The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 5:21–6:4; Matthew 12:46–50; 19:27–30  (day three)

“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50)

As I write this blog, I am sitting in my bunk at Kids’ Camp during one of our daily quiet times. It has been a blast! We have 20 boys, 15 girls, and 17 sponsors with us this week at Camp Zephyr. Though I have had fun, I am grateful for these quiet times so I (and everyone else) can recharge to make it through the rest of the day! Our theme this week has centered on the parables of Luke 15, and each day we have talked with the kids about what Jesus meant by being lost and found in these parables.

Our Re:Verse passage this week has reminded me often of the joy in following the Lord and being in community with others who love Him. Camp week is one of my favorite weeks of the year because I so enjoy being surrounded by my brothers and sisters in Christ, helping kids (and adults) know the breadth and width of the Father’s great love for them. As I read Jesus’ words, I get the feeling that He is excited as he shares this truth. Being surrounded by believers, sharing the truth of God’s salvation through Jesus, and watching kids being filled with the joy of camp and God is an exciting thing!

Let me encourage you today to find a way to serve and to disciple others. Jesus reminds us of the joy of being in community with our brothers and sisters, doing the will of the Father. It doesn’t have to be at camp, but it sure is a lot of fun!

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 5:21–6:4; Matthew 12:46–50; 19:27–30 (day two)

 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” Matthew 12:48

It can be very easy to look at this text and think that Jesus was being dismissive of his family. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus actually wants to elevate each one of us that put our trust in him. Jews and Gentiles had a distinct separation between them; there were even separations between the Jewish leadership and the people. This statement was one of many that clear away any distinction other than the one that declares our love of Jesus. This grafting of family helps us understand the relationship that Jesus wants to have with each of us.

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9–11, 28B–29; 4:2–4; Ephesians 4:11–16; James 1:2–4 (day seven)

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine… Ephesians 4:14a

The common thread connected in the passages this week: Maturation. Maturing in your faith does not mean that you find some new word from the Lord that no one has ever thought about before. Rather, a mature faith is grounded and steadfast. In today’s “Christian” culture, we are heavily influenced by social media and celebrities. People like to hear speakers who tickle their ears and feed their infatuation with self help. In an attempt to become trendy, it becomes easy to sacrifice doctrine for soundbites.

We do not change doctrine. Doctrine changes us. Maturing in our faith is recognizing that God has been and always will be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The mercies of God may be new every morning, but His love is steadfast, true, and never changing. When you hear something new that sounds appealing, test it against Scripture, test it against Church history, and test it with prayer.

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9–11, 28B–29; 4:2–4; Ephesians 4:11–16; James 1:2–4(day six)

One of the greatest struggles of the Christian life is not simply that we sin—it is that we often feel divided. We want to follow Christ, yet we find ourselves full of competing desires. Paul knew that struggle well (Romans 7), and yet his hope rested in Jesus. God is not merely interested in making us better behaved; He is making us whole.

We can feel like deepening discipleship means trying harder and doing more, but throughout this week’s passages, Paul points us towards wholeness as its end goal. He prays that believers would become complete in Christ through a life devoted to prayer, and reminds them that growth happens within the body of Christ. James adds that even our trials become instruments in God’s hands, producing perseverance and completeness.

God patiently restores fragmented lives through prayer, Christian community, and faithful perseverance. Doesn’t that sound peaceful?

Where in your life do you most long for Christ to make you whole?

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9–11, 28B–29; 4:2–4; Ephesians 4:11–16; James 1:2–4(day five)

When you pray, what do you pray for? When you pray, whom do you pray for? Our Re:Verse passages this week give us really good guidance. As we think about “Deepening Disciples” (theme for this study), we must remember that it is in and through relationships that discipleship often happens. Reading the prayers of Paul this week, I was reminded and challenged to be invested and connected to others in a way that would prompt me not only to pray for their needs and circumstances, but also their spiritual growth and maturity. When people ask me how they can pray for me, I am quick to mention temporal, physical, and spiritual needs and concerns. But Paul shows us another facet of praying for one another: Praying also for spiritual growth and maturity, including patterns, habits, and fruit that will enhance and evidence a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. When these kinds of prayers are a part of our regular petitions for ourselves and for others, there will be deepening relationships, as well as deepening discipleship.

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9–11, 28B–29; 4:2–4; Ephesians 4:11–16; James 1:2–4 (day four)

When we first become a Christian, we realize that there are certain “basics” to living the Christian life. Praying, reading our Bible, being kind to others. It’s easy to think that Christian maturity means we eventually move beyond these “basics,” and on to heavy-hitters like doctrine, theology, and apologetics, like a mathematician moves on from addition and subtraction to algebra and calculus.

But that’s not the picture that Scripture paints. These things aren’t “basics,” they’re pillars of living the Jesus way. We don’t grow beyond them, we deepen our roots in these very things. Christian maturity means deepening our prayer life – confessing sins more readily and praying for others more fervently. It means reading Scripture with more attention to what the Spirit is saying. It means interacting with others in such a way that the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is more obvious to them.

Christian maturity doesn’t mean graduating to high mindedness, it means growing deeper roots.

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9–11, 28B–29; 4:2–4; Ephesians 4:11–16; James 1:2–4 (day three)

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:4)

When you read these verses together, you can pick up on how discipleship is constant or steadfast “work.” Look at it this way:

• We have not ceased to pray… (Col. 1:9)
• {We have not ceased to} ask... (Col. 1:9)
• For this purpose also I labor… (Col. 1:29)
• Devote yourselves to pray, keeping alert in it… (Col 4:2)
• We are to grow up into all aspects of Him… (Eph. 4:15)

Growing in Christ and discipling others to grow in Christ is a continual, never-ending work. Paul encourages us to take this seriously. Following Jesus should permeate every aspect of our lives. If you took an honest look at your efforts to follow the Lord (and to lead all others to a joyful life with Him), would you say that you could describe it the way Paul describes his own efforts in following the Lord? I know I struggle with it at times.

There is a cost to following the Lord. It is not easy. But we can rest assured that it is worth it. James reminds us of this in his letter. The trials we go through, the work we put in, the difficulties we face, the time spent in prayer and petition, and anything else we do for the Lord is all worth it and is used to grow us more into being “little Christs,” perfect and complete. May you be steadfast this week as you grow in Jesus and disciple others. I will be praying for you!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9–11, 28B–29; 4:2–4; Ephesians 4:11–16; James 1:2–4 (day two)

 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you …9a

For the past several weeks we have had several small passages of scripture to help illustrate the topic of the week. May I encourage you to zoom out on these texts and put them in a broader context? Our first passage this week comes from Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse. He is giving a spiritual report card to the believers there and wants his check-up to be one of encouragement and renewal. He was aware of their faithfulness to the work of the gospel, and was affirming their commitment to it.

As we study discipleship this summer, we must remember that we are both discipling and being discipled. Regarding the former, take time to affirm new believers. Encourage their walk, find ways where God is truly using their new found faith, and give them that blessed “well done.” Can you imagine what a letter from Paul meant to these people and the church? Your words of encouragement could carry the same impact in the life of someone young in the faith.