Larry Soape – Page 35 – The Everyday Prayer

Hear and Obey

Re: Verse reading–Matthew 13:1-23 (day four)

Everywhere Jesus went, He drew a crowd. Sitting on a mountain…in a house…by the sea…multitudes gathered around Him. He was constantly teaching them the ways of God. Not all heard Him. Not all understood what He was saying. The eyes and ears of only a few would understand. Hundreds of years before, the prophet Isaiah spoke the Words of God…verses 14-15 refer back to those words. Only a relationship with Christ, only the work of the Holy Spirit, will correct our spiritual eyes and ears. Only those who are ‘fertile soil’ will hear and bear fruit in God’s kingdom. Multitudes gather, but only a few are genuine. Discipleship is more than just following a style of life, listening to sermons and memorizing verses of scripture. True discipleship is to follow the words of the Lord. Obedience. Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only!

The Solid Rock

Re: Verse reading–Matthew 7:1-27 (day four)

Absolutely amazing! Jesus is completing His sermon on the mount…the most comprehensive, insightful, and vital teaching ever taught. The people are amazed. What a radical departure from the Scribes and Pharisees…Jesus speaks with authority. Jesus closes with the admonition that it is the one who not only hears His words, but actually obeys them that will be counted as wise. Verse 21 says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” The saddest scenario I can think of would be to stand before judgement, thinking I had done everything right, and hear the words, “Depart from me.” Jesus has given us the foundational teaching in this sermon that will not only result in heaven, but will cause us to stand against the flood waters of temptation and testing, anchored on a rock solid foundation.

Don’t Worry

Re: Verse reading–Matthew 6:19-34 (day four)

It was one of my Mother’s favorite verses…Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” It embodies how we should live our lives…focused upon God and His purposes. Too often we get distracted from seeking His will and instead, focus upon our own needs, directions, or desires. Whether it is food, or clothing, or possessions…we need to leave that in God’s hands. When it says ‘they will be added to us’, it does not mean we will get the fanciest car or the latest fashions in clothing or even the most sumptuous meal. When we are focused upon God and His kingdom, even our desires and our level of contentment will be changed. God will be the Lord of every part of our lives. And what a wonderful promise…each day will take care of itself. How freeing is that? We have enough to take care of today…why worry about tomorrow?

Radical

Re:Verse reading–Matthew 5:17-48 (day four)

Jesus was a radical teacher. Radical in that He taught things that no one else even considered, much less taught. The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day and they ‘refined the law’ in order to cause the masses to submit to their ‘superior’ religious commitment. Jesus took the law to a new level that the Pharisees could never attain. The key here is that none of us is able to keep the law and by keeping it, to find favor with God. In verse 20, Jesus says that unless you surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. It is impossible for us to earn heaven. We can only achieve forgiveness and heaven through Jesus Christ. “It is by grace that we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

Thanksgiving Day

Re:Verse reading–Romans 14:1-21 (day four)

Dear Heavenly Father,

It is that time of year again…cooler air, leaves are beginning to change, the harvest is ripe…and we turn our hearts to thanksgiving. It is a time for us to remember your blessings in our nation’s heritage. You have been generous in Your provision. Cause our hearts to be grateful throughout the year though…Your blessings are not confined to November only. Accept our thanks for the gift of life, thank you for family and for friends. Thank you for your Word that teaches us of you. Thank you for forgiveness and salvation. Thank you for relationships that sharpen us for your service. Thank you for hope…thank you for peace…thank you for the joy of life. Thank you also for the trials that come our way. Thank you for the difficult times that teach us to trust you. Accept our gratitude for your limitless supply of grace. You know our hearts…search us and cleanse us for your glory. There is none beside you…we worship you! In Jesus’ Name We Pray, Amen.

Clear Conscience

Re:Verse reading–Romans 13 (day four)

Paul talks about the fear of authorities and the wrath that will result if we fail to subject ourselves to the rulers over us. An even greater motivator than fear of our authorities should be our consciences. (Verse 5) When we transgress a law, we are not only breaking that civil or criminal law, we are setting ourselves up in opposition to God. A clear conscience before God is more important than paying whatever penalty is due for our transgression. A clear conscience does not always assure that we are not guilty before God, but it is a good place to start. When we can see how our sinfulness breaks the heart of God and brings on us His judgment, it becomes important that we follow all of His commands and maintain a clear conscience before Him. In Psalm 139, the psalmist writes, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” It is a key to our living in a love relationship with God.

Conformed to Christ

Re:Verse passage: Romans 12 (day four)

How do I live the Christian life? What should it look like? Someone must have asked Paul these questions, because he covers the answer very clearly. Beginning at verse 9, Paul spends the rest of the chapter painting a radical picture of what the Christian life should look like. Some of the instructions we might could have guessed…love without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good…these are not so surprising. Bless those who persecute you, associate with the lowly, never pay back evil…now those are just not common. Feed your enemy, overcome evil with good…are you kidding me? Paul is saying the Christian life does not look common…he is saying it should look like Christ. It goes back to verses 1 and 2…present yourselves as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God…do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Why? So we can prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Beautiful Feet

Re:Verse reading–Romans 9:1-8, Romans 10:1-21 (day four)

Paul is quoting the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, in verse 15. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” It is a well-known missions verse…seen on many mission team T-shirts. It is a progression of questions, beginning with verse 14…drawing us to a logical conclusion. “How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent?” (v.14) It is a primary task of the church…to send missionaries into all the world to share the gospel. Sounds a lot like the Great Commission. If we cannot go ourselves, we help to send others. We are a part of the process, or at least, we should be. How are you involved in missions? Are you going? Are you sending? Are your feet beautiful?

Eternal Security

Re:Verse reading–Romans 8:18-39 (day four)

It is one of the greatest passages of hope in the Bible…Romans 8:38-39. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. All things have been created by Him, therefore, there is nothing that is stronger or more powerful than Him. By faith, Christ has come to dwell in our hearts in the form of the Holy Spirit. Nothing can take us away from His indwelling. He will always be with us throughout eternity. Paul was a man of unshakable confidence in our eternal position in God. How about us? Do we live our lives with unshakable confidence that we will always be with God in eternity?

Deliverance

Re:Verse reading–Romans 8:1-17 (day four)

Everyone…rich or poor, male or female, regardless of race or creed…everyone is born into the law of sin and death. The law states that all have sinned. Then the law states that the wages or due penalty of sin is death. Left to ourselves, we cannot avoid eternal death. Our passage in Romans 8 though gives hope. Verse 2 says “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Our passage identifies a whole list of outcomes that result from the law of flesh vs. the law of the Spirit…antonyms that result from the source of our allegiance. If we are living according to the flesh, we reap sin and death, condemnation, curses, and we are hostile to God. If we are living according to the Spirit, we reap blessing, we are Spirit-led, we are sons of God, we are free from the law, and we have life and peace. Why would we ever choose to follow the flesh rather than the Spirit?