Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20 (CSB)

Reflect | My son and his family live in the Middle East in order to proclaim the gospel to those who have never heard. In his country, it takes an average of eight years to lead someone to Christ. This Muslim country has only a handful of people who have heard and responded to the gospel message. I have traveled to this country several times over the years. Missionaries like my son are dedicated to taking the gospel to the unreached. Pray for these who have given their life to reach out to the unreached with the best news of all.

Pray | Heavenly Father, would you touch the hearts of all who are reaching out the unreached in places around the world where the message of Jesus has never been heard. Encourage these workers and touch those they reach out so that hearts would be receptive to the message. I pray for a great harvest to come in from these workers who have given their all for the gospel.

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For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” -Galatians 5:13-14

 

Reflect |  We are called to be free! We are so very thankful for the freedoms God has provided us here in the United States of America. We are truly so blessed! All the blessings come from God, but in this scripture, we find a warning. We should not use the freedoms he has given to indulge our own flesh but to serve others in love. May we freely serve others through the love of Christ!

 

Pray | Jesus, thank you for providing us the ultimate freedom—the freedom from sin. Thank you for blessing us with so many freedoms in our country. May we never become complacent and never forget your two greatest commands to love the Lord with all we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

 

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And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. -Colossians 3:17

 

Reflect | I can’t offend, hurt, or slander anyone with the social media posts I don’t write.  Maximize connections and friendships… Minimize drama.  Is it kind?  Is it encouraging?  Is it necessary?  Most of all, does it provide a good representation of Christ?  Our social media accounts are part of our lives.  Our lives should bring glory to God and point others towards Him.

 

Pray | Dear Lord, social media has only complicated matters in our culture.  Even when issues ignite our passions, help us to spend our time praying rather than posting.  May we represent You in all we do.

 

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“…who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases” -Psalm 103:3 (ESV)

Reflect | If one can have the faith to believe that God can “forgive all your iniquity”, then it must be possible to believe the He can also, “heal all your diseases”. Jesus reaffirmed this thought in Matthew 9 when he asked, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?”. Jesus is the forgiver of all sin, and the healer of all disease.

Pray | Father, we pray for those currently battling incurable diseases, that they would experience your healing just as they have experienced your salvation. May the gravity of the sickness bend its knee to the One who paid the price for that exact sickness in His flesh on the cross. Allow, faith to swell within their spirit for the grace of healing. Bring peace, and enduring faith. Reaffirm their hearts with the reality that there truly is nothing impossible for our God! In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

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Read | Mark 5:1-20 – Jesus heals a man with a demon

 

Reflect | In our passage we read about an encounter that Jesus had with a broken man. It is heartbreaking to hear about his condition. The community was so afraid of him that they drove him away to live among the tombs. They decided to give up on him. Much like this broken man, the homeless in our community are looked down upon as unclean, outcasts, and dangerous. Many people have given up on them…but not Jesus.  And we shouldn’t either.

 

Pray | Dear Jesus, help us to follow your example by loving and serving the homeless in our community.  We pray that you would bring healing and restoration in their lives.

 

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Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples… – Luke 11:1

 

Reflect | As a schoolboy, Thomas Edison was given a note to be read only by his mother. “Your son is a genius and we cannot teach him here. He is far more capable than our capacity to teach him. Please keep him at home.” After his mother died, Edison found the yellowed note among her papers. It actually read: “Your son is an idiot and incapable of learning. Please do not send him back to us.”  Imagine the world without film, the phonograph or light!

 

Pray | Almighty God, help us to focus on the potential not the actual. Sanctify our imagination!  Amen.

 

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For I was hungry and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee: or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. -Matthew 25:35-40 (KJV)

Reflect | Today we are mindful of those who are incarcerated; both those who are guilty and those who are innocent…we also remember their families on the outside.  We are also mindful of the victims of crimes and their families.

Pray | Father God in the name of Jesus we humbly come before you, asking for forgiveness of our many sins. We thank You for life, health and strength. We thank You for our family, friends, even our enemies. Thank You for watching over us danger seen and unseen. Thank you for the right to the tree of life. Thank you for new grace and mercy daily. We pray for the bereaved, sick and shut in as well as those behind prison walls. We pray the Blood of Jesus over all our lives, and just continue to love us. Thank you most of all for Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection. Please continue to bless our nation, state, and city. We pray that You continue give us discernment to make wise choices. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

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Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they PRAISED the God of Israel. -Matthew 15:30-31

 

Reflect | Much of Jesus’ ministry was spent healing the sick as recorded by Mathew, Mark, and Luke. In fact, the first chapter of Mark tells us that the first healing in the book of Mark was the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Often after the healing had taken place the one healed praised God for the healing. Many times, when healing takes place, we credit the physician(s) for that healing, but ultimately all healing is in the will of God and we recognize that Jesus is the “Great Physician.  No doubt the people who were healed had prayed earnestly for healing, but it wasn’t until Jesus came along that their prayers were answered the way they wanted them answered. Healing is often the proof to us that God hears our prayers.  But daily we are showered with his blessings and answers to our many prayers, but we fail to realize God’s hand in our answered prayers.

 

Pray | O God of all healing and the answerer of our prayers, we give you thanks for all of the requests we have made.  Many times, we fail to realize how you have answered our prayers because we credit doctors, friends and even coincidence for answering our prayers.  Help us to see your hand in the answer to our prayers, even when they are not answered in the way we would like.  Help us to always PRAISE THE GOD OF ISREAL when our prayers are answered. In the name of the Great Physician: Amen.

 

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Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way…May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything for doing his will and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. -Hebrews 13:18, 20-21 (NIV)

 

Reflect | As we think about the spiritual leaders in our community, we must remember to pray for them! We must pray they will live lives marked by integrity and honor. We must pray that the God of peace would equip our leaders “with everything for doing his will.” We must pray that the God of peace would be powerfully at work in and among the spiritual leaders in our community. May our men and women serve faithfully through Jesus Christ and for his glory forever!

 

Pray | Father, we thank you for who you are. Thank you for giving us men and women who lovingly lead us as we follow you. We humbly ask your Holy Spirit’s anointing to be upon them. As they give of themselves, increase their integrity and honor. Show our leaders your will for their church and your will for this community. Equip them to accomplish your will through the power of your Holy Spirit. We ask that you work powerfully in and among our spiritual leaders. Empower them for the ministry to which you have called them. Continue to do great things through your servants. It is by the shed blood of Jesus that we approach your throne of grace with confidence. We ask all this in the powerful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

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Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. – Luke 10:34 (NLT)

 

Reflect | EMTs and Paramedics have the unique responsibility of helping people who are usually scared, vulnerable, and having the worst day of their lives. These professionals can come into that situation and bring not only healing but compassion and peace. We are grateful for men and women who are not merely doing a job but are bringing life and hope to those in need.

 

Pray | Jesus, we thank you today for the EMTs and paramedics who serve our community. We ask that you not only keep them safe but that you would give them supernatural wisdom as they treat their patients. As they deal with overwhelming circumstances, please grant them strength and compassion every day. Thank you for the men and women who go above and beyond to help those in need.

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