After Paul lists off the last piece of battle armor that we are to put on to fight the enemy, he points us to the glue that truly binds all the armor together and makes them effective — prayer. Prayer is what binds us to God because prayer is the means by which we talk and communicate with God. Without talking to God, there is no fellowship, no communion, which boils down to no relationship. Without an intimate relationship with God, our armor becomes just something fancy to look at it, but ineffective when it comes to battling our enemy.
Paul elaborates a little more on prayer in saying that it should be done always with great perseverance because it is easy to get sidetracked from it. He also points out that prayer comes in different forms, whether it be just general talking with God or supplications where we ask God for very specific things. Lastly, he reminds us that prayer is to be made for all the saints because we are all facing the same spiritual battle and we all need God’s help collectively and individually as believers.
Praying for us all,
Pastor Jason Witt
How does our prayer life look when those around us attack us for our faith? Peter and John were arrested for healing a man. They were told not to preach in the name of Jesus, but when they were with their brothers, they asked for boldness to speak His word.
I really like the way they leave it in the hands of the Lord. They could have complained but instead, they ask for boldness. When things don’t go my way or I feel like I’m being mistreated, I tend to complain to the Lord that it is not fair I go through this. Not only do I complain, but I tend to go back to my little box and hide. May we be like the apostles and go back to our group of Christian friends and ask for boldness. Not to hide in our little group but to be encouraged to go out and speak God’s word.
Asking for boldness to share His word.
Joshua Navarro
When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church the first time around, he held nothing back in addressing the immorality and ungodly behavior that was running rampant in the church at that time.
By the time 2nd Corinthians was written, Paul was glad to find that his stern warnings originally given were heeded by the people. The result in their hearts was not merely sorrow, but godly sorrow. The kind of sorrow that leads to repentance and change for the better, rather than the hopeless sorrow that leads to despair.
If you find yourself realizing that you have fallen short of the Lord’s call for right living and are left feeling deep regret and sadness, don’t let it stop there. Turn immediately to the One who offers grace, forgiveness, and a brighter future. Embrace the opportunity to move forward, changed and renewed by the power of His Spirit.
Jeff Deal
As the American culture moves away from God and His design, people have adopted false ideologies in His place. They pursue these false doctrines believing that there is truth and joy to be found in them, only to find out that they are chasing a lie. As a result, they are more lost than they were before and they are left hopeless.
In his second letter, Peter talks about the devastation of false doctrines. When we pursue these false doctrines, it is like trying to draw up water from an empty well, depressing and devastating. As Christians, it is important that we heed Peter’s warning and stay within the confines of scripture. When we part from the Word, even in the slightest, we find devastation and sorrow. We have the Words of life that lead to joy, let us keep these words and share them with a world that needs Him more than ever.
For the King,
Daniel Batistelli
All throughout scripture we find how the Lord really loves sacrifices. This is not because God needs the sacrifice from us to feel needed or anything like that, but rather the most pleasing thing to Him is a sacrifice done not only out of obedience, but a love for God, which is why we should always give our best!
Here, Paul gives a strong encouragement as he pleads with us by the mercy that God has shown us to offer ourselves to God in three ways: 1) Living. 2) Holy. 3) Acceptable. Am I living a life that is FULLY sacrificed to Him so that He always gets the very best of me, so in turn, people get more of God in my life? Live a life FULLY for the Lord and see how He will fill you and shine through.
Blessings,
Pastor Sean Boehm
Have you had a situation in your life lately where you had no other choice but to trust? It can be hard. To truly trust is to seek refuge, flee for protection, or completely confide or hope in. Trusting means we need to be willing to let go of control, like a downhill skier.
David in Psalm 31 is praying desperately for God’s deliverance from his adversaries. As we see, the prayer begins as a statement of trust, and he had such a deep level of trust that he even challenged God to not let him be ashamed in his deliverance. He knew that God would deliver him one way or another. Might we walk in that kind of trust today and take our hands of control off of ourselves and others. God’s got this.
Falling into His open arms,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Years ago, when I was an atheist, I told someone I knew something that convicted her of her sin. She would repent from that point forward to give up this sin and live for Jesus Christ. This person was so upset an atheist noticed her sinful lifestyle.
At least that’s what I was told by this person. I don’t remember saying anything about this sin and it certainly doesn’t sound like something I would have said as a non-believer. It reminds of the verse above where God controlled the mouth of a donkey to make a point to a stubborn prophet, Balaam.
Sometimes we are afraid to say things to others because we don’t have the right words, but God can certainly give us the things to say. If He can speak through a donkey, He can certainly speak through us! Trust in God for your words.
Speak through me, Lord,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
There are few people viewed more despicably than traitors, someone who turns on family, friends or nation. By contrast, faithfulness, allegiance, fidelity, devotion, and loyalty are words that describe a life that all would admire and God looks for from His own. Here in our verse the word faithful is the word for trustworthiness or loyalty. It is important in our relationships to be trusted and loyal. That is even more so when our loyalty to God is in view. Loyalty to God to love Him with all of our hearts, souls and minds. David prayed for his son Solomon that he would be loyal and faithful (1Chr.29:19) and we read of kings that were loyal to the Lord while others were “right with the Lord but not with a loyal heart” (Amaziah 2Chr.25:1-2). So how about you? Does your life cry out “loyalty to the Lord” or would that be an overstatement?
Longing in my heart to be loyal to the King
Pastor Jack Abeelen
The sword of the Spirit is the first piece of armor that Paul provides us that is both defensive and offensive. All of the previous pieces were defensive. The weapon most effective to not only shield off the enemy but also to fight back with is none other than the very word of God. The word of God, according to Hebrews 4:12, is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. The Bible we have on our bookcase, or in the trunk of your car, or in an app on your phone, is more than just words printed on a page or screen.
Just as Jesus warded off the Devil when tempted in the wilderness, we have this great gift available to us to not only defend but strike back. But in order to use this weapon, we must know it in order to apply it. We must study it and be a constant learner of it. You won’t know it by casually reading it every so often. You know it because you devote yourself to it. You study it carefully and read with the intent to understand, which requires discipline. It’s no different if you were to learn how to combat with a real sword; if you don’t know how to use it, it will be of no use to you.
Pick up your Bible, study it, know it, and you’ll see a difference in your ability to fight the enemy.
Pastor Jason Witt
John 3:16 tells us everyone has a chance to go to Heaven. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. What does it take to have eternal life? Believing in God’s Son, Jesus. That’s how people get saved.
The above verse tells us why people don’t get saved, because of their own love for darkness. In John 3:16, the word for love in “God so loved the world” is the Greek word agape. In John 3:19, the Greek word for love in “men loved darkness” is a form of the same word. The people who reject Jesus do so, not because of any kind of intellectual argument, but because they love the life they’re living and don’t want to give it up to worship God.
Our prayer for them is their eyes should be open to God’s love and they would turn from darkness to the Light, Jesus Christ.
I once was blind, but now I see,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
