Hello and Happy Friday to one and all!!!
So I guess I have gone from long to longer with my weekly messages but thusfar {besides George} no one has complained so I will ask you to bear with me as I am not yet skilled in shorter versions of what I wish to share with you each week. I want to open with a few Bible verses that I came across while preparing and researching this week. If the Romans verse is a little long for you to follow please read at least verses 3-5. Thanks!
Passage James 5:16:
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Romans 4:1-5, & 18-25
(1)What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? (2)If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. (3)What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (4)Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. (5)However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (18)Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (19)Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. (20)Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (21)being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (22)This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." (23)The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, (24)but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. (25)He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Passage Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Passage James 5:16:
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Romans 4:1-5, & 18-25
(1)What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? (2)If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. (3)What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (4)Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. (5)However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (18)Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (19)Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. (20)Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (21)being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (22)This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." (23)The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, (24)but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. (25)He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Passage Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Wow, powerful stuff here! God is so awesome! I just cannot get over it, nor do I want to! I found the first verse in James on Bible.com, it was Monday's Verse of the Day. When I read "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective," it made me remember the other verses. I am going to say I believe God wants us to share not only our happy and sad times with him and with each other...but He also wants us to confess out shortcomings, our sins, our debts to each other. Okay, now I know personally my pride makes me say, "How embarrassing, I'm supposed to share all my mistakes with those around me?" However, really think about this and picture that your experience, sin, whatever, maybe by sharing this with a fellow Christian or better yet, a Non-Christian, maybe by doing so you help that person become closer to God. We are constantly learning, aren't we? Isn't also true then that we can learn from each other's mistakes, and we can learn how to overcome our pride by sharing those sins and praying with and for each other? I know this almost seems crazy but maybe if we share our sins with a non-believer and also share our forgiveness of those sins through the power of the cross with that same Non-believer, isn't it possible that God would use that sharing to open a path into the non-believer's heart? Of course it is possible! All things are possible with God!!! It gives me chills and thrills and makes me pray even harder for the courage to witness outside my comfort zone. But wait, I am only halfway through James 5:16, it gets better still! So next it tells us to pray for each other so we may be healed, right? Healed, such a loaded word! There are so many perspectives on that word. But let me give you my take on how it relates to this verse...we know that sins causes the pain and suffering in this world and in our homes and even in our bodies, so if we confess those sins to each other and pray for each other then I think God is telling us that is exactly the medicine we need for our healing! I could really keep expanding on that but I would like to leave it open to your own prayerful considerations. I see this is getting long but please hang out with me just a bit more because I want to discuss the last part of the verse from James. This is where the Romans and Genesis passages tie in..."The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Alright, so at first this intimidated me and I thought, 'So who's considered righteous, because I have a long list of people I am praying for and maybe my prayers aren't effective enough?" I did not dwell on that thinking long, instead I remembered the verses in Romans and Genesis where the Bible touches on this very matter! Ok, I know, wrap it up Niki! Indulge me if you will and scroll back up and re-read Romans 4 verses 5 and 24. Go ahead, I will wait. Ready? Whoa! Totally, incredibly, overwhelmingly amazing!!! God's love and grace towards us blows me away! He is telling us - have faith and I will credit to you as righteousness!! So friends we are all righteous through our faith, when we keep that faith in God, and His promises to us we have become righteous! Therefore each and every one of us has the power to pray powerfully and effectively by our faith! This to me is...well I am nearly speechless on how cool it really is. {You are thinking, yeah right, you speechless?} But truthfully, some mornings when I am talking with God I get so overwhelmed by His love and grace and promises that I simply smile and say, "It's a good thing You know what's in my heart Lord because this morning Your love has me speechless." Something to that effect. Ok, I make it sound a little too easy...it does explain further that we need to believe in hope, not waiver through unbelief and continually give glory to God...but as Christians isn't that what we are supposed to do? In all things give God the glory, right? It may not be an easy road to take, nevertheless it is the most rewarding travel. With our ultimate reward being victory over death by way of Jesus life saving blood. I've gotten a little off track here at the end but I hope that you are able to take something from this away and use it to stay strong in our Lord this week.
I pray this week that you find ways to believe God's promises for your life in hope stay steadfast and strong. I pray that you each will not waiver through unbelief but instead find ways to give glory to God. I additionally pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always. Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki
If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do! And/or if you know of anyone who would enjoy my thoughts, please send an email
I pray this week that you find ways to believe God's promises for your life in hope stay steadfast and strong. I pray that you each will not waiver through unbelief but instead find ways to give glory to God. I additionally pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always. Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki
If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do! And/or if you know of anyone who would enjoy my thoughts, please send an email
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