Wednesday: Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

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Righteousness builds upon meekness

After meekness, there is a thirst and hunger for righteousness. Righteousness is not merely doing right and avoiding wrong. That is legalism. Without meekness, such a desire would only result in self-righteousness. Righteousness is right standing before God brought about by the righteousness of God and results in a continued path to blessed happiness.

The Righteousness of God

God’s righteousness is explained in Phil. 3:9. “And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” Paul was righteous by the Law, but when judged by God, Paul’s righteousness fell short of God’s perfection.

We are to yearn not for our righteousness, but for God’s righteousness. Romans 1:17 says that the God’s righteousness is revealed by faith.

God’s rule says that sacrificial blood brings about forgiveness of sin. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). Blood on the altar will make atonement for the soul. But not the blood of animals. Psalms 40:6 says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.” Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”         

So whose blood? The blood of Christ. Hebrews 9:12 says, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

So how can we know that God will keep His promise, to forgive us of our sins? By trusting that God is righteous. This is said again in Rom. 3:21-22a, “²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.”

The famous line of Rom. 3:23 is actually a dependent clause of a sentence explaining God’s righteousness is shown by faith:

We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. (New Living Translation)

We are saved because God is righteous. We hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness and to do otherwise is ignorant. Romans 10 says, “³ For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Questions: Do you feel smug about how good you are compared to others? Are you looking at others’ sins rather than God’s righteousness?

The Righteousness of Christ

Jesus was the only one who was righteous in God’s sight. 2 Cor. 5:21 says Christ’s sacrifice made us righteous, even though we aren’t. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 1 Peter 3 also explains that Jesus, the just, died for us, the unjust, “¹⁸ Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” (NLT)

Only Christ fulfills the righteous requirements of the Law; only His blood on the altar is pure. Romans 8 says, “³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Question: How are you affected by the “great exchange” of Christ becoming sin, even though He had none, so that we could have His righteousness, even though we have none?

The Righteousness of Man

After we hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness and when we know that we are only righteous in Christ, then we can truly long for our righteousness. But unlike a longing for food to satisfy ourselves, we should long to bear fruit. 2 Cor. 9 says:

¹⁰” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, ¹¹ while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”

After we are saved, we bear righteous fruit, as James 3:18 says, “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” Paul said in Eph 5:9, “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” and again in Phil. 1:11 “being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

They shall be satisfied 

There is a verse that says “do not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9, NIV). If you are not feeling satisfied or filled in all you are doing, it may be because you are looking at the wrong things. Self-righteousness comes in comparison to others. Satisfying-righteousness looks to the harvest.

Question: What type of fruit do you bear? Are you doing good but with the wrong attitude? If you long for righteousness and are not filled, whose righteousness are you hungering and thirsting for?

Tuesday: Blessed are the meek

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Meek people are happy and vice versa

Have you ever seen a proud, arrogant person who was truly happy? Generally, they find fault with others in order to maintain their perceived superiority. On the other hand, a meek, gentle, lowly and humble person tends to be quite content with what life and circumstances bring.

Question: Who is someone who demonstrates meekness?

Humility follows mourning

Meekness is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  But because it rhymes with “weakness,” we often have a misunderstanding of the word. Jesus described Himself as meek (Matt. 11:29) but He certainly wasn’t weak. If you have ever had to genuinely show humility, gentleness and meekness, it is certainly one of the hardest things a Christian is called to do. Someone described being meek as being:

Mighty-Being meek is not for the weak or faint of heart

Emotionally Stable-Meek people control their emotions

Educable-You cannot teach a proud person

Kind-Without loving kindness, all else is clanging noise

In this Beatitude, Jesus quotes Psalm 37:10-11: For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. ¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

After an impoverished spirit and mourning over sins, we inherit a sense of lowliness, knowing that only by the grace of God are we saved. The beatitudes grow within us as attitudes and actions we submissively develop. We should be making make steps upwards in our Christian discipleship for the rest of our lives.

If we reject meekness, we need to go back to impoverishing our prideful self-spirit and mourn over our sins, asking the Holy Spirit to infill us, to control us and to impart His spiritual fruit within us.

Question: 

How are the steps 

of the Beatitudes 

like the picture 

to the right?

Happy are the mighty

When we think of meekness, mightiness does not come to mind. But it should. A picture of meekness is often given of a strong and wild horse, brought under control, utilizing his mighty strength as a great asset. Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 10:

¹Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: ²But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Question: How are you strong in meekness?

Happy are the emotionally stable

Jesus was emotionally stable. When insults were hurled at Him, He did not return them. During His crucifixion, he could have called down legions of angels, yet he didn’t lose control. He knew who He was, what His inheritance was and what the final outcome would be. See Matt. 11.

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Question: When are you emotionally out of control?

Happy are the educable

  James, the half-brother of the Lord, at first rejected Jesus as the Messiah. But with a teachable heart, he learned meekness. He wrote that we should “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” In James 3:13-18, he wrote of meekness and wisdom:

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth...

Questions: Can you learn from your mistakes? Better yet, do you?

Happy are the kind

A meek person is kind, not quick to pounce, having the love described in 1 Corinthians 13. A meek person will show the gospel as described in 1 Peter 3:15-16, “¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ¹⁶ having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”

Question: Why is it hard for believers to be kind?

The oxymoronic Beatitude

The teachings of Christ often seem contradictory or oxymoronic. A person who inherits the earth surely is one who fought, clawed, and bargained to win. This beatitude seemingly goes against common sense: the meek often are taken advantage of. They don’t inherit the earth.

But notice the word “inherit.”  We inherit a kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). Just as the poor in spirit have the kingdom of heaven, we will someday inherit an earth on which we shall reign (Rev. 5:10, 20:6).

Question: Where do we reign after the millennium (Rev. 22:5)?

Sunday: Blessed are the persecuted

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Blessed are the persecuted

Why persecution follows peacemaking

Why is a believer persecuted? It is for righteousness sake.

D. Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote “it is interesting…that this particular Beatitude follows immediately the reference to the peacemakers…He is persecuted because he is a certain type of person.”

Not exactly a compelling reason to strive for righteousness or peacemaking is it? But it is true throughout Scripture. Why did Cain kill Abel? Why did Saul pursue David? What put Daniel in the lions’ den or the three Hebrew boys in a fiery furnace? What did Job do to deserve what happened to him?

Many times in life and in the Bible, we see that doing the right thing often leads to unpopularity in the world. There is a reason for that. This is not our home, as we live in a fallen world and God has prepared us for the kingdom of heaven.

Same reward, different degree

  Secondly, look at the reward. We are back where we started. After climbing the steps of the Beatitudes, have we come to the bottom rung? Hardly! Look at Matt. 20:1-16. Laborers hired at the end of the day got exactly what those who worked for at the beginning of the day. They complained, but the owner said, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?”

   When we see all that we have suffered for righteousness’ sake compared to what we might have received without the salvation through Christ, no wonder we will cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus. The reward of the kingdom of heaven is no more deserved at the top of the staircase than it was at the bottom. A true servant of Christ will say as the servant He spoke of said in Luke 17:7-10, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.”

So is there a point in attempting to live the Beatitudes, if we are going to get the same reward as everyone else? By all means! Persecution has the same reward of the kingdom of heaven as being poor in spirit, but so much more.

Matthew 13:43 explains the story of the wheat and tares, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” God will remember our labor and our persecution and He will reward us. Matthew 5:12 explains further, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Verses about God rewarding us.

God will reward you openly for righteous works done secretly.

⁴ Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. ⁶ When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. ¹⁸ No one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. ²⁴ Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. ¹⁸ The nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest.

 (Matt. 6:4, 6, 18, Col. 3:24, Rev. 11:18, 22:12).

Rewards for small acts will never be lost. Salvation is free, but rewards are according to our works, especially loving our enemies.

⁴² And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded. ⁸ they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. ³⁵ Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. 

 (Matthew 10:42, 1 Corinthians 3:8, Luke 6:35)

Some outwardly righteous works won’t receive any heavenly rewards.

¹ "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  ² "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  ⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. ¹⁴ If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.   

(See Matthew 6:1-2, 2 John 1:8, 1 Corinthians 3:14)

Why are you being persecuted?

   Finally, let us note again what righteousness is and why that is the source of our persecution. It is not the act of being noble or good or even being what the world would call “right.” The Biblical definition of righteousness is “right standing with God,” and not with the world.

  This is not Murphy’s Law of “No good deed will go unpunished.” This is Kingdom’s Law that says that “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking (that is, living selfishly), but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In Matthew 5:10, He says “for righteousness’ sake,” and then in the very next verse, He says, “for My sake,” making persecution for righteousness and for Christ as being equal.

Blessed are you who have spent time in this devotional this week
for Christian Home Week. May God richly bless you and
make you a blessing to others. Amen.

Monday Blessed are those who mourn

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Mourning follows a poor spirit

The first step to spiritual happiness begins with a poor self-spirit, a humility springing from admitting that we cannot save ourselves. In response, God gives us the kingdom of heaven. In verse 4, we see the truly saved will have a godly sorrow over sins. Happy are those who mourn? The Apostle Paul explains in 2 Corinthians chapter 7:9-11.

⁹Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

The second step in the Beatitudes acknowledges our sins in a profound way: to mourn with a deep sense of grief, often associated with the death (Mark 16:10, Luke 6:21). Coming face to face with the seriousness of our sins, we have a deep sense of sorrow that greatly needs comforting. Mourning produces a genuine repentance (a change inside) and a burden is then lifted off, and God’s healing comfort will come in.

Questions: How does sorrow bring about repentance and salvation? Do ALL Christians mourn over their past sins? Have you come to a place in your life where you have mourned over your sins? Has God forgiven you?

Godly mourning is better than worldly pleasures

Godly mourning is lacking in many “feel good” churches preaching positive messages, affirming the congregation’s self- esteem. But the mourning over our sin and the receiving God’s comforting forgiveness allows us to come face to face with how sinful we are and there is a very real need for a Savior. Read Ecclesiastes 7:

² Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart. ³ Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. ⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

The Bible warns against the “pleasures” of sin being short-lived. Hebrews 11 says, “²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” That “pleasure of sin for a season” (KJV) has no eternal rewards.

Questions: How can good come out of sorrow? Give an example. Can people be sorry for their sins, but not repent? Does sorrow without repentance lead to salvation?

Godly mourning is broader than just our sins

Christians also mourn over sins in the world. Paul lamented over sinners in 2 Cor. 12:21 “I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness….” There is a godly sorrow which should burden us to share the gospel.

Some say that Christians shouldn’t judge others or call out sin as sin. But if that were so, would our nation have ever brought to an end the evils of slavery? We should sorrow over sins and the lost world.

Question: What are some of the world’s sins over the ages for which the church has mourned and then seen changed?

Good mourning: comfort from God

   The beatitudes are steps of progress in our salvation. The second reward is in our comfort. The word for comfort is paraklethesontai. Those who know Greek will quickly recognize the cognate word, Paraklete, a word which Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit.

¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth…²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you…⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you… (John 14:16-17a, 26; 16:7.)  

We have the kingdom of heaven and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. If you mourn over your sins and the sins of the world, God will comfort you.

Question: Which is more important: that you have the kingdom of heaven (eternal life) or God’s Comforter within you right now?

Others will also comfort you

Not only will we be comforted by God, but others will also comfort us. The first two chapters of 2 Corinthians uses “comfort” more than anywhere else in the Bible. Do you need some comfort? Read the following:

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. ⁶Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. ⁷And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

If you read 1 Cor. 5 with this passage, you will see a church which did not mourn over sin. Paul prompted the church to have godly sorrow, sinners repented, and the church was restored and comforted.

Question: Has God comforted you and then used you to comfort others?

Sunday Blessed are the poor in Spirit

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Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Spiritual bankruptcy

What does “poor in spirit” mean? Jim Forest explains, “Without poverty of spirit, none of us can begin to follow Christ…It is my awareness that I cannot save myself, that I am defenseless, that neither money nor power will spare me from suffering and death.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones says, “If one feels anything in the presence of God save an utter poverty of spirit, it ultimately means that you have never faced Him. That is the meaning of this Beatitude.”

The Sermon on the Mount and especially the Beatitudes tell us that without Jesus Christ, none of us could ever be saved. Since Christ came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), He wanted to communicate the complete depravity and sinfulness of the human race.

Only in Matt. 5:3 is the word “poor” used for anything else other than monetary poverty. Those who are poor in spirit are those who deny their own spirit so that God’s spirit would be rich in them. It is the condition that is required for us to die to ourselves and live for God.

Born again believers are, as J.M. Boice said, “spiritually bankrupt.” As a result, we have, present tense, the kingdom of heaven. Spiritually poverty is the first step to being where God wants us to be: saved.

Question: What is the opposite of being poor in spirit?

Question: Why would Jesus use a financial word like poor?

God’s Standard: Perfection

Later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commanded the disciples to be “perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Even if we define perfect as “to be fully grown, mature, complete,” we are impossibly challenged to be as mature or perfect as our Father in heaven.

To understand the word “perfect” look at Matt. 19:21. Jesus told the rich ruler, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Was Jesus telling the man that selling all and giving to the poor is the way to sinless perfection? Is that what it takes to be saved? No! Jesus was trying to show the proud man, who thought he had kept all of the commandments, that he too was imperfect.

Questions: Read Matt. 19:16-26. Was the rich man happy? What do his three questions show about the man and his state of happiness? (“Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Which ones (commandments must I keep)?” “What do I still lack?”

Contrition and Humility

God’s standard of perfection leads us to profound humility. People today view God far too casually, certainly in comparison to those who saw God in the Bible. Here are some Old Testament parallels.

Psalms 34:18 “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

Psalms 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.”

Proverbs 16:19 “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Proverbs 29:23 “A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.”

Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Isaiah 66:2 “…but on this one will I look, on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.”

 “Contrite” can also mean lame, stricken, crushed, broken, even destroyed. It is with that type of spirit that is the first step to salvation and also to happiness and blessedness.

Question: How can a contrite, humble and impoverished spirit bring happiness?

Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

 What is the Kingdom of Heaven? It is more than going to heaven or even salvation. John the Baptist said the Kingdom of Heaven (KOH) is “at hand,” revealed in part during Jesus’ early ministry (10:7).

There is a present tense (5:3, 10; 11:12) and a future tense (8:11).

There is a spiritual sense (13:11) and a physical sense (11:12).

There is an earthly realm and a heavenly realm (16:19).

The KOH and Old Testament: Keeping the commandments is important and brings great praise (5:19-20), but the Law ended with John and the KOH came into being during Christ’s ministry (11:12 with Luke 16:16). The KOH includes Old and New Testament believers (8:11), but we have a greater understanding because of Christ (Matt. 11:11).

The KOH and unbelievers: The KOH is a powerful change, and the mighty take hold of it strongly (11:12). The mysteries of the KOH are hidden from unbelievers, but are revealed in part through the parables of Matthew 13, 19 and 22. The KOH is given solely by grace (22:10), but not to everyone (22:11). We cannot have the KOH through legalism (23:13).

The KOH and believers: Entrance to the KOH requires conversion (18:3) and doing God’s will (7:21), but even a child can enter by faith brings the greatest praise in the KOH (See Matt. 18:14 and 19:14). It is hard but not impossible for the rich to enter (19:23, 26). Sacrifices made have results in the KOH (19:12), but the KOH is not given by works (19:30-20:16).

The Kingdom of Heaven is going to heaven but so much more. It is for believers right now, Christ reigning in our hearts. The poor in spirit are blessed because we receive the KOH (salvation).

Question: Have you submitted to the Kingdom of Heaven by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord, Savior and King?

Key Principle #15: Prayer

It is important to remember the importance of prayer. Suppose Peter had not been praying at Simon’s house. Apparently Peter was still so prejudiced that God had to show him a vision three times about what He has proclaimed as “cleansed”. Had Cornelius not been in prayer, he may not have heard God either.

     It is not surprising that that the Gentiles were able to be brought into the Christian community as a result of prayer, since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2 as a result of the disciples staying in Jerusalem and praying.

     Have you ever noticed the church was born as a result, not of preaching, singing, fellowship, witnessing, but as a result of prayer? As they were praying, the Holy Spirit fell down on them and the church was born. Do you recall what incensed Jesus when the money changers were in the temple? It was because, as He said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” In Acts chapter four, Peter and John are arrested and beaten and then released. They didn’t protest; they didn’t file a petition or grievance with the administrators of the synagogue. They prayed. They didn’t file a lawsuit; they went to a prayer meeting.  They didn’t cry out for justice, they cried out for boldness to be found faithful.

     A key principle for the church from early on was this instinct to pray. When they were in trouble, they prayed; when intimidated, they prayed; when persecuted, they prayed. When Ananais was afraid to go and talk to Saul who persecuted the church, God said, “No behold he is praying.”

     When Timothy is charged to begin a church, Paul said, “First of all, I want supplications to be lifted up for leaders.” Later on, he said “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands,” not in charismatic singing, not in response of powerful preaching, but to lift up holy hands “in prayer.”

     Where did they learn this? Jesus didn’t just worship in the house of prayer. He was a man of prayer. In Jesus’ life and teachings, we see ten attributes of prayer that the early church copied and that we should likewise imitate in our lives. We see the following practices laid out for us in Jesus’ two major teachings on prayer, found in Luke 11:1-13 and also in Matthew 6.

1)   Privately– “As He was praying” See Luke 11:1; Matt. 6:5-8, “Go into your room (closet)”; Matt. 14:23, “He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray”; Mark 1:35 “He went out and departed to a solitary place”; Luke 9:18, “He was alone praying”.  

     2)   Personally–“Our Father” / “Abba, Father” See Luke 11:2-4, Mark 14:36      

     3)   Persistently– “because of his persistence” See Luke 11:5-8, 18:1-8; Matt. 7:7-11; 15:21-28; 26:41-44

     4)   Powerfully–“Ask, and it will be given”  See Luke 11:9-10; Matt. 21:21-22, John 5:4-7; 14:13-14, 16:23        

     5)   Positively– “How much more will your Father give to those who ask” See Luke 11:11-13, 7:1, 8:48; Matt. 8:5-13    

     6)   Penitently–“When you fast” See Matt. 6:17-18, 17:21     

     7)   Purely–     “Do not be like the hypocrites” See Matt. 6:5, 21:13; 23:14; Luke 6:28

     8)   Purposefully (notice in the Lord’s prayer, there are only 59 words) –“vain repetitions” / “whatever things you ask when you pray” See Matt. 6:7-8; Mark 11:34         

     9)   Publicly–“Father… because of the people who are standing by I said this” See John 11:41-42; 6:11       “Jesus…said,

     10) Passionately–“Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit” / “ with vehement cries and tears” See Luke 10:21, Heb. 5:7.     

     There is a lot which is written in the Bible that encourages us to pray, including and beyond Jesus’ example and teachings. Throughout church history, much has also been written in the great Christian classics which beckon us to pray. This short chapter could be filled a thousand times over if I simply quoted verbatim the writings by those much more knowledgeable than I am on prayer and much more diligent than I am in prayer. But there is something more important than learning about prayer, reading about prayer, studying about prayer, hearing sermons on prayer.

     You know what that is?

     It’s important to, well, pray.

     Now I am not one who likes to get a lot of compliments about my sermons or what I write (which is actually a good thing, because I rarely get compliments about my sermons or what I write!). But if you were to remember anything about this chapter when you finish this book, I want nothing more to resound in your ears and echo in your hearts as you close the final chapter and return this book on the shelve (or turn off your personal device or finish listening to it on audio).

     Remember simply this: Pray.

     Before you do anything, PRAY.

     And when you can’t do anything else, PRAY.

     And when you’ve done all that you can do. Pray. Pray. And then pray again.