Tuesday Devotion and Prayer. July 18, 2023
                                                      “Stop Looking Back”

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

Even when we unlock a talent the Lord has given us and work hard to be the best we can be, it’s human nature to struggle with confidence. Doubt causes us to look back while running full speed ahead. The Apostle Paul made it a habit to forget about the past and instead focus on what’s ahead. Forget means to cease or fail to remember, be unable to recall, or omit or neglect unintentionally.

Paul wrote about the finish line of our faith, eternity with Christ. The English Standard Version reads: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The ESV Global Study Bible explains: “The Greek word for a goal can mean either the finish line in a race or an archery target. The prize for Christians is the blessings and rewards in the age to come.”

It takes a lot of faith to put your head down and exhaust every ounce of energy in your body, trusting someone to pick your wobbly, passed-out self off of the ground at the finish line. Jesus is calling us. Listen and look for Him in the present and the future. Look back briefly enough to remember how important it is to keep running forward. We’d look ridiculous if we ran backward at full speed. Let’s pray for the focus to keep moving forward.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for faithful servants like Paul! Through his divinely inspired words and life story, we can learn what it means to keep running forward into the future you have planned for us. It’s hard to forget, God. We tend to cling to things that have already happened, wishing they would have gone another way. When people hurt us, it’s hard to forgive but even harder to forget.

Father, we pray for Your divine strength today to help us focus on the present. What do you have for us to do today, God? Help us to focus. This is the day You have made, Lord! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! And, in what’s to come. Jesus’ return and eternity with You in heaven. For all who claim Jesus as their Savior, this is what we have to look forward to. God, we pray Your voice echoes in our minds like my coach still rings in mine! Sometimes we need someone to believe in us more than we do! Jesus, You are always that person for us. Our Savior, Messiah, Living Water, and Friend. Thank You for returning the smiles to our faces and lifting the countenance of our hearts. In Your son Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.

                                  Saturday Devotion and Prayer. July 15, 2023
                                                     “Be Happy for Others”

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” – Romans 12:10

In Romans 12, Paul is writing to the Roman church sharing the marks of a faithful Christian. He reminds them that we have all been adopted into God’s family and are now siblings; we should treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Our love should be genuine and sincere ( Romans 12:9), a deep affection for one another.

Paul also urges us to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). But how do we do that? Is Paul promoting competition among the body of believers? In a sense, yes. Instead of going tit for tat with our affections, respect, and service, we are called to be “one-upping” each other constantly. Think about how different our world would be if we were always looking for ways to give more love, higher respect, and extra service to others.

We don’t have to withhold happiness for our brothers and sisters in Christ; instead, we can lavish them with sincere joy. This is one of those “preach easy lives hard” messages. In a fallen world, unhealthy competition often overtakes the desire to outdo each other in a positive way–but it doesn’t have to be that way. Especially for those who belong to Christ, we can never surpass the abundance of grace and mercy God gives us daily. When we remember the gospel and all that has been done for us, we can’t help but “rejoice with those who rejoice”, ( Romans 12:15).

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gifts of salvation. We are so grateful to be adopted into your family; thank you for the blessing of brothers and sisters in Christ. We ask that you help us as we celebrate others and give us a genuinely overjoyed heart when a brother or sister in Christ accomplishes something great or noble or is blessed, even when we feel more deserving. Give us the gift of self-forgetfulness, thinking less of ourselves and more of others.

Give us eyes to see how richly you have blessed us, looking only to you and not comparing our lives with others. Help us remember that we are not competing, you love your children equally, and we don’t have to earn your affection. Give us confidence in how you created us, and let us use our gifts to encourage one another. In Your son Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.