Daily Prayer_December 13, 2012

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 29:26 (HCSB)
²⁶ Many seek a ruler's favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 133:1 (HCSB)
¹ How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

The Word of God for encouragement:

Revelation 2:1-7 (HCSB)
¹ "Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: "The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says:
² I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars.
³ You also possess endurance and have tolerated [many things] because of My name and have not grown weary.
⁴ But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love [you had] at first.
⁵ Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
⁶ Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
⁷ "Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God's paradise.

My observation:

Today we begin our reading of what Jesus has to say to the seven churches of Asia; which I remind you are a message to the churches of every age. You will note that he has something good, and something bad to say about each church. The key phrase is this, "Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches".

This is one thing I heard loud and clear; "You have abandoned the love {you had} at first". This is a strong warning that nothing we do for God is a substitute for loving God. The Apostle John knew what kind of love the Spirit was talking about. Love and obedience are inseparable.

1 John 5:2 (HCSB)
² This is how we know that we love God's children when we love God and obey His commands.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that you would help your people to love you with their whole heart.

Father God, help us to remember that no amount of sacrifice or service is enough to compensate for abandoning our love for God. In Jesus name, Amen.

--

Psalm 130:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ I wait for Yahweh; I wait and put my hope in His word.
⁶ I ⌊wait⌋ for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning— more than watchmen for the morning.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/