Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
There are numerous good reasons to pray, since “the prayers of all saints” are gathered “before the throne” of God (Revelation 8:3-4). One such reason is that God commands us to pray, and we know that “His commandments are not grievous [burdensome]” (I John 5:3) but are always for our benefit. The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9b-13) is a guide for us, but it is prefaced with a clear imperative: “After this manner therefore pray ye” (6:9a). I Timothy 2:8a forcefully expresses the same thought: “I will therefore that men pray every where.” Colossians 4:2 is likewise direct: “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” The connection of prayer and thanks is a reminder that our Lord’s commands are always kind. Similarly, “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) is bracketed by “Rejoice evermore” (verse 16) and “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (verse 18). We have much to be grateful for, including the privilege of prayer. May we then be “continuing instant in prayer” (Romans 12:12c).