November 10, 2023… Loving Thru Prayer …

November 10, 2023… Loving Thru Prayer …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Kyle Sigmon singing  … Love Your Enemies …  Powerfully singing of how all Christians must follow God’s command to reach out with the love of God to pray for our enemies.         

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Highlight Passage: … Luke 6:28 [NLT] … 

28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 

… Jesus teaches His followers to love others and even to pray for those who hurt us.       

Highlight Passage in Context … Luke 6:27-31 (NLT) … USE THIS LINK ... </b> 

… Jesus, in sharing His time as a Rabbi, teaches His followers to share His love with others, … yes, even our enemies.        

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Reference Passage: … Matthew 5:43-44 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus, in His sermon on the mount, preaching of loving others, commands those who would follow Him to love and pray for even our enemies.   

Reference Passage: …Romans 8:26-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul teaches truth to his fellow Christians about God’s love and how God’s Spirit will help Christians as we pray to share God’s love with others.  

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 6:18 [NLT] …  

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.   

… Paul exhorts fellow Christians (and us) to pray, with help of God’s Spirit, for fellow believers everywhere, even those who are difficult to pray for.

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 4:16 [NLT] …  

16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.   

… God’s Spirit, thru the author of Hebrews, commands Christians to come to God’s throne of grace boldly to pray for God’s grace for others… yes, even our enemies.                     

Reference Passage: … James 5:16 [NLT] …  

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.  

… God’s Spirit, thru Jesus’ brother James, commands Christians to confess our sins and pray for one another because God’s power is released thru the prayers of righteous believers.           

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Leslie Koh … AT THIS LINK …  …   tells of an irritating fellow churchman, … John … who, the ODB author found it difficult with whom to interact because of his irritating personality.  But, remembering what is taught in Scriptures (see the highlight passage and the Scriptures above), the ODB author began praying for John.  It was difficult at first; but in time the author found it easier and easier to pray and interact with John.   

And I would guess that all of us reading here can think of a number of people with whom we find it difficult to interact.  But what does God’s word, and especially Jesus’ commands, say to us.  Yeah, … it’s tough to pray for those we find irritating or especially to pray for those who’ve hurt us in the past.  But if we claim to be followers - especially as Christ’s disciples - we MUST reach out, with God’s love and His grace, to pray for others - even our enemies.  So, let’s get to it today … and begin to pray for the “Johns” in our life.       

   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for convicting me to pray for those whom I find irritating or enemies.                                                       

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to seek Your Spirit, Lord, to humbly pray for those we think of as enemies.     … Amen 

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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.