Holy Week Timeline – Thursday and Friday

We are mid-way through the Holy Week calendar. The stage is set for the grand finale of JESUS CHRIST's  ministry on earth, an event for which every child of GOD ought to be deeply and eternally grateful – JESUS' resurrection. This one event in history changed the course of humanity for all eternity.

The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem are determined to crucify JESUS and neither He nor His Father, who have the power to do so, will stop them. It is the Father’s plan for the redemption of Mankind foretold in the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis 3.

JESUS CHRIST, the SON of GOD in human form, must suffer and perish on the behalf of humanity. Isaiah 53, JOHN 3:16-17.

Holy Thursday –

JESUS celebrates the Passover with His disciples. Known as the Last Supper, here JESUS symbolically offers Himself as the sacrifice, His body and His blood. The Holy Communion.

• And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Luke 22:7-23

JESUS washes the disciples’ feet, as an act of humility and service, to set an example for all time that we should love and serve one another in humility.

• If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant^[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:3-17 

Good Friday –

JESUS is put through a mock trial; He is beaten, humiliated and eventually crucified on the cross.

• And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23

On the surface, the events of this day cannot be called “good”, so why do Christians refer to the day of the week, recognized as the day of JESUS’ crucifixion, Good Friday?

Episcopal priest and theology professor Justin Holcomb explains it this way in an article written for Christianity.com: Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier” of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26.) Paradoxically, the day that seemed to be the greatest triumph of evil was actually the deathblow in God’s gloriously good plan to redeem the world from bondage…. The cross is where we see the convergence of great suffering and God’s forgiveness… Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good.

To this every child of GOD ought to throw up their hands, lift their heads toward heaven and should a lusty Hallelujah, PRAISE the LORD! 

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:12-14

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Our FATHER in Heaven, you are our SAVIOR and LORD, REDEEMER and KING. We thank you for the events of that first Good Friday with awe and gratitude. Father, may we never cease to hear the echo of JESUS’ anguished cry on the cross asking why you were forsaking Him and may our hearts be pierced by the knowledge that those words rightly belonged to us but we will never have to ask them of YOU since CHRIST bore the burden of our sin and depravity in our place.  Father forgive us for daring to question YOUR goodness when we experience minor afflictions as no trial we go through can compare to what YOUR SON suffered, for us. Remind us to trust YOU like little children in ALL things, that YOU are always near and to approach YOU always with praise and thanksgiving as YOU allow every trial for our good. Teach us to bear all things with patience and perseverance and keep close to our hearts the reasons why Good Friday is “good.” To YOU belong all dominion, all power and all glory, for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the matchless Name of JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

Holy Week Timeline – Sunday to Wednesday

On the Christian calendar Holy Week observances begin with the Palm Sunday celebration of CHRIST’s “triumphant entry” into Jerusalem as Savior and King: “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”  Matthew 21:9.

These final eight days of our SAVIOR’s ministry on earth conclude with His arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection, Easter Sunday!

Monday –

• JESUS clears out the temple when He observes people using it for dishonest trading in sacrificial animals rather than for prayer and worship: He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:13
• JESUS curses a fig tree and by the following day it had withered; He uses the event to teach us and His disciples about what we too can achieve by faith – “Have faith in God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” Mark 11:22-23
• JESUS identifies those who will accept Him and His sacrifice when the priests and Pharisees challenge His authority. He uses two parables, the Two Sons and the Evil Farmers to make His point that the promise of the Messiah will be extended to the Gentile Nation – to anyone who believes the CHRIST.  I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Matthew 21:43

Tuesday –

• JESUS teaches in the temple for the last time and the religious leaders try to entrap Him into making seditious and blasphemous statements about state and religious laws but He is not deceived and surprises them with His understanding. “…give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”; And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:13-44
• JESUS discusses His second coming and warns us to be ready and on constant watch. “…no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!” Mark 13:33-34
• JESUS gives an invitation to all mankind to accept His sacrifice at the cross. He uses a parable in which the invited guests of honor offends the host by making silly excuses and the host extends the invitation to “anyone” willing to come: And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ Matthew 22:8-9

Wednesday –

• JESUS visits the home of Simon the leper in Bethany where a woman He had healed previously anoints Him with an expensive oil. People there expressed disapproval but JESUS commended the woman: “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” Mark 14:9
• JESUS betrayal is set in motion by Judas. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. Mark 14:10-11

Scripture references are from Matthew 21-22; Mark 11-14.

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Our FATHER in Heaven, YOU are our SAVIOR, LORD and KING. We tremble to think that the betrayal of YOUR SON’s was by one of His own friends; a person who knew Him intimately and who broke bread with him. Father, we pray that YOU give us strength to walk faithfully with JESUS, even when the road is rough. Teach us to honor the message of the cross even when it may seem like foolishness. Thank YOU that YOUR covenant with us will never be broken. Remind us that betrayal is not in YOUR nature, LORD, that YOUR faithfulness and goodness are steady and sure. Forgive us when we stumble and drift and feel lost by our own sinfulness and give us the grace to endure our troubles. Father, may we keep our focus always on the revealed glory of your kingdom, through your SON, JESUS CHRIST, who lives and reigns with you forever. To YOU belong all dominion, all power and all glory, for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the matchless Name of JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

How We Learn to Pray – Conclusion

Many of us have a vision of GOD that is based on our imagination and/or environment but is far removed from who GOD truly is.  If our prayers are to have meaning and power, we must know GOD as He presents Himself to us – His character and what He expects from our relationship with Him.

We have satisfying relationships with people we love and respect because we interact with them based on our knowledge of them – their character and personality, and of course we know them by name. We relate to each based on our knowledge of who they are – their likes and dislikes, what makes them happy and what can cause them pain. We love them so we care about our relationships and they do the same for us.

Similarly, we must know GOD’s personality and character if we are to have meaningful dialog with Him and understand what He wants from us.

In His WORD GOD reveals His character in His NAMES – WHO He wants to be for His children and what He wants us to be for HIM. We will find that GOD’s revealed NAMES tell us that He loves us with all His heart and He is just as present in our lives today as He was to the people of the Bible.

NAMES of GOD – Old Testament uses:

Yahweh – GOD the Self-existent One, WHO always existed and will always exist. Yahweh is used more than any other name of God. It occurs 6,519 times in the Old Testament with first use in Genesis 2:4. Yahweh has been transliterated by scholars and is commonly rendered today as Jehovah. (1 Samuel 1:20, Isaiah 40:3; 10; Exodus 6:1-4, 3:1-22)

• …the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. Genesis 2:4

Adonai – GOD is the LORD over all. He is the KING of kings and the LORD of lords, He reigns forever. We can find safety in Him alone. Adonai occurs 434 times with heavy uses in Isaiah and Ezekiel and appears eleven times in the Book of Daniel Chapter 9. Adonai is first used in Genesis 15:2.

• Therefore the Lord declares, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel… Isaiah 1:24

Jehovah- Mekoddishkem (also M'kaddesh) – GOD is our sanctifier, occurs twice and is first used in Exodus 31:13. He forgives our sins and His Holy Spirit works in our lives to help us become more like Him – pure and loving. (Leviticus 20:8)

• ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. Exodus 31:13

Jehovah-Rohi – GOD is our Shepherd and He cares for us, the way a shepherd tends his sheep – He leads us to places of refreshing and restoration. (Psalm 23; 95:7, Isaiah 40:11, Ezekiel 34:12, 23)

• Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock. Psalm 80:1

Jehovah-Shammah – GOD is our ever present help – He is always there; He never leaves nor forsakes us. He is with us forever. Occurs only once in Ezekiel 48:35: And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.

Jehovah-Rapha – GOD is our healer, the Great Physician who heals the physical and emotional needs of His people. JESUS CHRIST also revealed GOD’s healing heart for all mankind in the New Testament. (2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 6:2, 41:4, 103:3, 147:3, Isaiah 19:22, 30:36, 57:18-19, Jeremiah 3:22; 17:14, 30:17)

• “I am the Lord, your healer.” Exodus 15:26

Jehovah-Tsidkenu – GOD is our righteousness. When we accept His SON, JESUS CHRIST as our Savior He becomes our righteousness; He forgives our sins and washes us with His blood and we become children of GOD. (Jeremiah 33:16, Psalm 4:1, 5:8, 24:5, 31:1, 36:10, 71:15, 89:16)

• In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ Jeremiah 23:6

Jehovah-Jireh – GOD our provider. The Father who cares for us and tells us never to worry about our provision because He is our source for every aspect of life. Jehovah-Jireh occurs only once in Genesis 22:13-14,....So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Jehovah-Nissi – The LORD our banner; GOD gives us victory in spiritual warfare. When we are under spiritual attack, GOD raises a banner of His love and protection over us and covers us. He wages war on our behalf and makes us more than conquerors in CHRIST JESUS. Jehovah-Nissi occurs only once in Exodus 17:15, And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner.

Jehovah-Shalom – The LORD is peace. When there is turmoil and chaos in our lives, we can get peace and comfort in the GOD of peace. His peace is beyond our understanding. Jehovah-Shalom occurs only once in Judges 6:24, “Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace.”

Jehovah-Sabbaoth – The LORD of Hosts. Jehovah and Elohim occur with Sabbaoth over 285 times. It is most frequently used in Jeremiah and Isaiah and first used in 1 Samuel 1:3. (Isaiah 6:1-3, 1 Samuel 1:3, 17:45; 2 Samuel 6:2, 7:26-27; Haggai 1:5)

• And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him. 1 Chronicles 11:9

Elohim – GOD our Creator, powerful and mighty, LORD of lords – occurs over 2,000 times in the Old Testament. When we face impossible circumstances we know that GOD is the LORD Most High and is mightier than anyone or any challenge. (Genesis 17:7, Psalm 19:1, Jeremiah 31:33)

• In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

El-Elyon – The GOD Most High. El Elyon occurs 28 times, 19 occurrences in the Psalms and its first use is in Genesis 14:18. Do not fear the enemy who tries to intimidate us. We serve the Most High GOD and there is none above Him. (Genesis 14:17-20, Deuteronomy 26:19, Isaiah 14:13-14)

• I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2

El-Olam – GOD everlasting, GOD eternal. Our problems are temporary but the GOD of the universe, the Ancient of Days will never change. His promises are true and His goodness eternal. (Genesis 21:33; Jeremiah 10:10)

• Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:4

The Ultimate NAME of GOD – I AM:

When Moses first encountered God at the burning bush, he asked what His name was:

• God said to Moses, “I AM who I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. (Exodus 3:14-15)

The NAME GOD gave Himself, I AM, should leave no doubt in our minds of His eternal presence – that He is now, He always has been, and He always will be there for His chosen people.

This amazing God is here now to help us, comfort us, guide us, provide for us, fight for us, save us from eternal damnation, and so much more.

GOD wants us to know Him as our loving Father who cares deeply and He waits patiently to hear from us.

Prayer and Thanksgiving: LORD GOD, Holy and Righteous, Great and Mighty, LORD of hosts. We give praise honor and glory to the great I AM; YOU who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. Thank you for showing steadfast love. YOU give perfect counsel and are mighty in deed, YOUR eyes are open to all our ways and YOU respond with grace and mercy. Father for any that still lack confidence to come to YOU as Father, YOU have provided a way through YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST who YOU sent to earth to die in our place. Draw them now to receive YOUR gift of forgiveness and eternal life through His death on the cross of Calvary so they can know YOU as their good, good Father and JESUS as LORD. To YOU belong all dominion, all power and all glory, for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the precious Name of Jesus Christ our LORD, the NAME above all names. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

How We Learn to Pray – Pt. 6

Prayer is not an option but a necessity for every child of GOD.

However, as new believers with limited or no experience with GOD and His WORD, we struggle with praying to someone we don’t yet feel close to and can’t see:

• How do we know GOD is really there when we can’t see Him?
• How can we be sure He is listening?
• Does GOD talk back to us and how can we know when He is speaking to us?

There are several ways by which we can “see” God:

GOD in His Handiwork

We have all experienced visually the beauty and magnificence of the universe in which we live – the wide-ranging varieties, hues and colors of plants and flowers, the deep blue sea, the gazillion stars in a moonlit sky, a breath-taking sunset, even the fury of a thunderstorm and the startling beautiful of the multi-colored rainbow that follows – we have all had our senses delighted by nature. All this is no accidental phenomena but the creation of someone larger and more powerful than any human entity. His name is GOD!

• The creation account - Genesis 1 & 2
• The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. Psalm 19: 1-2
• For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1: 20
• Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. Psalm 104: 24-25

If we have faith to believe in the miracle of CHRIST’s resurrection and the cleansing work of His blood for our atonement and deliverance, we surely must believe the miracle of creation. 

Scientists believe what they believe, but we who are children of GOD and believers in His SON must believe all that is written to us and for us by the Godhead - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 – and that for all time, and by His Power, the Creator provides a hospitable environment in which humans, beasts, fish, and fowl and everything else can survive and thrive! (Psalm 104)

GOD in our consciences

Authors and philosophers of all faiths agree that there is far more good than evil in the world. Christian Author C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity refers to a “Moral Law” – that which drives human beings to think and act morally, to care not only about having enough for ourselves but to actually care about people who don’t have enough. Mr. Lewis argued that "conscience reveals to us a moral law whose source cannot be found in the natural world, thus pointing to a supernatural Lawgiver." That Lawgiver is GOD whose goodness is an attribute ascribed to Him throughout the scriptures. If there is no GOD there is no “good.”

• Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 1 Timothy 4:4
• The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. Psalm 145:9
• For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:5
• Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. James 1:17
• “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands…” Exodus 34:6-7
• For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11
• “No one is good except GOD alone.” Mark 10:18

Through nature and our relationships with other human beings GOD is able to teach us about His existence. He is also able to teach us about Himself in His WORD. 

When we understand the true nature and character of GOD, prayer will make perfect sense!

For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. Joshua 2:11

To be continued…

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Father, again we honor and praise YOU, LORD of lords and KING of kings, Our GOD Holy and Righteous.  We thank YOU for YOUR blessings through the manifold works of YOUR hands. We acknowledge the earth is YOURS and all its goodness! Teach us to be thankful for your goodness to us – for forgiving our sins and healing our diseases, for filling our mouths with good things so that our youth is renewed daily. Thank YOU for being our strength and our joy! GOD, YOU are great and YOUR love is everlasting! To YOU belong all dominion, all power and all glory, for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the precious Name of Jesus Christ our LORD, the NAME above all names. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

How We Learn to Pray – Pt. 5

We all pray publicly – as part of a congregation, an intercessory prayer group ministry or with a prayer partner, etc. We also have private and personal prayer time when we offer prayers of contrition and petition to the Father who is eager to reward our honest and heartfelt prayers.

However, scripture warns against public prayers that are nothing but performances to impress others with our “righteousness.”

In His Sermon on the Mount JESUS taught that GOD does not reward prayers with a motive for public recognition – such prayers can have no power to affect change, beyond what the world can do.

JESUS warns against this type of prayer which He ascribes to hypocrites:

• “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” Matthew 6:5

Chapter 18 of Luke’s Gospel gives us a second account of JESUS speaking to self-righteous and hypocritical prayers:

• Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:  “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer^]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
• “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The message in both accounts is clear – GOD is opposed to prideful arrogance and self-righteousness in our prayers but responds favorably to the child of GOD who comes to Him with humility and a full consciousness of our sinfulness. 

None of us are without sin and deserving of an audience with the Holy GOD. Prayer and its rewards are a privilege we enjoy only when we know and believe that the Father has bestowed righteousness upon us through His SON, JESUS CHRIST, as His WORD confirms:

1. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:22
2. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23
3. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:24
4. God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. Romans 3:25

By these we can have no doubt that righteousness is not our own and ought not to be a source of pride manifested in our prayer lives.

The GOD Man, CHRIST JESUS Himself approached the Father with humility and thanksgiving as He made public intercession on behalf of others, and for Himself:

• Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. Matthew 15:36
• Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Matthew 11:25
• Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. John 11:41

We see our LORD and Savior approach our Father with reverent familiarity, but also with humility and thankfulness. 

On other occasions JESUS chose private, intimate prayer time for matters concerning Himself and His ministry:

• Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35
• After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Mark 6:46
• But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:16
• Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Luke 6:12

…He also commands us to pray similarly – “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6

The Gospels recounts many instances of JESUS praying publicly and privately but nowhere in the WORD of GOD do we find one instance where JESUS is prideful, arrogant, or self-righteous before the Father.

Having a prayer life is not an option for a child of GOD, it is a necessity so we ought to seek after a one that honors GOD – and the only guaranteed way would be to imitate CHRIST and do as He commands.

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

To be continued…

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Abba Father, YOU are the ONE HOLY GOD in the Heavens and on the Earth; RIGHTEOUSNESS is YOURS alone. Forgive us for every sign of pride and arrogance in our prayer lives and remind us that being able to have a conversation with the LIVING GOD is a privilege, not a right, that our self-righteousness has no reward and is an abomination in YOUR sight. Power and Glory belong only to YOU and YOU will not share them with anyone – as none is deserving. Thank you for giving us grace to repent and mend our ways and for YOUR merciful reward of life everlasting with CHRIST. YOU, LORD rule with all power, for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the precious Name of Jesus Christ our LORD, the NAME above all names. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

How We Learn to Pray – Pt. 4

In the LORD’s Prayer JESUS gives us the core and essence of what a child of GOD ought to pray on every occasion –for the coming of GOD’s kingdom, our daily needs, and GOD’s provision for sin.

In addition to the prayer model, JESUS tells His disciples and us about the two key motivations for prayer using a two-part parable: 

Persistence pays off

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.  “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11: 5-10)

If a friend who’s been greatly inconvenienced would relent and give us what we want, our practice of consistent, persistent, daily prayers ought to be motivated by the assurance that our God and Father in Heaven will undoubtedly answer our petitions. JESUS confirms this in the second half of the parable:

Our Heavenly Father knows what's best for us

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11: 11-13)

Earthly fathers want the very best for their children and won’t deliberately give us things that hurt us, even when we ask for what is harmful. JESUS makes this point in the story with the fish and eggs versus snakes and scorpions – the former two are nourishment and good for our physical bodies while the latter two are harmful and dangerous.

Our Heavenly Father, who is perfect, also desires the greatest good for His children. He would never give us things which will harm us when we have asked for what benefits us. And if we foolishly ask for things that in His wisdom He knows are harmful, He withholds those from us.

More so, GOD gives to every one of His children something that our earthly Fathers cannot – the gift of His Holy Spirit, GOD Himself living within us. Every follower of CHRIST JESUS receives the gift of the Holy Spirit by whom we will know the mind of GOD and His will for us. By this He grants us power for a life of godliness.

No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.  And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:11-12

As a child of GOD, our greatest motivation to pray is the privilege of communion with the Father when He shares His deepest thoughts with us and we tell Him what we need from Him.

Even JESUS sort out such times of intimacy with the Father.

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:16

To be continued…

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy and righteous Father, our LORD and KING. We continue to be awed by your goodness to us as we learn from your WORD how much YOU desire to share YOURSELF and YOUR power with us. Thank you, Father for being a perfect provider, for giving us the gift of YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, He who knows YOUR thoughts and will teach us YOUR truth. Thank you for sending CHRIST JESUS to be our advocate and living example of how we should live and pray. Thank you for providing all that we need for life and for godliness. To YOU belong all dominion, all power and all glory, for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the precious Name of Jesus Christ our LORD, the NAME above all names. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

How We Learn to Pray – Pt. 3

The Bible recounts for us an occasion when a disciple asks JESUS to teach them how to pray and He responded with what is commonly known as, The LORD’s Prayer. This incident in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 11 reads as follows:

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” (Verses 1-4)

Unpacking “The LORD’s Prayer”

Many Bible commentators agree that this short prayer is not intended for repetition as is but contains essential elements for the prayers of everyone who claims to be a believer and a child of GOD:  

• Father, hallowed be your name – we declare the Father and His NAME to be holy, mighty and powerful, deserving of our greatest respect and reverence and recognizing His authority in our lives and over everything in Heaven and on earth. (“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? Exodus 15:11)
• Your kingdom come. – we recognize CHRIST’s second coming as LORD and KING to establish His Kingdom on earth and our future home. We tell our Father that we look forward to and desire His world to come more than we love and desire this present world and its trappings. (Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 1 John 2:15) 
• Give us each day our daily bread, – here we accept that we are dependent solely on our Father’s daily provision, that we are not self-sufficient, and that GOD the Father is the source of all that we are and have. (The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…Psalm 24:1); (He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Psalm 103:5)
• …and forgive us our sins, – we ask our Father to forgive our sins because we love Him and want Him to be delighted in us. Sin separates us from our Father; the Bible tells us that His attitude toward sin is hostility, disgust, and utter dislike. When we confess and repent of sin we are forgiven. (You who love the Lord, hate evil! Psalm 97:10)
• for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us – we must admit that both the saved and unsaved are capable of wrong-doing; we hurt people and they hurt us. But we must obey the Father’s command to forgive as we need forgiveness. (Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13)
• And lead us not into temptation – here we are petitioning GOD for strength to deal with temptation at its roots, before it gets a foothold in our lives and become full-blown sin. We are not asking GOD to stop tempting us to sin, as He never does. We know our own weaknesses so we must bring them to the Father openly and honestly and ask for His help. (And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:13-15)

When JESUS finished teaching the LORD’s Prayer, He tells the disciples a parable to emphasize and demonstrate to them, and to us now, how and why prayer ought to be a constant in our lives.

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. Luke 18:1

To be continued…

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy and righteous Father, our LORD and KING. We are so grateful that YOU are teaching us how important prayer is to our lives. Thank you for the simplicity of the LORD’s Prayer which helps us to remember that YOUR name must be glorified above all else; that because YOUR holiness is exalted above all your attributes YOU cannot abide sin. Thank YOU for your faithfulness in forgiving our sins as soon as we confess them to you and for teaching us about forgiving others. Thank you for CHRIST JESUS and our access to righteousness, grace and mercy through HIM. Thank you for keeping us from evil and providing our spiritual and worldly needs daily. Thank you for being for us and not against us so that we have a future with YOU and hope for eternal life. YOU are a good, good Father to WHOM belong all dominion, all power and all glory, for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the precious Name of Jesus Christ our LORD, the NAME above all names. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile