Philippians 2:1-3 If there be therefore any consolation [encouragement] in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil you my joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife [hostility] or vainglory [the king of pride]: but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
When interceding for others, we need to have faith, and believe GOD is with us. HE is trustworthy, he is our best friend. Surely he will hear us... But like a friend, he is not happy with evil. If we have sinned, we sin against God, we need to ask for forgiveness FIRST before we can ask for other favours isn't it? ;)
Anyway, our reading for the night comes from 1 John 4:7 - 1 John 5:5
God's Love and Ours 7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.1 John 5 - Faith in the Son of God
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
AND this is a song we sang tonight and I don't think my guitar did it justice so am posting it here:
Anyway, here's my personal sharing from our intercessory night ---- I felt God telling me to "Be of Good Cheer, rejoice". I had an inkling that I heard it many times in the bible but didn't know where. Then a quick check online got me really interested. IT appears SO Many times in the bible. READ this PDF for an idea. God is so interesting! he's always ...been saying "the joy of the lord is your strength" but I seem to never listen, so he says something new for me this time - "Be of Good Cheer!"
Ministry life is not easy. We have ups and downs, closeness & also sometimes a kind of sinful distance from God... And this phenomena also exists between people and people. Our families, friends, work/school mates, we have conflicts and struggles to really love people. The question boils down to the basic fact - Do you love God? If we love God, we will love our neighbour. Do we have passion for Ministry? for the mission of spreading the Good news to those around us? If we do, we would pray hard, for God to empower us because we are such weak people.
This song speaks it all. We need the Spirit of God to fall upon us, that we may walk along God's ways not man's ways. We need God to stir it up in our hearts, "a passion for His Name". Not my name, not your name. We need God even more than ever. We do not realise but in reality we are blind, lame and deaf. We need God's spirit to open our eyes, minds, ears, and to let us walk - to become HIS Instruments of Love, rather than instruments of destruction (death, sin, negative things opposed to LOVE).
Isn't that only right? feel free to disagree in the comments... ;) hehe.
God Bless,
Sam
Tim Hughes - Consuming Fire LYRICS:
There must be more than this,
O breath of God come breathe within,
There must be more than this,
Spirit of God we wait for You.
Fill us anew we pray,
Fill us anew we pray.
(Chorus)
Consuming fire fan into flame,
A passion for Your Name,
Spirit of God fall in this place,
Lord have Your way,
Lord have Your way with us,
Come like a rushing wind,
Clothe us with power from on high,
Now set the captives free,
Leave us abandoned to Your praise.
Lord let Your glory fall,
Lord let Your glory fall.
Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
A passion for Your Name.
