Day 13: 31 Days of Prayer

Day 13: 31 Days of Prayer

Verse:

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, persevere in prayer! (Romans 12:12 - TB)

Reflection:

The more we give thanks to God for the things we receive in this life - from Him and through Him - the easier it becomes for us to rejoice and be glad. And for the extraordinary privilege, namely the opportunity to serve Him with our uniquely created hearts and minds, thoughts and experiences.  Even so, at present many countries are facing hardship, and some other countries are facing even greater difficulty. In fact, many other situations place Christians - yes, our brothers and sisters - in danger and under threat of death. Give thanks if you are reading this and living in a country that allows religious freedom to be a Christian, without fear of physical danger or legal consequences. For those who live in places where being a Christian is strongly forbidden, praise God that He counts you worthy to suffer for His name. At this time, I live in Spain, and today as I write this, November 13, 2016, I am in Barcelona. As I walked along the Mediterranean coast, in the outskirts of the city, a man asked where I was from. After telling him that I was from the United States, he immediately said: "Trump!" Many people think many things about him - good, bad, and ugly. Believe it or not, I have met many people over the past few days, and many of them have shared many opinions with me. To rejoice in hope means to keep hoping even when the temptation to fear or become anxious seems too heavy to bear. To be patient in tribulation means allowing the Holy Spirit who dwells in you to develop a steadfastness of heart that surpasses understanding. To be faithful in prayer means not losing heart when you feel all hope is gone. Though we live in this world, we must not let the things of this world so drastically affect our emotions, our thoughts, or our truth. For Christians who have decided to follow Jesus, allowing any form of politics to breed every ounce of sin in your heart will not work. Be hopeful and faithful instead of being swept along.

Challenge:

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and persevere in prayer.” Pray through the reasons why you should be thankful for the freedom you have in Christ. Ask the Lord to reveal to you how great His majesty is compared to our whole lives. Pray that His strength and power will appear unmatched by everything that exists.

Translated from the article “31 Days of Prayer: Day 13” by Daniel Berk