Pray Scripture

Our Bible teacher today suggested that we look at some key scriptures, turn them into prayers and consider spending some time praying those scriptures.  In other words, turn a scripture into a prayer to God.

For example, praying scripture for our first week's verse might look like this:

Most gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word -- the Book of the Law.  May it never depart from my mouth.  Please help me meditate on Your Word day and night -- show me what that looks like -- so that I can be careful to do everything written in it.  God, you said that if I do that THEN I will be prosperous and successful and, Lord, I want to be prosperous and successful in Your eyes and for Your Kingdom.  Thank you for your promises!  Amen.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Joshua 1:8


Consider spending some time praying our scriptures during your meditation time this week!

Week 3 - 2 Corinthians 5:15 & 17

2 Corinthians 5: 15 & 17

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Christ the Center

Just as the driving force in a wheel comes from the hub, so the motivation for living a Christian life and the power for a believer comes form Jesus Christ the Center.  Jesus is the hub! (2 Corinthians 5:15,17 and Galatians 2:20)

The spokes of the wheel demonstrate the means by which Christ's power becomes operative in our lives.  We maintain our personal relationship with God, through the vertical spokes -- the Word and prayer.  The horizontal spokes concern our relationship with people -both believers (through fellowship) and unbelievers (through witnessing).  

Our next few verses will focus on Christ!  

Week 3 - 2 Corinthians 5:15, 17

Week 4 - Galatians 2:20

How is the Bible Challenge going?  Is it a challenge?  A delight?  Both?  Leave some comments!

The Wheel

Every person has physical life.  But when we surrender to Jesus, we then possess a new, spiritual life -- the life of Christ within us.  This new life may be illustrated by a wheel.  

This wheel illustration has been used by the Navigators for more than fifty years. It helps Christians understand what they are called to do as disciples of Christ. Each part of this illustration represents an important component of a vital Christian life and each verse we are learning corresponds with that component. Without Christ, we can do nothing. (John 15:5).

John 15:5 Footnotes

These footnotes are taken from a Life Application Study Bible, NIV.

Verse 5:  Remaining in Christ means:


1.  believing that he is God's Son (1 John 4:15),
2.  receiving him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12),
3.  doing what God says (1 John 3:24),
4.  continuing to believe the gospel (1 John 2:24), and
5.  relating in love to the community of believers, Christ's body (John 15:12).


Verses 5-8:  Many people try to be good, honest people who do what is right.  But Jesus says that the only way to live a truly good life is to stay close to him, like a branch attached to the vine.  Apart from Christ our efforts are unfruitful.  Are you receiving the nourishment and life offered by Christ, the vine?  If not, you are missing a special gift he has for you.


The children and I studied a sweet potato vine we have growing on the patio.  We looked at the vine and how the branches (really just shoots of leaves) were connected.  Then we removed one of the branches and observed that it didn't take long for it to become withered and lifeless.  It was a great visual picture.  


We must stay connected to the vine!  

Remaining

I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

Anyone have any thoughts about what it means to "remain" in Jesus?

In the New King James and the English Standard version, the word there is "abide."

Which word do you prefer?

John 15:10 says, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love."

I like to think about our last two verses together -- Joshua 1:8 and John 15:5.  If we meditate on God's Word day and night so that we will be careful to do everything written in it, we will be obeying God's commands and remaining in him.  When we remain in him, we will be prosperous and successful, bearing much fruit.

What are your thoughts on our verse this week?

Bearing Fruit

From Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:

"From a vine we look for grapes, and from a Christian we look for a Christian temper, disposition, and life. We must honor God, and do good; this is bearing fruit."

I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

Washed with the Word

Kelly shared this story:

One day a family living on the edge of a dessert was amazed to see that seeds had sprouted in the salty desert sands behind their home. No one could figure out how this happened, since they had often tried to grow things there with no results. The mystery was solved when they discovered that every day the mother had thrown her dishwater out the back door. After months and months, the salt which had hindered any growth was washed out of the sand. Then one day she threw some seeds out the back door. A short time later the plants began to sprout.

 

In the same way, as we saturate our minds with God's Word, it will wash out thought opposed to Scripture and will reconstruct other ideas around God's principles. 

"Sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy Word is truth." John 17:17. 

 "Now you are clean through the Word that I have spoken to you." John 15:3

Keep washing!