Night Prayer
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Inspiration
We lose sight of the fact that it is still dangerous to follow Jesus today. Many countries around the world actively persecute Christians. Authority figures with power do not like the idea of an omnipotent God with more authority than them, and communities feel Christianity is a direct threat or disrespect to their ancient culture. Christians are harmed for their beliefs and their drive to spread the Word. We will keep one another close to the heart in prayer as our brothers and sisters in Christ face persecution. The Lord sees their struggle and acknowledges their blessed inheritance in the kingdom of God.
Prayer
Dear Father, please keep our Christian family across the world safe. As they face persecution, we ask that You grant them peace and strengthen their faith as they face obstacles in their walk. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
