Wednesday, December 12, 2018

praying effectively: Keep the Sabbath Holy (Ex., Duet.)

(Exodus 20:8-11)  “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

(Exodus 23:12)  “Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.

(Deuteronomy 5:12-15)  ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:
- that we respect and keep the Sabbath holy
- that we rest for one day out of the week
- that we allow family and employees to keep the Sabbath and rest

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for blessing us with a day of rest every week.  Whether we choose Sunday, or Saturday, or any other day - let it be a day which we use to bring honor, praise and our tithes to You.

Help us rest in You so that it will also be a day of healing: spiritually, emotionally, physically.  Let it be a day of spiritual equipping and encouragement, so that we are ready and eager to face the next week in Your love, guidance and strength.  Amen.

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