1 Timothy 2:1-7 (TNIV)

1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

Reflection:

Like a father, Paul mentored and loved Timothy.   And as Timothy eventually grew to become a leader in the early church, Paul continued to give him words of guidance.  In this passage, he urges Timothy to expand the boundaries of his concern for others, not letting his prayers be limited to just one group of people.  He is encouraged to pray with open eyes, learning to embrace all kinds of people from various societal positions, races and ethnicities.

Our God is a God of all nations, and as we worship Him, He will take us out of our small self-centered worlds into a greater view of others. What’s incredible is that we can take the role of the intercessor on behalf of all people!  And when we do this, this is pleasing to the Lord.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Spend time today asking the Lord for more of His heart for all people.  The beauty of the gospel is that it shines through all socioeconomic, racial and ethnic biases.  May the Lord open your eyes to the nations!

Colossians 4:2-6 (TNIV)

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Reflection:

“Devote yourselves to prayer….” Hopefully, this opening sentence does not come as a big surprise to you. If prayer is central to our Christian walk then our devotion to prayer should be foundational.  But in practicality what does this mean?  This means that you pray often, and you pray regularly.  Devotion to prayer means that you are not haphazard, but instead, you take active steps to make sure that it becomes a part of your daily life, the same way eating and sleeping are.

A devoted lifestyle to both prayer and praise is an essential part of ministry so that God will open the door for the gospel message to be proclaimed. The greatest revivals throughout history have been preceded by incredible movements of prayer- Pentecost, Welsh revival, Great Awakening, Azusa Street, etc…  As ministers of Christ let’s also devote ourselves to prayer, looking to see His Kingdom advance!

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

As we seek to advance His Kingdom, let’s take active steps to devote our lives to prayer.  Start thinking about times throughout the day where you can have some regular quiet times with the Lord, and then take the first steps in praying and meeting the Lord during these times.

1 Peter 4:12-19 (TNIV)

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Reflection:

Living in this world, suffering can come upon us in many different ways as we seek to follow Christ.  God did not guarantee comfort, and suffering has been seen in various degrees throughout church history.  Today, around the world, we may have heard of the stories of extreme persecution and suffering among the Christians in Burma, Nigeria, and the Middle East.  In our own lives, we may experience it at school as we choose to pray in public settings, or at our workplace as we try to show kindness and love towards those who treat us wrongly.   But, this passage encourages us to “not be surprised” when suffering comes as you follow Christ.  Rather, when it does happen, the believer should praise God for such honor of bearing Christ’s name.  May we seek to live for Christ through all sufferings and situations, continuing to do good to all.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Each day, let us commit to live for God through all situations and trials.  May we remember to “look up” to Him and be thankful when we are insulted or ridiculed for His name.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (TNIV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Reflection:

As we live in this world, it seems to be a challenge to rejoice always and to be thankful every day.  We may lose a job, fail a class, get into a car accident and etc.  Our minds tend to “think” negatively with a tendency to spiral down until almost all hope is gone.  However, God tells us to be steadfast in prayer and look to Him.  Prayer will keep our hope alive so that we can see above our circumstances.

God calls us to pray, and it’s not just merely “if you pray” but “WHEN” you pray.  Prayer brings us closer to God but it also brings us into a partnership with Him in living out His purpose and plan.  God is not satisfied with “just” fruit, but He desires for us to bear much fruit.   As we continually seek Him, He will make us clean and then we will receive new hearts; hearts that are tender and responsive, ready to obey.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Have you experienced things going wrong during the day?  Stop your negative thoughts and feelings, and seek God in prayer today.  He tells us to pray because He is waiting for us to come to Him and He wants us to rise above our circumstances.  Rejoice always, and pray continually!

2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (TNIV)

3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Reflection:

It’s mind boggling whenever we think of how many obstacles Paul had to face. Throughout his life, Paul had experienced imprisonments, shipwrecks, beatings, distress, tumult, and sleepless nights. He had received both honor and dishonor, good reports and evil reports. He had been accused of being a deceiver, even though he spoke the truth. But, in the midst of his ministry experiences, there was always praise and worship of the Lord.   In the toughest of times Paul engaged in the deepest of worship.

Today, we may find it difficult to relate with Paul’s life as much of our time is consumed with our own problems and issues, and then we find ourselves living in just survival mode.  But, we were not called to live this way!   Like Paul, we too are ministers of the Gospel.  And as we take up our calling, we can now encounter the ups and downs of life with extravagant worship and praise.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Let’s remember to seek the Kingdom of God first, and put aside anything that hinders the message of the Gospel being proclaimed from your life.  Spend time in prayer asking the Lord for a greater passion to both proclaim the gospel and to worship Him.