"But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:" 1 John 2:5
I'll pray for you. Ever said that to someone with absolutely no intention of doing so? Just last night I vowed to pray for a friend that was injured while training for a big race. Did I mean what I said? Absolutely. Nowadays though, it seems as if everyone is saying it. But most times what they really mean is, I'll be thinking about you. Does it really matter? Absolutely. The bible tells us that "whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected." And Deuteronomy 23:23 says, "You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth." If we say we are going to pray for someone then, shouldn't we do just that?
Nowhere in scripture is there is a record of Jesus ever vowing to do something that he did not do. Simply put, if he said he would do it, he did it. And 1 John 2:6 says, "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." It's pretty clear then... if we are followers of Christ we should say what we mean and mean what we say. Let's live, love and speak intentionally. We would be better off to simply say "I'm sorry" than to make a commitment we are unable or unwilling to fulfill.
So today and every day, let us keep our promises. The words "I will pray for you" are not simply words. They are a vow... a vow to personally go before the Lord to plead on behalf of someone else. May we say what we mean and mean what we say and love others enough to take it to the Lord in prayer.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for allowing us to go to you in prayer for ourselves and for others. I pray that we would carry out our vows and love one another so much that we would not have second thoughts about fulfilling the promise we have made. I pray that we are intentional in our words and the actions that follow. Thank you Lord for always hearing our prayers and for loving us so much that you would allow us direct access to you any time of the day or night. Oh how we love you Father. It's in your most precious name that we ask these things, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
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Prayer for a friend - Casting Crowns
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