And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul….
— Acts 19:11

All miracles are extraordinary, but every once in a while, God performs miracles that are truly out of the ordinary. A great example of these exceptional miracles is found in Acts 19:11, where the Bible says, “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.” This verse provides great insight into the subject of miracles, but in order to grasp its full significance, it is important to understand the historical context in which these miracles occurred.

At the time these miracles took place, the apostle Paul was ministering in the city of Ephesus in the Roman province of Asia. This major metropolis was famous throughout the ancient world as a center of paganism and was home to approximately 250,000 people who were consumed with paganism, idolatry, and witchcraft. In fact, the cults in this city were so renowned that people journeyed from every corner of the Roman Empire to experience the dark supernatural forces in the city’s temples.

For example, on the outskirts of Ephesus stood the great Temple of Artemis, a structure so magnificent that it was listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. At the center of this enormous complex stood a gargantuan statue of Artemis, the Ephesian goddess of fertility, and behind these temple walls, her worshipers engaged in dark, perverse rituals.

Other prominent pagan religions existed in Ephesus as well. The temples of Gaius Julius Caesar and Dea Roma sat side by side on a high point in the city. These twin structures were constructed at the order of the Emperor Augustus and served as a hub for emperor worship in Ephesus during the First Century AD. Pagan priests swarmed these temple grounds, offering sacrifices to the gods and serving as chosen vehicles of mystical power — those who uttered dark secrets and spoke prophetic declarations as mediums between the spirit world and man.

The massive Temple of Serapis — the Egyptian god of the heavens, the underworld, and medicine — was another center of pagan worship in Ephesus. Even in the spiritually charged atmosphere of Ephesus, the cult of Serapis was famous for its supernatural activity. It attracted people who were especially driven to know the dark secrets of the underworld and participate in the rituals that transpired in this temple around the clock.

However, it was in this wicked, spiritually charged city that the apostle Paul experienced some of the most extraordinary miracles of his ministry. If he was to capture the attention of the Ephesians so they would open their hearts to the message of the Gospel, a special miracle-working power would be required. That is why Acts 19:11 tells us that “…God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.”

I want to draw your attention to the word “wrought” in this verse. It is from the Greek word poieo, which denotes creativity. Because the word poieo is used in this context, we know that the miracles taking place in Ephesus were miracles of a creative nature. Furthermore, the tense of this Greek word conveys the idea of continuous action. This means that when this unique demonstration of miracles began, it was not just one or two miracles that occurred at the hands of the apostle Paul, but rather a practically unending flow of miracles.

In the Greek text, two words are used to express the type of miracles that were being wrought at the hands of Paul. First, the word “miracles” is the Greek word dunamis, which refers to explosive, dynamic power. This tells us that explosive, phenomenal power was flowing through Paul’s hands. In fact, this power was so out of the ordinary that the Bible describes it as “special,” which is a translation of the Greek word tugchano. This Greek word means to hit upon, to happen upon, or to fall upon. It implies something unique that overtakes someone or a power that falls on someone as if to take him or her by surprise.

Paul literally hit upon, happened upon, or fell into a level of power that was without equal in his experience. He found himself suddenly operating in a realm of miracles that was extraordinary and powerful beyond his wildest expectations. Of course, all miracles are uncommon, but there was something about these miracles in particular that transcended every miracle that Paul had previously experienced during his ministry. From the usage of this Greek word tugchano, it seems that Paul himself was surprised by the exceptional assortment of miracles that were occurring at his own hands.

This is the only record we have in the book of Acts where “special miracles” occurred at the hands of the apostle Paul. Certainly miracles occurred frequently throughout his ministry, but not miracles of this magnitude and quality. In fact, a better rendering of the phrase “special miracles” would be “mighty, exceptional, out-of-the-ordinary deeds.” These were acts of a supernatural phenomenon of the highest order! Although God performed many miracles through Paul at different times in his ministry, it seems that these particular manifestations of His power may have occurred only in one particular season of Paul’s ministry, as it is recorded in Acts 19:11.

God knows how to reach people in every unique situation. In Ephesus — a city obsessed with supernatural activity — normal miracles would never have been enough to hold the attention of the local population. Therefore, God unleashed His power and performed special miracles at the hands of Paul that were truly out of the ordinary. These were rare, unusual, unique, extraordinary, incomparable works of God. Because the word poieo (“wrought”) is used in this verse, it suggests these were creative miracles — such as the sudden, miraculous replacement of limbs or body parts. Certainly that kind of supernatural demonstration is above and beyond normal healing power and would fall into the category of “special miracles”!

The supernatural power operating through Paul was so great that it caused a multitude of Ephesians to turn to the Lord. Acts 19:18,19 tells us that those who had previously been involved in occult practices repented before Christ and burned their books of sorcery and witchcraft. As a result of God working “special miracles” through the hands of Paul, one of the most powerful churches of the New Testament was established in the city of Ephesus.

Never forget that God knows how to reach every group of people. He knows exactly what kind of power you need to fulfill your assignment and what kind of powerful demonstrations are needed to reach the unique group of people you are called to influence in your life. If you will allow the Lord to have His way and to use you as He wishes, you may find yourself surprised at the level of power He allows to flow through you!

Rather than say, “Oh, this person is hard to reach,” or, “This city is dark and very hard to penetrate with the Gospel,” why don’t you open up your heart and let the Holy Spirit unleash His powerful, creative abilities to work through you? If He did it through Paul, He can do it through you! If you’ll just open up your heart and become a willing vessel, you may be surprised to see a special, out-of-the-ordinary kind of power begin to flow through you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I make myself available for You to unleash Your power through me! You are not a respecter of persons, so I know that if You did it through Paul, You can do it through me. Forgive me for thinking that some of the people in my life are too difficult to reach with the Gospel. Help me remember that You are acquainted with those I’m trying to reach and You know exactly what needs to be done to reach them and to keep them. I open my heart to You today with confident expectation that out-of-the-ordinary power will begin to flow through me for the glory of God and the benefit and blessing of others. So today I make myself available to You, Father, in a fresh way. Be glorified through my body as You stretch forth Your hand. I am Yours.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that God wants to manifest Himself through me! From this day forward, I choose to live conscious of God’s mighty power that is already at work within me. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells in me. Therefore, I know that God wants to reveal Himself. The eyes of the Lord are searching throughout the earth, looking for someone through whom He can work and show Himself strong. That someone might as well be me! Starting today, I am opening my heart and mind to the possibility that God will reveal His amazing power through me! I believe it; I expect it; and I now anticipate the moment when this divine power starts operating in me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What is the most remarkable miracle you have ever witnessed firsthand?
2. Can you remember the first miracle you ever saw? Can you recall where you were and what happened when you witnessed your first miracle?
3. Have you ever entered into a place and time, just as the apostle Paul did, when God was doing miracles through you that were beyond your wildest dreams? If not, do you desire to experience this kind of miracle-working power of God?

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks.
— Revelation 1:12

As we saw in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, there was no commodity in the ancient world more valuable than pure gold. In fact, the desire to obtain hoards of gold was the root of countless wars and brought ruin upon many civilizations because it fueled man’s lust for wealth and power. Therefore, it is very significant that gold would be used to symbolize the Church in Revelation 1:12, when John witnessed “seven golden candlesticks” in his vision of the exalted Christ. This was God’s way of conveying the immense value He places upon the Church of Jesus Christ!

However, there is another very important element of symbolism in Revelation 1:12 — it is the identification of the Church as a “candlestick.” Today I want focus on this word to see why the Holy Spirit chose it to depict the Church.

The word “candlesticks” in this verse is the Greek word luchnos, which refers to an oil-burning lamp rather than a wax candle as are commonly found in homes today. Such lamps were fashioned of earthen clay with a reservoir to hold oil and a wick that gave light in darkness once it was lighted.

Once when I was traveling in Israel, I came across a store that was filled with wonderful antiquities — rare archeological pieces that had been unearthed from locations across the Middle East. In that store, I saw pristine coins from the Roman Empire, small statuettes from Persia, aqua-green colored effigies from tombs in Egypt, and broken fragments of Greek and Roman idols, among numerous other treasures. In one large glass case, I noticed a large collection of ancient oil-burning lamps that had been discovered in archeological excavations across Israel.

In today’s world, we are fortunate to have electricity and lights nearly everywhere, but in the ancient world, oil-burning lamps were a very important part of life. From the smallest house to the greatest palace, every residence depended on oil-burning lamps for light at night. Every house, apartment, store, and place of business in the ancient world had at least one and often many small oil-burning lamps to give light in darkness. Oil-burning lamps were also used in certain religious rituals, such as the seven-branched golden candelabra used in the Jewish temple, which was a fabulous creation of seven oil-burning lamps.

Because the ancient world depended on oil-burning lamps to illuminate darkness, the image of the Church as an oil-burning lamp (luchnos) in Revelation 1:12 is especially significant. Jesus was making an important declaration about the Church and its role in this world. Let’s take a moment to study the characteristics of these lamps in order to fully appreciate this powerful message about the Body of Christ.

The first fact to note is that oil-burning lamps during New Testament times were made from fragile, brittle earthen clay. Paul referenced this material in Second Corinthians 4:7 when he wrote, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” The phrase “earthen vessels” in this verse is a translation of the Greek word ostrakinos, which was used to describe small, cheap, easily broken pottery that was crafted from inferior materials.

This kind of pottery was weak, fragile, and valueless, and it often had noticeable defects. Because of the cheap, disposable nature of this “bargain-basement” pottery, it was rarely if ever found in wealthy homes. Rather, it was purchased by people in lower-class neighborhoods who couldn’t afford to buy better merchandise. Over time, this word ostrakinos eventually came to represent anything inferior, low-grade, mediocre, shoddy, second-rate, or substandard. This is exactly the type of shoddy, fragile clay that Paul was referring to in Second Corinthians 4:7. Therefore, since the oil-burning lamps (luchnos) in New Testament times were made from this same material, we see that the Church is made of people who tend to be fragile, frail, and imperfect. However, this is not the full story!

The second key point to note about oil-burning lamps is that they contained oil. This is important because it reveals that the Church of Jesus Christ is the container of the Holy Spirit on planet earth! Even though we may be fragile and seem inferior or imperfect, the fact remains that God has deposited His Spirit inside the Church! We contain an endless supply of the oil of the Holy Spirit!

Furthermore, these oil-burning lamps also had wicks that ran deep into the oil reservoir and soaked up oil until they were completely saturated. These saturated wicks could then be ignited to burn and give light. In the Church today, each of us is like one of those wicks! We as believers are permanently placed in the Body of Christ, where we soak up the oil of the Holy Spirit. God’s plan is for every believer to be so saturated with the Spirit that we can be set ablaze to shed light into the darkness of a lost and dying world, just as a lamp lights up a room. And the amazing news is that the Church has a whole reservoir of the Spirit, so it’s possible for every believer to be drenched with the oil of the Holy Spirit!

It is a fact that God has fashioned the Church to shine His light into darkness, and that is what we must do regardless of where we live or work. If we succumb to the devil’s attacks in our Church — allowing Him to trample on the lamp, drain the oil, and put out the fire of the Spirit — it will snuff out God’s light in our world! That is why the devil hates the Church and wants to extinguish its flame!

As we blaze with the Spirit’s fire and preach the uncompromising Word of God, a piercing light shines forth into the darkness that surrounds us. Imagine how dark the world would be if there were no Church, no preaching, no declaration of the Bible, and no movement of the Spirit. It is no wonder why the devil hates the Church! We are his greatest threat!

In Second Corinthians 4:4, Paul spoke of the Church shining light into the lives of unbelievers, saying, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” By burning with the oil of the Spirit and shining light in the world, we can hinder the work of Satan in this world and cause men who are blinded by darkness to see the light that can set them free!

The Church is the “oil-burning lamp” of God in the world. Therefore, don’t let the devil extinguish your light or talk you into giving up on the Church! Satan is terrified of the Body of Christ because he knows it is his greatest enemy in the world. Don’t ever forget this, regardless of what you see, hear, or feel about the Church. And remember — you are a member of the Body, and the devil is terrified of you! So make the decision today to let the Holy Spirit set your heart afire. Then guard that flame and don’t let anything snuff it out, so that you and the local body of believers God has placed you in can keep shining the light of the Gospel to those who are lost in darkness!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for sending Jesus to give His life and His blood to purchase the Church! You have graciously filled me with the oil of the Holy Spirit so I can bring the saving light of the Gospel to those who sit in darkness. Set me ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit so those who are blinded by Satan can also come to know the boundless love and power of Jesus Christ!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that as a believer, I am permanently placed in the Body of Christ, which is the Church. God’s plan for me is to be saturated with the Holy Spirit, just as a wick would soak up oil, so that I can be set ablaze to shed light into the darkness of a lost and dying world. Even though I may seem fragile or imperfect, God has chosen to deposit the power and preciousness of His Holy Spirit within my earthen vessel so I can shine brightly to the glory of God! Therefore, I walk with confidence in life, knowing that the devil is terrified and Jesus Christ is glorified as I shine bright with the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit within me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Are you burning with the fire of the Holy Spirit as God intends? What evidence lets you know that you are alight with the Spirit’s flame?
2. Was there a time in your life when you burned with the Spirit more brightly than you do now? If you answered yes, when was that time, and what caused your fire to dim over the years?
3. If you met someone who no longer burns with the Spirit’s fire as he or she once did, what steps would you recommend that person take in order to reignite that lost fire?

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of man.…
— Revelation 1:12,13

When the apostle John was exiled on a barren stretch of rock called the Isle of Patmos, Jesus appeared to him without warning and began to reveal mysteries concerning the role of the Church in these end times. Today and tomorrow, I want to focus on one feature about this divinely granted appearance: What were the “golden candlesticks” that Jesus spoke about? The answer to that question is not just an intellectual exercise. It’s a very important truth to grasp in order to better understand Jesus’ heart and to grow in your ability to see as He sees and to love what He loves.

In Revelation 1:10, John stated that suddenly he heard a great voice speaking to him. Captivated, John quickly turned to see its source. He wrote, “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candle- sticks, one like unto the Son of man…” (Revelation 1:12,13).

Notice that John said Jesus was standing “…in the midst of seven golden candlesticks….” Revelation 1:20 reveals what this symbolism was supposed to convey: “…The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” According to this verse, the seven golden candlesticks that John saw in verse 12 and 13 specifically represented seven functioning churches that existed in the Roman province of Asia during the time the apostle John was prisoner on the Isle of Patmos. Yet the message Jesus was about to deliver to John not only was intended for these specific congregations, but also to the Church as a whole in every age.

The word “golden” in Revelation 1:12 is the Greek word chrusos. This Greek word was used throughout Scripture and other ancient literature to denote the precious metal gold. It described gold, gold coins, gold jewelry, gold fabric, and other items that were fashioned of pure gold.

In the ancient world, there were two kinds of gold — gold that was absolutely pure and gold that was an alloy, meaning it had been mixed with other metals such as silver. Pure gold was considered to be the highest quality and most desirable form of the metal. Varieties that had been mixed with other metals were considered to be less valuable and of a lower grade. The Greek word chrusos — the same word John used in Revelation 1:12 to describe the “golden candlesticks” — referred to pure gold of the highest quality.

Raw gold is typically discovered encased in rock. Once the gold-bearing rock is removed from the earth, it must be crushed in order for the gold to be extracted. After the rock is crushed, water is forced over the broken fragments to wash away everything except the raw gold itself. With the rubble removed, the gold is exposed and then placed into a fiery furnace. There the blazing hot temperatures melt the gold into liquid form and bring all the impurities hidden in the metal to the surface where they can be scraped off by a refiner who oversees the whole process. The heat is turned up again and again, and with each increase in temperature, more impurities are brought to the surface where they can be scraped away.

If the impurities in the metal are not removed, they will become a defect that decreases the strength of that batch of gold. Intense fire is necessary to remove these impurities, and the refining process requires time, patience, and many degrees of blazing hot temperatures. If the process is carried through to completion, however, the result is a soft, pliable pure gold that a gold worker can beat and shape into an exquisite object. From beginning to end, this is a lengthy, tedious, expensive, and complicated process.

Because of the great cost in producing refined gold, it was associated with kings and royalty. Even the cups, bowls, and plates used on a king’s table were frequently made of the pure gold. Today in the Moscow Kremlin Palace Museum, not far from where my family lives, there is a vast collection of cups, bowls, plates, saucers, and platters made of pure gold that were once used to serve food and drink to the Russian royal family. Only pure gold would do for magnificent kings and their royal families.

When ambassadors or heads of state came to visit mighty kings in ancient times, they always came with a gift to present to the king. Of all possible gifts, the greatest honor was to bring a gift made of pure gold. Giving a gift of pure gold demonstrated honor and respect and showed one’s appreciation of the ruler’s great worth.

Unlike silver, gold does not tarnish, rust, corrode, or corrupt with time. Gold coins might lie buried in the earth or at the bottom of the sea for hundreds or even thousands of years, but when they are discovered, they appear as brilliant as the day they were lost. Thus, because of its incorruptible nature, pure gold became a symbol of enduring value.

In both Old and New Testament times, there was nothing more valuable than pure gold. Therefore, God’s use of the word “golden” (chrusos) to describe the Church conveys a very important message about what He thinks about the Church of Jesus Christ — and, therefore, what He thinks about you and every one of your brothers and sisters in Christ!

First, because the word chrusos describes gold of the highest purity, we see that the Church is pure gold in the eyes of Jesus Christ! Like a miner who goes deep into the earth to extract rock that contains gold, Jesus stepped into the darkness of sin in the human race to extract the Church from this lost world. The Gospel was preached; the lost were convicted of sin, and the Word of God, like rushing water, poured over the souls of the redeemed to remove rubble, wreckage, and waste from their lives. Since the birth of the Church 2,000 years ago, Jesus, our Great Refiner, has been washing the Body of Christ with His Word and overseeing the purifying and refining of His precious Church!

The specific seven churches in the book of Revelation that Jesus referred to had some very serious problems, many of which are the very same problems we see in the Church today. In fact, the book of Revelation tells us:

• They left their first love (Revelation 2:4).
• They were spiritually fallen (Revelation 2:5).
• They had false doctrine (Revelation 2:14 and 2:20).
• They had the compromise of the Nicolaitans in their midst (Revelation 2:6 and 2:15). (For more information on the Nicolaitans, see page 631 in Sparkling Gems 1.)
• They had works that were weak and ready to die (Revelation 3:2).
• They had works that were incomplete (Revelation 3:2).
• They struggled with staying on fire for the Lord (Revelation 3:15).
• They were lukewarm (Revelation 3:16).
• They were strongly rebuked by the Lord (Revelation 3:19).
• They were told to repent of wrong attitudes and actions (Revelation 2:5; 2:16; 3:3; 3:19).
• They were far from perfect!

You may feel disheartened by what you see or know about the church where you attend or some of the people who attend with you. Perhaps your emotions are trying to convince you that the situation is hopeless and your church family will never turn around for the better. Or perhaps the devil is attempting to dissuade you from further involvement by whispering negative thoughts in your ear about the sad condition of your church. Although it’s true that there is room for change in any church, you must never forget that Jesus died for His Church and there is nothing in the world more precious to Him than the Body of Christ — including your local congregation. You may see problems, but Jesus sees the Church only as pure gold.

The Church has always had imperfections; this is nothing new, for only God is perfect. When we finally see Jesus face to face, we will be transformed into His image and become just like Him with no imperfections. However, until that time, Jesus will keep working as our Great Refiner — washing us with the water of His Word and putting us through His purification process to make us pliable and usable in His hands! The work of purification and refinement goes on!

Peter was referring to this very same principle when he wrote, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18,19). This verse emphatically tells us that Jesus gave His own blood to purchase the Church. The Church may still be in the process of purification and refinement, but we must never forget that Jesus gave His life for it. He loves His Church, and we must love it too. To Him, it is pure gold — worth more than anything else in the whole world — and we must also learn to see it as pure gold and precious.

Therefore, whenever you are tempted to be discouraged about the state of the Church at large or about certain things that bother you in your own local church, proclaim to yourself: Regardless of what I see, feel, or know, Jesus died for the Church, and it is golden to Him. Therefore, the Church at large, and my local church in particular, are golden to me — and NOTHING is going to tarnish my view of it!

Make that confession the next time you feel tempted to speak negatively about a fellow believer or the Body of Christ. Always remember: Our Great Refiner is still continually in the process of purifying His Church — so just make sure your focus is always on loving the Body and allowing Him to purify YOU.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I am so thankful that You saved me and made me part of Your Church. I now realize that even with all of our imperfections and weaknesses, You see us as golden and precious. Help me to treasure Your Church and Your people just as You do. Help me to truly love the Church, to serve Your people from my heart, and to give my time, talents, and gifts for the benefit of my brothers and sisters in Christ. From this moment forward, help me refrain my tongue when I am tempted to criticize the Church. And help me to become more and more aware that there is nothing in the world more precious to You, Father, than the Body of Christ! You died on Calvary for the Church, and I know I can’t grasp how deeply You love those whom You have redeemed with Your own precious blood. But I ask You to help me see Your Church through Your eyes and to love Your people with Your love more and more in the days to come.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I love and cherish the Church of Jesus Christ with all of my heart! Jesus died for her; He sent His Spirit to indwell her; and there is nothing in the world more precious to Jesus than the Church. Rather than criticize or judge others, I will seek to undergird and strengthen those who may be weakened from attacks by the enemy. Instead of judging others, I will inspect my own heart to see how I may become a purer example of Jesus Christ. I will no longer dwell on the imperfections that I see; instead, I choose to focus on the unchanging truth that the Church of Jesus Christ is golden to God and therefore golden to me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever been tempted to be negative and critical of the church you attend? Do you ever hear yourself speaking negatively about the Church at large?
2. When you spoke negatively about the Church, did you ever notice that your heart was grieved by what you were saying? Were you ever aware that you were grieving the Holy Spirit by being so negative about the Church that Jesus loves so much?
3. Now that you’ve gained a better understanding about how precious the Church is to Jesus, how will your attitude and conversation about your own local church and the Church at large be affected?

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
— Hebrews 4:9,10

When I was a young boy, I was terrified that I wasn’t really saved. A powerful revivalist visited our church and preached a message that became etched into my mind about people who thought they were saved but weren’t — people who died thinking they were going to Heaven but whose final destination was hell. That sermon terrified me!

Every night I went to bed troubled, thinking that if I died during the night, I would end up in hell. I had asked Jesus into my heart when I was five years old and had understood what I was doing. But after hearing that man’s bloodcurdling sermon, I was gripped with fear that I might be among those who thought they were saved but were in fact lost.

Every night my mother would lie by my side and listen as I told her how frightened I was that I wasn’t saved. She would hold me — her little six-year-old boy — and pray with me until I fell asleep each night.

That dread lingered in my life for many years. I can’t count the times I prayed: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’ve asked You into my heart so many times before, but just in case I didn’t really mean it all those other times, I am asking You to come into my heart again right now.” I must have prayed that prayer 10,000 times.

Each time I felt a sigh of relief for a couple of hours — and then the panicky thought would hit me again: Maybe YOU are among those who just think they are saved but have never really been sincere! Maybe you are one of those who think they’re going to Heaven but are going to end up in hell! This fear overwhelmed me. I found myself obsessed with the need to be saved, yet incapable of feeling secure that I was saved.

I silently cried out for inner peace as I dedicated and rededicated my life to the Lord. Over and over again at church, I’d lay before the altar and plead with God for peace of mind. Privately — at home, on the street, wherever I was — I’d beg God to reach down and rescue me. Every Sunday when the pastor gave the invitation at the end of the service, he would ask the congregation to search their hearts to see if they were genuinely saved. Each week that question initiated the whole painful process all over again for me. I was living in torment.

If I called home as a teenager and no one answered the telephone, my heart would sink with the thought that the Rapture had occurred and I had been left behind. I’d begin frantically calling members of our church, hoping someone would pick up the telephone. If a church member answered, it meant I had not been left behind!

When I was 24 and newly married, I was still intermittently struggling with this issue about my salvation. One day I fell on my knees at the altar of the large Baptist church where I worked as an associate pastor and cried out to the Lord: “This is it! I’ve spent most of my life trying to get saved. I’ve prayed 10,000 times for you to save me, and I’m finished asking! If I’m not saved, there is nothing more I can do to be saved, so I’m not asking again!”

The moment I prayed that prayer, the monstrous fear that had engulfed me for so many years of my life simply evaporated. For the first time in my life, I had the assurance that I was saved. The truth is, I’d been saved many years earlier at the age of five. But because a seed of fear had been sown into my heart by the preaching of that revivalist so many years earlier, I had never been able to “rest” in my salvation.

But on that day at that altar, I gave up my struggle of trying to be saved, and I made the decision to simply rest in God’s grace. I realized that if His grace wasn’t enough to do the work, all my asking and begging wasn’t going to make a difference anyway. At that moment, I quit wrestling and started resting. And that was the moment I finally began to enjoy my salvation!

When I read Hebrews 4:9 and 10, I always think of the rest that came to my soul when I finally accepted the fact that I was saved by grace. Oh, what a blessed day that was! I finally gave up my fight and accepted the salvation I had already received many years earlier as a young child. For so many years I’d been driven by fear — constantly asking, pleading, and begging, trying to prove my sincerity to the Lord. But all it took for me to be saved was to turn my heart to Jesus and receive Him as my Savior — and that’s what I had done as a young child. I had been saved all along, but I had never learned to “rest” in my salvation.

Hebrews 4:9 says, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Today I want us to look at several words in this verse. Let’s begin with the word “rest.”

The word “rest” in this verse comes from the Greek word sabbatismos, which is used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament to refer to the Sabbath day. This means Hebrews 4:9 should really be translated, “There remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest to the people of God.”

What does “Sabbath rest” mean in the context of this verse? Let’s go back to the book of Genesis just for a moment. God worked for six days when He created the heavens and earth. At the end of those six days, the Bible tells us that when God looked at everything He had made, it was so perfect, complete, finished, and flawless, He knew there was nothing else that could be added to it. It was a complete, finished work that required nothing more. Since this masterpiece of creation was completely finished, the biblical record tells us that God “rested” from his labor on the seventh day and simply enjoyed creation.

In Genesis 2:2 and 3, we read, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

This day when God “rested” was the first official Sabbath day — the day when God rested from all His work. Later when Moses received the Ten Commandments, God explicitly ordered the children of Israel to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. So every week on the Sabbath day, the children of Israel ceased from all labor and rested as a way of honoring the day when God rested from His own works. Therefore, the Sabbath was a day of unbroken rest and cessation from work.

By telling us, “There remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest to the people of God,” the Bible declares that the people of God can rest in their salvation once they have given their lives to Jesus Christ. His work on the Cross was so complete, perfect, finished, and flawless that there is nothing anyone can do to add to it. A person isn’t brought any closer to salvation by asking, begging, pleading, and imploring God to be saved or from trying to prove his sincerity so he can be worthy of salvation. If a person has given his life to Christ, he can “rest” in the fact that it is a done deal. Instead of struggling the way I did as a young man, every person who has trusted in Christ can relax, unwind, calm down, lighten up, and rest in the completed work of God that was purchased on the Cross of Jesus Christ!

Just as I did years ago, you must also make a decision to give up your struggle of trying to be saved and make the decision to simply rest in God’s grace. If God’s grace isn’t enough to do the job, all of your asking and begging isn’t going to make a difference anyway. It’s time for you to quit wrestling and started resting so you can begin to enjoy your salvation!

Hebrews 4:10 continues to tell us, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

The word “entered” is the Greek word eiserchomai. It is a compound of the words eis and erchomai. The first part of the word means into. The second part of the word erchomai means to go. It gives the idea of a person who is traveling or journeying to some destination. When these words are compounded into one, as they are in this verse, it forms the word eiserchomai, which expresses the idea of a person who enters into a certain place. He doesn’t just come near to this location; he actually enters into that location.

This means that those who have given their lives to Jesus Christ have entered into the completed work of God that occurred on the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Yes, the moment Jesus became Lord of your life was the exact split second you entered into God’s completed work of salvation. Regardless of what the devil may try to whisper to make you think that you must do more to really be saved, the fact remains that if your life has been given to Jesus Christ, you have already entered into the perfect, complete, finished, and flawless work of God. There is nothing you can add to it, so instead of allowing tormenting fear to steal your joy, it’s time for you to quit struggling and start resting in what Jesus has done for you. You can calm down, relax, and be at peace!

The rest of the verse says, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” This verse says it’s time for you to rest in this perfect, complete, finished, flawless work, just as God did on the seventh day when He was assured that His work of creation was done.

If you are resting in Christ’s work, then you can rest from your work! That’s why this verse continues to say, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”

This word “cease” is the word katapauo — a compound of the words kata and pauo. The word kata means down, and the word is pauo means to pause. When these words are compounded, the new word gives the idea of someone who has worked hard, but now has sat down, settled down, and has ceased from his labor. This is the picture of a person who has thrown off his work clothes and is now reclining in a restful position! You might say that he has finished his work and entered into retirement! The work is behind him, and that phase of his life is done and over. He is entering into a lasting and permanent rest.

So I want to encourage you today: If you struggle with your salvation, wondering whether or not you are really saved, nail it down forever by praying one last prayer of repentance and surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. Then walk away from that place of commitment and never revisit it again. Instead of habitually asking over and over to be saved, just pray in faith that God’s Word is true, quit struggling, and start resting in what Jesus has done for you!

There is a “Sabbath rest” for the people of God, and it belongs to every person who simply comes in faith to Jesus Christ. If you belong to Him, it is high time for you to kick back and rest in the fact that Jesus saved you and that this work of redemption is utterly complete. Just make the decision today that from this day forward, you are going to enjoy the benefits of this wonderful salvation that Jesus purchased for you on the Cross!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I thank You that You died on the Cross for me and purchased my salvation. Thank You for saving me from sin and its penalty. Thank You that there is nothing I can do to add to Your work on the Cross. Today I am making the decision to quit struggling about my salvation and to simply rest in the salvation You have provided for me. I asked You to save me, and You saved me. I asked You to forgive me, and You forgave me. From this day forward, I will rest in the complete work of redemption that You purchased for me with Your precious blood. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am saved, forgiven, and born again by the Spirit of God. I asked Jesus to save me, and He saved me. I asked Jesus to forgive me, and He forgave me. I asked Jesus to come into my life, and now He lives in me by His Spirit. In Him I have redemption, deliverance, and salvation through His blood. In Christ I have the complete removal and forgiveness of sin in accordance with the generosity of God’s great goodness and favor toward me (see Ephesians 1:7). I am as saved as a person can be! I refuse to let the devil torment me, steal my joy, or make me think that I haven’t done enough to be saved. There is nothing I can add to the work of the Cross, so I am simply going to rest in what Jesus has already done for me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What was the actual time in your life when you repented, asked Jesus Christ into your heart, and gave Him control of your life? Can you actually refer to the moment this happened?
2. Have you ever struggled with your salvation and wondered if you were really saved? How did you end this personal struggle and find peace of mind?
3. What would you say to someone else who is struggling with the question of whether or not he is really saved? What advice would you give that person, and what would you tell him or her to do to permanently find peace of mind?

 

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
— Acts 13:2

When I made my first missions trip to the USSR, it was in the spring of 1991, just months before the Soviet Union finally dissolved. I was shocked by how dilapidated everything seemed to be. From what I observed, the mighty USSR was worn out and falling apart. The streets, sidewalks, cars, shops, people’s clothing — everything I saw — simply looked either broken, exhausted, or worn out.

I checked into my hotel, and when I pulled the curtains back to give me a view of the street below, they were so rotten that they ripped right off the curtain rod into my hands. For the rest of my stay there, I had no curtains. There was a dead mouse in one corner of the room, and the shower looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in decades. I was simply stunned that a global superpower that had kept the rest of the world in fear for so many years was so utterly dilapidated.

The next morning after our arrival, my teammates and I walked to the building where the first aboveground Bible school was being conducted — the first in more than 70 years. Two hundred and twenty students had gathered from every republic of the USSR to attend the school, and I wept when I realized this was a dream come true for them. They lifted their hands to worship, and the Spirit of God moved across the large classroom in a powerful manner. His presence was so strong.

When I stood in front of that room full of young people from all over the Soviet Union to teach them for the first time, I approached the lectern to begin my first teaching session, opened my Bible, took a step back, and looked up at the room full of students eagerly looking back at me. And at that moment, I vividly heard the Holy Spirit speak loudly to my heart and say, “WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!”

I know the voice of the Holy Spirit, and there was no doubt in my heart or mind that it was the Spirit who had spoken these words to me. Feeling shocked by what I’d just heard, I choked up and stumbled with my words a bit. Then the Holy Spirit spoke it a second time: “WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!”

With that, I knew God was calling me to relocate my family to the Soviet Union. As I looked at those 220 students and the dilapidated surroundings all around me, I kept thinking, God is calling me to make THIS my home and to embrace these students and the USSR for me and my family’s future.

Later that day in prayer, the Lord continued speaking to my spirit. He explained, “There are many good Bible teachers in the United States, but I need skilled Bible teachers HERE to undergird the massive move of My Spirit that is happening. That is why I am calling you to move here and to do it as quickly as possible.”

This was completely contrary to the plans I had made for my life and ministry. Back in those days, we were receiving 900 invitations a year to come and hold seminars in churches and speak in conferences. The growth of our ministry was literally exploding in the United States — and my books were becoming bestsellers. I had never dreamed of moving away from America and leaving that life behind. But that was exactly what God was calling us to do. That week as I ministered every day to the students, the love of God in me connected me to them, and I could begin to visually see our family living in the USSR.

When I came back to Tulsa after that missions trip, I knew I needed to break the news to Denise. I didn’t know how she would respond, but the Lord had prepared her heart before I ever said a word, and the same grace that was upon me was upon Denise. She said, “I’m not excited yet, but when we step onto that plane to move, I’ll be filled with faith and anticipation.” Our sons were too young to understand what the Soviet Union was, so they just exploded with glee that we were going to be doing something adventurous as we followed the will of God.

Finally, the morning came when Denise and I and our three small sons gathered at the airport with family and friends. We hugged and kissed everyone and told them all farewell; then we stepped onto the plane that would carry us to our new home in the former Soviet Union. As we sat down in those seats on the plane, Denise and I looked at each other with jubilation, because we knew we had passed a major test. We had said yes to the Lord, surrendering to His revealed will for us, and we were on our way to the greatest adventure of our lives.

Saying yes to the Lord requires surrender. I’m talking about that moment when you are willing to lay down all your own plans and yield to what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you about God’s will for your life. Some people pass this test, whereas others do not. However, those who surrender, yield, and obey experience the joy, power, and victory of the Spirit. They live an enriched life filled both with opportunities to be seized and obstacles to be overcome in order to attain victory and to complete the assignment.

I want to tell you how I felt that day when the Holy Spirit said, “WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!” It immediately reminded me of Acts 13:2, which says, “As they [the elders in Antioch] ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

Barnabas and Saul had been serving in the church of Antioch for several years when suddenly during a time of prayer and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” The word “separate” is the Greek word asphortidzo, and it means to mark off, to set boundaries around, or to set apart for a special purpose. The verse continues to say that they were to be set apart “…for the work whereunto I have called them.” Apparently, God had a “work” for these two men that exceeded what they had done in Antioch.

Serving in Antioch was an honor, but it was not the ultimate goal of God’s call on their lives. Way beyond Antioch, Barnabas and Saul [Paul] would be used by God to touch and revolutionize the Gentile world. Had they stayed in Antioch, they would have missed the adventuresome apostolic life that God had designed for them. Accepting and obeying God’s call thrust them forward into a life and ministry of divine purpose that radically affected the development and growth of the Church of Jesus Christ all over the Roman Empire.

Everything Paul and Barnabas had done in ministry until that time had been nothing more than preparation for what lay ahead. Although they had spent several serious years in ministry, it was simply “getting-ready time” for the ultimate call that was before them.

This is precisely how I felt when the Holy Spirit spoke to me about my new home. God has blessed our ministry immensely, but I was suddenly aware that everything that had occurred until that moment was preparation for what was about to follow. And what was about to transpire was so immense that it made everything up to that moment look minuscule. Those previous days were days of proving to learn how to be faithful. God was watching — and now that He was satisfied, He was ready to launch us into the calling He had for our lives, which was far larger than anything that Denise or I had imagined or anticipated.

Barnabas and Saul were immediately sent forth to begin their apostolic ministries, but it took me several months to really embrace what God had said. However, I did come around, and our family entered the greatest phase of our lives as a result. We have never had any regrets about leaving America behind and moving to the former USSR.

Today I want to encourage you to let the Lord reveal to you His plan for your life. It may be different from what you had previously thought. It is possible that everything you have done up until now has merely been preparation for a greater call before you. So open your heart and be careful to pay heed if the Holy Spirit affirms that He’s leading you to take a new direction. It could add more fruitfulness and adventure to your life than you ever dreamed possible!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for Your predetermined plan for my life — and that You want to launch me into it as soon as I’m ready. I ask You to help me prove myself faithful where I am, so I will be prepared for the call that lies ahead of me. Help me not to be stuck in my thinking — assuming that where I am is the ultimate end of what I am called to do. I ask You to open my eyes to see that great and wonderful things lie ahead of me if I will fully surrender to You!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that God knows the good plans He has for me. He is ordering my steps along His ordained path, and I am following the Holy Spirit’s direction to do all He is leading me to do in preparation for God’s next phase of my life. I recognize now that all I have done thus far has been preparation for the next part of His call on my life. Jesus, You said if a man is faithful in little, You will put him over much. So I declare that I will be faithful in every assignment You’ve given to me now, and I believe that You will promote me to the next phase when You have found me proven and ready.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What are you doing right now to give yourself fully to the tasks at hand, so God will know that you are proven and ready for the job ahead of you?
2. Has God ever told you something that caught you off-guard and by surprise? If so, when was that, and what did He say? Have you followed through on what He spoke to your heart?
3. Are you doing what God has told you to do right now? Are you being faithful with the call that He’s given you? If God were asked this question, how would He answer about you?

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
— 1 Thessalonians 1:2

So often in this age, people face disappointments in life — and one of the most difficult things to face is disappointment in relationships. Think of how often people get their feelings hurt for real or imagined reasons or feel like their trust has been violated. Think of how many marriages end in divorce. Such hurts occur so frequently and can be so painful that people often end up entirely focusing on their hurts and disappointments and forget about all the wonderful people who have been and remain a blessing to them. Satan uses hurt, pain, and personal letdowns to get people so side-tracked by what one person or a small group of people did that they forget about all the good and kind things that others have done for them.

There are no words to express the emotion and love my wife and I feel for the people who support our ministry with their finances and prayers. As far as we’re concerned, they are the real heroes responsible for the mighty things God has done through our ministry over the years. Yes, God has used Denise and me; we know that very well. But the fact remains that He has equally used our partners who have given and given time and again to assist Denise and me as we obey the call God placed on our lives to reach the people of the former Soviet Union.

It’s never a burden to continually pray and thank God for our partners. I think of how faithfully they have given over the years. I ponder the fact that they often could have used those funds elsewhere to meet needs and desires in their own lives, yet they opted to sacrifice and to give to the work of the Gospel instead of meeting their own needs. As I consider all of this, my heart literally overflows with thanksgiving for our partners and for what they do for the work of the Gospel.

Every morning when I wake up, one of the first things I do is pray for our partners because of this deep gratitude I feel for them. It is no struggle to pray for them! As I begin to call out their names to God, thankfulness flows up from the deepest parts of my being. And as I begin to pray for our partners, I can hardly stop! I pray for them to be blessed in their families, jobs, finances, children, health, and relationships. I cry out in faith for them to grow in their relationship with God. Before I close my time of prayer, I always confidently make my request to God for Him to richly multiply the financial seed they have sown into our work. My heart’s cry is for our partners to be blessed in every way, including financially and materially. We are so spiritually connected to our partners that it is a great joy to pray for them!

When the apostle Paul thought about the believers in Thessalonica, he must have felt the same way about them. They had endured such difficult times of persecution and had faced nearly unbearable pressure, yet they had never given way to fear or relinquished their stance of faith. The experience Paul and his apostolic team had enjoyed with them had been such a pleasure, and they had seized such a big part of his heart that he told them, “We give thanks to God always for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (1 Thessalonians 1:2).

The word “we” in Greek is plural and refers to the heartfelt thanks shared by Paul, Silas, and Timothy. The Thessalonians were a great source of blessing, and it wasn’t just Paul who abounded with a sense of thanksgiving for them. Paul’s entire team was impacted and encouraged by the faith and example of the Thessalonian believers. They were all filled with thankfulness for this church!

The word “thanks” comes from the Greek word eucharistos, a compound of the words eu and charis. The word eu means good or depicts something extremely pleasant or gratifying. The word charis is the Greek word for grace. When these two words are compounded, the new word portrays a person who is so satisfied and full of deep pleasure and gratitude that it pours forth from his heart. Just as God freely and liberally bestows His grace upon us, this deep thankfulness liberally abounds and pours forth to God from our heart with no effort. This depicts a sense of thankfulness so strongly felt that it would be difficult to hold it back or restrain it.

And Paul wasn’t just occasionally thankful for them either! He said, “We give thanks to God always for you.…” The word “always” is the Greek word pantote, which carries the idea of every moment, every opportunity, or every time we get the opportunity. It tells us that every time the believers in Thessalonica came to Paul’s mind, his heart was instantly filled with warm memories and gratitude for them. It was truly effortless for Paul to thank God for the Thessalonians.

The verse continues, “We give thanks to God always for you.…” The word “for” in this verse is derived from the word peri. In this case, the word peri means about. Every time Paul thought about the Thessalonian believers, he was thankful. When considering everything about them, he couldn’t help but stop what he was doing to express to God the deep gratitude he felt for them.

Then Paul continued, “We give thanks to God always for you all.…” The word “all” is the Greek word panton. It is an all-encompassing term that means this heartfelt gratitude was not directed toward just a few of the Thessalonians, but toward all of them. In contrast to all the problems and opposition Paul had encountered in his ministry and all the people who had disappointed him through the years, the believers in Thessalonica were a bright, shining source of joy, and he literally thanked God for every single one of them and for all that pertained to them.

When you put all these words together, First Thessalonians 1:2 could be translated:

“We thank God for you! We are simply so full of gratitude for everything connected to you that we just can’t hold it back! In fact, thanking God for you is one of the easiest and most effortless things we do — it just flows out of our hearts. We find ourselves thanking Him for you all the time. What a joy it is that our attitude of thankfulness is not just for a few of you, but it really is something we feel about every last one of you!”

Whom do you have in your life today that makes your heart overflow with thanksgiving? Can you think of someone, or perhaps a group of people, who are such a blessing to you that when you think about them, your heart immediately begins to fill up with tender thoughts of gratitude?

In this day we live in, we all experience many disappointments with people, and relationships often don’t seem to last very long. People move from place to place; some break commitments; and often people make wrong choices that can wrench your heart. But when you have a friend or a group of people who faithfully follow the Lord and who remain steadfast year after year, it truly is a delight. Such relationships are a special treasure from God that should be cherished and deeply appreciated.

Paul set a good example for you and me that we must follow in our own lives. He wrote and told the Thessalonians how deeply he felt about them. He cherished his relationship with this body of believers, and he wanted them to know how he felt about them.

Likewise, if we have such treasured relationships in our lives, we must take the time to express how deeply grateful we are for what these people mean to us. Don’t assume that they already know how you feel. Take the time to write them a note, call them, or take them to dinner so you can make sure they know how much you appreciate them.

Wouldn’t it bless you if someone did this for you today? Why don’t you take a few minutes right now to make a list of those people who are special, shining sources of joy in your life and begin to thank God for them as Paul did for the Thessalonians? Then do something special for them to demonstrate how much you appreciate them. It takes only a few minutes of your day to do it, yet it will communicate so much to the hearts of those who have been such a blessing to you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I thank You for the people You have placed in my life who are a special blessing to me. In this world today, where disappointments and letdowns are so common, it is rare to find good friends and coworkers in Your Kingdom who are faithful, consistent, and truly genuine in their commitment to me. I am so sorry that I haven’t previously made enough of an effort to let them know how grateful I am for them. Starting right now, I ask You to help me learn how to better communicate to these special people how thankful I am to God for them!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am careful to let people know how grateful I am for them and for all they do. I am not negligent to say thank you, I don’t take people and their kindness for granted. I express my heartfelt thanks to people who mean a lot to my life. I am blessed to have such friends, and the Holy Spirit is teaching me to convey my gratitude for all they do and for the valuable place they hold in my life. Every day I will spend a few minutes thanking God for them, and every day I will go out of my way to let someone know how thankful I am for the blessing he or she is in my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Who can you think of today in your life for whom you are especially thankful? Why are you so grateful to have these individuals in your life? What have they done that has affected you so positively and made your heart overflow with thankfulness to God for them?
2. Have you taken time to let that person or persons know how much they have meant to you? If not, what has stopped you from articulating how you feel about them? Wouldn’t it mean a lot to you if someone expressed such heartfelt thanks for the blessing you are in his or her life?
3. Before you get too busy today, write down the names of some of the main people who have been a special blessing to your life. Once you have written down the names of those special people, take a few minutes to pray for them. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you creative ideas about how to express your appreciation for who they are and what they have meant to you in your life.

You Are Never Alone!

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.…
— Hebrews 12:1

At times you may have wondered, Has anyone else ever experienced the kinds of problems I’m experiencing right now, or am I out here all alone?

No, you’re not alone! Hebrews 11 records the remarkable feats of faith accomplished by various people in the Old Testament. These were people who had to fight and struggle as they waited for the object of their faith to manifest. Their walk of faith was a great, great challenge.

Because these Old Testament saints stayed with what God had told them to do and never gave up, they eventually saw His blessings begin to operate in their lives. Nevertheless, nearly all of them endured great, difficult hardships and challenges before their victory came.

To let us know that we’re not alone in our own walk of faith, the writer of Hebrews says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Notice that it says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses….” The phrase “compassed about” is taken from the word peikeimenai, which is a compound of the words peri and keimai. The word peri means around or to be completely encircled by something. The second part of the word keimai means to lie down. When these two words are compounded into one word, they mean to lie around, as if something has been piled high and is lying all around you on every side. This is the portrayal of being completely encircled by something that is stacked high on every side!

Therefore, this verse carries the following idea:

“Wherefore seeing we have lying all around us on every side.…”
“Wherefore seeing these biblical examples are piled up and lying all around us….”

The Bible is piled high with examples of people — people just like you — who stood in faith and endured difficulties in order to do the will of God. You are surrounded on every side with powerful examples of people who were challenged in their faith, yet who held fast to the Word of God. And as a result, these godly people saw God’s promises come to pass in their lives!

You are not alone!

• Look at Noah and the fight he endured.
• Look at Abraham and the fight he endured.
• Look at Sarah and the fight she endured.
• Look at Jacob and the fight he endured.
• Look at Joseph and the fight he endured.
• Look at Moses and the fight he endured.
• Look at Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jepthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets and the fight they all endured.

Take some time today to read some of these examples from the Old Testament — and then turn to the New Testament to see the many examples of faithful people who are also listed there. The Bible is packed full of examples of those who heard from God, who took His Word deep into their hearts, and who refused to stop until they saw the fulfillment of what God had promised them. Like you, they faced hardships and challenges. But no matter what obstacles stood in their way, they kept going and never stopped until God’s plan for their lives was accomplished.

According to Hebrews 12:1, there are so many people who fit this description that they are literally lying all around you. And don’t think you can only look to the Bible for these godly examples. If you look closely, you’ll see that there are huge numbers of these “never-give-up” kind of people living on this earth right now as well. You are not alone in your walk of faith!

Don’t let the devil tell you that you’re the only one who has faced this kind of circumstance, because many have gone before you who have faced the same battles and won great victories. If you’ll commit a few minutes of your time to read Hebrews 11, I believe you’ll find that your battle isn’t worse than the battles these saints fought and won. Reading these verses will encourage your heart!

Don’t give up and throw in the towel! Hard times will pass, and you will see the Word of God bring you the victory you desire. When you’re tempted to get discouraged, just remember the many examples piled up all around you of people who endured and later won their prize!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me keep my heart free from the things of the world. You have called me to be a committed and focused Christian soldier. I cannot permit anything to ensnare and entrap me, thus distracting me from the good fight of faith You’ve called me to fight and win. You are the revealer of the secrets of men’s hearts, so today I am looking to You to reveal to me any areas in my soul where I have allowed something to entrap me so greatly that it threatens to eliminate me from the fight. 

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that my heart and soul are free to follow Jesus Christ! My worldly possessions are in my hands, but they are not in my heart. I will remain free of materialism, worry, and other worldly concerns, and I will stay focused on the task Jesus Christ has assigned to me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you allowed any of your material possessions to ensnare or trap you? Why don’t you make a list of these things?

2. What steps can you take to get untangled in your heart from these possessions?

3. Do you trust God enough to release all your worldly possessions into His hands?

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
— 1 Peter 3:15

Several years ago my heart was stirred to pray for a method to reach the elderly population in the city of Moscow. The majority of them grew up under Communism and therefore lived a life devoid of God. Although the rule of Communism is gone, that ideological system still pervades much of the thinking of the older generation. This makes them one of the most difficult groups to reach with the Gospel.

My heart has been burdened for this older segment of Russian society for several reasons, but the most important reason is that multitudes of these senior citizens will soon leave this world and pass into eternity without Christ unless we first reach them with the Good News of Jesus Christ. As I prayed for these seniors, I wanted to know how to have influence with this group of people so I could make a positive impact on them.

Suddenly one day, an idea dropped into my heart about how to reach the elderly community in the city of Moscow. It was an idea right from the throne of Heaven — an idea so brilliant and different that I could have never come up with it on my own. It was an idea that came from the Spirit of God in answer to my prayers for a method to reach these precious people. Years have passed since that idea first came into my heart — and with God’s help, we have built what may possibly be the single largest outreach to senior citizens in the world. In all of our research, we’ve never been able to find anything to compare to this massive outreach to the elderly.

Awhile back during one of these monthly events, a member of our staff — one of our drivers — was sitting in the back of the auditorium, waiting to watch the program that had been designed specifically for this senior audience. One of the elderly people sitting next to him — an old, hard-hearted, dedicated Communist and atheist — skeptically commented, “I don’t understand why Rick Renner does all these things for us. No one else seems to care about us anymore. So why would he and his team spend all this time and money on us? There must be some hidden agenda. I just don’t get it. Why would they do so much for us? What is the real reason behind all of this?”

The elderly man didn’t realize he was speaking to a member of our team. But God had carefully orchestrated that moment, ensuring that one of our drivers — a very sensitive man who compassionately cares especially for hurting people — would sit next to the elderly man and hear his skeptical comment. In response, the driver reached over to put his arm around that old Communist and answered, “What kind of price tag can be put on a person’s soul? There’s nothing in the world more precious or eternal than your soul, my friend. That is why this kind of love and attention is shown to you every month. It’s all about your soul and your eternal destiny. That’s why this is done for you.”

With that answer, that old Communist’s skepticism melted away and he replied, “Thank you so much for your kindness to help me understand what this demonstration of love and attention is all about.” On that day, God used the influence of a driver from our ministry to soften the hardened heart of that lost soul for whom Jesus died.

People frequently make a wrong assumption that they must have a seminary degree or a Bible school diploma before they can be used by God. But in New Testament times, there were no seminaries or Bible schools to attend because the Church was new and was still being established. But because the Christian faith was still in its infancy and was so different from the pagan religions of the Roman Empire, people were skeptical of Christianity and didn’t understand its message.

In fact, many were even afraid of Christians! Pagans had many questions about what Christians really believed, and false rumors about followers of Christ abounded.

In the midst of this situation, the apostle Peter told the early believers, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear…” (1 Peter 3:15). Remember, when Peter wrote this verse, he was not writing to a classroom filled with theologians; he was writing to believers — many of them new believers — to encourage them to use whatever influence they had to bring people to Jesus Christ.

Peter exhorted believers, “…Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in you.…” The phrase “be ready always” is a translation of the Greek words etoimoi aei. The word etoimoi is a form of the word etoimos, which means to be ready or to be prepared. It is an attitude that is always set to go, eager, prompt, and raring to get started. It is a perpetual mindset of being ready to get started on a project, to take on a challenge, or to take initiative of some sort. To have such a readiness also implies preparation. Inherent in this command to be ready is the idea that one must do everything in his power to equip himself for that moment when he is to be called to action.

In fact, this perpetual mindset to “be ready always” is made abundantly clear in Greek by the use of the word aei, which can be translated always, at all times, constantly, or perpetually. In First Peter 3:15, the apostle Peter was urging his readers (and us as well), “…Be constantly and perpetually ready, set to go and prompt to act.…”

Then Paul went on to write what you must be “ready” to do! He said you must “…Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in you.…”

The word “answer” is the Greek word apologia, a compound of the word apo and logos. In this case, the word apo means back, and the word logia, from logos, is the Greek word for words. But when they are compounded, the new word apologia means to answer back, to reply, to respond, to explain, or to defend. It is the same word that the apostle Paul used in Philippians 1:16 when he wrote that he had been “…set for the defense of the gospel.” In using this word, Paul acknowledged that part of his God-given task was to answer questions put to him by unbelievers about the Gospel.

There is no doubt about it. Because Peter used the word apologia, he unmistakably was telling you that, as a Christian, you must “…Be constantly and perpetually ready, be set to go, and be prompt to answer every man that asks a reason of the hope that is in you….”

Peter says we are be fully prepared to answer “every man” who inquires about what we believe — explaining the nature of the hope that resides in our hearts and why we believe it. The words “every man” in Greek is panti, which is an all-encompassing word that literally means every man, every individual, and every person — with no exceptions! This one statement affirms that the Gospel is for every man on the face of the earth, regardless of race, class, or color. Peter told us not to be surprised if people “ask” about our faith. In fact, we should anticipate that they will ask. This is the reason Peter urged us to be prepared and ready to answer!

When Peter says non-Christians will “ask” about the hope that is in us, the word “ask” is the Greek word aiteo. The word aiteo means to be adamant in requesting and demanding something. In other words, this is not a mere wish, but a demand for an answer to an insatiable longing either to have something or know something. In fact, the word aiteo is the very word used in Mark 15:43, where the Bible tells us that Joseph of Arimathea “craved” the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. The word “craved” is a great translation of the word aiteo, for that night an all-consuming desire drove Joseph of Arimathea to go to Pilate to strongly demand and adamantly insist that Jesus’ body be released to him. (For more on this word, see Sparkling Gems 1, April 10.)

Peter used this same strong word — aiteo — to alert us to the fact that when non-Christians finally work up the nerve to “ask” us questions or to inquire about the faith and hope they see in us, we need to be quick to answer, because they really want to know — or they wouldn’t be asking! It’s just like the old Communist who inquired why we were doing so much for the elderly population of Moscow. Although his question seemed skeptical, the truth was that this elderly man really wanted to know why we were doing what we did. He longed to know the answer; that’s why he asked. Thank God, there was a “regular ol’ believer” sitting next to him who was ready to give him the answer!

• How ready were you to give an answer the last time someone asked you about your faith?
• If you found yourself sitting next to a non-Christian who asked you about what you believe, why you believe it, and how your faith affects your life, how would you answer these questions?
• How prepared are you today to give an answer to those who ask a reason for the hope that is in you?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you aren’t adequate to answer such questions because you haven’t been to seminary or Bible school. I remind you again that when Peter wrote this verse, there were no seminary or Bible school graduates with diplomas. All that was there at that time were simple, everyday Christians — just like you. They went to work and conducted their normal affairs every day. And in the process of it all, they were constantly rubbing elbows with non-Christians from every walk of life, every class of society, and every ethnic group, who asked: “What is your faith all about?” “Why do you believe what you believe?” “Can you give me the reason for the hope that is in you?”

God uses people, and you may find that He orchestrates a meeting between you and a person who ends up sitting next to you. You don’t have to be a theologian to tell someone why you love Jesus and what He has done in your life. But it would be wise for you to ponder what you would say if someone asked you a reason for the hope that is in you. In doing so, you’re taking heed to Peter’s admonition to the early Christians when he wrote: “…Be constantly and perpetually ready, be set to go, and be prompt to answer every man that asks a reason of the hope that is in you.…”

Today God is calling out to you and me, urging us to be available and always ready to give an answer to those who crave to know more about Jesus and what He has done in our lives. We are spiritually obligated to answer to those who want to know. So let me ask you: Are you available to share your testimony or to use your influence to help someone come to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ? Are you ready to give an answer to every person who asks a reason for the hope that is in you?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I am deeply convicted that I need to be more open about sharing my faith with non-Christians I see and talk to every day. I know they feel empty and are searching for the real reason for life. I remember how lost I felt before You came into my life and gave me a new purpose. I thank You for giving me Your compassion for those who are without Christ. Let me speak words so filled with wisdom and grace that they will minister grace and clearly explain the hope I have in Christ — a hope that they, too, can share. Thank You for causing a burning passion to grow within me to see people saved. I don’t ever want to be so busy in my own affairs that I forget people need to be saved. I don’t want to be hardhearted or uncaring about people’s eternal status. So I stir up a strong desire deep inside me to see people saved and delivered by Your power!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am deeply concerned for unsaved people — especially those that I rub elbows with every day. I accept my God-given responsibility to share Jesus with those who are lost — especially to those who appeal to me for answers regarding the reason for the hope that is in me. When people ask me, I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God that leads to salvation; rather, I am bold, eager to answer, and ready to tell them the Good News about Jesus Christ. He has changed my life! Therefore, I am prepared at any moment to introduce others to the same saving and life-changing message that has revolutionized my life and given me a relationship with God Almighty.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of one person you are acquainted with who needs to know Jesus Christ? Who is that person?
2. Be honest — what steps have you taken to help that one person personally know Jesus Christ? Can you truthfully tell God that you have done your part to share the truth about Jesus and of His power to save him or her?
3. If First Peter 3:15 commands us to be ready to answer every man that asks a question about the hope that is in us, what are you doing to prepare yourself so that you can answer questions about your faith, why you believe what you believe, what your faith does for you, or what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ? What are you doing to get yourself ready to answer the questions any non-Christian may ask?

How to Be A Spiritual Billionaire

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…
— Colossians 3:16

When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ house. Grandpa was an immigrant fresh from Germany. Before his life in America, he had always known poverty. Grandma had also known many hardships and had always had to scrape by to survive financially.

Every afternoon, Grandpa and Grandma would go into their living room, turn on the television, and take their seats; then with great pleasure, they would watch the television program called “Let’s Make a Deal!” When the program concluded, they would always spend a few minutes daydreaming about what they’d do if they suddenly struck it rich and inherited a large amount of money.

I loved to listen to my grandparents as they fantasized about paying off all their bills, purchasing a new house, contributing huge sums of money to the church, and bequeathing money to their children and grandchildren. They’d also talk about how they would show extraordinary generosity toward people who were disadvantaged in life. For Grandpa and Grandma, the supreme dream was what life would be like if they suddenly struck it rich!

If you are also among those who dream of striking it rich someday, I want to tell you that you don’t have to fantasize about being rich anymore! If you are a child of God, you’ve already struck it rich! You have been given a treasure that will make boundless wealth accessible to you for the rest of your life. You are already a spiritual billionaire; however, for you to derive benefit from what God has provided, you have to learn how to tap into these vast resources.

In Colossians 3:16, the apostle Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” Today I want us to look at the word “richly” in this verse. It comes from the Greek word plousios, a very old Greek word that describes:

• incredible abundance
• extreme wealth
• enormous affluence
• great prosperity
• immense riches
• magnificent opulence
• extravagant lavishness

Paul uses the word plousios in Colossians 3:16 to let us know that if we will receive the Word of God in the right way — if we give it a warm reception and make it feel at home in our lives — it will enrich us spiritually. Thus, the word plousios means that the Word of God can make us spiritual “billionaires”!

Colossians 3:16 conveys the following idea:

“Let the Word of God dwell in you richly! Throw open the doors, roll out the red carpet, and give it a grand reception! If you’ll let the Word dwell in you in this way, it will produce an amazing amount of spiritual wealth in your life…”

You may ask, “How can the Word make us spiritually rich?” Paul continues to tell us what the Word can produce in us if we allow it to do so. He says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

These words describe people so full of the Word of God that their entire being is affected. Their hearts are full of joy; their minds are flooded with wisdom and understanding; and their mouths are singing songs to the Lord. This describes people who have struck it rich spiritually!

It is a fact that when the Word of God really comes to feel at home in you, dwelling lavishly inside your heart, it enriches you with the wisdom, the gifts, and the power you need for today. You become so filled with the riches of God that you automatically find yourself admonishing and encouraging other people in their faith. When the Word dwells in you richly, there’s always a song of rejoicing in your heart! When you are filled with the Word to this extent, those inward spiritual riches will easily flow out of you to bring life to everyone around you.

By using the word “richly” in this verse, Paul is painting a picture of what the Word of God will produce for you if you allow it to take up residency in you and become a vital part of your life. So if you’re tired of striving with no results — if you’re tired of feeling spiritually weak and worn out with nothing to offer — stop right where you are today. Don’t take another step without making the decision to let God’s Word play a more important role in your life.

As you do, the Word of God will enrich you with spiritual wisdom and insight. It will put victory in your heart and a song in your mouth! It will turn you into a spiritual billionaire! It will enrich your life so much that you’ll always have something spiritually to donate, to bequeath, or to freely share with someone else!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me become so full of the Word of God that my entire being is affected by its life-giving truth. As I dwell on Your Word and let it live inside me, my heart will be filled with joy, my mind will be flooded with wisdom and understanding, and my mouth will be filled with songs. Lord, I know that Your Word will take me to the richest spiritual place I’ve ever known in my life. So help me make Your Word feel at home in my heart so I can start living each day like I’ve struck it spiritually rich!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that the Word of God enriches me with spiritual wisdom and insight. It puts victory in my heart and a song in my mouth! As I meditate on the Word, it enriches my life, and I always have something spiritually to donate, to bequeath, or to freely share with others. I am so filled with the riches of God’s Word that I automatically find myself admonishing and encouraging other people in their faith. 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. How can you roll out the red carpet and give God’s Word a grand reception today?

2. Do you want the wisdom, gifts, and power of God to be more active in your life so you can minister more effectively to those around you?

3. What can you do differently in your private times with the Lord to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly”?

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
— 1 John 5:15

When our youngest son Joel was first learning how to pray, he always prayed the same exact prayer every time he bowed his head. When we got on our knees alongside his bed at night, he repeated the same prayer. If we asked him to pray over the meal at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we already knew exactly what he was going to say. If we were taking a trip in the car and wanted to pray for safety, we knew we’d never get to the prayer for safety if Joel prayed because he would pray the same prayer he had prayed the night before when he went to bed. It was always word for word the same prayer.

Regardless of the place, event, or time of the day, Joel prayed: “Heavenly Father, please bless my parents, bless my brothers, bless my grandparents, bless the whole world, and please give us a good day. I pray this in Jesus’ name!” The only variation that ever occurred in his prayers was when he occasionally threw in a request for God to bless our family dog!

When Joel was only five years old, we thought this was cute, and we enjoyed his amusing regularity in prayer. But a time came when it wasn’t cute anymore! He was getting older — and Denise and I knew our youngest son needed to step forward in his relationship with God and in his ability to pray more effectively. I remember the day I looked into his little blue eyes and told him, “Joel, you need to be more specific when you pray. It’s all right to ask for God’s blessing every time you pray, but if you’ll get specific with God when you pray, He will answer your specific prayer requests.”

Just as is true for all of us as we walk with God, there came a time for Joel when he was asked to take a step higher in prayer. He needed to learn to be specific when he prayed and not just ask for a general, sweeping bestowal of blessing on our family and the earth’s population.

Unfortunately, there are many people — even older adults who have known the Lord for many years and are well advanced in terms of age — who still sound like small children when they pray. They’ve never grown in their prayer life, and therefore they still pray only general, childlike prayers that beseech God to bestow His blessings on them and those they love. Of course, it’s good to ask for God’s blessing and to be childlike in our faith, but God pleads with His people to get specific with Him when they pray!

In First John 5:14, the Bible tells us that if we ask anything according to His will, God hears us. Then in the next verse, it continues: “And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:15).

First, I want to point out that this verse says we are to “ask” when we pray. This means there is nothing wrong with asking if we are doing it according to the will of God! But wait — before we go any further, let’s stop and look at this word “ask.” In this word, we find a treasure trove that will help us know what kind of attitude we must have when we make our requests known to God.

In First John 5:15, the word “ask” in Greek is the word aiteo. This Greek word eliminates any religious suggestion that we are “lowly worms” who have no right to come into the presence of God to make a request. It also destroys the picture that we must pitifully beg and plead for the things we need from the Lord. The word aiteo means to be adamant in requesting and even demanding assistance in meeting tangible needs, such as food, shelter, money, and so forth.

Of course, we don’t want to be disrespectful when we pray, so for those who are concerned about sounding rude, let me assure you that the Greek word aiteo does not give us license to be arrogant or rude in this approach to God. In fact, in the New Testament and in other secular literature from New Testament times, the word aiteo is often used to portray a person addressing a superior. The person may insist or demand that a need be met, but he approaches and speaks to his superior with respect and a sense of honor. However, the petitioner is so sure that his request is correct that he asks boldly with a firm expectation that he will receive the desired outcome.

This word aiteo describes a person who speaks out and prays boldly and authoritatively. This person knows specifically what he needs and isn’t afraid to boldly come into God’s Presence to ask and expect to receive what he has requested.

As we have stated, the previous verse (see 1 John 5:14) states that you must know you are praying according to the will of God if you want Him to hear and answer you. So since you are praying in line with God’s will, you don’t have to sheepishly mumble your requests. You are praying precisely according to what God wants to do, so you can boldly assert your faith and expect Him to move on your behalf. He wants you to act boldly and courageously in prayer! He wants you to seize His will for your life and demand that it come into manifestation! He’s just waiting for you to ask.

Furthermore, don’t think that you can come to God only for spiritual blessings. As noted earlier, the word aiteo most often has to do with requesting things of a physical and material nature, such as food, clothes, shelter, money, and so forth. So find out what God promises you in His Word regarding such provision, and then boldly ask Him to meet your needs!

John went on to say, “And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:15). Let’s look next at the word “petitions,” because the form used in the original text emphatically informs us that God wants us to get very specific when we pray!

The word “petition” is the Greek word aitema, which is a form of the word aiteo that we discussed above, but now it denotes a specific, exact, explicit, precise, detailed request. This request is so in-depth, thorough, and comprehensive that there is no room for misunderstanding exactly what has been asked. This is why the King James translators translated it as the word “petition.” It paints the picture of a prayer so detailed and explicit that it is like a bona fide “petition” that has been prepared and submitted.

With the meanings of these Greek words in mind, First John 5:15 could be interpreted:

“And if we can be confident that God hears us, regardless of what we ask or what physical or tangible need we may want Him to meet for us, we can be sure that we will have a ‘yes’ to the specific, exact, explicit, detailed requests that we desired of Him.”

So let me ask you this: When you pray, do you pray general, sweeping prayers for blessings, or have you learned the secret of getting specific with God when you pray? That kind of vague, general prayer may be cute for a little child, but as you grow in your walk with God, He expects you to get bold, courageous, and very specific about the things you request of Him. We know this very clearly because of the Greek words aiteo and aitema that are used in First John 5:15.

So let me encourage you today to open your Bible and explore its pages until you find specifically what the will of God is for your situation. Once you know it, be assured that you have the right as a child of God to go straight into His presence and, with honor and respect, insist that His will be done in this matter! In fact, God wants you to come to Him boldly like that!

So when you make your requests known to Him, get as specific and detailed as you can. I suggest that you even think it through, write it down on a piece of paper, and then submit it as your “petition” to God.

If you have a specific request, you need to be specific when you ask God to bring about His will in the matter you’re bringing before Him. You’ll only experience discernible answers to prayer if you get specific when you pray. So make this the day you decide you are stepping up higher in your prayer life! It’s time to become very specific when you come boldly before the Father’s throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16)!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, today I come to You in Jesus’ name, thanking You for the Holy Spirit who leads me and guides me into all truth. Your Word is filled with promises that meet every need in my life. Thank You for directing me to find Your promises that apply to the specific situations in my life right now. Holy Spirit, once You have enabled me to find those promises, I purpose in my heart to come to the Father in confidence and assurance as I submit specific, detailed requests to the concrete needs I am facing in my life. You have commanded me to ask that I might receive and that my joy would be made full. From this point onward, I commit myself to honor You with specific requests when I pray! And I will be faithful to glorify Your Name when the answers are granted!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am finished with praying only general, sweeping prayers for God’s blessings. From this moment forward, I intend to be very specific when I pray. God’s Word holds answers and promises that He wants to bring to pass in my life. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will find those answers, discover those promises, and then be very concrete about the things for which I release my faith to receive from God. This is the confidence that I have in my Heavenly Father: If I ask any- thing according to His will — and His Word is His will — He hears me. And according to First John 5:14, since I know that He hears me, I know that I have the petition I have desired from Him. Therefore, I am now stepping up to the next level of maturity in prayer, where I speak up, speak out, and pray with authority every time I make my requests known to God.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. When you pray, are you specific about what you want God to do, or do you pray mostly general, sweeping prayers that are not detailed or explicit? If someone else asked you to do the exact same thing you’ve been asking God to do, would you understand what that person wanted you to do?
2. What do you want God to do for you? Can you express it in clear and unambiguous terms? Are you so clear on the subject that you could write it on a piece of paper and submit it to God as an official “petition”?
3. Why don’t you take a few minutes today to write down the requests you want to present to God. You may discover that you aren’t clear about what you want God to do for you. This exercise may help you attain a better understanding of exactly what you want God to do for you based on His Word.