Release Us From These Prisons

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. 

                                                                                    (Jer 33:1-3 KJV)

There are so many prisons and types of prisons today. There are the multitudes of prisons with bars to contain the convicted. There are the victims being held by sex traffickers as well as  other types of abusers. There are also the many who find themselves isolated today due to a world-wide pandemic or afraid to leave their homes because of violence in the streets. There are those who have worked for years to build up a business to support themselves; their families; their employees to find that the government has shut them down or has completely limited their customer base and are struggling to stay alive.

Let us stand on the word of the Lord to Jeremiah: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee." (Jer 33:3) He will lead us out of this prison of hopelessness and despair. He will show us the way.

Let us pray to the one who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. Let us pray to the one who hears and answers: Heavenly Father, hear our prayers and release us from these prisons. Hear our prayers for peace. Hear our prayers and answer that we might know the joy of being reconciled to you and to one another. Hear our prayers and answer in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Receive The Crown Of Life

We may undergo many tests on our journey; but, the crown

of life is worth any hardships we might endure.

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."  (James 1:12 NIV)

We all undergo trails and tests at various times throughout our lives. Those who follow Jesus should definitely expect no less than others. In fact, we will often endure even more for his name's sake. These tests may cause us to wonder if we are actually following Jesus or following our own wills. How can we know? Questions to ask ourselves in times like this are: Will what I do glorify God or myself? Is what I say the truth or am I misrepresenting the truth to justify myself or my personal agenda?

As we journey to the cross this Lenten season, let us remember that Jesus was tested and tried and not just by the devil immediately after his baptism. He was tested and tried throughout his short life and; although he was innocent, was ultimately tried, convicted, and executed. As we follow Jesus to the cross we can and should expect nothing less than to be tried and tested by the evil one and his minions. We will face hardships; but, the one who overcame them for our sakes, is with us.

May you always trust that the Lord is with you as you follow in his footsteps.

God's Peace - Pr. J