TEN DAYS OF PRAYER Day 6—Kindness Philippians 2:1-11 Suggestions for Intercessory Prayer Feel free to claim other promises as well. Remember, all of God’s biddings are His enablings! Praise God that He calls us to do unto others what we want them to do to us. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Luke 6:31 Praise God that He can give you the strength to be kind. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Eph. 2:10 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering. Col. 3:12 Praise God for specific situations in which you could see His kindness toward you. Praise God that He can make you and keep you blameless until He comes again. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1 Thess. 5:23, 24 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1:6 Ask God to give you the strength to be kind to everyone, including your family members and enemies. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Luke 6:35 Has anyone been unkind to you? Pray that God will teach you how to be kind to that person. Pray also that God will give you forgiveness in your heart toward that person. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. Rom. 12:10 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Eph. 4:32 Pray that God will show you how to be kind to strangers. Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Heb. 13:1, 2 Ask God to make you a new creation and give you a new heart. Tell Him about the people to whom you need to show more kindness. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17 Pray that God will give a full understanding of Christ’s method (comprehensive health ministry), allowing all church members to meet people’s needs and follow Christ’s pattern of service to others. For so the Lord has commanded us: “I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.” Acts 13:47 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21, 22 Pray for a tremendous increase in spiritual support for Seventh-day Adventist young people who attend public campuses. Pray that they become vibrant missionaries serving others at public universities and colleges worldwide. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. 2 Tim. 1:8 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 2 Tim. 4:1, 2 Pray for all members to spend more time in Bible study and prayer, allowing God to fully direct His people according to His will and not ours. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16, 17 Mission to the Cities—Pray for the South American Division and the 43 cities on which they have chosen to concentrate their outreach. Pray also for the South Pacific Division and the cities they have chosen to reach for Christ: Sydney, Australia; Christchurch, New Zealand; Lae, Papua New Guinea; and Apia, Samoa. Pray that God will send workers and that He will bless their efforts. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. John 17:18 Pray for any personal needs or anything on your heart. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Eph. 3:20, 21 Praise God that whatever you ask in His name and according to His will, He will do for you. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14, 15 At the end of prayer time you may want to form groups of two or three and pray for the seven people that you have on your list. Pray that they learn from Jesus how to be kind and affectionate. Claim 1 John 3:18 for them: “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” If you have a personal prayer request that you are not comfortable praying about in the large group, feel free to share with your partner and pray about it together. Suggested Songs “Under His Wings” (SDA Hymnal #529); “The Lord Is My Light” (SDA Hymnal #515); “Like Jesus” (SDA Hymnal #492); “Open My Eyes That I May See” (SDA Hymnal #326); “Wholly Thine” (SDA Hymnal #308); “I Will Sing of Jesus’ Love” (SDA Hymnal #183). Ellen White on Kindness But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . kindness.—Gal. 5:22 The Lord will help every one of us where we need help the most in the grand work of overcoming and conquering self. Let the law of kindness be upon your lips and the oil of grace in your heart. This will produce wonderful results. You will be tender, sympathetic, courteous. You need all these graces. The Holy Spirit must be received and brought into your character; then it will be as holy fire, giving forth incense which will rise up to God, not from lips that condemn, but as a healer of the souls of men. Your countenance will express the image of the divine (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 81). No sharp, critical, blunt, or severe words should be spoken. This is common fire, and must be left out of all our councils and intercourse with our brethren. God requires every soul in His service to kindle their censers from the coals of sacred fire. The common, severe, harsh words that come from your lips so readily must be withheld, and the Spirit of God speak through the human agent. By beholding the character of Christ you will become changed into His likeness. The grace of Christ alone can change your heart and then you will reflect the image of the Lord Jesus. God calls upon us to be like Him—pure, holy, and undefiled. We are to bear the divine image (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 81). The Lord Jesus is our only helper. Through His grace we shall learn to cultivate love, to educate ourselves to speak kindly and tenderly. Through His grace our cold, harsh manners will be transformed. The law of kindness will be upon our lips, and those who are under the precious influences of the Holy Spirit, will not feel that it is an evidence of weakness to weep with those who weep, to rejoice with them that rejoice. We are to cultivate heavenly excellences of character. We are to learn what it means to have good-will toward all men, a sincere desire to be as sunshine and not as shadow in the lives of others (God’s Amazing Grace, p. 299). Seize every opportunity to contribute to the happiness of those around you, sharing with them your affection. Words of kindness, looks of sympathy, expressions of appreciation, would to many a struggling, lonely one be as a cup of cold water to a thirsty soul. . . (God’s Amazing Grace, p. 299). Live in the sunshine of the Saviour’s love. Then your influence will bless the world. Let the Spirit of Christ control you. Let the law of kindness be ever on your lips. Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and actions of those who are born again, to live the new life in Christ (God’s Amazing Grace, p. 299). We may talk of the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and pray in regard to receiving them; but unless the human agent is worked by the Spirit of God, He reveals that he has Him not. When the Spirit molds and fashions the character after the divine similitude, He will be unmistakably revealed in every word we speak and in everything we do, showing to the world that there is a marked difference between the children of light and the children of darkness. The Lord wants us to stand stiffly for the faith once delivered to the saints. We are to speak the truth in love. Our great Teacher says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29, 30) (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 81). Questions for Personal Reflection 1. Are you characterized by kindness? How do you react when people are not kind to you? Would you like to be able to reflect God’s kindness? Ask God to teach you how to be kind. Claim His promises for you. 2. Make a list of things that you can do for others to show them kindness and ask God for opportunities to show His kindness, especially to those who seem to deserve it least.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 03:22:40 +0000
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