in Whom We Trust

1 Corinthians 4:13

when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world--right up to this moment.

Paul and those who joined with him in spreading the gospel message were attacked viciously by the social media of their day.  How remarkable it is that Paul's words of 2000 years ago are so accurate today.  The voice of our corrupt world screams out against the gospel message wherever it is presented.  The persecution of Tim Tebow is a perfect example.  He has suffered vicious attacks in all forms of media simply because he is willing to express the truth about His Savior. 

Unfortunately, the attacks of the enemy have quieted the voices of most Christians.  We have sat back and watched as prayer has been taken out of our schools and community events, the Ten Commandments have been removed from display in public places and the mention of Jesus has basically been banned in any form, unless of course, it is used to ridicule Him.

Prayer,

Heavenly Father, we pray that You will shine Your Light upon our land and our people so that we may exalt You as Almighty God, so that we may turn to You as Our Rock and Our Foundation.  May the laws of our land and the actions of our people come into alignment with Your laws, Your commandments and Your Holy Word.  Once again may we call upon You as the God in whom we trust.

Compelled to Serve

1 Corinthians 9:16

For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

It is certain that not every follower of Jesus Christ is called to preach the gospel.  It is just as certain that every follower of Jesus Christ is called to live the gospel and to serve their Master in the manner in which He has called them.  

There will be no peace in our hearts if we take a different direction than the one the Lord set aside for us.  Just as Paul was compelled to preach, we are compelled to proclaim the gospel through our obedient response to Our Lord's calling on our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You have created us to be a vital part of the Body of Christ.   We pray that you will help us discover and develop our identity in Christ.  May Your Holy Spirit guide us and train us in our calling.  May we find peace in our service to Your Kingdom. 

Vessels of Your Redemptive Power

1 Corinthians 1:17

For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News--and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

Surely Paul served the emerging church in a number of ways, but he understood that God had called him and equipped him specifically to preach the Good News.  Paul teaches us that, as we serve our churches and communities, it is important that we call on the Holy Spirit to help us to find out what God has specifically equipped us to do in service to His Kingdom.  No role is too big, nor is any role too small, when we are doing what Our Creator called us to do.

Then Paul expands his message to make sure that we recognize that the redemptive power of the Cross does not rely on anything that we do.  It is not our enticing words or the strength of our presentation that wins hearts.  We are simply vessels of the divine truth of God's mercy on all of us.  We should never consider ourselves to be the reason that a soul came to Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray that you open our eyes so that we can see the unique ways that you have endowed us to serve you.  We pray that you will prepare our hearts so that we serve you as humble vessels of Your divine, redemptive power.