“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
I know that I’ve touched on this in the past but I would like to mention it again with a little more focus. Lately it seems like more and more people are hurting, suffering, and are really waiting and looking to God for breakthroughs in our lives.
As I run across more and more people in my own life and through the prayer sites that I’m a part of the more I’m reminded of how we ARE the church. It is because of our belief in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior and because of the blood He shed for us that we have been adopted as sons and daughters of the Most High Living God, the One True God. Galatians 4:4-5, John 1:12-13, Romans 8:14-17
I want to write a more extensive post about the church but for now I just want to encourage each other through what we’re told that we need to be to each other. As we read through the book of Acts we see mention in Chapters 2 and 4 we see how the members of the early church supported and cared for one another.
I think that it’s important, even when we are at our lowest ourselves that we look to help someone else if even through acceptance and a kind word. No matter our situation we have the ability to pray, we have the ability to encourage and those are things that we need to remember to be about in our daily lives.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” 1 Peter 4:8-10
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29
Remember that the Christian life is about being more and more like Christ ourselves each day. This is a life of sacrifice, a life of servanthood, and a life of compassion. Most of all it’s a life of showing the love of our Creator Father God to others. We may be down and out and broken, but we aren’t out of the fight and we aren’t out of the race until God says that we are.
Sovereign God, help us to be sensitive to the needs and suffering of others today. Give us the grace and strength to reach beyond our own needs and suffering to encourage and support one another. I lift up each and every one of my brothers and sisters who read this as well as others who I know are suffering in different areas of our lives right now and ask for You to show Your hand at work in each and every life and for you to shine the light of Your glorious face down upon us. Father, it seems as I look around that a shadow has fallen over many of us. Push back that darkness, deliver us from evil, and work mightily out of Your graciousness and mercy for us. Many of us are waiting for a breakthrough, many of us are waiting on Your promises to be fulfilled, many of us long for a testimony of our own to Your goodness. Lord bless us and keep us. Shine Your glorious face upon us, and be gracious to us. God of hope, lift up Your countenance upon us, show us Your favor, give us Your peace, and fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit.
We pray these things in the name of Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord. AMEN
This Narrow Path... 