A GOOD WAY TO START?

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 MARCH 22, 2023




Matthew 5:44

44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Luke 6:28

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

1 Timothy 2:1

1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.


I have been doing a lot of thinking lately on the practical ways that we can participate in loving others. Sometimes we feel like doing this, showing God’s love needs be something spectacular, maybe even something that drives us our of comfort zones. Not that coming out of comfortable places isn’t a good thing.

It occurred to me that perhaps a great way to start with sharing love with others is by praying for them. I believe we know that Prayer is powerful because prayer allows us to connect with God and that we can pour our hearts out to him. It causes us to know that we are heard!! 1 John 5:14 says,
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Admittedly, prayers aren’t just about us, our wants and needs. The Gospel's reveal to us that Jesus prayed for his disciples, John 17 records that after Jesus prayer for his disciples he prayed for all believers. 17:20 says  “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message …” Therefore, this implies that we can and should also pray on behalf of others.

So today, I invite all of us, to think of people in our life, even those that are difficult to be around, that really test our love. Jesus said “pray …. for those who persecute you, pray for those who mistreat you. Paul, we read, urges that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. So make a list of 2 or 3 people and begin to pray for them.

Here are some themes that we can pray for the people on our lists. That they might experience:
        • Peace
        • Comfort
        • Wisdom
        • Knowledge
        • Composure
        • Trust
        • Courage
        • Strength
        • Provision
Just watch how God moves!!

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