Pray Network Forum

“Whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God..”

John 3:21

Do you like people to notice when you do what is right? Are you offended when you are not recognized for the good that you do? If so, you are showing your need for a spiritual heart transplant. It is important to see that this statement of Jesus in John 3:21 is given to us in the context of the new birth. I am not sure there is any greater evidence of having been born again than the willingness to be truly seen in our Lord's light.

You have to recognize your need. This is akin to Paul's quotation from Isaiah that our righteousness is like filthy rags. You have to admit that there is absolutely  nothing that is good in you. If God doesn't plant good in you, it will never grow there. Coming to God’s light will make it obvious that every good thing you are, or have, or do, is given to you. 

This includes what you may do for God. The Holy Spirit illustrates this truth in the life of John the Baptist. John's disciples told him everyone was going to Jesus to be baptized. John answered, “No one can receive anything that is not given him from heaven.” John knew his great ministry was given by God. He was a great preacher. He knew that was given to him. You might say, “I worked hard to develop my skill.” Where did your willingness and ability to discipline yourself come from? You might say, “What I did was ingenious.” Who gave you your intelligence? Who put you in those situations and around those people that you learned from?

Coming to the light of God is more than admitting your need to yourself. You need to be willing for everyone else to know. Do you seek the light of our Lord to show everyone your great lack and His wonderful sufficiency?

There is more that needs to be said about this. I will deal with it later. But what Jesus says here needs to be digested first.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page

https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

A Prayer for the Soul of a Nation by Jennifer LeClaire

Father, in the name of Jesus, forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Forgive us for the lack of prayer, for the abortions, for walking in fear instead of love, for being apathetic and lukewarm instead of fiery hot, for our greed and our misappropriated priorities, for not preaching the gospel, for consumerism and for following the comfort of the world. Forgive us, Lord, for sins of commission and sins of omission, in Jesus' name.

Father, we acknowledge You as the God of our nation. We give You the preeminence. We exalt You in the nation and praise Your holy name. We thank You for Your grace. We thank You for Your mercy. We thank You for Your long-suffering toward us. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for the covenant in the blood of Jesus. We thank You for Your goodness.

Father, we lift up our nation to you. Our nation is in crisis. There's a war for the soul of our nation—a raging war that threatens to allow demonic powers to have their way in our land. We remind You of Your word in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that says, "if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Father, You are our only hope. We refuse to put our trust in ourselves, our politicians, our medical doctors and others who promise solutions they cannot deliver without Your empowerment. We are subjects of Your kingdom of light, and we put our hope and our trust and our faith in You and You alone save the soul of our nation. You are sovereign, and You hear and answer prayer. So we humble ourselves before You and cry out to You for deliverance.

Revive us again, Lord. Give Your bride a hunger and a thirst for righteousness, holiness and justice. Teach us Your ways. Show us Your paths. Help us turn from our sin, from our wicked ways, from the evil desires of our heart—and toward Your generous Spirit. Help us to stop following after mammon, entertainment and selfish desires. Draw us back to You. Save our nation, and we will be saved. Do this for Your glory and Your namesake, oh Lord, in the name of Jesus.

https://www.charismanews.com/us/82135-join-this-prophetic-prayer-movement-for-the-soul-of-a-nation?utm_source=Charisma%20News%20Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=subscriber_id:4777542&utm_campaign=CNO%20daily%20-%202020-08-06

Isa 47:4 NIV

Our Redeemer--the LORD Almighty is His name-- is the Holy One of Israel.

From International Fellowship of Christians and Jews:

https://www.ifcj.org/who-we-are/

THE HIGH HOLY DAYS are a time of prayer, of turning to God, and of giving charity – and they mark the start of the Jewish New Year. As Jews around the world begin this holy year, The Fellowship is pleased to share this calendar with the upcoming Jewish holidays, along with ways you can pray for the Jewish people all year long.

September 19-20
Rosh Hashanah
Shanah Tovah! Pray that the Jewish
people will be blessed with a sweet
New Year, and that we all will rejoice in
God’s mercy, forgiveness, and blessings.

September 28
Yom Kippur
On this, the Day of Atonement –
the holiest day of the Jewish year –
let us pray for God’s redemption.

October 3-9
Sukkot
As the Jewish people build their sukkah
and prepare to celebrate God’s harvest,
let us praise Him for the provisions that
He gives all His children and remember
to trust in Him always.

For full 2020-2021 Calendar:

https://ifcj.org/static/documents/Praying-Through-Jewish-Holidays-2020.pdf

IN HIS NAME

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

John 1:12

I have always had some trouble understanding the phrase, “believing in His name.” What does it mean to believe in His name? Like many things in Scripture there are depths to this phrase that are beyond any of us. The deeper we look into one of these, as with other Scriptures, the more God will give us. We seldom use anything like this phrase in common speech. When I came to it in Scripture I would scratch my head and read on past it. God finally got my attention this week and I spent some time meditating on the words believing in His name. And God showed me some things I needed to see. I could write a great deal about what God gave me in these words, but there were two things that especially struck me..

1. First, we believe in The Identity of our Lord.

In Exodus 34:6-7, the Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed His name. 

“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

His name means all of this and more. His character is spoken in His name. His glory is in His name. His grace is in His name. His power and holiness are in His name. When you begin to realize who our Lord really is, it will transform your life. 

Do you see why John 3:18 says,

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

• And believing in His name means trusting in The Paternity of our Lord.

I bear the surname of my earthly father because I am his child. To believe in the name of Jesus is to trust that you are His because you have been born again into His eternal family. 

To believe in His name is to realize that He calls you by His name, and you are His. You have become a child of God!

In the model prayer Jesus taught us to begin with the words, “Our Father in heaven.” That prayer is an expression of faith in His compassionate fatherhood of His children. It is putting our trust in His name.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page

https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Do you ever find yourself praying, maybe even urgently, about things that really don't matter very much? Interestingly enough, we find some prayers like that in the Bible. In fact, Jesus began his supernatural ministry by answering a prayer for something that really didn't matter a great deal. In the second chapter of John Jesus performed his first public miracle. He turned water into wine at a wedding feast. No one was going to starve to death if he did not perform this miracle. Some people at a wedding party might have been embarrassed that they could not afford enough refreshments for all who came. It was not a crucial time in the plans of God. When Mary told Jesus about the need, He told her the timing was bad. And yet the Gospel says that Jesus manifested His glory and His disciples believed in him by answering this little prayer. This ought to encourage us to take the everyday things in our lives to our Lord in prayer.

I think of another miracle that Jesus did early in His ministry. He told fishermen who had fished all night without catching anything, to lower their nets in the day time. And they brought up enough fish that their partners in the other boat had to help them bring them into shore. I suspect those fishermen had a hard time selling that miraculous catch of fish. They might even have glutted the market for a week or so on the Sea of Galilee. As far as I can see the only goal of Jesus was to show those who would become his disciples that He was Lord in the everyday issues of life. Faith became something practical and fearful for His disciples. Peter came to him and said, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

God uses such prayer to reveal His glory and grow our faith in Him.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page

https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

WHY? #ReimaginePRAYER ...

Phil Miglioratti

• Because the Romans 12:2 command to "be transformed by the renewing of our mind" applies to not only to individuals but also to the corporate culture and systems of our ministries and churches.

• Because in prayer we are better at listing ("Give me, Help me, Bless me") that we are as listening (to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the applied reading of the Holy Scriptures)

• Because many of our ministry templates and formats are failing to produce Christ-followers who are effective in disciple-making, evangelism, praying, impacting neighbors & neighborhoods...

> Your thoughts?

I have had a passion for praying intentionally for my nine grandchildren for many years, ages 17 to 38 years and now we have five great-granddaughters, ages 9 months to 7 years. They are such a blessing to me and my husband.

Ten years ago, I was encouraged to write the book, Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. The book is bursting with creativity and practical applications equipping you to cultivate godliness in this generation. I want to share my passion for praying intentionally for my grandchild and great-grandchildren with you.   

We all know our world is in turmoil and confusion as we face two current pandemics, the problems of prejudice and injustice plaguing us right now, as the culture stretches our godly boundaries. One thing is crystal clear: politics will not heal us, and the government will not fix us. However, Grandparents must unite in a massive prayer movement rescue of our dear grandchildren and their parents. The “Revised and Expanded” Grandparenting with a Purpose, Effective Ways to Pray for Your Grandchildren" is designed to encourage and equip grandparents to pray for their grandchildren and their parents intentionally.

Since I have had many requests for a study guide to go with the chapters.  I have expanded the book with additional chapters and a study guide for each chapter, which you will find useful.

• I have found many hurting estranged grandparents today with heavy hearts, so I am addressing that issue in a chapter. Is your grandparenting Painful or a blessing?
• I include a section looking at a view of the culture our grandchildren and their parents are navigating today.
• God’s Design for grandparenting plus several additional chapters and Scriptures to Pray for Teens and Scriptures for Grandparents to pray for themselves.

Ken R. Canfield, PHD., Founder of the National Association for Grandparenting and Grands Matter, writes, “This book is a must-read for any grandparent who hungers for supernatural strength and insight and who labors on behalf of their children and grandchildren.”

The Softcover book retails for $14.99 plus shipping. However, I have a special offer of $15.00, including shipping costs in the U.S. I will include four bonus prayer cards:

1. 31 Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren
2. More A Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren
3. Scriptures for Grandparents to pray for themselves
4. Scriptures to Pray for Teenagers

The eBook is available for $4.99 from Amazon on their website, which is excellent for foreign orders to save shipping costs.

PS: Have you heard about the Virtual Grandparents Day of Prayer on September 13, 2020.

To learn about it go to  https://christiangrandparenting.com/prayer/grandparents-day-of-prayer/

To Buy Now: On this site, click on the Purchase button, complete order form, and the book and bonus will be shipped immediately for orders in the U.S.

My prayer is for you to be encouraged in your prayer life for your grandchildren and their parents as you read this book.

By Lillian Penner, Church Coordinator for Christian Grandparenting Network,

Author of Grandparenting with a Purpose and blogger. pennerlp@gmail.com

Are you growing nearer to God in prayer?

We are familiar with John 15 that says our Lord is the vine and we are His branches. Jesus applies that wonderful picture in the verses that follow.

John 15:7,8

This morning I prayed, “Lord, help me find the remote control.” Many of our prayers are trivial. In fact from God's perspective most of our prayers are trivial. I am reading Munich Signature as I re-read The Zion Covenant series. In the book a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany wonders how her husband could have longed to have a radio, and how she could have wept that all five of their children needed shoes at the same time. Now they wept with thanksgiving that all of them were alive and together on the deck of a rusty steamer that left Hamberg without a destination. We will someday see that most of our prayers are less important than we once thought.

Many of our prayers are actually counterproductive. We pray, “Lord take me out of this difficult situation.” or “Make my life easier.” when God has appointed us to bear witness to people there who will come to Christ, or to minister to others who are hurting there. In another series by Bodie Thoene, the author of The Zion Covenant books, a black man in a dire situation wants to pray for God to let him die. His wife reminds him that he had prayed that way before. And now he could thank God for not answering that prayer.

James 1 advises us to give thanks for tribulation because that develops steadfastness in our lives. In Romans 5 Paul says we are to allow that growth in spiritual stability to become character and hope in God that will never disappoint.

But even when our prayers are shallow and misdirected, they are prayers. And God uses them to draw us nearer and nearer to Himself. By our continual praying we abide in Jesus. Through the power of His word and the trials of life our prayers grow us nearer and make us more like Him.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page

https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

In the midst of my third pandemic book, I developed writer’s block.  Wikipedia defines this as “a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown.” When we were first told to shelter in place, I was extremely frustrated so I asked God what I was supposed to do with my calling, since I couldn’t go anywhere.  When I said “Amen” and looked up, my eyes fell on some of the books I had previously authored, and it was as if God said, “You don’t have to go anywhere to write.”  So I wrote my first pandemic book, “Praying through the Beatitudes,” then I co-authored a second book, “Crisis Care Crisis Prayer” which is currently with the publisher.  In the midst of my third book, “Praying Through the Seven Churches and Beyond,” I hit the wall.  I developed writer’s block.  What does one do when he sits at the computer and the mind is as blank as the page in front, while the cursor mocks with its repeated blinking?  I sought out what other, writer’s said about writer’s block.  Charles Bukowski, a German--American poet, novelist, and short-story writer, said, “Writing about a writer's block is better than not writing at all.” Another writer said, “If you have writer’s block, write about having writer’s block, and you will no longer have it.” Those ideas, plus the words of another writer, the Apostle Paul, helped relieve my anxiety and get me back to writing.  Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” So, I prayed my way through my writer’s block, even as I wrote about it, and onward I went.  If you read my third pandemic book, look for the place where I suffered writer’s block, and how I prayed through it. It might even help you next time you suffer this condition.

Let’s make National Grandparents’ Day on September 13, 2020, a Day of Prayer for our grandchildren and their parents!

 What Is the Need?

The enemy prowls like a lion, infiltrating our culture with lies and deception. He attacks our families at all levels. Even our Christian faith is under attack. As a result, parents and grandparents find themselves in a tug-of-war for the souls of their children and grandchildren.

Paul warns us, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Barna Research confirms Paul’s warning. Fifty-eight percent of adults living in the United States agree that “identifying moral truth is up to each individual; there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time. Surprisingly, forty-eight percent of adults identified as born-again Christians agreed with the statement.”[1] 

God has given grandparents a sacred trust – an opportunity to imprint another generation with His love and faithfulness. We need to intercede for the hearts, minds, and souls of our grandchildren and their parents, praying they don’t fall captive to the enemy’s deception.

With this in mind, the Prayer Ministry is inviting you and your church families to join us on National Grandparents’ Day (September 13th) for a Virtual Grandparents’ Day of Prayer.

WHAT IS A “VIRTUAL GRANDPARENTS’ DAY OF PRAYER”?

Several years ago, the prayer ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) saw the urgency to establish a day for grandparents to unite in prayer. Under the leadership of Lillian Penner, the second Sunday of September was named Grandparents’ Day of Prayer. This day coincided with the National Grandparents’ Day in the United States. Churches enthusiastically responded by hosting events such as grandparent prayer breakfasts, luncheons and afternoon teas.

The present pandemic has forced many churches to close or limit the amount of available seating. Therefore, instead of the traditional Grandparents’ Day of Prayer, we are inviting you, as grandparents, to observe a Virtual Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 13th. We are encouraging you to pray with at least one other grandparent over the phone, via a conferencing tool such as Zoom, or in-person with careful observance of social distancing guidelines.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS?

Prior to September 13th:

1. Enlist at least one other grandparent to pray with you.
2. Select a time and “location” (ie. phone call, Zoom chat or social distanced).
3. Markdown this information on your calendar.

 On September 13th:

1. Connect virtually with the other grandparents.
2. Open with a brief devotion.
3. Pray together for the salvation and sanctification of your grandchildren and their parents.
4. Close with the Lord’s Prayer.

After September 13th: 

Consider praying monthly with the other grandparent(s) for one year.

To learn more go to: https://christiangrandparenting.com/prayer/grandparents-day-of-prayer/

[1] The findings are part of the American Worldview Inventory and were released by George Barna, director of research at the cultural research center at Arizona Christian University.

By Lillian Penner,

GDOP Coordinator, Christian Grandparenting Prayer ministry

lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

http://markmirza.com/conflict/

There are a lot of ideas on how to address our problematic issues in the USA, namely:

• Racial Fairness
• Political Tension
• Employment Disparities
• Etc.

From my little perch in Midtown Atlanta, GA, I see the numerous arguments, and the emotional intensity on opposite sides of each issue! They are evident in both the world and the church.

May I give you a simple solution from Scripture?

First, my message here is not for the unsaved. Why? Because spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). The only message I have to the unsaved through all of this is, “Get saved!”

But, what is the message to the Christian, to each of us individually?

It comes from Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

I think that means:

• Be obedient unto love, not hate, no matter how different someone’s views or looks are from you. And;
• Be obedient unto forgiveness, no matter what was done and by whom.

Too simple?

Maybe so, but isn’t that just like God?

PS. Don’t confuse simple with “easy.” It’s not easy. . .which is why we have the Holy Spirit.

I look forward to serving with all y’all.

Blessings,

Mark S Mirza
Common Thread Ministries/Founder
National Day of Prayer/Georgia State Coordinator

John 1:16

It is important for us to understand something theologians have called, "Common Grace." God is not simply working in the lives of believers. He is at work in every human being. “We have all received grace upon grace.” Every throb of your heart muscle, every breath of air and the ability of your body to draw oxygen is given by God through His Creator/Sustainer Son. The universe and the Earth that sustains life are given by grace. All human ability and ingenuity comes through Jesus. John 1:14 says His glory is the glory of the only Son from the Father, “full of grace and truth.” He lavishes grace and truth upon all humanity.

The ability to understand anything comes through the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us. Believers are sometimes confused about the value of abilities that we developed before we came to know Christ personally. But when you understand that your ability to sing or play the piano, paint or speak eloquently is given you personally and individually by Christ, you see how your natural ability works together with spiritual gifts given you after the spirit of God has come to dwell in you. Of course they sometimes form a counterbalance to our spiritual gifts. Moses had a speech impediment, and yet the book of Deuteronomy is a record of the marvelous sermons Moses preached to the children of Israel at Mount Horeb. I remember hearing the testimony of a high school wrestler who had a learning disability that had kept him from reading anything. Yet when he came to Christ he began to voraciously read God's word with amazing understanding.

However our natural abilities usually work in perfect union with the gifts and calling that God gives after we come to Christ. The great intellect of someone like Blaise Pascal, C.S. Lewis or Francis Schaeffer was certainly active before they came to know Christ. But God mightily used their intellect in conjunction with their spiritual gifts in the calling of God upon their lives.

Some of that grace comes through the conscience. The Bible says the law of God is written on the hearts of men. No one is shocked to discover that God forbids bearing false witness. People know innately that murder and theft are wrong. This is from common grace. You also find people who do not know Christ sacrificing in love for other people, being honest to their own hurt, and living in peace with their neighbors. These are all expressions of common grace.

We can rejoice that God is at work throughout the world around us. In these troubled times there is a peace that comes from the assurance that God is at work all around us. His Spirit touches people whose mindset and world view reject God at every turn.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page

https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

It seems like our social media, financial, and email accounts get hacked now and then. When that happens, we change our passwords to protect our privacy since we don’t want intruders to access our accounts. Passwords protect our accounts.

I recently heard a message that spoke to my heart about guarding my heart just as I protect my Internet accounts.  We read in God’s Word that we are to guard our hearts. In Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”  Don’t let the enemy hack your heart.

How Do We Guard Our Hearts?

We can protect, defend, and shield our hearts from Satan by developing an intimate relationship with God. Paul tells us, “Set your hearts on things above . . . Not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1, 2) The enemy wants to rob our hearts; he tries to get us overwhelmed, defeated, tired, and so busy that when God wants to get our attention, His call goes to “voice mail”. As grandparents, we can set an example by demonstrating that our relationship with God is a high priority.

We must guard our hearts because God valued our hearts, the hearts of our grandchildren, and their parents since He sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to die on the cross for our sins.

Do you have a password to guard your heart against the distractions and business of your life? My favorite password is Joshua 1:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. When the enemy tries to hack my heart, I claim my password. Do you have a password to keep your heart from being hacked by the enemy, if you don’t have one, find one in God’s Word before your next attack?

 Our grandchildren are living amid a cultural and spiritual battle, a brutal and vicious war against a subtle and friendly enemy (Satan) who knows his time is short. We have a responsibility to pray for them and encourage them to guard their hearts.

Don’t let the enemy rob your heart; he tries to get you overwhelmed, defeated, tired, and so busy that when God wants to get your attention, His call often goes to “voice mail”. Spend time in His Word. Don’t forget your password when you need to guard your heart against your busy schedule, and you don’t have a chance to cover your grandchildren and their parents in prayer.

That is why Christian Grandparenting Network is asking grandparents throughout the world to unite in prayer for their grandchildren and their parents.

Watch for information about the upcoming

Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 13, 2020.

As writers we deal with words, and most of us love them.

The biblical languages are filled with vivid metaphors to help us understand deep and crucial truths. Three of them come to mind that apply wonderfully to us as Christian Writers. They are Angel, Apostle, and Deacon.

Revelation 2:1

The word angel means messenger. And while it is certainly applied to heavenly beings like in John 1 where Jesus told Nathaniel he would see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. But it doesn't always refer to heavenly beings. When Jesus quoted Malachi saying "I will send my messenger before you." He used the word angelos, but John the Baptist fulfilled that prophecy. In Revelation 2 and 3 when Jesus addressed the angels of the churches, I suspect He was telling John to take His words to the messengers or preachers in the churches.
As a writer you too are an angel. You have a message from God for the hearts of your readers.

Ephesians 1:1

Apostle is another important metaphor for you. The word Apostle is used for more than the 12 chosen by Jesus at the beginning of His ministry. Of course Paul calls himself an apostle. He also calls Barnabas and Silas apostles. Hebrews 3:1 calls Jesus our apostle and high priest. In Romans 16 Paul greeted Andronicus and Junia who were well known among the apostles.

The word means sent out. In John 1:6 the verb form of apostle is used to say, “There was a man sent from God.” You have also been commissioned by God to write. There is an urgency to your mission.

1 Timothy 3:13

The word deacon was one of the primary words used for a servant in the Roman world. The church applied the word to those who minister to the needs of others.

In Romans 16:1 Paul wrote the church about a lady named Phoebe.

Here the word translated, “servant,” is the word deaconos-deacon. Without slipping off into the question as to whether the term was used formally here, let me point out that you are called to address human needs.

*From Worth A Thousand Pictures, from the book, Take Me To The Garden

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website
http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page
https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

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Phil Miglioratti

phil@nppn.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw6_oIvbDm4

I am astounded by the number of deep truths that rise to the surface of John chapter 1. Some of them are expressed by the reciprocating metaphors of the word and the light. Look with me at these verses.

John 1:1

John 1:4

John 1:9-14

All reality is explained in these metaphors. Here are a few things that are revealed.

All Creation Is Explained.

Astronomers have discovered many evidences that we live in an information rich universe. So many variables had to be precisely what they are for the universe to exist and accommodate life. From the discovery of the complex code of DNA, we have learned that instructions produce every characteristic of plant and animal life.

Jesus was the living word that burst forth when God said, “Let there be light.”

All Consciousness Is Explained.

In Him was life and His life shines through all humanity. The bright light of human consciousness does not come from inanimate matter, plus chance, plus time. It comes from the living, creating, producing person of God through His Son. All your ability to understand anything is given you by a living, conscious, personal, loving God. Growing in spiritual consciousness comes in relationship with Jesus, the Word of God.

All Communion Is Explained.

Those who receive Him trusting in His name become children of God. We were not made to be independent beings. By His authority and transforming power, and at His invitation you can become God's own child, we are reborn into His family.

All Glory Is Explained.

Light is not simply a metaphor for understanding. The glory of God is depicted as light. Through the light of Jesus in creation, history, and in our lives we bask in the everlasting glory of God.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page

https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

In the early days of the Coronavirus quarantine, I was extremely restless and frustrated. Even in retirement, I’ve been running close to full speed. Sitting in my den recliner I was reading my Bible, and praying, and asking God what I was to “do” since my travel was now limited and cancellations had caused more Liquid Paper than ink on my calendar. Having just read James 1:22, “Be doers of the word,” I looked up and saw on the fireplace mantle, my wife’s display of all the books I had written, and it was as if God spoke audibly, although I heard no sound. “You don’t have to travel to write another book, so do it.” Thus, was born my most recent book. It took a few weeks to write, and a few more weeks to publish, but last week, “Praying through the Beatitudes” was released – an answer to my pandemic prayer. As a big fan of twentieth century Methodist missionary, E. Stanley Jones, I have long had one of his quotes in my notes. “Prayer is commission. Out of the quietness with God, power is generated that turns the spiritual machinery of the world. When you pray, you begin to feel the sense of being sent, that the divine compulsion is upon you.” Sitting in my den, I definitely felt commissioned, even compelled to write. Prayer commissioned. Prayer driven. Prayer answered. By the way, should you want a copy, it can be ordered by title, on amazon. And what has God directed you to “do” during the pandemic?