Call to Gather, Pray and Worship God
Revelation 2:1-7
To the Church in Ephesus
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Pondering Point
This is one of the blessings Jesus references with churches in Revelation. This specific one, eating from the tree of life, is given to those who are “victorious.” That victory, won by Jesus Himself, comes to all who believe in Him as Lord (Rom. 7:25). In order that you may hear and may be victorious in Christ – and giving you the right to eat from the tree of life in paradise:
Numbers 6:24-26
- “‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you; - the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you; - the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Our church prayers for the season of Lent are based on Jeremiah 24:7, God’s own words through His prophet: "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart."
Scripture's Story for the Week
Parable of the Persistent Widow
Pondering Point
While none of us would likely want to live out the experience of this widow in our story for today, most of us would gladly take the level of persistence that Jesus highlights in her. His alluding to her great persistence is to be a parallel with our prayer lives. He shows His desire to see us persist in prayer until we receive what we are looking for.
Pay attention to the final question Jesus poses as He closes out the parable's teaching. Then rewrite today’s prayer.
Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Prayer Prompt
Persistence, O God, persistence. Teach me such persistence daily… maybe even hourly. Amen.
Journal Prompt:
My personal re-write of this prayer:
