Tag Archives: prayer

Standard Issue – Ephesians 6:10-18

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An Army will have a “Standard Issue” uniform and weaponry.  This is given to them for protection on the battle field.  It would hardly make sense, like in todays reading, to send out your army equip with simple sticks and stones to protect your country from modern day armies.

Its the same for us Christians!  We settle ourselves with meer sticks and stones (i.e. Our our strength) to ward off evil, to ward off temptation and other attacks.  The problem is, the enemy is powerful, and on our own we lack the strength to succeed.  The only way we can win any battle is through Jesus, and by donning his Standard Issue Battle Armour.

How can we don this armour?  By living in him.  Reading his word, praying and fellowship with other Christians.

Trying to fight a battle alone without your armour?  Then sign up to the Lords army and fight side by

side for the winning team.

Prayer and Witness – Colossians 1:3-14

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There recently in many of my daily devotionals seems to be a common theme.  How we live our lives is one of the most important witnesses to the lost we can give.  In Colossians, we find them praying for their brother that he may have strength and wisdom.  Checkout this verse:

Colossians 1:10 – …And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God… (NIV).

Here they pray that their brother may live a life worthy of the Lord.  Not conforming to localised peer pressures, or becoming captive to sin, but living in the light and knowledge of the Lord that he may bear fruit.  His actions are a witness to those around him.

How this passage differs from previous sections on “imitating” God and living like him, is the emphasis on prayer.  It is a strong reminder that we cant live for him, or live like him without his help!  Go it alone and you will fail.  However if you have him with you at all times, you will bear fruit.

I am reminded of a verse in Revelation 22:1-3, …Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.

And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

3 No longer will there be any curse…

I can envisage that the crops and trees were growing and bearing fruit as they were feeding from the living water flowing from the throne.  We as Christians can bear fruit by drinking the living water, in reading the word, in prayer and in living for him (you cant pick one of them, they are linked).

My Rock and My Fortress – Psalm 31:1-8

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This Psalm is a prayer for

help.  The writer is asking God for strength, comfort and wisdom (Psalm 31:3).  Looking back at my own life, there have been so many times when I have been scared, lacked the wisdom to deal with an awkward situation or lacked the strength to see something through to the end.  Of course each time, I was “going it alone” and relying on myself to get through the day.

All it takes is a simple prayer, opening your heart to God and asking for his strength comfort and wisdom and you are no longer alone.  There is no situation in this Universe that the Lord cannot provide his Love for.

As in the latter verses, I must also remember to praise God for this time and the many other times that he has been with me through the good and the bad (Psalm 31:7-8).