God Speaks
Jesus Teaches His Disciples about Humility, Avoiding Sin, Rescuing the Lost, Restoring Relationships and Forgiving Others
Verse of the Day: “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 295
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 18:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God values the simple faith of a child who readily obeys.
2. People need instruction from Father God on how to handle conflict.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 18?
Dear Almighty God, You truly are the greatest. You call us to be as little children, totally dependent on You as our Father. If we want to be great in Your kingdom, we must humble ourselves before You. You take very seriously the treatment of Your children whether pre-born, aged, or anything in between; whether a person is causing them to sin or sinning against them; either by physical abuse or by despising them. It is not Your will, Heavenly Father, that any of Your “little ones” should perish. Further, You call us to forgive our brothers and sisters (fellow human beings), anyone who has sinned against us. In this chapter, You gave us a step-by-step process for this forgiveness and reconciliation. Through agreement in prayer, by the testimony of two or three witnesses, and under the authority of Heaven, the outcome of this process will be validated. Our forgiving each other is so important to You that Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant. Like the king in this parable, You have forgiven me an astronomical debt which I could never repay. You did this because I asked, because of Your great heart of love, and because Messiah’s work on the cross. As a result, You expect me to extend forgiveness to others who owe me anything. There will be severe consequences if I do not. Thank You for forgiving me all of my great sin debt. Help me to show my gratitude by forgiving others who have wronged me and by telling people about Your great forgiveness. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 18?
- I will spend at least 10 minutes daily just praising God for His greatness.
- I will write down at least 5 ways in which I will totally depend on God today, then do them at His direction.
- I will look for three ways to protect, defend, or promote life in God’s “little ones” today.
- I will ask God who He wants me to forgive and take the first step of going to that person privately.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.