Before I get to the verses I just wanted to share a really cool moment I had with God. I say moment, but it lasted for about 30-45 mins while I was praying for a friend. Out of nowhere I started reciting the Lord's Prayer and as I was going through it God was talking to me about it.
Our Father in heaven
. Just that was like wow! I mean the one who created it all, defeated death, holds everything in his hands, that’s our father and not only that he is sitting in heaven. It would be cool for your dad to be ceo of some company or governor or president, but our Father is God. Shut up! You can’t even top that. I mean stop there that’s good enough for me, but then God went on.
Hallowed be your name.
His name is holy and perfect. Everything about our Father is perfect and holy even down to his name. His name has power and strikes fear. I was reminded of a song by David Crowder when he said there are so few words that never grow old, Jesus! I'm like wow this is the God we are in awe of, that we are fearful of, this perfect being then God began to lay it on me.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as is in heaven.
What? God's Kingdom here amongst all this sin? I couldn't help, but think of revelation and I thought to myself do I really want to pray for that to come? Talk about fear of God! But, God said think about heaven, everyone in my kingdom are there for me. Pray that on earth it would be done as in heaven that everyone would be for me. I'm like OK! Yes Lord!... but how? Funny I should ask. Again he said think about heaven. Every being there is doing the will of God. We are to pray that God's will would be so treasured that everyone one would do it. Then I started thinking how will God's will get done if we aren’t the one's doing it? If we are His hands and feet why aren't we moving, saving, healing, tithing, rebuking, loving or giving? So the prayer isn't for God to do it and us be spectators. Christianity is not a spectator sport. We are the ones whom God will use to bring about His kingdom and His will. Now I'm like even the magnitude of Jesus' prayers are too much for me.
Give us our daily bread.
How many of us truly rely on God to bring us what we need in a day every day? We rely more on ourselves to get what we need, but what if we couldn't? What if every day we literally had to rely on God for our food? That is faith. Then God said it’s more than bread. It’s funny how he can say so much with so few words. Bread could be anything. It could be food, clothes, money, people, love, scripture, opportunities, wisdom, knowledge, strength, courage. Then it hit me what if instead of relying on God only for the things we don’t have, we relied on Him for everything. And in doing that we said Lord I'm trusting that you know what I need and that is what I'm asking you to give me daily. WOW! If Christ gave us salvation before we knew how to rely on Him for what we needed, then I can’t wait to see what He gives daily!
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
God's like you sin daily and need to be renewed daily. Salvation was once and for all, but it is that daily recognition of Lord I need you because I am a sinner. And as much as we don’t want to sometimes we must forgive the sins of others. Scripture tells us that how we judge is how we will be judged, then I'm forgiving everybody of everything. I may not like what they did, but I have to forgive. I know God hates our sin, but He forgave it and not only that He went out of His way to do it in the most incredible way. Sounds like a get out of jail free card for sin, not so fast.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
We must pray for the Lord to lead us not into temptation of sin, but to stay away from evil. When we become saved a transformation must occur in our hearts. Scripture talks about this transformation over and over again to leave the fleshly world behind and look toward the cross and the world to come. Just because Satan has lost doesn't mean he isn't going to try like heck to mess up whatever of God's plan that he can. Scripture says that Jesus will come like a thief in the night and it is better for him to find us doing. He has called us to be fishers of men, to make disciples of all nations. It is imperative that we share the Gospel. The other day I was watching a video and a woman became disturbed because it was a slow motion video of a woman drowning (she wasn’t really drowning it was a Francis Chan talk, she was ok and not hurt). And right when she said that it was like God hit me with a left hook and said you see all these people drowning in their sin and you’re just watching. All of a sudden I felt like I was drowning. I had a sudden feeling of being so small and insignificant. God said if you saw someone really drowning you would do all that you could to save them, even if you couldn't swim. So why aren't you helping them? This is life and death and more important than life and death as you know it these are people’s souls. Eternal life and death. Go and make disciples because I am coming like a thief in the night! All I could say was Yes Lord! This is not a game. This is real. So I just want to end with what the last thing He said was and it’s from scripture. Don't be like the Pharisees and honor me with your words, honor me with your actions!
12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
How does Paul's story of coming to Christ compare to yours? is it similar? Since becoming a Christian does your life look like Paul's? why or why not?
By God using Paul and his life as an example to us what does that show you about how much God values you and what you are capable of doing for Him despite your past?
In the third paragraph would your name fit more in the place of Timothy or Hymenaeus and Alexander?
How do these verses affect your walk moving forward?
How are they relavent to us today?
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