Pastor Mary Haley

January 31, 2022

There is so much that we can learn from today’s passage: “The Widow at Zarephath”. Before we read it, let’s recall what led Elijah to this moment and the differences that surround him and the widow. After we read it, let’s find Jesus in both of them.

Our passage is part of the introduction of the prophet, Elijah. At this point, we know that the nation’s economic collapse is a result of a severe drought that devastated crops and destroyed the population. In today’s verses we see how God is feeding Elijah, and we saw that in 17:1-7, and we see it again in 19:5-9. So, despite the worldly hunger, God is physically feeding Elijah because he spiritually belongs to God.

Differences – Elijah is an Israelite and God sends him to a Gentile. He is a refugee, and she is in her home country. He is a man, and she is a female widow. He has a name, and she is nameless. He has been fed (by ravens), and she and her son are preparing to die of starvation. He is called by his God and obeys, and she hears from his God and follows the instruction.

1 Kings 17:8-16 NLT
The Widow at Zarephath

8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

Jesus in Elijah – Elijah exemplifies Jesus in how he obeys the Lord’s commands, without question, and regardless of how crazy the circumstances might seem. He knows that a widow is a vulnerable and unlikely person to ask for food from, and she confirms in verse 12 that she only has one meal left before she and her son will die. But like Jesus, Elijah comforts her and he reassures her too not be afraid. In verse 14, Elijah’s instructions to her on how to prepare the bread come directly from the “God of Israel”, just as Jesus Himself taught us in Matthew 26:26 how we receive Him, the Bread of Life.

Jesus in the Widow – She feeds Elijah, just as Jesus feeds you and me. In the most extreme circumstance, where she and her own son are about to die, she heard the voice of “your God” and she followed the instructions. Elijah is a man, a refugee, and a stranger who is telling her what to do, and she followed the instructions. Would you and I do the same? As a result of her humble and selfless actions (just like Jesus), she and her son are saved (because Jesus saves) and they are blessed beyond measure.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for being the Bread of Life. I need Your nourishment each day. Help me, Lord, to be more like the widow. Help me to feed people, and to bring You to the unlikely. Build me to be more like Elijah. I want to constantly be obeying You, and I want to bring Your comfort and reassurance to others. I ask all of this in Your Precious and Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Written by: Jennifer Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant

Intro: Every day I pray with faith for the mountainous challenges to be moved in people’s lives; life can present so many physical, emotional, and spiritual obstacles. Scripture teaches the love motivated prayer of the righteous produces wonderful results, so let’s be diligent to pray for one another (James 5:16). It is also important to pray for every person’s faith to be increased each time God takes him or her through, around, or over a mountainous challenge, because as long as we are on earth we will need to use our faith to keep moving mountains. Spiritual gifts are a great blessing from God, but the greatest gift God has ever provided is himself—to bring his loving presence into our lives in order to save us.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us that love must be the motivation for our prayers, attitudes, and actions, because faith works through God’s perfect love. Now, many people want to define love by their own standards, but only God who IS love can define himself perfectly. Let God’s love motive your faith as you call upon the name of the Lord to move the mountainous challenges you and your loved ones may face in this dark world. Use your faith in God—LOVE—and never give up!

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (TPT) Love, the Motivation of Our Lives
1 If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love [burning love/eternal energy], my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.

2 And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains [and keep on moving mountains], but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.

3 And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value.

4 Love is large and incredibly patient [because it transforms the spirit]. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated [overly sensitive] or quick to take offense [resentful]. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty [the truth] and finds no delight in what is wrong [unrighteous]. 7 Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others [never loses faith]. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the power of prayer, faith, and love. All my hope is in you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, Nathaniel meets Jesus for the first time. However, Jesus makes it clear he knows all about Nathaniel and his character long before they actually meet face to face. Jesus reveals a bit of mystery to Nathaniel when he relates having seen him sitting under the fig tree. What was Nathaniel doing that Jesus saw or heard? Was he praying and confessing his love for God or a desire to be pure and holy for the Lord? Maybe Nathaniel was reading Scripture and pondering the coming Messiah. A fig tree is often a biblical metaphor for God’s Kingdom coming to earth. Whatever Nathaniel was doing as he sat under the fig tree, his heart was focused on God, because Jesus knew the spiritual integrity of his heart.

Jesus knows all of our hearts and whether we have a hunger for holiness. When we confess our love to God, he hears us. When we invest time in reading the Word of God and finding ways to put it into practice in our lives, we are demonstrating spiritual integrity. The word, shalom, is associated with integrity, because it is a word that reveals wholeness. Jesus knows if we want to be spiritually whole or if we are just wanting a form of godliness.

John 1:43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.

45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

47 As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

48 “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

49 Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”

50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for knowing the real me and understanding my desire for more of you in my life. I never have to pretend to be anything, but who I am. You bring me acceptance, as well as growth and I am so very grateful. Thank you for helping me experience a bit of heaven on earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, Luke reminds us there is nothing Jesus cannot heal and restore, because he is the Voice of Supreme authority. Not only does Jesus preach the Word of Truth—gospel—with power, but he demonstrates his authority over anything that causes problems or harm to his human creation. Think about that reality for a minute, because our spiritual understanding of the Truth can influence our attitudes and everything we face in life. Never forget, Jesus is full of compassion toward us and our faith in his salvation pleases him.

If we believe and know the Living Word of God abides in us and is always presence to help in times of suffering, as well as celebrate with us in times of blessing, why do we ever become fearfully unsettled by what’s going on in the world? Our greatest challenge is to stay calm, call upon the Lord for salvation, listen for the Spirit to guide us, and use faith to bring what is invisible into the realm of the visible, isn’t it? Believers NEVER face anything at any time when God is absent. He never leaves us or forsakes us (Heb 13:5). Jesus is the Truth and he teaches his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth…and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mat 28:18-20). Every day is an opportunity to influence others with the Good News of life with the Lord. Whether we face suffering or blessing, it is Jesus who holds us and sustains us.

The Gospels are such a blessing, because they reveal the power and authority of God to take on anything the world brings to oppose believers. Luke is a doctor, so in his gospel we know he writes about legitimate physical infirmities Jesus healed by His Word/Voice. Certainly, Jesus has authority over physical, emotional, and spiritual sickness. As well, Jesus has authority over nature, Satan, and the forces of evil. There is nothing that escapes the reach of Jesus for salvation and restoration. Rest in the Truth, today!

Luke 4:38-41 NLT Jesus Heals Many People
38 After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. “Please heal her,” everyone begged. 39 Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them.

40 As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. 41 Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being every aspect of my salvation for eternity and for life on earth. Help me to stay focused on your sufficiency, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, Paul is explaining why he wrote the letter to the church at Corinth; he wants these early believers to embrace what it means in practical terms to be a covenant people under the holy rule of God. Many of these new Christians are simply taking care of themselves and their own needs; however, this is the world’s way. Paul instructs these Corinthian believers to care deeply about the needs of their brothers and sisters in the faith who are suffering. Faith works through love; love is what drives faith and believers are to be growing in the fruit of faithfulness (Gal 5:6; 5:22-23). So, Paul corrects them about their worldly love walk. He wants his correction to turn them toward Jesus and his abundant resource of sacrificial love, but Paul knows it could work the opposite. Praise God, these Corinthian believers take Paul’s rebuke, repent, and humbly turned toward God’s standard of holy love.

Believers are not detached from one another; we are one in Christ’s Body. While the world is busy trying to divide and isolate people, God is working in the Spirit to hold people in unity and bring them together through reconciliation in order to provide loving care. We can all succeed if we stay the course together. Right now many people in the body of Christ are suffering in some way. How are we affected knowing our brothers and sisters are struggling? Are we present in their lives to be Christ’s hand of love?

2 Corinthians 7:8-9 (VOICE)
8 I knew you would be upset with my last letter, but I do not regret sending it. If there were times I did have second thoughts, it was because I could see that the letter did hurt you, even if only for a while. 9 Now I am glad—not because it caused you grief but because you were moved to make a permanent change [repent] that can happen only with the realization that your actions have gone against God—I’m glad to know you suffered no long-term loss because of what we did.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this wake up call to practice deep and devoted love. May we go deeper in love with you, as well as reach out to love our brothers and sisters in practical and loving ways. Our covenant is with you and one another as members of your family. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

January 24, 2022

Hi friends! This is Jen Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant. As many of you know, I have the privilege of writing the Monday devotionals. My name is typically at the bottom, but since I will be sharing an important part of my testimony in this devotional, as it directly connects with today’s date and passage, I thought it would be good to let you know, on the frontend, it’s “me” who is sharing.

Six years ago, today, our family learned that my 27-year-old cousin, Christopher Acerbo, went Home to Jesus. My Aunt Maria and Uncle Jack’s home was immediately filled with tons of our family and Chris’ friends as the news of their son’s loss was quickly received. There was easily over 100 people at their home, and I will never forget the moment our family’s Pastor came and spoke. Her name was “Pastor Mary Haley”, and I didn’t know her at the time. Why? Well, because at that time I didn’t consider myself “a person of faith”. So, as the Pastor spoke, I was standing directly behind her. She told all of us, “I don’t believe in religion, I believe in a relationship; one that is about love, and His Name is Jesus. If you want to know about true love, not this world’s temporal love, come and see me and we can talk.” I didn’t realize at that moment that the Spirit of Christ was moving within me…that revelation would come later, but I did go and meet with that Pastor the day after my cousin’s service.

Everything is fleeting in this physical life, and six years ago it seemed to me that there was nothing to hold on to with certitude. However, God used the most painful experience to gain my attention, and He spoke about His Eternal Love through the most unlikely person at that time in my life, a “Pastor”. Friends, although everything is fleeting in this physical life, we don’t live for this earthly life, we live for Eternal Life; and I cannot stop thanking the Lord for opening my spiritual eyes to grow with Him in understanding this Truth which He has for my life, and He has for your life. I can honestly tell you now that the enemy, who controls the ways of this world, wanted to keep me from knowing Jesus; because he knows that Jesus is the One perfect thing for our lives in this imperfect world, so he will stop at nothing to keep us from knowing Jesus.

In the seven verses of today’s Psalm, we are reminded that the Lord (Who is the Word) is Eternal, He is faithful, all of creation serves Him, happiness is found in knowing Him, He gives new life, and only His Word in this life is the One perfect, true, and eternal thing. Those who want to argue the Word don’t study it, they don’t live in and by it each day, and unfortunately, they don’t know Jesus (the Word of Life).

Friends, if you don’t know Jesus, or you have stepped away from Him, or you are thinking of stepping away, please pray and ask Him to allow the Holy Spirit to fill your mind and heart as you read today’s passage. Ask Jesus to open your spiritual eyes and ears so that you can see and hear what it is that He has for you. Jesus wants to guide you to understand how to live, He wants to hold you through the trials and valleys of this life, He wants to be your happiness and joy overflowing, and He wants to keep you sane in this insane world.

Psalm 119:89-96 (CEV)

89 Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
as the heavens.[a]
90 You remain faithful
in every generation,
and the earth you created
will keep standing firm.
91 All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
are still in effect today.
92 If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
I would have died in misery.
93 I won’t ever forget
your teachings,
because you give me new life
by following them.
94 I belong to you,
and I have respected your laws,
so keep me safe.
95 Brutal enemies are waiting
to ambush and destroy me,
but I obey your rules.
96 Nothing is completely perfect,
except your teachings.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for giving me new life in You. I am truly happy. Please continue to allow my spiritual eyes and ears to remain open to the things that You need me to see and hear. I belong to You, Lord Jesus, and Your Word is permanently etched within my heart. Help me to grow each day in Your Word and guide me to bring Your love to others. I ask all of this in Your Precious and Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: As a believer, I want you to pause and think about how God created and fashioned you, as well as the spiritual gifts he poured within you. These gifts are valuable and important not only for your life but for the lives of others around you, because we belong to one another in Christ. I have certain gifts that perhaps you do not, so as I present myself to God to be used in excellence for the betterment of others, God sees that as my worship—oneness in Spirit and Truth—and the lives of others can be touched by the gospel of love through me. You have gifts that I may not, so as you present yourself to God to be used in excellence for the betterment of others, God sees that as your worship and the lives of others around you can be touched, as well. As all believers take up this call and mindset—moving in synchronicity with the Spirit of Truth—I believe the struggles that have held people back from receiving Christ will be released by the anointing so that healing can sweep across the land. Worshipers will be multiplied in abundance. Don’t look for a special occasion, my friends, because this spreading of the gospel all takes place as we live our regular daily lives in Christ. “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul wants us to know this personal sacrifice—worship—is necessary to the building up of Christ’s Body. The unredeemed world is nauseatingly narcissistic at its core, so if you copy that pattern you will only be concerned about yourself; certainly, this is not reflective of Christ. However, when we invite the Spirit to come and use us, we can no longer see things as they benefit us individually. We are drawn by the Spirit to sacrifice our wills for God’s will in order to heal the people around us. It is not that you are unimportant to God, because you most certainly are important and essential to the gospel. In fact, you are precious to God; his sacrifice—worship—was to die for you so you could live for him. The world desperately needs healing and if we are willing to be faithful to the spiritual gifts we have been given in order to live the gospel, we can influence others in Christ’s love and power. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” (John 14:12).

Romans 12:1-8 A Living Sacrifice to God
12 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him [spiritual worship]. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

3 Because of the privilege and authority [grace] God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us [standard of our God-given faith]. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Prayer: Lord, may you always be the standard of faith I use to live a life of worship. May I be willing to sacrifice my will, because there are always many hurting people waiting to meet the Healer. Continue to transform my thinking. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: I really do not know anyone who enjoys being controlled by another human being(s). We might put up with it for a while, but dealing with controlling personalities gets old very quickly. It is suffocating to our need for the secure freedoms Jesus died to provide us. As believers, we have been set free from sin and death, SO that we can live each day being led by the Spirit of liberty and truth. There’s something repulsive about others trying to control us through pressure and force when Jesus has set us free by the Truth of his love, right? Many times we feel the battle for control coming from the world outside of us; however, how do we respond when we realize a battle for control is actually raging within us?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans about this very thing. As believers we serve God—the Lord wants to be at the center of our lives. We live by faith to please him rather than by gratifying our flesh or by struggling to obey a set of rules (Heb 11:6). We love and serve Christ from renewed hearts and minds that are filled with the love of God. We are confident the Holy Spirit is helping us live in agreement with God, so when we feel that fight for control on the inside, our flesh that wants gratification may be fighting the Spirit for control (Gal 5:17). It is the work of the Spirit to make us more and more like Jesus on the inside, but as that process is going on we realize we are losing control of certain areas of our lives and we may be tempted to resist it.

Please don’t fight the work of the Spirit within you. Honor the Spirit who was sent to help each of us produce righteous fruit for the glory of God (Gal 5:25). As we surrender spiritual control to the Holy Spirit, we can live these new lives in great power. If you feel an inner battle, pause, pray, and permit Christ to have his way; this is living a new way in the Spirit.

Romans 7:5-6
5 When we were merely living natural lives [before we came to know Christ], the law, through defining sin, actually awakened sinful desires within us, which resulted in bearing the fruit of death. 6 But now that we have been fully released from the power of the law, we are dead to what once controlled us. And our lives are no longer motivated by the obsolete way of following the written code, so that now we may serve God by living in the freshness of a new life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, when I feel like I have an inner battle for control, help me to focus on Jesus. Bowing my flesh to the work of the Spirit takes faith, but you have given me grace for the journey. Thank you for your great love and provision. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The other day I ripped a sizable hole in a pair of my favorite shorts. I was in a hurry (“Of course you were, Mary!”) and the pocket on my shorts got caught on a cupboard knob. My “hang up” caused me to reel backwards, but it was too late! I know the shorts are old, but they are so comfy. Sigh…I can try to use new fabric to patch the hole, but I don’t think the mend will hold and it certainly will not match. These shorts are the oldest in my closet; they have survived hundreds of wears and washings. My dilemma reminds me of one of Jesus’ teachings about old garments. It reminds me of the expanding work of the Spirit in my life of which I am so very grateful.

In our passage today, Jesus is questioned about why his disciples are feasting rather than fasting like many others. Jesus uses a parable to try to explain that his disciples are feasting (expanding) because he is with them. They will fast when he is gone. Yet, the Pharisees still question the purity of Jesus and his disciples’ hearts. So Jesus shares an illustration with the hope they will understand. Sadly, the Pharisees are too steeped in tradition to absorb the life lesson; they prefer the old ways instead of embracing new faith in the vibrant god-life of Christ.

For the believer, Jesus came so his righteousness could be our new garment. He covers our sin like the Lord covered Adam and Eve in the garden. Now, we need new righteous lifestyles to reveal the divine nature within us; to make room for the expanding life of the Spirit among us. The old garments (our lives filled with self-righteousness) cannot hold the new wine of the Spirit. Jesus brings a life-changing message and we need to be able to hold the glory and live in eternal life. The Spirit brings dunamis (Greek: the power of God). We need the new garments of Christ that will stretch and expand, my friends!

Luke 5:33-39 TPT A Question about Fasting
33 Jesus’ critics questioned him. “John the prophet is known for leading his disciples to fast often and pray. As the religious leaders of the land, we do the same. Why do you and your disciples spend most of your time feasting at banquets?”

34 Jesus replied, “Should you make the sons of the bridal chamber fast while celebrating with the Bridegroom? 35 But when the Bridegroom is taken away from them, then you will see them fasting.”
36 And he gave them this illustration: “No one rips up a new garment to make patches for an old, worn-out one. If you tear up the new to make a patch for the old, it would not match the old garment. 37 And who pours new wine into an old wineskin? If someone did, the old wineskin would burst and the new wine would be lost. 38 New wine must always be poured into new wineskins. 39 Yet you say, ‘The old ways are better,’ and you refuse to even taste the new wine that I bring.”

Prayer: Lord, I know you cannot be contained in our rigid thoughts and traditions. Help us to accept these new lives you bring; new ways, new approaches, and even new ministries that are fresh in the Spirit. Help us as your children to remain pliable and willing to grow. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

January 18, 2022

Intro: The Apostle Paul established the church in Corinth and because he wrote so many letters to them, we know more about this church [ekklesia—assembly of God’s believers] than any other church in the New Testament. This assembly of believers wanted to be influential for God in their city, but Corinth was morally corrupt—sexually out of control—and the city seemed to have more power and influence over the believers who were losing the morality battle with their own lives. They were not focused on the peace of God or the fellowship of Christ; they were focused on themselves.

Paul’s letters were sent to correct these believers as they struggled with morality problems, doctrinal problems, church government problems, spiritual gift misunderstandings, authority problems, etc. The church has problems and they need answers, so Paul calls them to unity—every believer making Jesus the Lord of his or her life. Then, Paul builds them up by focusing on their strengths as he corrects and confronts each problem with truth. He loves them into right attitudes with one another, as well as stirs the desire within them to put on the mind of Christ. Paul spiritually guides the believers in Corinth to get their eyes off from themselves and on to Christ.

Who or what will capture your focus, today? Whatever dominates your attention will seek to control you. It you are dealing with problems, please give each one to Jesus. By trusting him with those problems—things you probably cannot control anyway—you are learning to make him Lord of all.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (VOICE)
3 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, will shower you with grace and peace.

4 I am continuously thanking my God for you when I think about the grace God has offered you in Jesus the Anointed. 5 In this grace, God is enriching every aspect of your lives by gifting you with the right words to say and everything you need to know. 6 In this way, your life story confirms the life story of the Anointed One, 7 so you are not ill-equipped or slighted on any necessary gifts as you patiently anticipate the day when our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, is revealed. 8 Until that final day, He will preserve you; and on that day, He will consider you faultless. 9 Count on this: God is faithful and in His faithfulness called you out into an intimate relationship with His Son, our Lord Jesus the Anointed.

Prayer: Lord, so many things in the lives of your children could be different if we would just keep our gaze upon you. Help us, Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name.