Tag: Rev. Dr. Ken Crawford

But you must remain faithful
to the things you have been taught.
You know they are true,
for you know you can trust
those who taught you.
You have been taught
the holy Scriptures from childhood,
and they have given you the wisdom
to receive the salvation that comes
by trusting in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize
what is wrong in our lives.
It corrects us when we are wrong
and teaches us to do what is right.
God uses it to prepare and equip
his people to do every good work.  
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT

I love Paul’s challenge to Timothy to be faithful to what he had been taught and to remember why he could trust what he had been taught. Paul reminded Timothy that Scripture can make us wise, give us faith, correct us, teach us, prepare us, and equip us in two important ways: First, through a Spirit-filled mentor or parent, and second, through the Scriptures themselves, which he describes as holy and inspired (God-breathed or Spirit-inspired). The Scriptures’ power lies in the words the Spirit inspired and the people who show the transforming influence of the Spirit at work in their lives. Why wouldn’t we be eager to let the “sword of the Spirit” (God’s word, Ephesians 6:17) be at work in our lives?

Almighty God, thank you
for speaking to us in words.
As I place myself under the guidance
of the words of Scripture,
dear Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit
uses them to form me into a person
who is increasingly more
like Jesus each day.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol
your name for ever and ever.
Psalm 145:1-2 (NIV)

The way we praise God forever, the way we honor our pledge to give him glory for all the days of our life, is really pretty simple: we do it today. As long as we praise God today, the forever takes care of itself. So as you commit to lift high the name of God and praise him for all eternity, remember the place it starts: praise God today — not only in the things that you say, but also in the way that you live!

Mighty God and loving Father,
today I want to tell you how
marvelous and wonderful
I believe you to be.
You are righteous,
faithful, holy, and merciful.
You are tender, loving,
and yet magnificent in glory
and incomparable in strength.
You have redeemed me from my sin
and given me hope beyond my own death.
You have filled my life full of good people
and have promised me a home with you.
You, O God, are without peer
and without rival.
You are my King,
my awesome and majestic Father.
In Jesus’ name I praise you,
today and forever.
Amen.

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Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17 NIV

The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and the Spirit helps us understand the will of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). God’s message of truth is much more than just the words of mere mortals; it is God’s will given by his Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:8). Scripture has its origins in the Spirit of God, even though it was proclaimed by human messengers (2 Peter 1:19-21). In other words, I must not neglect the Scriptures as the word of God. They must be allowed to teach, rebuke, correct, train, and equip me to live the life of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I must allow the Spirit to use God’s word to convict me and work on the attitudes of my heart as I am trained to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 4:12-13; Hebrews 5:11-14). Another important thing that catches my attention today is that I must “take” God’s word. I must intentionally choose to pick it up, use it, and depend upon it, inviting the Spirit to lead me in the way of God!

Holy God,
thank you for giving me
your word in Scripture.
Thank you for pouring
out your truth
through human messengers
inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for the work
of the Spirit to convict
and enlighten me
through your word.
As I seek your will
in your word,
I ask today that the Spirit
be active and lead me
in the way you
want me to go.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

Do not get drunk on wine,
which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another with psalms,
hymns and songs from the Spirit.
Sing and make music from
your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to
God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another
out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:18-21 NIV

When people are drunk, we say they are “under the influence.” When a person is a follower of Jesus, he or she should be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul lists five ways that we fill ourselves with the Spirit. Four we would normally identify with community worship — speaking to one another in song, singing, making music in our hearts, and giving thanks to God. Paul adds a fifth way to turn the Spirit loose in our lives: submitting to one another as part of our worship of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I have not wanted to do each of these things. However, in doing them with a genuine desire to honor the Lord, I find myself blessed and empowered in ways I would never have expected. We shouldn’t be surprised: The Bible tells us that when we do these things, God’s Spirit fills us!

Loving Father,
thank you for entering into me
through the Holy Spirit.
I am going to try to do all I can
to worship you with my words
and with my relationships,
trusting that you will empower
me with your Holy Spirit.
Please help me see your
presence and power in my life
as I do these things in today’s verses.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Against such things
there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

O precious Father, God Most High,
thank you for your patience,
grace, and forgiveness.
I want the Holy Spirit
to lead me and empower me
to grow in every way,
but especially so that I can be
more and more like Jesus in love,
joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control.
Thank you for hearing my prayer
offered in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Father God,
I confess that I sometimes
ignore the impulse of the
Holy Spirit inside of me
and act in ways that are
inconsistent and hurtful to you.
I want to be like Jesus —
more and more under the
influence and control
of your Holy Spirit.
Please open my eyes to your will,
your presence, and your character
as the Spirit leads me.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

Dear friends, I urge you,
as aliens and strangers in the world,
to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)

This world is not our destination; it is our journey! There are many things here that can distract us from our goal and destroy our desire to complete our journey. These sinful desires actually are at war with us. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can say “NO!” and live with confidence and character before our world that is trapped in darkness and so desperately needs God’s light.

The rest of the world is always watching Christians and waiting for us to fail so they can attack the faith. Some say we are a privileged part of society with benefits that are unearned… yes, they are absolutely right! Living up to our privilege is the tough part of this journey and people we don’t even know are always watching how we act and react. How do you live your life when you think no one is looking?

Empower me, almighty God,
so that I may grow ever closer
to your character and holiness.
Help me, loving God,
to live a holy life that is
attractive to my friends,
family, and neighbors,
so they may come to glorify you
by living your life, too.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

Gracious God,
thank you for reminding me
that the first goal in my life
is not to be protected,
but to be used to share your grace.
Help me to know that being persecuted
for doing what is right is
following in the steps of Jesus.
Give me the courage and the passion
to help lead others to
the wonderful discovery of you,
your grace, and your great reward.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.