Category: Today’s Word

Your Father Bends Down to Listen

Psalm 116:1-2. I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”

What should you do when you find yourself in a situation as difficult as David’s—surrounded by the threat of death, overwhelmed by anxiety, and trembling in fear? (Psalm 116:3). Call upon the name of the Lord. The Almighty God, your Father, will bend down to listen to you and respond with mercy, goodness, and deliverance (Psalm 116:4). If you truly experience the power of His throne, your fears will begin to fade, and your worries will lose their grip.

God protects those who trust Him with childlike faith. Come before your Father just as a small child comes to a loving parent—honestly, simply, and with total dependence. He leans close to hear every word you whisper. In His presence, your soul will find peace and rest.

As you pray, God invites you to discover His will in all things: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14–15)

How do we learn His will? By listening to His Word and keeping it in your heart. Jesus promised: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7)

This begins where God placed you—your local church. Just as the believers in Acts 2:42 devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, God speaks today through the Word proclaimed by His servants in His church. Take that Word into your heart. Meditate on it throughout the week. Pray over it. See every situation through the lens of the gospel.

Begin every morning with today’s Word—God’s promise for you today. Lift today’s prayer—your response to His Word. And live out today’s evangelism—your mission from God to bless the people around you. This is a life carried by strength from the throne of the Triune God.

Surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Surrender is obedience: “We receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him” (1 John 3:21–22).

But God’s greatest delight is when we hold onto and believe in Jesus, His Son, as the Christ: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29). Praying in Jesus’ name is not just saying words—it is exercising the authority He has given: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 16:19)

Your prayers, aligned with His Word and offered in His name, can unleash the blessings already prepared for you in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)—and through prayer, those treasures are made known and applied in your life.

Above all, do not approach God as if you were powerless and unworthy. Come as His beloved child, calling on the most powerful name under heaven: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:14)

The name of Jesus has already shattered the grip of Satan, sin, and death. That name is yours to call upon today. May God open your spiritual eyes to see the joy, power, and privilege of prayer—every moment of every day.

Prayer. Father, thank You for giving me the right to ask in the name of Jesus Christ. I know You desire what is best for me. Help me to stop worrying and start trusting—start asking—because You hear and You answer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God’s Blessing Through His Servants

Deuteronomy 21:5. The priests, the descendants of Levi, must also go there. (The Lord your God has chosen these priests to serve him and to bless people in the name of the Lord. The priests will decide who is right in every lawsuit and whenever someone is hurt.

A faith-filled prayer of parents for their children moves the heart of God. He hears their cries and pours His blessing into the next generations. In the same way, God has chosen His servants to serve Him and to bless His people. Their most sacred calling is to lead God’s people into true worship—worship that lifts high the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Just as the priests in the Old Testament presented blood sacrifices before God, today’s pastors and spiritual leaders must continually place before the church the death and resurrection of Christ at all times—the center of all worship and the source of all blessing. That was what the Early Church did:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

God’s servants lead worship filled with the Word, foster unity in Christ, and guide the church to seek God’s will. And God has given them spiritual authority—to speak blessing in the name of the Lord and to discern His will in the midst of His peoples’ covenant journey.

Your spiritual leaders continually lift you up in prayer. They stand before God on your behalf, remembering you with love and burden. So the Scriptures instruct us to honor them—especially those who labor in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17)—and to support them with the good things God has given us (Galatians 6:6). Most importantly, Scripture calls us to pray for them that:

“God may open a door for [their] message… and [they] may proclaim the mystery of Christ clearly.” (Colossians 4:3–4)

We have been called to save our church—to restore its joy, unity,  spiritual power, and mission. Many today are discouraged or even wounded within the church. This grieves God’s heart. But when Christ becomes the center, the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18).

So always choose faith over unbelief. Become the joy of your church and the delight of your pastor. Become a model of the gospel, a vessel of prayer, and a witness for evangelism to future generations. Your faithfulness today will become a foundation of blessing for countless lives tomorrow.

Prayer. Lord, thank You for revealing Your righteousness in the gospel through Christ. Help me choose faith in every situation today so that I may save my family, my church, and the world You love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Blessing of Evangelism

Mark 10:29-30. “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

God’s call to evangelism is not a burden—it is a blessing. The privileges He has entrusted to us are so glorious that “even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12). Through the field of evangelism, God wants us to personally experience the power of the resurrected Christ. He wants us to stand confidently on the victory of the cross and watch the forces of darkness collapse at the name of Jesus, crushed under our feet once more (Romans 16:20).

There is no greater joy than rescuing a soul bound by Satan’s chains. The fruit of evangelism is eternal—the only crown we will treasure before Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 2:19). Evangelism is shining the Light you have received into the places still in darkness (Isaiah 60:1). It is simply telling others what God has done in your life—your testimony of Christ’s presence becomes the very means through which others come to life.

Yet many believers feel evangelism is reserved only for the most gifted or trained. Not so. Evangelism is the natural life movement of anyone who truly has the life of Christ. If you have been saved by His blood, then introducing Jesus to those still oppressed by the devil is the most natural and powerful expression of gratitude toward God and love toward people. This is why evangelism is one of the greatest blessings God has given to His children and why Satan fears it more than anything.

The Early Church understood this. Under severe persecution, they did not retreat or ask for relief—they prayed for greater boldness to proclaim the gospel (Acts 4:23–31). Persecution only sharpened their focus on their heavenly mandate and missions.

Discover the evangelism that is most natural to your life. Begin by praying that God will open doors for the gospel (Colossians 4:3). Connect every relationship, every interaction—every day—to evangelism. Be prepared to share the hope of Christ with gentleness and respect whenever the Spirit prompts you (1 Peter 3:15).

Jesus calls with urgency. Lives are at stake. Nothing is more important than leading even one soul to Christ. Nothing is more necessary than praying for disciples who will become workers in God’s harvest (Matthew 9:37–38). Nothing will fulfill you more than participating in Christ’s Great Commission in this generation.

You carry the authority of Jesus’ name—“the name above every name” (Philippians 2:9). You walk with the privilege of divine communication and are surrounded by the protection of angel armies. Wherever you go with the gospel, the Lord Himself will work with you, confirming His Word with power (Mark 16:20). The gospel will spread rapidly and be honored (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

So do not worry about what you may lose for the sake of Christ—anything you may lose is not “worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in you” (Romans 8:18). He Himself guarantees that anything surrendered for Him and for the gospel will return a hundredfold in this life—and immeasurable glory in the next (Mark 10:29–30).

Prayer. Father, help me live today with a single devotion to Christ and an undivided heart for the gospel. Let me walk with bold faith as Your evangelist, confident in the authority of Jesus’ name. Fill my field with Your presence and drive out every force of darkness. Use me to rescue those in bondage and restore lives by Your power. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?

Proverbs 15:8. The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

When you pray, do not pray like those who do not know God. Jesus taught us not to heap up empty and repetitive words, because the Father already knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:7-8). God is not interested in eloquent phrases but sees beneath the words and knows the intentions within us: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).

This is why David confessed, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Sin held onto in secret hinders prayer. Bitterness blocks peace. Unforgiveness quenches the Spirit. When we approach God harboring revenge or pride, we are not aligned with His heart.

Prayer begins by yielding to His desires above our own. Scripture reminds us that unanswered prayer often comes from pursuing selfish goals rather than God’s purposes (James 4:3). Your Father loves you too deeply to give you what would ultimately harm you. Instead, He desires to give you the very best — His own Spirit. Jesus said, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).

Even our Lord Jesus modeled this surrender when He prayed in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). He prayed again, fully submitting to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:42).

His entire life of prayer was built on the words He taught us: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This is what pleases the heart of God: not a prayer that demands our own will, but one that joyfully embraces His. We have been given everything through His Son. There is nothing to ask for, except for the kingdom of God.

The early church understood this. Under threats and persecution, their prayer was not for personal safety but for boldness to proclaim the gospel: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (Acts  4:29-30). Their deepest longing was for God’s kingdom to advance. Their confidence was in Christ, not in comfort.

God has already lavished every spiritual blessing upon His children in Christ. In His presence there is rest, joy, peace, hope, and abundance. He delights in you. Therefore, do not approach Him like a beggar. You have full access to the throne of grace by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-20). Your identity is no longer defined by sin, Satan or hell. You are a beloved and honored child of the Most High God!

So pray like one. Pray with confidence. Pray with expectation. Pray with a heart aligned to His mission. Do not give up when you do not see immediate answers. Jesus promised that God “will bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night” (Luke 18:7). Keep praying with persistent faith. Keep praying with shameless audacity.

You have been born from above. Therefore, pray for the things above. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and trust that everything else will be provided in God’s perfect time (Matthew 6:33). When you pray in alignment with the throne of the Triune God, the kingdom of darkness trembles. People living in despair will encounter the light of the gospel through you. God will move in ways that surpass understanding and change the world around you.

Let your prayers please the Lord. Let your heart be fully His. Let your life be a testimony that God delights in the prayer of His children.

Prayer. Father, help me pray not as a beggar but as Your beloved child. Align my heart with Your will. Strengthen my faith so that I may ask confidently and live boldly for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For the Sake of Our Future Generations

1 Kings 11:1-13. King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

9 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

God’s greatest desire has always been for His people to return to Him—leaving behind a life that has been stolen and deceived by the devil. He created us to enjoy Him. Yet the moment humanity turned away from the Creator, darkness became our inheritance.

The curse did not come from God’s desire to punish but from our separation from Him—cut off from the source of life and glory. That separation became our spiritual condition, the state into which every person is now born. Scripture reveals this reality: “Each of us has turned to our own way” (Isaiah 53:6).

We followed the “ways of this world” and the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” —Satan—who still works relentlessly in those who remain spiritually blind (Ephesians 2:2). We did not seek God, yet God sought us. He pursued us when we were running away. He loved us when we were rejecting Him.

And out of His infinite love, He placed the full weight of our guilt upon His Son Jesus: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus crushed the serpent’s head and removed the power of sin, curse, and death. When you believe and receive Jesus as the Christ, the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20). Your identity shifts from slave to child, from cursed to blessed, from darkness to light. The Holy Spirit now dwells within you, leading you into a restored life with God that will continue into eternity (John 14:6; Romans 8:2).

But our salvation was never intended to stop with us. When God saved you, He had your children in mind. And their children after them. His covenant is generational (Genesis 6:18). Through Christ, God has already secured blessings for those who will come from your line.

Jesus, our True King, broke Satan’s grip on future generations. Jesus, our True Priest, canceled the curses that would have carried on. Jesus, our True Prophet, opened a new and living way to God for them too.

This is why the tragedy of Solomon is so sobering. Blessed beyond measure, visited by God twice, gifted with unrivaled wisdom—yet his heart drifted. He forgot his first love. He allowed idols into the home, the palace, and the nation. He built high places to false gods, leading the next generation into spiritual destruction.

God warned him, pleaded with him, but Solomon did not listen. And so the kingdom would be torn apart. Yet God said: “For the sake of David my servant… I will give him one tribe” (1 Kings 11:13).

Why? Because God remembered the covenant with David. David’s faith became his son’s covering. God’s mercy carried through the bloodline—not because Solomon deserved it, but because David believed God. This truth should both humble and awaken us: Our devotion affects our descendants. Our spiritual negligence also affects them.

But thanks be to God — in Christ, generational curses are not the end of the story. They are broken once and for all. And instead of a cursed inheritance, God now promises: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

God’s mercy now reaches “to a thousand generations of those who love him” (Exodus 20:6). Through you, He plans to reveal “the incomparable riches of his grace” in the ages to come (Ephesians 2:7).

So, do not take lightly the spiritual imprint you are making. Build the ark for your family (Genesis 6:18). Cover them daily in the blood of the Lamb (Exodus 12:13). Teach them to delight in Immanuel—God with us (Isaiah 7:14). Establish the unshakable confession that Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:16).

To that end, imprint the Word deeply into their spirit, soul, mind, and body: “These commandments… are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children…” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Let your home become their first sanctuary and your faith become their first inheritance.

God can and will raise up a thousand and a mighty nation through your line—children who shine the gospel to all nations and stand as a testimony that the light has overcome the darkness (Isaiah 60:22).

Prayer. Father, I thank You for breaking the power of generational curses through Your Son Jesus Christ. Because of the incomparable riches of Your grace, I now have hope and a future. Help me continue to instill the complete covenant in the hearts of my future generations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Praying for Evangelism

Colossians 4:2-6. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Today’s Word calls us to devote ourselves to prayer—watchful and thankful prayer. But the sad truth is that many believers pray like unbelievers do. They come before God simply to plead for relief from daily pressures, for personal needs, or for better circumstances. They ask for what they fear they might lose and what they feel they must gain. Jesus said that this is how the pagans pray. Even the children of God pray like that because they do not know the Father loves them and already knows what they need (Matthew 6:31-32).

But God calls us to a greater kind of prayer—prayer that sees the world through His heart and participates in His mission. Paul urges the church in Colossae to pray for the movement of the gospel, for open doors, and for clarity in proclaiming Christ. This shows what matters most to God: the salvation of souls and the advancement of His kingdom.

It is easy to imagine the mission field as a distant place across oceans and borders. Yet the true mission fields surround us every day—at home, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our schools—where Jesus is not known as the Christ. And yet many Christians never step into those fields, even when God places people within arm’s reach who desperately need Christ. We hesitate. We delay. We let fear take the lead instead of faith.

God sees this neglect, and it grieves His heart, because what the world needs most is the authentic gospel that saves. Not a watered-down message that promises motivation or success. Not a distorted gospel that focuses on worldly blessings instead of Christ. All false gospels originate from the enemy, designed to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The true gospel proclaims Jesus as the Christ—the One and only answer to the root problem of humanity.

This mystery of Christ was hidden for ages but is now revealed to us: that Jesus alone is the True Prophet who reconnects us to God, the True King who conquered Satan, and the True Priest who removed sin’s curse by His blood. No religion, no philosophy, no accomplishment can solve the problem of spiritual death. Only Jesus. And now God has entrusted this truth to us—not for private comfort or enjoyment but for public proclamation.

When we finally see the world through God’s eyes, everything looks different. We see multitudes wandering in darkness without hope, not because they are bad, but because they are lost and dead. They are harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. And the devil knows how to attack those who do not know the truth.

That is why Jesus looks at the world and laments: The harvest is overflowing—but where are the workers? So, He speaks to us today, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). It’s time we changed the focus of our prayers.

This is why we must pray—because evangelism begins not with our effort but with God’s heart. When the church prays in alignment with His desire, God raises workers, opens doors, and grants courage to speak. We see this clearly in the Book of Acts: every great movement of salvation started with prayer, and prayer always preceded the opening of new mission fields.

And so we must ask ourselves: What breaks the heart of God? What moves Him to act? It is when His children pray for the lost, for the mission field, and for those bound by darkness. God is searching for a few people who will carry His burden in their prayers—people who will refuse to sleep spiritually while others perish.

Every believer has a role in this. You may be the first voice that speaks Christ into someone’s life. You may be the one who plants the seed of truth, or waters the seed already planted, or rejoices in the moment of new birth. No effort for the gospel is wasted—not a single prayer forgotten. Heaven records every act of love that leads someone one step closer to Jesus.

So, lift your eyes from your own needs and look to the fields ripened for harvest. Devote yourself to prayer—alert to spiritual reality and thankful for all God has already given you in Christ. Ask God to fill you with courage anchored in the gospel. Let your words be seasoned with grace so that even a short conversation may open a heart. Wherever you go, go as Christ’s ambassador. God is making His appeal to the world through you.

Prayer. Father, awaken my heart to what matters most to You. Open the doors of the gospel in my family, in my community, and around the world. Use my life to carry the message of Christ to those who do not yet know Him. Make my prayer a channel of Your saving work. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Staying Watchful and Thankful

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

Many believers pray for what they want or need, but few pray for what God desires. But Scripture commands us to devote ourselves to prayer, be watchful, and be thankful. Why? Because the greatest negligence in the church today is our mission field. It is not somewhere far away—it surrounds us every day. Jesus commanded us to go where Christ is not known, yet we often stay still, preoccupied with lesser priorities. This grieves our Father.

The world is filled with distorted, powerless “gospels” that cannot save—messages crafted by the enemy to keep souls in darkness. What is needed most is the true gospel: Jesus is the Christ and Lord. And God is calling for a few who will risk everything to proclaim it—messengers who see the world through His eyes, who rise to shine the light where darkness has covered everyone.

When we recognize the spiritual reality around us—that darkness covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples (Isaiah 60:2)—we will stay watchful. Scripture warns us: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Though Satan’s authority was broken by Christ’s death and resurrection (1 John 3:8), he continues to oppose and destroy wherever believers remain spiritually unaware. He especially targets the vulnerable—new believers, the doubtful, the discouraged. That is why we must not let our guard down.

God has armed us with the strongest defensive weapon—our identity: “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

We have been set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). The Spirit lives within us (John 14:16–17), giving peace that transcends understanding and helping us grasp the Word (John 14:26–27). We are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). And when we believe what we have received and pray, God’s power is displayed (Acts 1:8).

God has also entrusted us with the greatest offensive weapon—spiritual authority: “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” (Mark 3:14–15).

Why authority over demons? Because unbelievers live under the power of the devil (Acts 10:38). Without knowing this authority, evangelism cannot truly happen. This is why Jesus came: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8).

And now that work continues through us. When we call upon the name of Jesus, the name above every name, the strong man, the devil, is bound, and captives are freed (Romans 10:13; Matthew 12:28–29).

So put on the full armor of God—truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word (Ephesians 6:10–17). Do not remain passive. Stay alert. Stay thankful. Stand your ground and resist the devil—and he will flee (James 4:7).

You are placed in your mission field with God’s authority and His power for His purpose. Let nothing distract you from that calling.

Prayer. Father, thank You for giving me authority over the forces of darkness. Open my eyes to the unseen battles around me. Help me stand firm in Your armor, always watchful and thankful. Use me to proclaim the gospel and set captives free. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What is Evangelism?

1 Corinthians 1:21. For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

Evangelism is displaying a life filled with the life and power of Christ. It is shining the Eternal Light that has come upon you. It is not a program or human effort—it is a life movement that naturally flows from those who have truly received the gospel. Evangelism is reviving dead souls by the power of the gospel. It changes someone’s eternal destiny forever.

A person who truly has life in Christ will inevitably experience the joy of seeing that life reproduced in someone else. Thus, a Christian life without evangelism is like a dormant tree in winter—alive, perhaps, but bearing no visible fruit.

Evangelism is testifying to what we have heard and seen (Acts 4:20). Through evangelism, we defeat the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). This is the task the Lord has given us: to tell all nations the Good News about God’s grace (Acts 20:24).

To this end, we plant the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of people: “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:23).

Without the Word of God, evangelism would be impossible: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

There is only one path to faith in Christ—the Word: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). God chose to save those who believe through what the world considers the “foolishness” of preaching the Word about Christ (1 Corinthians 1:21).

To this end, God has called us as Christ’s ambassadors: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

We have been given the privilege of representing the kingdom of God. Through us, God is making His appeal to those living in the kingdom of darkness. We speak on behalf of Christ when we plead, “Be reconciled to God!” And for this task, God has given us authority over all the forces of darkness (Luke 10:19).

Thus, know your message and ministry of reconciliation. Remember that everywhere you go, you go on Christ’s behalf. God is sending you to carry out His plans in the lives of people.

Do not worry about anything. The power of the throne of the Triune God is on you. Yield everything for the sake of the gospel. When you must choose between two paths, choose the one that will benefit the work of the gospel. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and He will lead you to victory.

Above all, enjoy your unique identity in Christ. Use the authority of Jesus’ name. Live as Christ’s witness and His ambassador. Always remember: you are God’s pride and joy.

Do not let the world define who you are. Do not let the devil fool you. Stand firm on the Word of God. Live victoriously as you hold onto only Christ (Acts 1:1), the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

Prayer. Father, You have called me as Your ambassador to carry the message of reconciliation to the world. Fill me with Your strength so I may carry it to the ends of the earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What is the Gospel?

Romans 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

What is the gospel? Why do we need the gospel? Why must we preach the gospel?

Scripture reveals the fundamental cause of every problem humanity has faced since the beginning of time—sin or original sin: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin is the displacement from the glory of God—a total disconnection from the Creator of life. This spiritual separation brought death to all mankind: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Everyone is born into this condition (Psalm 51:5), forced to live in the realm of death, curse, and hell: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Worse yet, every person is born under the power of the devil, living as a child of the devil (John 8:44). This is humanity’s permanent spiritual condition apart from God.

In this fallen state, people are unconsciously following “the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). They obey the “ancient serpent,” Satan, who continues to lead the whole world astray (Revelation 12:9).

Scripture also makes the coming judgment clear: “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Those who remain under the background of hell will enter eternal destruction in the fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41)—not merely because of their deeds, but because of their identity as children of the devil (John 8:44).

Yet God, compelled by His unconditional love, sent His Son to die for us: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God placed us before His own Son. He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that we may become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through the blood of Christ, God has purchased us and set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). He has demolished the power of Satan, curse, and hell that ruled us since the fall.

None of this came by our effort: “For it is by grace you have been saved… it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Even our faith is a gift from God. We contributed nothing to our salvation. Every step of our salvation was initiated by His grace and applied by His Spirit. All we can do is receive with gratitude what God has freely given.

If anyone receives and believes Jesus as the Christ, God “gives the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). When one hears the gospel, a new life with Christ begins: “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20).

There is no time to delay, for “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). When you open the door to Christ, you will die with Him and rise with Him. He will come to live in you forever, delivering you from the background of hell and bringing you into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13). He will give you full access to God’s throne to receive mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16).

Because you are in Christ, God delights in you (Zephaniah 3:17). You are precious and honored in His sight (Isaiah 43:4). The power of hell can no longer defeat you. Jesus prepares a table before your enemy, the devil (Psalm 23:5). So do not be afraid.

You have been anointed as a prophet to proclaim the wonderful works of God (1 Peter 2:9). You are no longer in darkness—you are light in the Lord. So rise and shine!

Prayer. Father, I thank You for the gospel that came through Your Son Jesus Christ. I will not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is Your power that brings salvation to everyone who believes. Use my life to carry this gospel to the ends of the earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Task That Matters the Most

Acts 20:24. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Our life is far too short to live for anything other than what God desires most. Paul understood this so deeply that he considered his life “worth nothing” compared to completing the task entrusted to him. And what is this task? What matters most to God?

It is the task of “testifying to the gospel of God’s grace”—Jesus Christ—to those who do not yet know Him. Nothing in this world can give people the true answer their souls are desperately longing for.

Scripture makes clear the condition of all humanity apart from Christ: enslaved under the curses of Satan, disaster, and hell; living as children of the devil (John 8:44); worshiping idols (Exodus 20:4–5); burdened by emotional distress (Matthew 11:28) and physical suffering (Acts 8:4–8); facing eternal condemnation (Luke 16:19–31); and passing generational curses to their descendants (Matthew 27:25).

This is the human condition, and only the power of the gospel can rescue them from the devil’s grip (Acts 10:38). But God has revealed to us the mystery of this gospel—Jesus as the Christ—and has called us to be ambassadors of Christ, carrying the message of reconciliation into a dying world (2 Corinthians 5:19–20). This is the mission of our lives.

Our calling is not only to evangelize—it is also to nurture those whom God has saved. New believers are precious souls raised from spiritual death, newborn babies in God’s family. So, we must treat them gently, like a mother caring for her little children (1 Thessalonians 2:7). We should remember them constantly in prayer and thank God for them (Romans 1:9). Our attitude toward them must be shaped by love and patience (Romans 15:1).

We must help them build a spiritual foundation firmly rooted in the Word (1 John 5:11–13). Like newborn babies, they must crave pure spiritual milk so they may grow (1 Peter 2:2–3). Our role is to help them receive the Word, retain it, and cultivate hearts that bear fruit (Luke 8:15). This alone enables them to stand against the enemy’s relentless attacks.

Thus, the task that matters most to God is a life movement—saving people from the power of Satan, sin, and hell. For this purpose, He sent His Son, and for this purpose, He gave us Scripture. And because many whom He has appointed for eternal life have not yet believed (Acts 13:48), His life movement continues today. He has called you and your church to participate in this movement. There is no higher calling and no greater privilege.

God already knows our weaknesses. But He tests the direction of our hearts. Do we carry “godly sorrow”—the sorrow that aligns with His heart—or worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10)? What breaks your heart? Does it match what breaks His?

He is calling you to follow Christ (Matthew 4:19), to enjoy Christ daily, to live for His kingdom, and to experience the power He promised (Acts 1:8). Lift up in prayer the unbelievers God has placed in your life. Strengthen your church by standing with other believers. Ask the Lord to send workers into His harvest field (Matthew 9:38).

When you set your heart on the things above (Colossians 3:2), God will bring everything you need for the sake of the gospel. Open your eyes to the urgency of evangelism and missions. Go all-in on God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

Prayer. Father, thank You for reminding me of what matters most. Help me seek Your greatest desires and go all-in on Your kingdom and Your righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.