The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Luke 6:12–16; 8:1; 9:1–6; 10:1–17 (day three)

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’” (Luke 10:17)

I used a verse (verse 18) following this scripture during my kids’ time last Sunday as we talked through how incredible Jesus is. The 72 disciples that were sent come back to Jesus to give a report of all they did, and their excitement is evident in their report. In verse 18, Jesus tells the astonished disciples that He was present for the time where Satan was expelled from heaven. That is truly remarkable when you stop to think about it. These 72 disciples got to see Jesus in a new way as the One whose name was powerful enough to make the enemies of God leave. Then Jesus revealed to them that He was there at the beginning when Satan rebelled and was punished for it.

I wonder what those 72 people felt when they heard this. I imagine they were filled with awe and possibly encouraged to do whatever Jesus told them. There was probably a profound sense of wonder at who this man Jesus really was. Were they spurred on to go back out and spread the news even more?

That same power is in us. That same name makes the darkness flee. That same understanding should spur us on to go and tell the news to whomever will listen. Who are you going to tell this week?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 6:12–16; 8:1; 9:1–6; 10:1–17 (day two) 

And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 10:2

Many years ago, I was attending a revival at the church I was serving in college. The evangelists were a husband and wife team who both sang and preached. He was a former division one football player, and had quite a large presence behind the pulpit. He also had an amazing voice. One particular evening, as he was preaching, he began to sing a cappella “it’s harvest time…it’s harvest time…the fields are white, the grain is ripe, it’s harvest time.” His voice filled the small sanctuary, and although it was just one part of his sermon, it has lived with me for over 30 years.

We have only to step outside our door to understand this passage. There are so many people hurting, longing, seeking, and desperate for someone to help guide them. That person is you. Our passages this week help remind us that through the Holy Spirit, we have everything we need. Our responsibility is to be obedient.

This week during worship the choir will sing a setting of “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.” It is a hymn that we traditionally sing around Thanksgiving. The language has a lot of agrarian references, but in context of this scripture, I find it very appropriate.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17; Hebrews 5:11–13; Romans 16:17–18 (day seven) 

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Hebrews 5:12

A few weeks back I wrote about the longing of Newborn Babies talking about my newborn son’s desire for milk and equated that to our desire for the Word of God. Expounding on that illustration a little further, wouldn’t it be weird if it had been my five year old son who was crying for his mother’s milk instead of the newborn? Our expectation is that our boys’ appetite and cravings will mature with their age. In contrast, our five year old now wants to eat what we are eating. He even asks to try our food if it looks different from his. Before long, I will have him craving a big ribeye steak. His appetite and cravings are a reflection of his growth.

Discipleship is the same way. We shouldn’t have to hold the hand of those we are discipling and continue to lead them back to the basics over and over again. We should expect that their appetite and craving for the Word of God will mature with time. If we become dependent on a handful of spiritual leaders, then the masses will continue to cry for milk of those leaders. If we teach them how to mature in their appetite, encourage their cravings, and give them opportunities to try to do it on their own, then we will see the masses becoming leaders.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17; Hebrews 5:11–13; Romans 16:17–18 (day six) 

Most of us can recognize physical skills: balance, coordination, endurance. Deepening disciples also develop skills. Paul names several: holding fast to the gospel when pressure comes, discerning truth amid persuasive error, and passing on what we have received.

These skills matter in a world where Christian-sounding ideas arrive through polished reels, memorable memes, and confident voices. Not everything that quotes Scripture faithfully reflects Jesus. Discernment, however, is not cynicism. It is wisdom trained through Scripture, prayer, practice, and life within the church.

Nor must we become experts before helping others. A deepening disciple can say, “This is who Jesus is. This is what he has done. This is how I am learning to follow him.”

This Sunday, we will consider how disciples develop strong roots, wise judgment, and the ability to help someone else take their next step toward Jesus. These are skills worth practicing together.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17; Hebrews 5:11–13; Romans 16:17–18 (day five) 

There is a tendency to equate the Christian life primarily with feeling and doing- to the exclusion of thinking. No doubt those are important. This week, however we are encouraged, even challenged to consider that our thinking and learning are a significant part of our spiritual growth and maturity in Christ. Doctrinal truths are vitally important to deepening relationships with Christ and with other believers. In our Romans passage Paul points out that this facet of discipleship impacts unity and community. We must listen, learn, and grow both on our own and with one another. When this happens in vibrant interpersonal fellowship, there is healthy accountability, palpable community, and strengthening unity. A healthy Church body learning and growing in unity, in our current culture, is an anomaly as well as a testimony to the grace and wisdom of the Living God!

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17; Hebrews 5:11–13; Romans 16:17–18 day four) 

Discipleship is one of the primary ways we can keep from becoming stagnant or “dull of hearing,” as the writer of Hebrews says. When we allow our spiritual life to be reduced to an individualistic experience, we lose out on the refining that comes through Christ-centered relationships. When I’m content to keep time in prayer and Scripture reading just to myself, when I show up to church without truly engaging in community, and when I don’t engage in intentional discipleship relationships, I’m not challenged in the way I ought to be. I make excuses for myself, I don’t get my sin into the light as quickly, and I’m not as motivated to grow in holiness. Deep relationships are required for us to move from spiritual milk to solid food. They’re required for pursuing and knowing the truth. They’re required for a vibrant Christian life. If you feel stagnant in your spiritual growth, prayerfully consider how the Lord might be leading you into deeper relationships.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17; Hebrews 5:11–13; Romans 16:17–18 day three) 

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. (Hebrews 5:12-13)

I had a coach who had a mantra that he would remind us of every day…we should strive to be 1% better today than we were yesterday. It was a reminder for our growth in baseball and school, but more importantly, he reminded us that we should be growing in our faith and relationship with the Lord every day. We should be closer to the Lord than we were yesterday, last week, last month, last year, and so on. Now, I am reminded of that saying almost daily and am grateful for men like Dan Heefner who have encouraged me and helped me grow. We need people encouraging us to grow and discipling us to not regress “back to milk.”

It is nearly impossible for a Christian to “stand pat” in their faith or to stay still. We either progress or regress, going forward or backward. The writer of Hebrews points this out in his letter, reminding his readers that they should be progressing. Sometimes we progress and sometimes we regress because it takes work and is not always easy. But God has called us to progress and grow, encouraging others to do the same along the way. Are you closer to Him today than you were yesterday or last week? Who do you have that can encourage you to grow and disciple you along the way?

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17; Hebrews 5:11–13; Romans 16:17–18 (day two)

 …because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2 Thess. 2:13b

So many prepositions in this half of a verse show the incredible thread and process of God’s great work (from, for, through, by). It gives me this grand sense of cosmic purpose in everything that God has designed. The idea that God has created a process, called sanctification, whereby we grow in knowledge and wisdom is also an incredible thought. He is aware of our limited understanding; and it is his design that as we journey in faith, we should grow into a more complete understanding of his purpose and plan. And in so doing, we will become more and more like him. As a disciple who invests in others, we can point to this process to help others understand growth. The Spirit of God is investing in your growth as you devote your time to becoming a disciple. It is an investment that will only yield benefits.