Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for March 24

KINGDOM LIVING TURNS THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

From: March 24, 2024

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28 ESV).

These are the words of Jesus from his Sermon on the Plain, describing the new way of living in the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead of reciprocal response, the Kingdom believer is to respond out of a new spiritual character reflecting God’s Spirit at work within them. God’s kingdom people are to “love, do good, bless and pray” because this is what is in them to do regardless of how others treat them. God’s people reveal His character and reflect His glory to the world by living as Kingdom people.

Jesus’ sermon is subversive to the world’s economy which says to respond in kind. Jesus says that we are to “love, do good, bless and pray” no matter how we are treated. The Kingdom way of living turns the world upside down.

PRAYER: Dear Father, strengthen us by the Spirit of Christ to live according to our new spiritual character. Help us to abide in Christ, so that we bear spiritual fruit. We can do nothing without You. But with You, we can do all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.

GREAT COMMISSION PRAYERS

From: March 24, 2023

“May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you” (Psalms 67:2-3 NLT).

This psalm expresses a prayer that all the nations would one day know the Lord and his salvation. Centuries before Jesus gave the Great Commission to his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19), the psalmist prayed for such a day to come.

It’s a good reminder that not only are we to go to the nations with the seed of the gospel, but we are to pray Great Commission prayers that prepare the soil for the gospel seed.

PRAYER: Our Father, thank you for making yourself known to us through Jesus. We are thankful for your salvation. Now stretch forth your hand and move among the nations that they might know you. Give us great boldness to preach your Word to every nation, tribe and tongue until everyone has heard. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us. May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.” (Psalms 67:1-2 NLT).

From: March 24, 2022

PRAYING GOD’S WORD BACK TO HIM

The psalmist prayed that God would show them mercy, blessing and favor, so that they might display the way of salvation to the nations. This prayer aligned with God’s promise to Abraham that through his “offspring all nations would be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). It also borrowed words from the benediction of Aaron, “The Lord bless and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you…” (Num. 6:22-27).

Praying God’s Word back to Him helps us agree with the way the Lord Jesus taught us to pray. For He taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come” prayers. And what better way to pray as Jesus taught us than to pray His Word back to Him?

Quoting God’s Word and purpose back to Him in prayer is a great basis for bringing your heart into alignment with His. Asking Him to supply your need and show you favor, so that you might fulfill His purpose to bring salvation to the nations, is gospel-centered praying. It is a Great Commission prayer. Do you pray that you and your church will be blessed, so that it may carry the gospel to the nations?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we pray Your Word back to You today, asking You to “be merciful to us and bless us, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” For there is much trouble in our world today and we have a sure answer, because we have Jesus. In His name we pray, amen.

“Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28 HCSB).

From: March 24, 2021

THE JESUS’ WAY THAT TURNS THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

This is from Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, describing the new economy of the kingdom of heaven. Instead of reciprocal response, the believer is to respond out of a new spiritual character, as God does. God’s kingdom people are to “love, do good, bless and pray” because this is what is in them to do regardless of how others treat them. God’s people are revealing His character to the world by this. Jesus’ sermon is subversive to the world’s economy which says to respond in kind. Jesus says that we are to “love, do good, bless and pray” no matter how we are treated. The Jesus’ Way turns the world upside down.

PRAYER: Dear Father, strengthen us by the Spirit of Christ to live according to our new spiritual character. Help us to abide in Christ, so that we bear spiritual fruit. We can do nothing without You. But with You, we can do all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations” (Psalms 67:1-2 NKJV).

From: March 24, 2020

PRAYING GOD’S WORD BACK TO HIM

The psalmist prayed that God would show them mercy, blessing and favor, so that they might display the way of salvation to the nations. This prayer aligned with God’s promise to Abraham that through his “offspring all nations would be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). It also borrowed words from the benediction of Aaron, “The Lord bless and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you…” (Num. 6:22-27).

Quoting God’s Word and purpose back to Him in prayer is a great basis for bringing your heart into alignment with His. Asking Him to supply your need and show you favor, so that you might fulfill His purpose to bring salvation to the nations, is gospel-centered praying. It is a Great Commission prayer. Do you pray that you and your church will be blessed, so that it may carry the gospel to the nations?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we pray Your Word back to You today, asking You to “be merciful to us and bless us, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” For this is much trouble in our world today and we have a sure answer, because we have Jesus. In His name we pray, amen.

“May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you” (Psalms 67:2-3 NLT).

From: March 24, 2019

GREAT COMMISSION PRAYERS

This psalm is a prayer that all the nations would one day know the Lord and his salvation. Centuries before Jesus gave the Great Commission to his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19), the psalmist prayed for such a day to come.

It’s a good reminder that not only are we to go to the nations with the seed of the gospel, but we are to pray Great Commission prayers that prepare the soil.

PRAYER: Our Father, thank you for making yourself known to us through Jesus. We are thankful for your salvation. Now stretch forth your hand and move among the nations that they might know you. Give us great boldness to preach your Word to every nation, tribe and tongue until everyone has heard. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles” (Luke 6:13 NLT).

From: March 24, 2018

ALL-NIGHT PRAYER PRECEDED CALLING AND SENDING

Jesus went up into a mountain and prayed all night before choosing twelve of His followers to be “apostles.” The word “apostle” means “one sent.” Jesus spent the night praying to get clear instruction from His Father on whom He would send. After praying, He arose at daybreak to commission and send out His apostles to represent Him and to preach the gospel. This was a profoundly significant day in the establishment of the Church.

Jesus is still calling and sending out His followers to represent Him and preach the gospel. I wonder how many will respond as Isaiah did when hearing the Lord’s call?

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

“But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:26-27 NKJV).

From: March 24, 2017

The word “Deuteronomy” means “second law.” Moses wrote this fifth book of the Torah to remind the Israelites of what they had learned from the Lord during their wilderness travels and to prepare them to enter the Promised Land.

But Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. He had disobeyed the Lord at Kadesh by striking the rock when God had told him to speak to it to bring forth water. He blamed the people for driving him to anger. He pleaded with the Lord to let him go into the land, but the Lord told him to stop asking. Instead, the Lord instructed him to go to the “top of Pisgah,” whose peak was called, Mt. Nebo, so that he might see the land beyond the Jordan. This was as close as Moses, who had led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness for 40 years, ever got to the land flowing with milk and honey.

I stood on Mt. Nebo in 2005 while visiting missionaries in Jordan. From its height on a day with a clear blue sky, I could see the land that Moses was never allowed to enter. It was beautiful. Moses must have thought so too.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28 ESV)

From: March 24, 2016

This is from Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, describing the new economy of the kingdom of heaven. Instead of reciprocal response, the believer is to respond out of a new spiritual character, as God does. God’s kingdom people are to “love, do good, bless and pray” because this is what is in them to do regardless of how others treat them. God’s people are revealing His character to the world by this. Jesus’ sermon is subversive to the world’s economy which says to respond in kind. Jesus says that we are to “love, do good, bless and pray” no matter how we are treated. The Jesus’ Way turns the world upside down.

“God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:1-2 NKJV)

From: March 24, 2015

The psalmist prayed that God would show them mercy, blessing and favor, so that they might display the way of salvation to the nations. This prayer aligned with God’s promise to Abraham that through his “offspring all nations would be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). It also borrowed words from the benediction of Aaron, “The Lord bless and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you…” (Num. 6:22-27). Quoting God’s Word and purpose back to Him in prayer is a great basis for bringing your heart into alignment with His. Asking Him to supply your need and show you favor, so that you might fulfill His purpose to bring salvation to the nations, is gospel-centered praying. It is a Great Commission prayer. Do you pray that you and your church will be blessed, so that it may carry the gospel to the nations?