Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Ephesians 6:18 (NIV), 1Cor.14:18And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. *And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. *And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. *I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all.
|
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV), James 4:6-7 (NIV)
.Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. *But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
Acts 8:26-30 (NIV)
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road — the desert road — that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians … The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet.
In the same way that God gave Philip strategic direction to minister and to be a blessing to the Ethiopian government official in our text above, God is ever ready to give you and me strategic leading and direction to minister and be a blessing to people. The Bible records that the Ethiopian government official was reading a portion of the scriptures from Isaiah. However, he didn’t know that it was Jesus that the scripture was referencing. Acts 8:36 says, “then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” The man believed in Jesus, got saved and was baptized in water, Acts 8:37-38.
Every single day, God is preparing the hearts of people to receive the gospel and at the same time, He is looking for people like you and me that He can lead to reach out to such people so that they will be saved and blessed. It can be in your office, school, neighbourhood, family, via the internet or even in prayer. If we are willing to make ourselves available for God’s use, God is always more than willing to use us mightily by His Spirit to touch and bless the lives of others with His love, power and grace. Did you notice in our text above that Philip ran up to the chariot? Whenever God is leading you to reach out to someone with the glorious gospel and power of Christ, how passionately do you jump at the opportunity? I see God leading you more by His Spirit to strategically touch and bless the lives of people. Seize every opportunity! PRAYER FOCUS: Tell God you are available to Him for His use and ask Him to lead and use you to touch and bless someone today. | |
| BIBLE IN ONE YEAR READING PLAN: PROVERBS 27-29; 2 CORINTHIANS 10 | |
| Empowered to do Exploits... |
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
2Corinthians 5:19-20 (NIV), Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV)
That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. *Stand firm then,… with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. |
7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
2Corinthians 5:14-16 (NIV)
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. |
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Acts 10:38, 2Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 2:10, Galatians 3:27
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. *Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. *And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: *For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. |
