Devotional Song: Go to this link – Please take your time to see a video of a poignant song, sung by Michael W Smith, Breathe, reminding believers that prayer is like the oxygen we breath to live in Christ.
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Highlight Passage #1 – NLT: Colossians 4: 12 …
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
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Highlight Context - NKJV: Colossians, Chapters 1 & 4 …
GO TO THIS LINK for Chapter 1 …
GO TO THIS LINK for Chapter 4 …
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Reference Passage #1: Matthew 6: 5-7 … GO TO THIS LINK [NKJV] … [Jesus on effective prayer.] …
Reference Passage #2: Philippians 4: 6-7 … [NKJV] … [God gives His prescription for powerful prayer. ] …
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Reference Passage #3: James 5: 16b … [NKJV] … [I may be the prayer warrior God needs today. ] …
16b … The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Reference Passage #4: Ephesians 6: 18b … [NKJV] … [I may be the prayer warrior God needs today.] …
18 … praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
My Journal for Today: From my Our Daily Bread devotional this AM, I’ve learned that the powerful Christian apologist Oswald Chambers was quoted to have said, … “ Prayer is not preparation for the work, … it is the work. “ And in their devotional the RBC authors tell the story of Billy Graham’s famous 1949 tent revival in Los Angeles where 6000 people gathered nightly under a big tent in LA for eight [8] straight weeks. Thousands made commitments for Christ and the news media flocked to cover the event. But as Cliff Barrows tells the story, there was also a “little tent” there, right next to the big revival tent, where a demure little lady, Pearl Goode, led several diligent prayer warriors EVERY NIGHT to pray for the event. According to Barrows, it was the warfare which transpired under the “little tent” which had everything to do with the success which occurred under the “big tent” there in LA during Graham’s revival.
And in the primary text for today’s blog, in the letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Colosse (mostly to Gentile Greek converts), Paul documents another Prayer Warrior for Christ, … the Colossian preacher, Epaphras, whose diligent prayer and evangelism had everything to do with those Greek Gentiles in that region of Asia-Minor coming to Christ in such robust numbers.
And taking all of this into account, I hope we can see, from the photo attached, Michael W Smith’s song, and the scriptures I’ve quoted above, that Oswald Chambers and Jesus’ brother, James, are absolutely right on … that … ”the effective, fervent, prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much” especially when it comes to doing battle for God’s kingdom (see also Ephesians 6: 18b).
So, if you’re reading here with me right now, let’s go find our quiet prayer closet and do business on our knees for God’s kingdom today.
My Prayer for Today … Lord, I’m here, seeking You, Holy Spirit, to guide me onto my knees and to breathe in Your essence as I pray, with a thankful heart, for many to come to know Your saving grace today. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread [TGIF], distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you’ll find a link to read the Our Daily Bread blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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