Colossians 3:1-3, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

This verse would be better translated “Since you have been raised with Christ.” Paul is pointing out to us that God has elevated us to a higher place. He has raised us up where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Paul is urging us to stop paying so much attention to the things of this world and start spending more time focused on heavenly things. We are to seek the things that are above where Christ is. The things that are above are eternal. The things in this world are temporal.

I like the way M.S.Lowndes explained the essence of this verse.

“We should be focused on, and tending to things of eternal value. Nothing else matters. We can’t take anything with us. To be pursuing things of earthly value and importance, robs us of what really matters. We still remain discontented because it will never satisfy. Only what has eternal value will ever satisfy.
Pursuing the riches of heaven above satisfies our souls like nothing else does.”
© By M.S.Lowndes

We Are Called According to “His Purpose”
Romans 8:28-30 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, and these He also glorified. (NKJV)

We have our own plans and God has His plans. Our destination is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. To this end, God will work all things together for our good.

Psalms 138:8
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands. (ESV)
“The Lord Will Fulfill His Purpose for Me”

His love never fails and He never gives up on me!

Our prayer focus is to fulfill God’s purpose and to be more like Jesus everyday. We are called to be Minsters of Reconciliation and to be a blessing to our community through prayer and works of service. We will accomplish this by seeking God’s will for our lives. Obey Him today. We have no promise for tomorrow.

Dr. Janet Cook

Psalm 84: 11-12 – “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You! (NKJV)

This scripture gives us a glimpse of the majestic, yet indescribable “Lord God” and
what this means for those who serve Him.

Sun – He is our light in the darkness; He enlightens us; He guides us and directs us.
Shield – He is our protector and shield; He is our armed defense; He is our ruler.
Grace – He gives us His grace and favor; He give us kindness; He is gracious towards us.
Glory – He demonstrates His glory through us; His glorious honor.
O Lord – The self existent or eternal one; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.
Lord of Hosts – He is organized for war and we are in His army.
Blessed – To go forward, to be honest, to prosper
“Blessed is the man who trusts in You!”

Our prayer focus today is to be aware of our “Lord God” who is at work in our lives.
We are blessed when we trust in Him to help us move forward in the midst of our trials and tribulations. He is organized for war and He will fight our battles if we will walk in His ways. We are to keep moving with the Lord God who is our sun and shield!
We give him Glory and Honor and Praise!

Our Prayers and Praise to Him we Raise!
Dr. Janet Cook

Martin Luther said: “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

You may feel insufficient when it comes to praying. According to the scriptures, we are insufficient and need the help of the Holy Spirit to pray.

In Romans 8:26 – “So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.” (AMP)

Often we don’t know what to pray. The circumstances we find ourselves in are beyond our ability to comprehend and understand. God sees the end from the beginning and he knows what we have need of.

Our prayer focus today is to pray in the spirit with “unspeakable yearnings and groaning too deep for utterance.” Pray with confidence that the Holy Spirit is your helper and he is praying through you. He is your teacher in the supernatural realms of prayer.

John 14:26 – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”