Saturday Review
Wow, we covered a lot this week, didn’t we? It’s always good to go back and review. Repetition isn’t unfruitful, it’s necessary for learning and reinforcing what we know. God never tires of hearing our prayers. Let’s go to Him once more with this week’s prayer points.
Pray that our sons and daughters choose to embrace Jesus and live in His light.
Pray they would not be deceived by the Enemy who masquerades as light but leads people to a life of darkness, separated from God.
Pray that they live out the truth in authentic, visible ways that would clearly show Whose side they are on and they would do it without compromise.
Pray that our sons and daughters are convicted to Love the Lord their God with all their heart and love others in a godly way as well.
Pray that they obey his word, and that love for God is truly made complete in them.
Pray they will live as Jesus did.
Pray that our sons and daughters would cling to life in Christ and would avoid those sins that would damage their relationship with God.
Pray protection over and around them.
Pray for discernment and a submissive spirit.
Pray that our sons and daughters cling to the truth of scripture and weigh everything they hear against the Truth.
Pray that what they’ve heard from the beginning remains in them and that God’s Word continues to stay rooted in them, deepening their knowledge and understanding of Jesus.
Pray that our sons and daughters would walk faithfully with the Lord and would be unashamed when He returns…and while we’re at it, let’s pray the same would be true for believers around the world. Jesus is coming…soon.
Pray without ceasing
And Now, Dear Children, Continue in Him
1 John 2:28-29 “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
When He appears…. can you imagine? When Jesus appears, where will we be? Maybe the better question is, what will we be doing? Will He find us faithful?
Oh how we want our sons and daughters to walk faithfully with the Lord! That’s our heart’s cry, isn’t it? And when Jesus returns, we want to be confident that our sons and daughters would be unashamed at His coming, standing boldly for Christ, eager to be in His presence.
Today, let’s pray 1 John 2:28-29 over our sons and daughters and as we pray, let’s put their names into the scripture to personalize it.
“Heavenly Father, I pray that now, and always, (name), would continue in Christ, so that when he appears (name) may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If (name), knows that he is righteous, they know and understand that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. I pray that (name) would live in such a way that others would see evidence of their new birth in Christ and a life that is committed to righteousness. I pray that (name) would walk with You faithfully, not compromising or wavering in their commitment to You and Your word. Help them stay the course and would walk carefully in Your path of righteousness. I pray that (name) would be eager for Jesus’ return and would be unashamed, ready to stand with Him in glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Down the Garden Path
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
What was the original sin, committed by Adam and Eve? It was these, the lust of the flesh, the cravings of the body and senses, “Oh, that fruit looks sweet- I bet it tastes good, if I could just try it...take a bite, satisfy my craving….” It was the lust of the eyes and mind- the knowing better than, “And, really, I’m sure God didn’t mean what He said, right? Think about it… why would He deny us something that He placed right here in the garden for us to enjoy?! It only makes sense that we should be totally fine. And, really, we’re smart, right?” And the pride of life, not needing God because we know better… “We would be just like God, knowing good and evil, why, we would be even more compatible with Him- we deserve to be like Him!” Interestingly, Strong’s Concordance defines the pride of life as “an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights, and an impious and empty presumption which trusts in the stability of earthly things” (1) Ah, knowing better than God…a surefire attitude that ruins any life.
It boils down to these: what we crave and desire, what we see with our eyes and think we know and understand in our minds and the prideful arrogance that tells us we are able to control our own destiny, we know better than God. It’s a full and total rebellion against God and His rightful Lordship in our lives. It’s the very trap with which Satan delights to ensnare us….since the beginning of time.
John is warning us of the lures and traps because not much has changed. Sin is sin. Yet, people still resist the warning, why? (go back are re-read the previous two paragraphs). We have a sinful heart that rebels against God. The desires and cravings that lead us down that garden path are the very same that lured Adam and Eve, the first man and woman living in the perfect garden in the Presence of God, into abandoning their perfect relationship with God.
Oh that we could protect our sons and daughters from these traps!! They lead to death. They ensnare us in darkness. They rob us of joy and purpose. Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters would cling to life in Christ and would avoid those sins that would damage their relationship with God. Pray protection over and around them. Pray for discernment and a submissive spirit.
“Father, I pray that you would control the cravings of life. Do not allow (name) to long for thing that are ungodly or sinful. The lust of the flesh needs to die and the longing for the Spirit needs to be strong. I pray that you would help (name) to hunger and thirst for righteousness, not for things that would satisfy their sensual desires. Put a guard on (name)’s eyes. Keep them from craving things that would not support their relationship with You. Don’t let them see things that would distract them from You or that would put thoughts and desires in their mind that would war against Your will for them. I pray that they would guard their eyes and thoughts so that what they fill them with are good and Godly, not dark and sinful. Lord, I pray that (name) would be fully submitted to You, recognizing their deep need for Your lordship in their life. Let them daily surrender to You so that You are Who they trust in, and not themselves. Let them lay their will aside to follow after You with their whole heart, their whole mind and with all their being. I pray that they would seek to do Your will and bring You glory in everything. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
G212 - alazoneia - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g212/kjv/tr/0-1/d
The Proof is in the Living
1 John 2:3-6 “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
Actions speak louder than words. The truth of what we say is evidenced in how we live. Someone can say “I’m a runner, I love to run!” But if you never see them actually running, you might question the truth of that statement. Someone might tell you they’re on a diet, but if you see them eating anything and everything all the time (not just on a special occasion, which is totally understandable…) you may question whether they really are on a diet. If someone tells you they are a rancher, but they have no ranch, no cows or horses, and live in the city, you likely would question the truth of the statement, or wonder if there is something you’re just not seeing.
Our relationship with Christ and the authenticity of our faith is evidenced by the life we live. The Jews in Biblical times were driven to follow the law of Moses without wavering and the care they took to do so was powerful. The Pharisees were so driven, they took it upon themselves to monitor how those around them upheld the law. So when an expert in the law asked Jesus, ‘what is the greatest commandment”, there was much at stake for the listeners...and for Jesus. It was a baited question.. And what was Jesus’ response? Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 Love God, love others. The two greatest commands.
Are we living in such a way that we demonstrate this? Do our lives reflect Jesus’ presence? Friends, we might find that loving God isn’t difficult, but loving others, ALL others, goes against our grain. God didn’t tell us to withhold love or only offer it to those who are deserving. He tells us to love ALL others. No, this doesn’t mean we approve of lifestyles and actions that are not in line with His word. But it tells us to love them despite those things (isn’t that what God did for us?!) And what is love? It’s not a feeling, friends. Love is an action. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal…If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1,3) Unless we act and are driven by love, we are just ‘noise’ that the world drowns out. Our actions and words must be motivated by our love for Christ and be demonstrated in our love for others.
So, how should this look? Well, look at how love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient
Love is kind
Love doesn’t brag or boast (it’s not about itself...it’s looking to the needs of others)
Love is not arrogant or proud
It doesn’t dishonor others (If we love Jesus, we will not dishonor others, even if they think, act or live differently than we)
Love is not self-seeking
Love isn’t easily angered
Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs- (no grudge list)
Love doesn’t delight in evil (even if we think the ‘other’ deserved it, Jesus loves them, we should too)
Love rejoices with the truth
Love protects
Love trusts
Love hopes
Love perseveres.
The proof of our faith is in how we live and love. If we love Jesus, our lives will reflect these qualities as we interact with others. Not just the ‘others’ who think like us or with whom we feel comfortable. ALL others. We need to be different. “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” It seems far too often, believers respond with anger, with harsh words, with venomous retorts that only serve to anger others and show no difference between us and the world. But what if, what if we responded with the love-inspired qualities above? How might the world respond?
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters are convicted to love the Lord their God with all their heart and love others in a godly way as well. Pray that they obey his word, and that love for God is truly made complete in them. Pray they would live, and love, as Jesus did.
“Lord, I pray that You would transform us, even today. May the way we live and treat others be a true reflection of Jesus, not of the Pharisees who held themselves in high regard and were quick to judge and berate others. Lord, help us live in humble obedience to You and Your commandments.. Help us to love You and Your Word with all of our being so that our thoughts and actions reflect Jesus well. Help our words and actions to be different from those of the world. I pray for (name) today. Let them be consumed with love for You and a compelling desire to obey Your Word. Help them shine their light so that others see Jesus in them. In Jesus’ name, amen.”