Category: finding peace

“The United States and the freedom for which it stands, the freedom for which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost; it imposes a burden. And just as they whom we commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must we—in a less final, less heroic way — be willing to give of ourselves…

I can’t claim to know the words of all the national anthems in the world, but I don’t know of any other that ends with a question and a challenge as ours does: Does that flag still wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? That is what we must all ask.”

– Ronald Reagan
Arlington National Cemetery, May 31, 1982

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.
– Isaiah 42:3-4

The forces of evil seem to be pummeling us but God will not falter! In a world where justice so seldom prevails, God is our only real assurance that justice will ultimately triumph. Our troubles now will end and those whose hope is in the Lord will prevail.  In fact, the hope for all lands and all peoples is for Jesus to return and bring with him God’s truth and justice. The Prince of Peace is coming to right all wrongs and to rule over the earth with perfect balance with the complete absence of conflict. We welcome His coming!

Righteous and merciful Father, I am sick of the corruption in our world and the injustice done to good, but powerless, people. Please send Jesus back soon and bring with him the righteous and just rule of your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.  – 2 Thessalonians 3:1

What can you do to help the spread of the Gospel and help increase the number of those who are saved each day? Well, there are many things: put in a good word for Jesus, share your faith with a friend, go on a mission trip, send financial support to a missionary, and many others. But one of the most important things you can do is to pray! Pray for missionaries and preachers and those who minister and share the Word of God and the grace of Jesus through the Internet, radio, television, and print. Pray for the message to spread rapidly and pray for it to grow in power and influence.

Loving Shepherd, I know you agonize over those who are lost. I pray that you will empower missionaries worldwide to speak the truth of the Gospel with boldness. I pray that you touch the hearts of those who hear so they will experience your salvation. Use me in whatever way you choose to be a part of the spreading of your salvation. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

[The apostles to the church in Jerusalem concerning ministering to the widows:] “And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.”
–  Acts 6:3 NLT

Almost every religion defines spirituality a little bit differently. However, a follower of Christ defines authentic spirituality based upon people having the Holy Spirit living within them. A true servant leader among Jesus’ followers is a person who is well respected and who is full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. These are the characteristics that qualify a person to have the responsibility of being a servant leader. Being respected and having wisdom are vital to serve and lead well in almost any area of life. However, to serve and lead well in the kingdom of God, these qualities must be informed and empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Lord God and Father, I pray for those who are servant leaders for your people. Please be with us, your children, as we seek to recognize servant leaders in whom you are at work. Help us to see their wisdom and to follow them with respect. Father, please help us see those whom your Spirit is influencing, maturing, and leading. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. –  2 Thessalonians 3:1

What can you do to help the spread of the Gospel and help increase the number of those who are saved each day? Well, there are many things: put in a good word for Jesus, share your faith with a friend, go on a mission trip, send financial support to a missionary, and many others. But one of the most important things you can do is to pray! Pray for missionaries and preachers and those who minister and share the Word of God and the grace of Jesus through the Internet, radio, television, and print. Pray for the message to spread rapidly and pray for it to grow in power and influence.

Loving Shepherd, I know you agonize over those who are lost. I pray that you will empower missionaries worldwide to speak the truth of the Gospel with boldness. I pray that you touch the hearts of those who hear so they will experience your salvation. Use me in whatever way you choose to be a part of the spreading of your salvation. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

[Peter, on Pentecost, quoting from Joel 2:] “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
– Acts 2:17 NIV

So much handwringing goes on to determine when the “last days” will occur. However, the prophecy of Joel 2 begins to be fulfilled in Acts 2. Therefore, the events happening then are the beginning of the “last days”! Since the coming of the Holy Spirit that first Pentecost after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, we have been in the last days. Jesus’ coming again is assured. He stands at the edge of history. Since Jesus’ incarnation, we have stood at the “culmination of the ages” (Hebrews 9:26) waiting for God’s final victory when he sends Jesus to return for us (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). And the key to these last days? The Holy Spirit — God’s presence within us, God’s presence for us, and God’s assurance to us that we are part of his great victory (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit comes to all who belong to Jesus. No wonder old and young, men and women, have words from God to share and dreams from heaven to inspire!

Almighty God, thank you for the coming of your Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Thank you for sending your Spirit to me when I came to Christ. Thank you for your abiding presence within me and your assurance for me through your indwelling Spirit. I await, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the great victory that I know is coming in Christ. Thank you for this assured hope! In Jesus’ name, I praise you! Amen.

When the Feast of Pentecost came, [the apostles] were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force — no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.

The image of “tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (using the language of another translation) is a powerful one. This wildfire of God’s grace signals the dawning of a new era in God’s work of salvation. The message of Jesus is boldly proclaimed. Hearts are touched and convicted. Faith in Jesus is spread. People are baptized. The Spirit is given as God’s gift. Sins are gone. A new movement that will sweep through the mighty Roman Empire is begun and is still with us today. The Holy Spirit is the wind that causes heaven’s wildfire to spread through human hearts and change the future of people, family, friends, cultures, and nations. So let’s pray for this wildfire to sweep through our lands, our churches, our friends, and our own hearts!

Father in heaven, I know that the Holy Spirit lives in me and in the hearts of your people. But we yearn for a fresh movement of your Spirit to bring renewal, to empower evangelism, and to bring conviction of sin and a realization of grace, peace, and joy. I ask that your Holy Spirit will break out like wildfire among us and propel us to be the people our world needs us to be! In Jesus’ name, we ask for this grace. Amen.

[Not long after Jesus’ ascension,] Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.”

The crucifixion of Jesus was not an accident. The passion of Christ was part of God’s plan from the beginning (1 Peter 1:18-20). The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms all speak of the Christ having to suffer (Luke 24:44-49). The inspiration behind these writings, these prophecies, was the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit spoke these things. Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was not a surprise to Jesus. While the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus were tragedies and involved the work of evil people, they were planned by God and announced by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:23). It is amazing that this Holy Spirit, who moved the prophets to foretell the truth about Jesus, is the same Spirit who lives in us to confirm the truth about Jesus in us and to us (John 16:13; 1 John 2:24-28).

Father, I thank you for being present with me through the Holy Spirit, who brings so many blessings to me. As I seek to know Jesus, to really know him and not just know about him, I pray the Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth, into deeper and deeper truth, so that I can know the Son completely and perfectly reflect his character and compassion in my daily life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Jesus was filled with the joy
of the Holy Spirit.
– Luke 10:21 NLT

All too frequently, we pursue the wrong things hoping that they will make us happy. Real joy, however, comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we look at the life of Jesus and at the lives of his early followers, we see that the presence of the Holy Spirit brought them joy. The Spirit’s presence can do the same for us. This joy from the Spirit comes from many things, including but not limited to these blessings:

• Insight and understanding into the scriptures and into life.
• The abiding presence of God within us.
• The connection that the Holy Spirit gives us with other believers.
• The assurance of our relationship with the Father as his children.

Joy comes to us because of the Spirit’s presence in our lives!

Father, thank you for providing me with your source of joy, the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, I thank you. Amen.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
– Proverbs 31:28-29 ESV