For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:14,15)
Abba, Father,
We stand in awe of your majesty and power and holiness and righteousness. So the idea of calling you "Daddy", as "Abba" intends, is difficult for us to imagine or put into practice. And yet your Spirit within us somehow enables us to have a deeper emotional relationship with you that we otherwise could. I pray these children experience that intimacy with you in ways even beyond what I have experienced. May they feel a oneness with you by the power of your Spirit. May they, even when they are old, be able to remain a child in your loving arms, in the arms of their daddy.
Amen
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Who Will Rescue Me?
For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:18,19,24,25)
Compassionate Father,
I thank you that your word meets us in the real world. We all feel the way Paul felt as he expressed his sentiment. These children will feel this way as they try to follow you. They will want to live right, but will find themselves doing things they know are not right and they will be kicking themselves over it. But these verses tell us the only solution - you must deliver us. And you must deliver us through Jesus. Deliver these children through you Son! Help them to know that their struggle with sin is every person's struggle. Help them to know that their struggle with sin does not mean you don't love them, to the contrary, you stand ready to deliver them. O Lord, deliver them when they cry out to you in their struggles.
Amen
Compassionate Father,
I thank you that your word meets us in the real world. We all feel the way Paul felt as he expressed his sentiment. These children will feel this way as they try to follow you. They will want to live right, but will find themselves doing things they know are not right and they will be kicking themselves over it. But these verses tell us the only solution - you must deliver us. And you must deliver us through Jesus. Deliver these children through you Son! Help them to know that their struggle with sin is every person's struggle. Help them to know that their struggle with sin does not mean you don't love them, to the contrary, you stand ready to deliver them. O Lord, deliver them when they cry out to you in their struggles.
Amen
Monday, June 3, 2013
Dry Bones
Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 37:11-14)
Father of New Beginnings,
From your word I know that these children will find themselves dead in their sins. They will be spiritual dry bones. But by your wonderful mercy and the love of your Son, they can be raised again to life in you. As they are buried with Jesus in baptism, they will arise as living spiritual beings, regenerated by you. But I pray these children also realize that in every Christian's walk, there are times when we again are dry bones. Times when our walk with you loses its vibrancy and joy - not by your doing, but by our detachment from the Source of all life. That detachment can be because we are lured away by the empty things of this world or it can be because we have been beaten down by life. In those times, Father, reach down with your mercy to regenerate their spirits, raising them up again to be mighty warriors for you.
Amen
Father of New Beginnings,
From your word I know that these children will find themselves dead in their sins. They will be spiritual dry bones. But by your wonderful mercy and the love of your Son, they can be raised again to life in you. As they are buried with Jesus in baptism, they will arise as living spiritual beings, regenerated by you. But I pray these children also realize that in every Christian's walk, there are times when we again are dry bones. Times when our walk with you loses its vibrancy and joy - not by your doing, but by our detachment from the Source of all life. That detachment can be because we are lured away by the empty things of this world or it can be because we have been beaten down by life. In those times, Father, reach down with your mercy to regenerate their spirits, raising them up again to be mighty warriors for you.
Amen
Raised to a New Life
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:1-4)
Father who transforms us,
I pray these children do not view baptism as simply sin management. Help them to see that you intend them to live a very different kind of life - a new life, a life unlike the rest of the world is living. Transform them into your image through your Spirit who indwells them. Enlighten them so that they can see what you want from them. Empower them so that they have the strength of will to follow after your design for their lives. Embolden them so that they live this new life with courage. Protect them from the arrows of the evil one. Show them that baptism is only the beginning of a lifelong journey you have in mind for them, a journey through which they serve as your ambassadors in this world and a journey which ends with life everlasting.
Amen
Father who transforms us,
I pray these children do not view baptism as simply sin management. Help them to see that you intend them to live a very different kind of life - a new life, a life unlike the rest of the world is living. Transform them into your image through your Spirit who indwells them. Enlighten them so that they can see what you want from them. Empower them so that they have the strength of will to follow after your design for their lives. Embolden them so that they live this new life with courage. Protect them from the arrows of the evil one. Show them that baptism is only the beginning of a lifelong journey you have in mind for them, a journey through which they serve as your ambassadors in this world and a journey which ends with life everlasting.
Amen
Sunday, June 2, 2013
A Righteousness From God
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
(Romans 3:21-24)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (II Corinthians 5:21)
Holy and Righteous Father,
These children will never measure up to your standards and they will come to know that. But I pray they do not become discouraged and give up when they come to this realization. May they, instead, truly come to understand and believe the miracle that occurs when your righteousness becomes our righteousness. This happens not because we become better people, but because of the faithfulness of your Son and our faith in him. I pray these children come to deeply believe and accept this gift from you.
Amen
(Romans 3:21-24)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (II Corinthians 5:21)
Holy and Righteous Father,
These children will never measure up to your standards and they will come to know that. But I pray they do not become discouraged and give up when they come to this realization. May they, instead, truly come to understand and believe the miracle that occurs when your righteousness becomes our righteousness. This happens not because we become better people, but because of the faithfulness of your Son and our faith in him. I pray these children come to deeply believe and accept this gift from you.
Amen
My Word does not Return to Me Empty
"As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
(Isaiah 55:10,11)
Sovereign Father,
I pray these children come to truly trust in your word. But I also pray they come to understand that they have your Word in their hands through your revealed word and from the example of the incarnate Word. Help them to learn and believe that they can use your word as they seek to accomplish things for the Kingdom, as they seek to minister to the hurting and as they seek to raise children, and that your word will continue to be powerful, alive, active, sharper than any double-edged sword and, when used by them, it will not return empty.
Amen
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
(Isaiah 55:10,11)
Sovereign Father,
I pray these children come to truly trust in your word. But I also pray they come to understand that they have your Word in their hands through your revealed word and from the example of the incarnate Word. Help them to learn and believe that they can use your word as they seek to accomplish things for the Kingdom, as they seek to minister to the hurting and as they seek to raise children, and that your word will continue to be powerful, alive, active, sharper than any double-edged sword and, when used by them, it will not return empty.
Amen
Come, Lord Jesus
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
(II Peter 3:10-13)
Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
(Revelation 22:12,13,17,20)
Lord Jesus,
I pray none of these little ones miss the mark of heaven. I pray they each accepts the invitation of the Spirit and the Bride, the Church. I pray they each desire and look forward to the Day and somehow thereby speed its coming. I pray that I see each of them in the new heaven and the new earth to come.
Amen, Come, Lord Jesus
(II Peter 3:10-13)
Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
(Revelation 22:12,13,17,20)
Lord Jesus,
I pray none of these little ones miss the mark of heaven. I pray they each accepts the invitation of the Spirit and the Bride, the Church. I pray they each desire and look forward to the Day and somehow thereby speed its coming. I pray that I see each of them in the new heaven and the new earth to come.
Amen, Come, Lord Jesus
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