Father, Forgive Them, For They Do Not Know What They Do

 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” - Luke 23:34.

                The first word that Jesus spoke from the cross is the word of forgiveness. He prayed to the Father to forgive His enemies as they do not know what they do. He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors - Isaiah 53:12. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you - Mathew 5:44.

                Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy seven times which means that we need to forgive those who sinned against us irrespective of what they did. Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times - Matthew 18:21, 22.

               Our heavenly Father will also forgive us as we forgive others. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you - Matthew 6:14. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins - Matthew 5:15. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses - Mark 11:26. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us - Matthew 6:12. 

                Let us forgive others like Christ for our sins to be forgiven. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you - Ephesians 4:31-32. Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do - Colossians 3:13.                                                                        

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us forgive others just as You have forgiven irrespective of what they did. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I know The Plans I Have For You

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future - Jeremiah 29:11.

                God's plans stand firm forever and it will always prosper us and give us peace, hope and a future. The plans of the LORD stand firm forever - Psalm 33:11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope - Jeremiah 29:11. He knows everything about our life from the beginning till the end. Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure' - Isaiah 46:10

               Jesus surrendered His ways to the will of God and so God's plan of salvation to people was established through Him. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand - Isaiah 53:10. He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done" - Luke 22:41. So, God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him the name above every names as He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name - Philippians 2:8,9.

               Let us also surrender all our ways to God and trust His plans that give us peace, hope and future. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths - Proverbs 3:5-6. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass - Psalm 37:5. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans - Proverbs 16:3. 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts - Isaiah 6:8,9.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We surrender all our ways to You. We thank You for Your great plans for us that prosper us and give us peace, hope and future. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I Am The Lord Who Heals You

If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you - Exodus 15:26. 

Listen carefully to the Lord your God 

Love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him - Deuteronomy 30.20. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body - Proverbs 4:20-22.

Do what is right in his eyes

Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you - Deuteronomy 6:18. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them - Hosea 14:9.

Pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees

Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord - Leviticus 22:31. Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life - Proverbs 19:16. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess - Deuteronomy 5:33.

I am the Lord, who heals you 

I will restore you to health and heal your wounds - Jeremiah 30:17. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds - Psalm 147:3. He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses - Matthew 8:17. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed - Isaiah 53:5.                                                                

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are our Healer. We are healed by Your stripes. Let us listen carefully to You and do what is right in Your eyes, pay attention to Your commands and keep all Your decrees. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Gethsemane

He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done - Luke 22:41. 

                 Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane with His disciples Peter, James, and John before the night of His crucifixion to pray. Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray” - Mark 14:32. He prayed and submitted to the will of Father to remove the cup from Him if it is His will. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me - John 6:38. 

                    Jesus prayed more earnestly in the garden of Gethsemane in agony and an angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground - Luke 22:44. Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him - Luke 22:43. Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear - Hebrews 5:7. 

                After He rose up from prayer, He saw His disciples sleeping and told them to rise and pray that they may not enter into temptation. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation - Luke 22:45. Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak - Mathew 26:41.

                  Like Jesus, let us also pray and submit to God for His will to be done in our life. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us - 1 John 5:14. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:6-7. 

                                                             

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us pray and submit everything to You for Your will to be done in our life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

God So Loved The World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life - John 3:16.

                God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. He gave His one and only son for us to live through Him. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another - 1 John 4:9-11. 

              The life which we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me - Galatians 2:20. For in Him we live and move and have our being - Acts 17:18.

                Let us love one another just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another - John 13:34, 35. Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God- Ephesians 5:2.

                                                                                  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We thank You for loving us so much and for giving Yourself for us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

 

Be Constant In Prayer

Be constant in prayer - Romans 12:12.  

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful - Colossians 4:2.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know - Jeremiah 33:3.

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me - Psalm 50:15.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you - Jeremiah 29:12

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth - Psalm 145:18.

In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears - Psalm 18:6.

I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue - Psalm 66:17.

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place - Psalm 118:5.

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers - 1 Peter 4:7. 

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak - Matthew 26:41. 

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly - Psalm 5:3.

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – prayer to the God of my life - Psalm 42:8.

Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief - Psalm 143:1.

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles - Psalm 34:6.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:6-7.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us - 1 John 5:14

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours - Mark 11:24.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words - Matthew 6:7.

Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them - Matthew 18:19–20.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints - Ephesians 6:18. 

Pray continually - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened - Matthew 7:7,8. 

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - 1 Timothy 2:1. 

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints - Ephesians 6:18.                                                                      

PRAYER: Let us always devote ourselves to pray constantly and continually by being watchful and thankful. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Peter's Powerful Ministries

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth - Acts 1:8.         

             Peter did powerful ministries after the filling of the Holy Spirit. He fed the sheep as Jesus directed him to do. Jesus said, "Feed my sheep” - John 21:17. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven - Matthew 16:18,19.

 Peter preached his first sermon      

               Peter became one of the primary leaders of the early church and he preached the first  sermon on the day of Pentecost, and 3000 people believed and were baptized.  Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them - Acts 2:41. 

Sick people healed miraculously

            Peter healed people and worked miracles. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.  Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed - Acts 5:14-16. 

Aeneas healed

          There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately - Acts 9:33, 34.

Tabitha healed

             Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord - Acts 9:40-42. 

Received the Holy Spirit 

             Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit - Acts 8:14,15,17.

 Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature - Mark 16:15.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give - Matthew 10:8.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us go into all the world, preach the gospel and do powerful ministries with the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.