praying effectively: Flee from Idolatry (1 Cor.10:14-22)

(1 Corinthians 10:14-22)  Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. 16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? 19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?

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 flee from idolatry (10:14)

- that we live out, determine and understand for ourselves, that God's words written in the Bible are true,  logical and helpful (10:15)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, help us understand that the Trinity are one!  And there is no other!  Help us understand that when we trust in our own efforts or in other people or in other things - these become our idols.  May we always put You first in our lives, and that in everything we trust in You fully.  As we live out Your words, may we become confident in Your will, and see and know that Your way is best, and always works!  In Your wisdom and strength, may we continually grow in confidence in You.  Amen. 

praying effectively: Keep Weak From Stumbling (1 Cor.8:1-13)

(1 Corinthians 8:1-13)  Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

7 However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

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 while living in God's grace and freedom, we are careful not to cause a weaker believer to stumble, while doing something like eating food which has been sacrificed to idols/other gods (8:9-13)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for our freedom that we find in Your grace.  I do not know when or where or how such a situation could arise, where I would be offered food sacrificed to idols, but if it ever does, give me insight and wisdom to know what to say and do so that I do not cause a fellow believer to stumble.   In general, may I always behave in such a way so as to not cause a weaker believer to stumble.  

Help Your Church to not fall into legalistic behavior because of fear and worry about what others might think or do, but guide Your Church in equipping the saints in truth, so that we understand Your word and Your will - to not take Your grace for granted - but to focus on doing the things that please and glorify You.  Amen.

praying effectively: Flee Immorality (1 Cor.6)

(1 Corinthians 6:1-20)  Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? 4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, 6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

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 are not deceived, for we have been washed, sanctified and justified through Christ, no matter what our sins were or are (6:9-11)

- that even though we cannot lose our salvation, no matter what we do or don't do, we should not be mastered by anything (6:12)

- that we flee immorality (6:18)

- that we should glorify God in our body, because we are a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us (6:19-20)

- that we join ourselves to the Lord and be one spirit with Him (6:17)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your faithfulness and Your amazing grace.  May we embrace Your spirit and be one with You so You can help grow our personal faith and obedience. 

As well, help the fellowship of believers grow closer to You, and thus grow closer to each other.  Guide us and give us wisdom in knowing how to deal with issues in the Church, so that we can fully reconcile without needing any court of law for arbitration.

We know that the world watches us closely.  May Your Church represent You in such a way that we glorify You in everything we do.  Amen.

praying effectively: Remove Immorality (1 Cor.5)

(1 Corinthians 15:1-13)  It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

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 only judge the actions of believers (5:12-13)

- that we remove immorality from among ourselves and remove immoral so-called believers from our churches (5:6-7, 13)

- that we do not associate with immoral people who consider themselves believers (5:11)

- that we do not judge the immoral people of the world, but leave that to God (5:12)

- that we do not run away from the immoral people of the world, otherwise how will we share the gospel message with them (5:9-10)

- that we celebrate Christ with sincerity and truth, and not with malice or wickedness (5:8)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for the newness of life that You provide.  May we be sincerely seeking after Your truth and Your will.  May we be open and willing to stay accountable to each other, without a mean or fearful spirit or without jumping all over every little mistake.   Help our love to be as patient and gracious as Yours.

And when and if a fellow believer backslides in defiant behavior, give us wisdom and guidance in knowing how to deal with that, first giving them a gracious chance to reconcile with You and to change their ways.  If they refuse, give us the wisdom and guidance in knowing how to remove them from our midst.  

When and if we do have to judge fellow believers in their defiant actions, help us to do that fairly and in Your love.  Help the fellowship of believers to be understanding, realizing that this is not an easy thing to do, but it does have to be done.  And if the wayward believer reconciles and changes, help the fellowship of believers to be forgiving and graciously encouraging.

Help us not to judge the unbelievers of the world;  but give us opportunities to show them Your love and saving grace.  Amen.

praying effectively: The Holy Spirit Intercedes (Rom.8:18-39)

(Romans 8:18-39)  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

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 the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus intercedes for all believers in praying for us in God's will, because we do not know how to pray perfectly (18:26-27, 34)

- that God will cause all things to work together for the good of believers who love Him (18:28)

- that believers should know that God will cause all things to work together for good (18:28)

- that believers triumph in tribulations because of Christ's love, knowing that nothing can separate us from Him (8:35-39)

- that believers persevere in their waiting in hope (18:25)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for praying for us and wanting the very best for us.  Help us understand that when certain prayers of ours are not answered the way we want or when we want, that You will work things out in a way that is even better than we could ever imagine. 

Help us to persevere, no matter what we are going through.  May we be confident in our obedience to living out Your will.  Help us to trust in You fully, knowing that Your hand of guidance and protection is over us.   Cause our hope for these unseen things to be unwavering.  Amen.

praying effectively: Exalt in Tribulations (Rom.5)

(Romans 5:1-5)  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

(Romans 5:11)  And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

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 through faith in Jesus, we have reconciliation with God (5:11)

- that through faith in Jesus, we have peace with God (5:1)

- that through faith in Jesus, we can stand in God's grace (5:2)

- that through faith in Jesus, we can triumph in hope of God's glory (5:2)

- that through faith in Jesus, we can triumph in God (5:11)

- that we triumph in our tribulations (5:3)

- that we realize tribulations produce perseverance, proven character, hope and a deeper love for God (5:3-5)

Today's prayer:  

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You - thank You - thank You!!!  I am overwhelmed by You.  Thank You for making it possible to be reconciled with You.  Thank You for giving us a hope, which is not wishy-washy, but a hope that is a secure knowledge of being in Your glory.

Thank You that we are able to experience Your grace, peace and strength - so that we are not only able to stand - but we are able to triumph in all things!!!  May we not be daunted when faced with tribulations, but help us to fully rely and rest in Your will.  Amen.