Filled With Joy

 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

Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King,

I sometimes forget that introducing people to you for the first time isn't only about their eternal life, it's also about their abundant life here and now. This jailer was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God. His joy was immediate and it was full. What's also striking is how his whole household also had come to believe in God. One person's decision to follow you resulted in an entire household coming to faith.

Lord, that's what I pray to see. One person's salvation leading to an entire household following you. I have seen this. I can think of several families in our congregation where that is their story. One man chooses to come back to God and his wife, his kids, his in-laws, and his sister-in-law and brother-in-law all come to faith. I have seen a teenager come to faith and bring their brother, their mom, their aunt, and an entire family comes to believe in you. I pray for more. I see young people encountering you for the first time, their lives radically transformed. They can't put the Bible down and they begin sharing with anyone who will listen what you are teaching them through your Word. Parents see the change and they hear what their son or daughter is sharing, even how they are praying for them, and they choose to follow you. Entire families come to faith because of one decision to believe and follow you.

Gracious Lord, may we see with our own eyes the ripple effect of a single decision to follow You. May we see entire households filled with joy because of a single decision to believe in God. May we contend for radical transformations in families because of a single decision to pursue You!

— In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No Retaliation

 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." — 1 Peter 2:21-23 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Thank you for leaving me an example of how to respond when I am verbally chastised, insulted, and torn down. You did not retaliate. No deceit was found in Your mouth. When You suffered, You made no threats. Instead You entrusted Yourself to the Father who judges Your accusers justly. Yesterday, a respected young man named Charlie Kirk, 31, who stood for righteousness and civil discourse was assassinated while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Charlie Kirk has consistently been one of the calmest and most polite among us. He listened to questions from his o...
Read more

Suffering

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3-4 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, We glory in our sufferings. The word Paul uses here means to "glory in a thing", "to boast", "to rejoice." He's contrasting his previous thought that we boast or rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our hope of God and  we rejoice in our sufferings. The picture forming in my mind is lifting hands, shouting with joy, as I rejoice in God and then doing the same thing in the midst of my suffering. Yeah. I don't do that. I don't rejoice when suffering comes. I do the opposite. I complain. I sulk. I moan. I am irritated. I am angry. I am resentful. But do I rejoice? No. Yet this is the very thing Paul says we are to do. And it's because of the incredible fruitfulness our suffering brings. Suffering produces perseverance....
Read more

Faithful Stewards

 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." — 1 Peter 4:8-11 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, This is the second time Peter instructs believers to love one another deeply, fervently. Our love for one another overlooks small offenses. Without our deep and fervent love, every little irritation becomes a grievance. It should not be that way in the body of Christ. Because this early church met in homes, hospitality was necessary. To be hospitable means welcoming people into your home, but ...
Read more