1 Peter 4
SO YOU CAN PRAY

Peter’s words are even more relevant to us than they were to the Christians of his day, and no doubt they will become more relevant all the time. “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” (1 Peter 4 v 7).

Prayer is one of the most important tools we have to get us through the last days until Jesus returns. If persecution comes, people may take away our fellowship, they may burn our Bibles and remove any other access we have to the word of God, they may lock us up, but they can never stop us praying. Even though prayer might be banned, prayer from our hearts and minds can never be quenched.

But in order to pray we need to be clear minded and self-controlled. We also need to be in the habit of prayer. We are not going to be able to pray effectively if we are intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, craving them, or worried about the rest of life’s problems. We need to be self-controlled in order to pray, because prayer takes discipline. Our minds wander easily enough without being caught in outbursts of anger, jealousy or lust.

So let us practice keeping our minds clear and self-controlled so that with prayer, we will get through the last days and into the kingdom of God.

NB. In just the last month, Christians in the UK were arrested for praying silently on the street. It’s happening.

May we always stand strong in prayer.

With love in our Lord,
Robert
https://thinkythings.com/read/

Power in Weakness

“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, “My own strength has saved me.”’” (Judges 7 v 2).

God works in our weakness. In fact, His most notable work happens when we present ourselves, ready for work; but fully aware that we are weak and ineffective on our own.

This is the story of Gideon and his rag-tag army. There they were, their numbers reduced down to 300, sent out to do battle with an army that resembled a swarm of locusts, because there were so many of them.

Not only that, the 300 Israelites were equipped with bizarre weapons. They had their voices, a trumpet and a torch in a jar.

Here was the brief:
1. Blow the trumpet.
2. Shout, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.’
3. Break the jar and wave your torch around.

If it were me, I would be thinking: Really? If I shout, they will hear me. If I wave my torch, they will see me. A sword? There is no spare hand for a sword. I have a torch in one hand and a trumpet in the other! How is this going to work?!

We know how this story ends. The 300 Israelites bravely turned up to participate in this lopsided battle. They followed the unusual instructions. God then stepped in and brought about the victory.

In our lives today, the brief is still the same. Be brave and turn up. Proclaim allegiance and trust in God (use our voice, loudly). Let our light shine. No matter how weak or ineffective we feel ourselves to be, we can be assured: God can work in, through, despite and because of our weakness. We can also know, that with God rests the victory. We just need to bravely turn up; acknowledging our weakness, and be ready for action.

One day the ultimate victory in the battle with sin, death, weakness, sorrow and evil will happen. I’ve read the final chapter; I know who wins.

Praying we might let God’s power shine in our weakness this week,

Sharon.
https://thinkythings.com/sharon/