Matthew 3
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
John the Baptizer says it all right here, folks. He is talking to the “religious people” and even to the “religious leaders” who think that they are okay just because of who they are. John essentially says let your life reflect your repentance…walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk. This same message needs to be heard by the Church today.
Showing posts with label Dailoy Devo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dailoy Devo. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Pray Like Nehemiah
Nehemiah 1
5b “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7 We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
8 “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. 9 But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’
10 “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. 11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”
This prayer of Nehemiah is one that puts my prayer life to shame. As a “leader” of God’s people, I should be praying that our hearts will turn back to Jesus, that we will confess our sins, and that we will live our lives for Christ as we once upon a time pledged that we would. That is my prayer today, and will be my prayer every day from here on out. Please pray that for me, too.
5b “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7 We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
8 “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. 9 But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’
10 “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. 11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”
This prayer of Nehemiah is one that puts my prayer life to shame. As a “leader” of God’s people, I should be praying that our hearts will turn back to Jesus, that we will confess our sins, and that we will live our lives for Christ as we once upon a time pledged that we would. That is my prayer today, and will be my prayer every day from here on out. Please pray that for me, too.
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