The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 31:8  (day six)

“Of all the people in the kingdom, you have the power, privilege, and responsibility to bring change where needed most.”-King Lemuel’s mom. Proverbs 31:1-9

To be a king means to love and lead a kingdom. A kingdom is not wealth or land; it is people. King Lemeul’s mom knew her son could squander his power on pleasure and privilege or be truly kingly and advocate for the most vulnerable in his kingdom.

Like King Lemuel, the church is best positioned to bring real change to those who need it most. We are image bearers, heirs of the King, called to provide a foretaste of the fullness of God’s Kingdom.

We are a privileged people.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 31:8  (day five)

When you encounter the needy, what do you do?  Better yet, do you even see or notice those around you who are suffering and helpless?  The scriptures teach us that when we walk “in step” with the Spirit, we will see and notice others who are facing injustice and who are suffering- Spiritually, Physically, and Socially . Jesus did. And He modeled the kind of compassion and concern Proverbs 31 prescribes. We see that in what Jesus did (drew near, healed, gave dignity, and treated kindly) and what He said/taught (Sermon on the Mount, Good Samaritan Parable).

So maybe we start with the question, “Do I even  see or notice the poor and needy around me?”  If not, why not? (Jesus did)  Then the question becomes, “What am I doing or saying that helps, encourages, and meets their needs?”  Lord, give us Your grace to see and Your grace to share as we minister to and encourage those around us who suffer and face injustice.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 31:8  (day four)

What keeps us from working for justice the way that Scripture asks us to? The Biblical command is clear throughout the Old and New Testaments – the Kingdom of God is one of justice and the people of God are commanded to work for justice in their communities and around the world. We are to speak up for those whom society does not value, we are to defend the rights of the needy. Yet, many Christians feel hesitant to engage in the work of justice.

The injustices plaguing our world can feel overwhelming. The sheer amount of those in need, in San Antonio alone, might make us feel that any of our efforts will not be enough. It is easy to become paralyzed by the enormity of the need. Similarly, some of us might see worldly justice movements that we disagree with, and out of fear of “looking like the world,” we don’t engage. Fear and overwhelm can paralyze us, and at this the enemy rejoices.

While on our own we may be fearful or overwhelmed, when we walk with the Holy Spirit, our paralysis is replaced with power, and we can move forward trusting that the Spirit is leading us in righteousness and truth. How might you take a step forward in working for heavenly justice this week?

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 31:8  (day three)

“Open your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.”

To speak on behalf of those who have no standing, no access to power, is an endeavor fraught with nuanced hazard. To use your standing in such a way is to act as a representative – one who amplifies the will of the overlooked or ignored. The danger is that you will come to view such a role as a means to make a statement or prove a point or perform penance or demonstrate your worth. When such is the case, the one who can become forgotten amid all those motives is the one on whose behalf you’re supposedly working. It’s easy to cross that line. Jesus, in his dealings with people, showed us how to keep the “mute and unfortunate” front and center: keep drawing near to their experience.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 31:8  (day two)

Open your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.

Isaiah 58:1-9 is the text I referenced on yesterday’s Re:Vlog, and I think of it often in regards to how we are called to be salt and light to the world. This is such a wonderful partner text to the FBCSA theme this year ‘Love Your Neighbor.’ Jesus also spoke about how we care for others who have less than we. Our obligation is to share. We share the gospel best when we share what we have first. Our willingness to give from a place of abundance and love is a step in showing how much we care for others. Our ability to speak for others who don’t have a voice is using our voice well. Are you willing to speak for others?

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 139:13-16 pt. 2 (day seven) 

You wove me in my mother’s womb. Vs. 13b

The message behind our Imago Dei series is that we are all created in the image of God. With that being the case, we believe that life itself is sacred, a gift given to us from God that begins in the womb. We are entrusted protect these gifts at all costs. Every life is important, from the womb to the tomb. From conception to final breath, every person has a right to live this God ordained life.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

Jesus came that we might live a full life and might lead all others into a full, joyful life with Him. The question becomes, do we care about the lives of others? We may call ourselves pro-life, but if someone followed our every steps and documented it, what proof would there be that we actually care about the lives of others? Do we do unto the least of these? Do we help widows and orphans? Do we care?

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 139:13-16  (day six)

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! Psalm 139:17

It should amaze us that we are on God’s radar at all; that we are not some project only to be discarded once completed. God is fully invested in us, all the way down to his thoughts; we are on his mind. If God, being eternally holy, and we being infinitely small in comparison, dignifies our humanity in this way, how much more should we dignify every human life, no matter how small?

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 139:13-16 pt. 2 (day five)

What do we do with the tensions of Psalm 139? Our own insecurities vs God’s fearful and wonderful creation. Our self-esteem vs God’s sovereign design and activity in creating us. Did you sense the collision as you read our Re:Verse text?

The temptation is to look and think inward and outward. About us. About who we are. How we look and feel. How our bodies work or don’t work. It is good to be reminded that God has knit us together. His work. His hands. His plan. Yet, David finds something better (for us) than these reminders- looking and thinking upward. Worship (I praise you-vs. 13) I read a quote this week that expounds on this perspective, we “were made for everlasting worship, not daily doses of self-worth.”  As we fervently and frequently praise God for His wonderful works, He receives glory and we find joy. John Piper’s quote (God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him) holds true. Our thoughts and views (inward and outward) turn into praise and worship (upward). It is then that we find the joy, hope, peace, and contentment we ultimately long for and what we were created for. 

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 139:13-16 pt. 2 (day four)

I’ve been struck this week by the fact that Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, was knit together in his mother’s womb – just like us. His body was formed “in the depths of the earth,” though he was without sin. While he is fully God, he is also fully human; he experienced creation in his mother’s womb just as we have.

The womb is a sacred place because our bodies are sacred. God chose, in his grace, to give us dignity from the very start by making us in his image. This means that every moment of life is sacred, from the moment of conception to our final breath. Part of our role as people of God is to affirm that dignity in others – in the preborn, in the mother carrying that child in her womb, in those nearing end of life, and everything in between.

This calling is exhibited in Matthew 25:35-40. Jesus proclaims that what we do for others, we do unto him. When we give water to those who are thirsty or feed those who are hungry, we serve Jesus by serving his children and affirming their dignity. I think this idea can be extended to say, “What do you for the preborn, you do unto Christ. What you do for the expectant mother, you do unto Christ.”

One way FBCSA seeks to affirm the dignity of expectant mothers and their infants is through One By One Ministries. Use this link to learn more and consider serving: https://fbcsa.org/onebyone