Are You Ready To Share Scripture and Prayer At The City Gates?
Good Morning Friends,
Timothy had known Paul from his youth, and Paul was like a spiritual father to him. In his letters to Timothy, Paul desires to pass on some spiritual DNA. He knows the end is drawing near. In his second letter Paul is in jail and does not expect release. What he had preached was turning the world upside down. He likens the work to that of a serious soldier, an athlete and a farmer.
He encourages Timothy but also gives him four charges activated in prayer. He commissions Timothy and us to guard the priceless gospel, suffer for it, and continue in the truth of it and to proclaim the good news of salvation. The letters are very personal and emotional but clearly also for the whole Church. As Paul approaches the end of his life he wants to instill in Timothy the desire to build Christian Community.
The letters should instill in us that same desire. So are you ready, willing and able to see, appreciate and use what God has given you? Are You Ready To Share Scripture and Prayer At The City Gates?
Scripture: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NRSV)
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NRSV)
Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land.
Proverbs 31:23 (NRSV)
Message: Developing a life-time habit of living a prayer life in the Scriptures is a worthwhile endeavor. It takes about thirty consecutive days to make a habit stick. Bad habits come naturally but to form good habits there needs to be intentionality…a goal. Today’s scripture declares in no uncertain terms that the mark of a believer is that they live in the Scriptures. Here we learn what it means to be wise to salvation. Here we get a glimpse of something that is inspired by God and is profitable to man. Here we are perfected and equipped for every good work. The more we put into it the more we get out. The more time we spend in God’s Word and prayer the easier it will be to dwell in a place that feels like home. Prayer is the first priority of the church…or at least it should be. It is the great secret of the church for it changes our hearts and prepares them for action. Theologians have said it is better to teach one man to pray than ten men to preach. After seeing the power in the pulpit compared to the power in prayer, I would have to agree. Prayer sets the table for who is part of community and how we can move from exclusion to inclusion…from fear to love. Prayer has become a natural part of my life. I manage the day through and in prayer. It is my first response to just about anything…not the last resort. Today we look at letters written by the Apostle Paul to one of his young protégées. Herein he gives instructions to Timothy and to us for handling communities of faith. What follows is his top priority…prayer. We learn the place of prayer…the purpose of prayer and the people of prayer.
Pray we affirm God’s invitation to us to follow in His path of peace and justice. Pray our practice of corporate prayer and reading of scripture be a legacy gift to the next generation. Pray we realize it is not enough to have learned the Scriptures. Pray we realize it is not enough to be assured that the teachings of Scripture show us truth. Pray we realize that it is not enough to know that our teachers and leaders share the truth. Pray we realize that we who have the gift of Scripture understand we are to abide with Christ in the Word. Pray that the nature of our prayers make us more effective. Pray that our prayers be an offering up for the desires of God to be a priority in our lives. Pray in the name of Christ and by the help of His Spirit that we be cleaned up and transformed even as the communities in which we live and work are transformed. Pray with praise and thanksgiving that we acknowledge the mercies in our lives. Pray we pray for others in intercession and with insight into the proper attitude of unselfish prayer. Pray that prayer be part of our mission to others as well as part of the blessings for our nation’s leaders even as they too serve. Pray we are part of a community that prays for each other. Pray that our prayers create an atmosphere of faith and spirituality in our homes and communities. Pray that our prayers open our minds and soften our hearts. Pray we have a reverent awe before God in lives lived in recognition of God’s presence connected with God’s passion for the least, last and lost. Pray we experience God’s presence transforming communities.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 