Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (NIV)
For many Christians, this is a prayer of request for blessing. We are suffering in a particular way and are sure that this must not be the will of God, Who we are sure would want us to enjoy only a smooth, comfortable life. Therefore, we pray that His will be done, for in this we are confident that our situation will improve.
St. Cyprian, a third century Christian leader and writer, saw it a bit differently. He wrote that we do not pray for God to do what He wants, but that we may be able to do what God wants, for he rightly points out that no one can block the will of God. We, however, are often blocked by Satan and our own sinful nature. We need divine assistance to do what God would have us do. When we pray for the will of God to be done on earth as in heaven, we are praying that God will grant us the grace to be like angels, who without hesitation do His bidding. We are praying for the grace to be like Christ Himself, Who was obedient to the will of our Father to the point of death.
Father, forgive me when I have treated the riches of Your blessing as a storehouse of magical cures for whatever ails me. Help to focus not on my own sufferings, but on You and Your perfect will. May Your will be done through me, a ready and willing vessel made in Your image and purified through the blood of the Lamb for accomplishing Your good works. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
August 8 (2 Corinthians 7:1)
Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (NIV)
I still wear my Vacation Bible School shirt from earlier in the summer, and when I do, I am quite conscious of it. I am aware that when I go out for a burger or to the home improvement store, I am wearing a shirt that has the name of my church on it, one that advertises my faith. I would like to think that I would act the same no matter what I wore, but I am keenly focused on my behavior when wearing that VBS shirt. Paul says we should think like this all the time.
We do not hear a lot of talk about holiness these days. It has become too associated with being holier-than-thou. Yet Paul teaches us that we must strive to perfect our holiness because we love and respect God, and he tells us how to do it. At the end of the preceding chapter of 2 Corinthians, he states bluntly that we are not to do what unbelievers do. We must purify body and spirit. We must not do what unbelievers do or think as unbelievers think. God makes a claim on every aspect of our lives.
So how do you look when you go out in public? Do you behave, talk, and think as a Christian? How do you look in the privacy of your home? Do you behave, talk, and think as a Christian? How do you look when there is no other human being around? Do you behave, talk, and think as a Christian?
Gracious Father, I stand convicted for not living the holy life to which You have called me. Too often I surrender to my base emotions. I ask forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ and call upon Your grace through Him that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may live a holy life in honor of You. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
I still wear my Vacation Bible School shirt from earlier in the summer, and when I do, I am quite conscious of it. I am aware that when I go out for a burger or to the home improvement store, I am wearing a shirt that has the name of my church on it, one that advertises my faith. I would like to think that I would act the same no matter what I wore, but I am keenly focused on my behavior when wearing that VBS shirt. Paul says we should think like this all the time.
We do not hear a lot of talk about holiness these days. It has become too associated with being holier-than-thou. Yet Paul teaches us that we must strive to perfect our holiness because we love and respect God, and he tells us how to do it. At the end of the preceding chapter of 2 Corinthians, he states bluntly that we are not to do what unbelievers do. We must purify body and spirit. We must not do what unbelievers do or think as unbelievers think. God makes a claim on every aspect of our lives.
So how do you look when you go out in public? Do you behave, talk, and think as a Christian? How do you look in the privacy of your home? Do you behave, talk, and think as a Christian? How do you look when there is no other human being around? Do you behave, talk, and think as a Christian?
Gracious Father, I stand convicted for not living the holy life to which You have called me. Too often I surrender to my base emotions. I ask forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ and call upon Your grace through Him that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may live a holy life in honor of You. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, August 1, 2010
August 1 (Mark 1:35-37)
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” (NIV)
Do you ever feel as if everyone is looking for you? You have responsibilities to your boss, to your spouse, to your children, to your extended family, to your friends, to your church, to your bill collectors…where does it end? All of those are important responsibilities, too. They are good responsibilities, and we must meet them well.
Yet not one, not one of them, is more important than the work that Jesus came to do. It does not matter who is waiting for that report at work or who has left that voice message demanding a call back. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Nothing we have to do trumps that.
So what did Jesus do when everyone was demanding a piece of Him? He arose early, before the work of the day got started, and prayed. We all go through seasons of greater or lesser spiritual devotion. We need to be reminded every so often that this time of prayer and being with God is invaluable. To put it bluntly, Jesus had more important things to do than you ever will, yet He set aside time for His Father. Will you?
Father, I have grown lax in my relationship with You. It is easy for me to drift into other things, things I think are pressing and demand my attention. Help me to put every aspect of my life into a proper perspective, beginning with You at the center. Grant me the grace to discipline my life by spending time with You. In Christ, my Lord, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Do you ever feel as if everyone is looking for you? You have responsibilities to your boss, to your spouse, to your children, to your extended family, to your friends, to your church, to your bill collectors…where does it end? All of those are important responsibilities, too. They are good responsibilities, and we must meet them well.
Yet not one, not one of them, is more important than the work that Jesus came to do. It does not matter who is waiting for that report at work or who has left that voice message demanding a call back. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Nothing we have to do trumps that.
So what did Jesus do when everyone was demanding a piece of Him? He arose early, before the work of the day got started, and prayed. We all go through seasons of greater or lesser spiritual devotion. We need to be reminded every so often that this time of prayer and being with God is invaluable. To put it bluntly, Jesus had more important things to do than you ever will, yet He set aside time for His Father. Will you?
Father, I have grown lax in my relationship with You. It is easy for me to drift into other things, things I think are pressing and demand my attention. Help me to put every aspect of my life into a proper perspective, beginning with You at the center. Grant me the grace to discipline my life by spending time with You. In Christ, my Lord, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, July 25, 2010
July 25 (Hebrews 4:14)
…we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…. (NIV)
When we were young, we wanted a friend to ask the teacher our question or to approach the person we liked sitting two rows away. As we grew older, we recognized the value of having someone to put in a good word for us when it came to getting a job or buying a house. To this day, my wife prefers for me to make certain phone calls for her or to answer the phone from an unidentified caller.
In essence, this is what a priest does. He speaks for us, on our behalf. As Moses learned, we cannot look directly upon the Presence of God. In our sinful state, we would be instantly consumed by the burning light of His perfection. Yet with Jesus, we have a priest Who pleads for us, Who argues our case, Who defends us against the slanders of our enemy.
This may not seem like much of a blessing in our do-it-yourself age. We want to be self-sufficient. We think we can do it all ourselves, but just how many failures do we need to experience to know that this is not true? I am a weak and incredibly needy person. I have to have someone who can present me before God, who can take the shabby and dog-eared pages of my resume and make me look good. How grateful I am that this someone is my Savior, my Lord, my Brother, Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, You know what I truly need, despite all that I babble about in prayer. Present the deepest needs of my heart to our Father. Draw me closer to Him. By Your grace, transform me ever more into Your likeness. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
When we were young, we wanted a friend to ask the teacher our question or to approach the person we liked sitting two rows away. As we grew older, we recognized the value of having someone to put in a good word for us when it came to getting a job or buying a house. To this day, my wife prefers for me to make certain phone calls for her or to answer the phone from an unidentified caller.
In essence, this is what a priest does. He speaks for us, on our behalf. As Moses learned, we cannot look directly upon the Presence of God. In our sinful state, we would be instantly consumed by the burning light of His perfection. Yet with Jesus, we have a priest Who pleads for us, Who argues our case, Who defends us against the slanders of our enemy.
This may not seem like much of a blessing in our do-it-yourself age. We want to be self-sufficient. We think we can do it all ourselves, but just how many failures do we need to experience to know that this is not true? I am a weak and incredibly needy person. I have to have someone who can present me before God, who can take the shabby and dog-eared pages of my resume and make me look good. How grateful I am that this someone is my Savior, my Lord, my Brother, Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, You know what I truly need, despite all that I babble about in prayer. Present the deepest needs of my heart to our Father. Draw me closer to Him. By Your grace, transform me ever more into Your likeness. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, July 18, 2010
July 18, 2010 (1 Chronicles 17:1)
After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.” (NIV)
We are often so minimalist in our approach to the Christian faith that we think as long as people have access to a Bible, their Christian needs have been met and the work of God has been accomplished. Yet how much time, energy, thought, money, and resources do we put into our children’s sports teams, endlessly renovating our homes, or arranging for our entertainment? Are we doing all we can for our Lord if our churches cannot offer even cost of living increases to their staff, if the only Christian education in town is one hour a week on the weekend, or if counseling, poverty, and domestic problems are left to be addressed solely by government agencies?
We do not earn our way to salvation and we do not earn God’s love by doing good works. On the other hand, how much do we love Him if we are doing the bare minimum to serve His people? Would you really believe your parents, your children, or your spouse loved you if they did only enough to stay on your Christmas card list?
O Lord, You are so gracious to me, pouring forth blessings into my life beyond what I can imagine, and this on top of the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. What would You have me do with the talents and blessings You have given me? Into what part of Your kingdom work would you direct me? I am ready to do all that You command. In the name of Jesus, Who gave all for me, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
We are often so minimalist in our approach to the Christian faith that we think as long as people have access to a Bible, their Christian needs have been met and the work of God has been accomplished. Yet how much time, energy, thought, money, and resources do we put into our children’s sports teams, endlessly renovating our homes, or arranging for our entertainment? Are we doing all we can for our Lord if our churches cannot offer even cost of living increases to their staff, if the only Christian education in town is one hour a week on the weekend, or if counseling, poverty, and domestic problems are left to be addressed solely by government agencies?
We do not earn our way to salvation and we do not earn God’s love by doing good works. On the other hand, how much do we love Him if we are doing the bare minimum to serve His people? Would you really believe your parents, your children, or your spouse loved you if they did only enough to stay on your Christmas card list?
O Lord, You are so gracious to me, pouring forth blessings into my life beyond what I can imagine, and this on top of the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. What would You have me do with the talents and blessings You have given me? Into what part of Your kingdom work would you direct me? I am ready to do all that You command. In the name of Jesus, Who gave all for me, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, July 11, 2010
July 11, 2010 (Isaiah 30:1, 2)
“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “…who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge.” (NIV)
We live in a world with various types of governments, and these are necessary. They serve a purpose and can be quite good in ordering life for their citizens. Yet no government is the source of all our needs, and we invite God’s anger when we look to human organizations as the source of our protection and refuge.
God is our rock and our salvation. He is the only good and therefore the only source of what is good and needful in our lives. Too often His people, the Church, have stopped living out their call to be salt and light in the world. Tasks that should be performed by the body of Christ have of necessity been picked up by governmental and other secular organizations. The result is that needs once served with the love and grace of our Lord are now provided in ways that do not acknowledge Him and at times bring more harm than good.
Think for a moment. What areas of your life are provided for by non-Christian organizations? What would it look like if you could receive those things through the Church? What talents has God given you to see to it that those things are in fact offered through the Church? What will it take for us to stop going to Pharaoh for our needs?
Lord, forgive me for living as if You are but one aspect of my life when in fact You are the very ground of my existence. Show me how to use what You have given me to build up the body of Christ so that it may truly be the light on the hill, able to welcome all who hunger and thirst. In the name of Christ Jesus, my Lord, amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
We live in a world with various types of governments, and these are necessary. They serve a purpose and can be quite good in ordering life for their citizens. Yet no government is the source of all our needs, and we invite God’s anger when we look to human organizations as the source of our protection and refuge.
God is our rock and our salvation. He is the only good and therefore the only source of what is good and needful in our lives. Too often His people, the Church, have stopped living out their call to be salt and light in the world. Tasks that should be performed by the body of Christ have of necessity been picked up by governmental and other secular organizations. The result is that needs once served with the love and grace of our Lord are now provided in ways that do not acknowledge Him and at times bring more harm than good.
Think for a moment. What areas of your life are provided for by non-Christian organizations? What would it look like if you could receive those things through the Church? What talents has God given you to see to it that those things are in fact offered through the Church? What will it take for us to stop going to Pharaoh for our needs?
Lord, forgive me for living as if You are but one aspect of my life when in fact You are the very ground of my existence. Show me how to use what You have given me to build up the body of Christ so that it may truly be the light on the hill, able to welcome all who hunger and thirst. In the name of Christ Jesus, my Lord, amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, July 4, 2010
July 4, 2010 (Isaiah 30:1)
“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin.” (NIV)
No one builds a house and then draws up the architectural plans. Even children know that you first have to open the freezer, then take out the ice cream, scoop it, and finally eat it. There is an order to doing things, and most Christians want the Lord to be part of that order. We go on the Internet to research the best places to stay, order our tickets, stop the mail, tell our neighbors we will be gone for a week, and then pray for the Lord’s blessing on our vacation. We think we are being faithful, when in fact we are closer to heaping sin upon sin.
God is not a genie in a bottle. He is not a magic talisman to be used when we need a blessing. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done on earth as in heaven. This means that our plans must align with His. It may be His will that we travel to a certain place, make a certain purchase, marry a certain person. It may be His will that we do a particular thing for our children or enter into a particular business agreement. Yet we will not know if we do not seek His will before doing any of those things. We must align ourselves with His will and not try to strong arm Him into our plans.
Where is God in the order of things you have planned for today? If He is not first, then you have set yourself ahead of Him, and that is a dangerous place to be.
O Lord, my God, You are so gracious to me, heaping upon me grace and mercy beyond my comprehension or merit. May I seek Your will in all that I do. May my life be ever more conformed to that of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Through me, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
No one builds a house and then draws up the architectural plans. Even children know that you first have to open the freezer, then take out the ice cream, scoop it, and finally eat it. There is an order to doing things, and most Christians want the Lord to be part of that order. We go on the Internet to research the best places to stay, order our tickets, stop the mail, tell our neighbors we will be gone for a week, and then pray for the Lord’s blessing on our vacation. We think we are being faithful, when in fact we are closer to heaping sin upon sin.
God is not a genie in a bottle. He is not a magic talisman to be used when we need a blessing. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done on earth as in heaven. This means that our plans must align with His. It may be His will that we travel to a certain place, make a certain purchase, marry a certain person. It may be His will that we do a particular thing for our children or enter into a particular business agreement. Yet we will not know if we do not seek His will before doing any of those things. We must align ourselves with His will and not try to strong arm Him into our plans.
Where is God in the order of things you have planned for today? If He is not first, then you have set yourself ahead of Him, and that is a dangerous place to be.
O Lord, my God, You are so gracious to me, heaping upon me grace and mercy beyond my comprehension or merit. May I seek Your will in all that I do. May my life be ever more conformed to that of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Through me, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
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