Page 16 - Living Light 89

PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Friday June 13 - The powerful word
“All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” Mark 4:28
At the end of last summer, I cut a small stalk off my geranium plant and stuck it in a jar of water; it sprouted roots and I planted it out. Now I expect to have some flowers next summer. It seems like a small miracle, and in some ways it is. Jesus tells this further story about the seed of the word of God: if it is planted out then it produces a harvest in the end. There is a miraculous process that follows the careful planting of the word of God. When the Word takes hold of a person’s life there will be signs of life and fruit. No amount of worrying about it will help the process.
We need to be faithful in planting the Word into our own lives and the lives of those around us. Jim Elliot, an American missionary, took the gospel of Jesus to the Aucas in Ecuador in 1956: they killed him on arrival. However, his wife and daughter forgave them and continued to fulfil his mission, eventually seeing the Auca tribe converted to Jesus. Jim never saw the harvest of his faithfulness to the call, but the gospel is still having a transformational effect. You can follow Jim Elliot’s story on YouTube: ‘Torchlighters, the Jim Elliot story.’
The word of God is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) – we just need to deliver it faithfully and let God give the increase!
Lord Jesus, please help me to live faithfully today, in obedience to your all-powerful Word. Amen.
Saturday June 14 - Start small, grow big!
“The kingdom of God... is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all
garden plants...” Mark 4:30-32
Have you ever been fascinated by how small seeds are, and yet how big the plants become when they grow? An average tomato can produce 100 or more seeds, each potentially growing into a 6-foot tall plant. Imagine how big a plot you would need to accommodate that, from a single tomato! Jesus says that the Kingdom of God starts very small and almost insignificant but it can grow to huge proportions!
Have you ever felt like the only Christian in your family, your school or workplace, or your neighbourhood? It is easy to feel insignificant but we need to remember that we host the powerful word of God, and like a seed it can grow!
The seeds don’t grow in the packet. This verse tells us that they grow ‘when planted’. Where have you been planted? When we moved into our present home I knew no-one, so I intentionally got to know my neighbours to find out how I could pray for them and show them that Jesus loved them.
Our church communities need to take ‘planting out’ seriously. Sending a few people to start a new church needs our prayers and maybe our own commitment too. Starting small and growing is Kingdom business!
Lord Jesus, help me not to be intimidated by starting small as I long and pray for your kingdom to come. Bless all those who have gone to plant new churches in your name. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY