TV
Strive to Shine
This week's focus:
On a recent scuba diving trip, a man sitting across from me on the dive boat said, “You were at the same restaurant I was at last night.” He paused momentarily, then continued, “I saw you and your husband say grace before dinner.” Not knowing where he was going with this, he surprised me with these words,
“Would you please pray for me?”
He went on to explain that he couldn’t complete any dives because while descending in the water, he couldn’t clear his ears (the pain of being unable to relieve the pressure forced him to resurface). With only a short time before our dive began, I gladly (and quickly) prayed, “Dear Lord, we are coming to You and asking for healing. If it is Your will, please allow a successful dive so that he can see Your underwater creation. We love You, Jesus, Amen.” It wasn’t lengthy or eloquent, but God was listening. After we returned from our dive, he approached me again, but this time, he was excited and exclaimed, “Thank you for praying. I could clear my ears for the first time on this trip and complete the dive!”
The night before, we didn’t know that someone needing prayer was watching us pray. We also didn’t realize that acknowledging and thanking the Lord before dinner would open the door for an even more public prayer the next day. Along with this man, the entire boat witnessed the healing power of our compassionate Savior, who is concerned with every detail of our lives.
As His followers, we must take every opportunity to point others to Him. 1 Timothy 4:13 gives us examples of ways we can do this when we read, “...devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”
In a world that is under the influence of Satan, God’s children are called to counter darkness by publicly shining our light. Matthew 5:14 declares that we are the light of the world—a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Since concealing our influence is impossible, we must diligently use it for good.
In the power of the Holy Spirit, let’s boldly direct the world to Jesus and acknowledge Him publicly; in return, He will reward us eternally. Jesus said it this way, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
Our words and actions can help or hinder another’s walk towards Jesus. Knowing this, let’s strive to shine and live like the world is watching—because it is.
by: Jennifer McAlister for My Faith Votes
Proverbs 12:26
“One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
Prayer Points:
Pray: Dear Lord, Please help us represent You well in all that we do and say, and may the rays of our influence help guide others to You.
Think: “The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.” – Charles Spurgeon
Act: We are influenced by what we see and hear, which is why so much money is paid for commercials. In response to the 60 second “He Gets Us” ad played at the Super Bowl, Pastor Jamie Bambrick created a powerful 60 second response video called “He Saves Us.” This is a message worth sharing.
We want to see God honored in America, and we pray for an unprecedented spiritual awakening.
This devotion was produced in partnership with Every Home for Christ.
This ministry is made possible by the generous support of friends like you.