A Living SacrificeSample

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:12 ESV)

Much like we talked about yesterday, trials will come in this broken world with broken people who have free will. I’ve been in many situations where I think things did not work out according to God’s will. There is a reason that when they asked Jesus how to pray, one of the things He taught us to pray was,“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”Matthew 6:10 ESV. It is because God gave us free will, so His will is not always done.

But if we are living sacrifices, we will always have hope, and this gives us a reason to rejoice even when things aren’t going well. I love the last line of 1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV (the famous love chapter)…“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Hope is part of the Big Three tenants of the Christian faith.

Paul knew that we will go through tribulations and hope will sustain us. He also tells us to be patient. I remind you once again that patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. So how in the world can we have hope and patience when our world feels like it’s falling apart. Remember what Jesus said in John 15:5 ESV, "Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit".

And a BIG part of abiding is prayer. Prayer is the super weapon and the way that a living sacrifice is fueled for the battles of life. I love the way Oswald Chambers says it: “Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished.” And may I remind you that prayer is not just us giving God all of our requests. Prayer is a two-way conversation between us and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we just need to be still and quiet, and listen.