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- Apr 25, 2006
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- 17,518
2 June 2007
Hebrews 13:20-21
I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so you can do what he wants. God raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, because of the blood of his death. His blood began the eternal agreement that God made with his people. I pray that God will do in us what pleases him, through Jesus Christ, and to him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
What do you ask for when you pray? When you pray for others, what do you ask God to do? I was in a prayer group recently where someone prayed for something I really struggled with - they were genuine and serious, but I thought their prayer was wrong because they wanted a human outcome, good for a person and family, without any voiced consideration of God's will or the possibility of a bad outcome and how to deal with that. OK, we should be positive, I know. But we should not tell God what he should do, should we?
The writer of these verses does not just ask for everything good to be given to the Hebrews, he instead prays that every good thing that is needed to do what God wants them to do will be given. These are the tools needed for the job, for the tasks to be done, and not the luxuries of leisure.
He goes on with one of the few references to the resurrection, and to remind the readers by way of a summary of the earlier parts of the letter: the sacrifice Jesus made and the new agreement (covenant) between God and his people. That agreement is forever - eternal - what was done was done for us and all future generations, never to be repeated.
What should we pray for? There can be nothing better than verse 21 - we surrender everything we are to God for him to use as pleases him.
Lord God, I pray that you will do in me what pleases you, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, now and forever. Amen.
Written by Neil Thomson
Hebrews 13:20-21
I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so you can do what he wants. God raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, because of the blood of his death. His blood began the eternal agreement that God made with his people. I pray that God will do in us what pleases him, through Jesus Christ, and to him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
What do you ask for when you pray? When you pray for others, what do you ask God to do? I was in a prayer group recently where someone prayed for something I really struggled with - they were genuine and serious, but I thought their prayer was wrong because they wanted a human outcome, good for a person and family, without any voiced consideration of God's will or the possibility of a bad outcome and how to deal with that. OK, we should be positive, I know. But we should not tell God what he should do, should we?
The writer of these verses does not just ask for everything good to be given to the Hebrews, he instead prays that every good thing that is needed to do what God wants them to do will be given. These are the tools needed for the job, for the tasks to be done, and not the luxuries of leisure.
He goes on with one of the few references to the resurrection, and to remind the readers by way of a summary of the earlier parts of the letter: the sacrifice Jesus made and the new agreement (covenant) between God and his people. That agreement is forever - eternal - what was done was done for us and all future generations, never to be repeated.
What should we pray for? There can be nothing better than verse 21 - we surrender everything we are to God for him to use as pleases him.
Lord God, I pray that you will do in me what pleases you, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, now and forever. Amen.
Written by Neil Thomson
