In the Amen of Jesus

 2 Corinthians 1:20 – “In Christ, every promise of God finds its ‘Yes!’ And also through Him is our ‘Amen!’ for the glory of God through us.”

 

Here it is, Lord – the theme and purpose of this book! Help us to hear and receive this wondrous word in ever greater measure.

The promises You made throughout the pages of the Bible find their answer – their “yes!” in Your Son, Jesus Christ. When we meditate on Your promises and claim them personally in prayer, they find their “yes” – their “amen!” in us too.

Praise You, Lord, for fulfilling Your promises in the Name of Jesus, Whose life, death, and resurrection  restored us into fellowship with You, our innermost selves, and Your beloved church Body of Christ.

Let nothing mar our belief in Your promises, Lord, for each promise is Your prayer for us! 

(c) Mary Harwell Sayler from her book, Kneeling on the Promises of God

Jesus prays for us

 

As Jesus faced the certainty of the cross, He prayed for us!

John 17:10-19 – a prayer of Jesus

 

Holy Father, all I have belongs to You,

and all You have is mine.

The people You gave Me

have given Me glory.

I won’t be in the world much longer,

but they will be in the world

as I come back to You.

Holy Father, keep them safe

by the power of Your Name –

the Name You gave to Me,  

so their unity may be like Ours.

 

While I’ve been with them, I’ve kept them safe

by the power of Your Name – the Name You

gave to Me. I watched over them, and none,

but one, became lost, showing scripture true.

But now, Father, I’m returning to You, and I

say these things while I’m still in the world,

so they will have the same joy We have.

 

I have given them Your message, but the world

now hates them because, like Me, they don’t fit

into the ways of the world.

I’m not asking You to take them out of the world

but to protect them from the evil one, for they

do not belong to the world any more than I do.

 

Let Your truth make them holy,

for Your words are truth.

I’ve sent them into the world as You sent me.

And so, for their sake, I dedicate Myself – I

consecrate and sanctify Myself – so they, too,

will be sanctified, consecrated, and dedicated

to the truth in You.

from The Book of Bible Prayers

Agreeing with you and Jesus

Matthew 18:19-20 – Jesus promised, “If two of you agree on anything they ask, it shall be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever only two or three gather in My Name, I Am there in the midst of them.”

Lord, You’ve promised to be with us always, but are You also promising greater power and effectiveness in our prayers when we agree on what we’re asking?

Holy Scriptures often call us, not to sameness, but to unity, as One in You, which becomes a blessing to ourselves and an influence on the whole world. Is this promise meant to be an incentive for siblings in Christ to get along?

Lord, forgive us for our fault-finding, fear, and envy toward one another! Give us Your prayers to pray – for ourselves, one another, and the world – in unity with Your will, in the love and power of Your Name.

Mary Harwell Sayler from book, Kneeling on the Promises of God

 

 

Jesus cleanses the spirit

Foreground: Remember the Gospel story where Jesus cleanses the Temple? In Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19, Jesus overturns tables, drives out money changers, and clears the walkway through an overly crowded area, so people could get back to worship.

Earlier than this, Jesus cleansed a synagogue. Although Mark sets that first chapter episode in Capernaum, it’s quite possible something similar occurred in synagogues throughout the region. Regardless of where or how often this happened, these spiritual cleansings consistently cleansed and cleared away the unclean, for no spirit in heaven or on earth can outrank, overcome, or overpower the Holy Spirit of God, given to us in Christ.

God gave us free will to choose life or death, love or hate, care or apathy, good or evil, clean or unclean, but spirits have no choices or decisions to make. They must obey God in the power and authority of Jesus’ Name.

In Capernaum the Sabbath came,
and Jesus entered the synagogue,
astounding everyone with His teaching,
for, unlike anyone else, Jesus
taught with authority.

And as He taught in the synagogue,
a man with an unclean spirit came in and cried out,
"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to get rid of unclean things?
I know Who You are – the Holy One of God."

But Jesus took command
over the unclean spirit, saying,
"Be quiet! Come out of him!"

And with a loud, deep-throated cry
or a horrible, horrendous screech,
the unclean spirit,
threw the man down –
threw him into convulsions,
but came out as commanded.

Amazed and awed, the people asked
each another, "What is this?
Have you ever seen such authority?
Even the unclean spirits obey
His command!”

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of today’s Daily Bible Reading in Mark 1:21-28

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