Category: Family Saving Faith

The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. (Acts 16.34 NIV)

“We are given a picture of a household that is filled with joy because they came to believe in God… [T]here is genuine joy in the whole family because they encountered God. God will do this!

“Trust in God’s goodness, his power, his timing, and his love for your family. The Lord wants to see them saved more than we do. Let us envision what God can do!”
(P. Mark)

“I also remember a couple of supernatural moments that encouraged my parents’ faith… [H]e had prayed to God, asking if he could be paid for his comics for a specific amount that they needed. Not too long after, someone had contacted him about publishing his comics in a local Korean newspaper for that specific amount. He was amazed that God answered his prayer. During the same season, my mom received physical healing for her thumb after the pastor prayed for healing…” (From the testimony video of Debra’s dad)

Pray for someone who needs the impossible to be done in their lives. Let’s pray: Lord, do what only you can do in  __________ ’s life! I believe you can do the impossible in their lives. I trust in your goodness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing “Touch of Heaven” (Hillsong) (Click Here)

–JP

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:17 NIV)

“[T]hough grace does not run in the blood, and regeneration is not of blood nor of birth, yet does it very frequently…  happen that God, by means of one of a household, draws the rest to Himself. He calls an individual, and then uses him to be a sort of spiritual decoy [ie. lure] to bring the rest of the family into the gospel net!” (Charles Spurgeon sermon #1019)

We can easily become overwhelmed and discouraged by the unbelief in our families. But remember Jesus also had to deal with unbelieving family members: John 7.5 “For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” They thought, Jesus “was out of his mind” (Mk 3.21). But something changed, because in the end, “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1.14)

Jesus had to persevere in order to see his family members come to salvation. May he give us the grace and power to do the same.

Pray for someone who seems closed to the gospel: Lord, break the bondage of unbelief in __________ ’s life. Give me the courage to present the gospel clearly to them. You saved me for a reason. May my family be blessed because of what you have done in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s pray and sing of the Father’s great love: (Click Here)

–JP

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16.31-34 NIV)

Imagine going to a Tesla showroom, intending to buy the car for $50,000. The sales rep says you can have it for $5,000. You can’t believe it! You think, maybe I should buy one for everyone in the family. But he says you can’t buy it for them, they have to come themselves. But if they come, they can have the same deal. You ask, “my wife? my kids? How about my uncle? How about…?” He says, you and anyone in your family, if they come, same deal. Wow, what an offer! Call everyone right now and let them know!

But you know we’re talking about something infinitely more valuable than a car. Salvation in Christ is the deal of the century! Imagine again, that we call our cousin to tell them about this incredible deal. And they respond, “Nah, that’s good for you, but not for me.” Or, you call someone else, and they say, “Sounds too good to be true.” Our hearts should break when our loved ones reject God’s offer of salvation. They don’t know what they are saying “no” to.

Let’s pray for our loved ones: Lord, may you give the gift of faith to  __________ . Open their eyes to see the good news in Jesus. Deliver them from blindness and ignorance. May salvation come to me and my loved ones. In Jesus’ name, amen.

As you sing “Jesus Loves Me” (Hillsong Kids) pray that your loved ones will receive childlike faith: (Click Here)

–JP

With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them… Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children… Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”

So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
— Romans 9.1-3, 8, 14-15 (NLT)

“When we are genuinely concerned for the salvation of our family members, it is also God’s grace calling us to make sure our lives are in order… Is our witness compromised because we are lacking in integrity in how we are living, how we are dealing with family matters? Evaluate the credibility of your witness…” (P. Mark)

Pray for someone who needs salvation: Lord, show  __________  your mercy. Show them your compassion. Bring them from death to life! Clothe me with the power of your Spirit so that I may be a faithful intercessor and credible witness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing “Believe For It” (CeCe winans) (Click Here):

–JP

In a similar way to how we’ve been praying together on Tuesdays (for students) and Thursdays (all churches), let’s have a sense of doing these daily devotions together as well. Let’s read this passage out loud, knowing that all over the Agapé Churches, we are proclaiming God’s word today:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them… This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For,

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.                                —1 Timothy 2.1, 3-6 (NLT)

Salvation “is truly a supernatural, miraculous work of God. Then… why do we focus on the natural and human ways of dealing with our family, even wanting ‘Christian’ things for them out of our personal efforts more than praying for the miraculous encounter! …Pray for the Spirit of God to move in their lives!” (P. Mark)

Pray for someone in your family who needs the Lord. Use the following prayer as a guide to get you started. As you intercede, persist in praying for the Spirit’s intervention in their lives:

Lord, I’m coming to you now to pray for ___________ . God, help them. I know how much you want them to be saved and to understand the truth. Before anything, they need to be reconciled to you through Jesus Christ. Send your Spirit to open their eyes and become aware that Jesus gave his life to purchase their freedom. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sing “Holy Spirit” (Jesus Culture) and be filled to overflowing (Click Here):

–JP