Weekly Pursuit – Week 3 of June
Verses:
Act. 6:4 “But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”
Excerpts:
Persevering in prayer has many benefits…When we set our mind on things above by praying, we will not pray for trivial matters. Instead, our prayer will be occupied with Christ’s heavenly intercession, ministry, and administration. Because Christ is interceding for the churches around the world, we also pray for the churches. Our responsibility is to seek first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness. Since the Father knows our need, He will take care of us and meet our need. When we set our mind on the things above during our times of prayer, we become a reflection of Christ’s ministry in the heavens. Through our prayer Christ, the Head, is given a way to carry out His administration through His Body.
Prayer is the way to come forward to the throne of grace. When we pray, approaching the throne of grace, mercy and grace will become a river flowing in us and supplying us. Another benefit of praying is related to fellowship with the Lord. When we pray, we enter into fellowship with the Lord and become conscious of the fact that we are truly one spirit with Him and that He is actually one spirit with us. The more we pray, the more we experience being one with the Lord, and the more we enjoy His presence and have fellowship with Him.
For a normal Christian walk we need to set our mind on things above, have the renewing of the new man, have the peace of Christ arbitrating in us, and allow the word of Christ to inhabit us. Prayer ushers us into the reality of these four things and keeps us in this reality. (Life-study of Colossians, msg. 65)