Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of David Archuleta and Nathan Pacheo singing … The Prayer, poignantly singing about the will of God for us to pray, pray, and pray some more.
Highlight Passage: 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 [NKJV] …
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
… Paul urges his fellow Christians to walk in surrender to God’s will and PRAY!
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Highlight Context: 1st Thessalonians 5:12-28 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+5%3A12-28&version=NKJV … Paul so wanted his fellow Christians to understand God’s will … and to follow it.
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Reference Passage #1 … Luke 5:15-16 [NKJV] …
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
… And if Jesus needed to unburden Himself through prayer; … should we not also follow His model?
Reference Passage #2 … Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV] …
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.
… Paul exhorts Christians to take their concerns and burdens to the Lord in prayer.
Reference Passage #3 … 1st Peter 5: 7 [NKJV] …
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
… Peter also wanted his fellow Christians to understand our need to take our burdens in this life to the Lord.
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Anne Cetas, used a cute, but pertinent, personal illustration to teach on the charge to Christians to pray. She wrote: Joie started the children’s program with prayer, then sang with the kids. Six-year-old Emmanuel squirmed in his seat when she prayed again after introducing Aaron, the teacher. Then Aaron began and ended his talk with prayer. Emmanuel complained: “That’s four prayers! I can’t sit still that long!”
And I’m afraid that all too many of us Christians, (yes even more mature believers), have the attitude of little Emmanuel in this illustration. We may recognize that God wants us to pray and bring our burdens to Him (see Scriptures above); but do we follow His will (made very clear in today’s highlight passage)? We, as His disciples are to follow His lead (see Luke 5:16; and then look up Luke 9:23) and develop a continual waking attitude of prayer (see attached photo).
Yes, with Paul’s strong exhortations ringing true above, I think many of us don’t use the burden-lifting tool of prayer enough, … DO WE? ... I’ll leave it to you to deal with the truth cited above. But for me, I’m seeking to do more of what David Archuleta and his friend sing about in the linked song today.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … I’m here with You, my Lord, … my God; … and I pray for an attitude of prayer … 24/7. 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, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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