Wednesday prayer & verses (18 11 2009)

Thought for the day

Someone (unknown to me) relates this story:

When my grandmother was in her eighties, she decided to move to Israel. As part of the preparations, she went to see her doctor and get all her charts. The doctor asked her how she was doing, so she gave him the litany of complaints -- this hurts, that's stiff, I'm tireder and slower, etc., etc., etc.

He responded with, "Mrs. Weiss, you have to expect things to start deteriorating. After all, who wants to live to 100?"

My grandmother looked him straight in the eye and replied, "Anyone who's 99."

It's so true. No matter how old we are, there is the desire to live at least one more year. Even Christians who look forward to being with their heavenly Father sometimes have a hard time letting go of life in this world. But Jesus' death (and resurrection) truly makes all the difference in the world. "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is, the devil -- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Heb. 2:14-15, NIV)

Satan holds the "power of death", but praise be to the One who gives us hope because He holds the "power of life"!

Verses

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is a well-grounded assurance of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see.

Exodus 15:26

saying, "If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD, your healer."

2 Corinthians 5:15

He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake.

Luke 18:1

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

3 John 2

Beloved, I hope you are in good health -- may you thrive in all other ways as you do in the spirit.

Prayer

Lord, I am an ordinary person who has submitted my heart to You. But it is in the ordinary people that the infusion of Your resurrection power makes us extraordinary. Your Holy Spirit gives me boldness that does not come naturally to my personality. Thank You for giving me the strength to stand against the basic principles of this world when they conflict with Your principles. Lord, help me to be a watchman for my family, my co-workers and my friends as I intercede for their salvation or continued fruitfulness. I thank You that I do not stand in the gap alone but You, my Father, are with me and I stand in Your strength! Amen.