“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” –Samuel Chadwick
- 1-Minute Devotional thought:
1 John 2:3-6 And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. [4] Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, [5] but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: [6] whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.
The question that keeps getting asked in this “First Letter of John” to the Christian church is — have you examined your life in light of the Biblical “evidence of divine grace” that John establishes.
John would have us pound away at this question: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, am I really a Christian after all?”
Specifically in these verses (2:3-6), we are to examine and see if we “keep His commandments” or “keeps His word” or whether we “walk in the same way in which he walked.” Although the Scriptures are clear that a works-Gospel is no Gospel at all, they are speak clearly that Christians are characterized by a God-given desire to obey Him.
Christian, as you come to God in prayer, affirm to Him your desire to do what he commands and repent of walking contrary to His Word.
- As citizens of the City of Man: Pray for all those people our local governments pay to keep the winter weather precipitation off the streets. Most of us, if given the choice, would stay warm and dry during nasty ice storms and snowfalls. But, their job description tells them to do just the opposite. Pray that they are kept safe during their work. And pray that, even as they clean snow off the interstate, they would gain an opportunity to hear and believe in Christ:
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)
- Pray for your local Pro-life ministries. Pray that local churches will team up with local pro-life ministries and supply these folks with the funds and man-power resources they need to perform this front-line ministry. And, after your pray, call them yourself and see how you can help!
- Pray for the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) mini
stry taking place on the campus of Florida State University — led by David and Karen Story:
David began working with RUF as the campus minister at Florida State University in the summer of 2004. He and his wife, Karen, are both graduates of FSU and love the opportunity to continue the ministry of the gospel at their alma mater. They also delight in their two daughters, Daphne and Alice. David received his Masters of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
- Using the new 2013 “watchlist” produced by
Open Doors, we pray for the persecuted Christians of a different country each week.
Teachers/parents, consider this a great way to introduce geography into the weekly lessons. Show students where the nation is, then pray for Christians in that place.
This week we pray for the Christians of Mali, which ranks No. 7 on the watchlist:
Until recently, Mali was a relatively stable, constitutionally secular state with a moderate Muslim population. However, following a military coup in March 2012, Islamist fighters and Tuareg rebels seized control of the north, declaring it an independent state and establishing a harsh Islamic regime. Tens of thousands of Malians fled south or left the country, including many Christians. There is now a very high degree of hostility towards Christianity in the north – Christians simply cannot exist.
Pray: That international forces will intervene successfully against the occupation of the north, and restore peace and stability. That the tendency towards religious radicalization in Malian society would be reversed.
- P
rayer for the nation – focusing this week on the state of Colorado. Lord, give the citizens of Colorado the spiritual eyes to see You, the God who made the Rocky Mountains, and Jesus — the Rock of Ages!
- In 2013, we will pray together by name for Christians in 50 nations, Christians in all 50 states and all the presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and the emerging new Reformed body, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbytreians. You are encouraged to add specific pastors, lay leaders, congregations, missionaries, new church developments and other ministries to the list by posting a comment to the blog. (Please do not publicly post the names of missionaries serving in contexts where exposing their identity would cause them harm or bring harm to those they serve in Christ’s name.) Let us kneel before the Father and ask His will be done.
- Prayers for the PCUSA: Pray for the presbyteries of the Synod of the Pacific: Boise, Cascades, Eastern Oregon, KIendall, The Redwoods, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Jose, Sierra Mission Partnership and Snake River Mission Area.
Prayers for Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC): the Florida Presbytery (Bob Garment, stated clerk).
- Prayers for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): the churches of the Southwest Presbytery (Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas).
- Prayers for ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
- Prayers for The Fellowship of Presbyterians.