Prayer Focus for December 2014
Boundless Freedom from –
‘…delivered I’ll be.’
‘Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ (2 Corinthians 3:17).
A Bible commentary says of 2 Corinthians 3:17: ‘When we trust Christ to save us, he removes our heavy burden of trying to please him and our guilt for failing to do so.’
God provides freedom from sin and condemnation. He has declared us not guilty and has offered us not only freedom from sin but also the power to do his will.
Through faith in Jesus, we can be led into a free, open and growing relationship with God. We are freed by the Spirit from all those life denying and limiting outcomes of our sin. We are free to become a new person. So if we are to claim this salvation from God - this opportunity for deliverance from the things that limit and ‘bind up’ our lives - are we prepared to foster that same opportunity for our brothers and sisters who are still living bound and limited by choices and sin that hinders and controls.
Will we speak of and introduce them to the God of freedom and deliverance?
Prayer: ‘My faith’s growing bolder…’
Lord, grant me the bravery to speak about you and the right words to use.
Do they see the marks of freedom from sin and deliverance from life-limiting actions in us?
Prayer: ‘My faith’s growing bolder…’
Lord, help me to grow in my knowledge of you and your plan for my life, so that I may be truly free of the things that limit and destroy my capacity for fullness of life.
Will we walk with and encourage the one who stumbles and falls as they strive to understand and accept God’s message of freedom for their life?
Prayer: ‘My faith’s growing bolder…’
Lord, sometimes I am more aware of the failings of others than your capacity to bring change into people’s lives. Help me to pray faithfully on behalf of the world - even those things that seem beyond all capacity for change. Lord, teach me how to pray!
Will we encourage the work of Christ in people or do we limit their journey by scepticism for freedom in Christ?
Prayer: ‘My faith’s growing bolder…’
Lord, I pray that you will deliver those bound by their own life choices or the imposition of others in how they live their lives. Give me the opportunities to speak of you and the freedom found in you.
Take a moment of prayerful reflection and commit specific prayer on behalf of a person or group whose life is lacking in freedom.