Tag: ask the Father
Day 5–God’s Personal Pager
Scripture reading for January 23: John 14:15-17 “If you love Me you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
Again in today’s passage of Scripture, Jesus makes a promise to those who are in a loving relationship with Him through obedience of His Word. He promised to ask the Father to send the Spirit of Truth to live in them to help them. This ‘Gift’ from the Father would be a permanent Presence in each believer. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of truth because God is a God of Truth. (John 14:6) The Spirit takes the Word of God and guides the believer in all truth. (John 16:13) The Helper with bear witness of Jesus through each believer. (John 15:26)
Jesus taught that those in the world could not see or know the Spirit of truth. But the Spirit of truth also would bring conviction of sin, righteous and coming judgment to those in the world. God the Father sends the Holy Spirit of truth to accomplish His will and purposes through empowering those following Jesus Christ to be fruitful in their service of God and others.
First responders carry either a pager or phone application like “I Am Responding” to receive calls to respond and the nature of the incident. Communication is vitally important to bring the right help and equipment on the scene in the shortest time. Good communication prepares the responders with information that helps them to properly and efficiently help and cooperate with other responders on the scene. If they are followers of Jesus, they also have God’s Holy Spirit of truth to direct them and empower them. God tells believers to ask Him for this ‘Helper’ and He will send Him. (Luke 11:13) “. . how much more with the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for providing each believer with Your personal Helper, the Holy Spirit. Thank You for drawing me into relationship with You and helping me to ask You for this special ‘Gift’. Enable me to listen to Your guidance and wisdom to help others most effectively. Amen.
Sorrow turned to joy!
Scripture reading for November 6th: John 16, Psalm 71, Proverbs 4
John 16: 20-24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
Jesus spoke plainly to the remaining eleven disciples right before His final prayer with them before going to the Garden of Gethsemane. He told them that they would experience some deep sorrow, but that the world around them would be rejoicing over His coming crucifixion. It would be like a woman giving birth and experiencing the birth-pains of the coming new life. But as the woman’s sorrow and anguish were turning into joy at the new life of the child, so His disciples would have joy following His resurrection. They would receive new power and authority to pray directly to the Father and find answers. Whatever was asked in Jesus’ Name, our Father in Heaven would give it to us that our joy might be full!
Psalm 71:22-23 “I will also praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to You; my soul also, which You have redeemed.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You that Jesus’ death and resurrection has brought believers access to talk with You concerning our needs. I praise You for Your redemption and for the privilege of prayer. Help me to keep my heart pure and focused on Your overcoming grace bestowed on us through Jesus Christ to meet every need as we walk by faith through a world of woes and sorrows to the glory of heaven!
Proverbs 4:23,24 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.”