Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17

We all get tired. Tiredness is part of the daily cycle of our lives. We eat daily to restore our depleted energy. We sleep every night to refresh our tired minds and bodies. Rest, restoration and refreshing are as necessary as air, food and water. Without rest, restoration and refreshing, we would die.

This series called “Refresh” is that important.

For some, the burdens of life are too much to bear. Depression, disease and death result from this overload. Many factors contribute to depression and disease, and the burdens of life are not the only explanation nor are they the only contributing factors in depression and disease. However, some among us cannot carry the burdens they labor under. Galatians 6 addresses this issue when it says:

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2 ESV)

Sabbath and rest and thanksgiving are all part of our refreshing and are necessary for us because of the burdens we carry. 

Today, we are going to consider another necessary part of our refreshing.

Today, we are going to think about prayer.

Prayer is necessary for the life of the believer.

The unbeliever rests his/her body, feeds his/her body and takes time for mental and emotional renewal, but spiritually he/she is dead with no connection to our Heavenly Father. We all started out in this place. Ephesians 2:1-3 says,

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV)

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we were made alive with Him. We were reborn - born a second time - born spiritually. A natural and necessary component of this new life is prayer. The physical body breathes. The spirit prays.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says:

“pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV)

These instructions are to the point, clear and concise.

The context of these instructions is the first thing I want us to look at. In context, this passage says:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)

Rejoicing, praying and giving thanks appear together in the same sentence, because rejoicing, praying and giving thanks belong together. I borrowed many of the thoughts that follow from C. H. Spurgeon’s sermon from March 10, 1872 titled “Pray Without Ceasing.” Spurgeon suggests, and I agree, that we are able to rejoice always because we are able to unburden ourselves in prayer. Through prayer we can bring all our worries and cares to the Lord and leave them with Him. When prayer and rejoicing are tied together like this, they naturally result in giving thanks. This unburdening of ourselves goes a long way in refreshing our spirits and strengthening our minds.

“Pray without ceasing.” Through these brief, helpful instructions, we can gain insight to help us pray.

First, we should take the command of the Lord seriously, and it is clear that He wants us to pray constantly, However, He cannot mean that we should pray without sleeping, eating or carrying on other activities necessary to life. Therefore, obeying these instructions must be possible while still carrying on daily life.

One way we practice prayer is with daily devotions. By daily devotions, I mean our own time set aside for being alone with the Lord. 

Mark 1:35 gives us insight into the earthly ministry of Jesus when it says,

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV)

From the other Gospels, we get the impression that Jesus often found places where He could be alone to pray. If the Son of God found it helpful and even necessary to make prayer a practice, can we assume it would be helpful for us? 

Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “I have so much to do today that I shall never get through it with less than three hours' prayer.” Spurgeon also tells of a student who prayed. Spurgeon says:

When Edward Payson was a student at College, he found he had so much to do to attend his classes and prepare for examinations, that he could not spend as much time as he should in private prayer; but, at last, waking up to the feeling that he was going back in divine things through his habits, he took due time for devotion and he asserts in his diary that he did more in his studies in a single week after he had spent time with God in prayer, than he had accomplished in twelve months before.

Find a way, find a method that works for you and make daily time alone with the Lord part of your routine. We make time to sleep because we must. We make time to eat because we must. We must also make time for prayer. Please do not make this a law to be obeyed or an achievement to be proud of. It is a privilege. It is part of our refreshing, like eating and sleeping.

Sometimes we do not know how to pray. At these times, we can find comfort and courage in the words of Romans 8:26.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26 ESV)

Even when we do not know how to pray, we can trust that God will help us. And God has also given us help in His word. The Psalms are a great source to go to when we cannot find words to express what is on our hearts.

When the Bible says, “Pray without ceasing,” we can assume that the voice is not required to pray. During our daily time alone with God, we might pray out loud with our voices, but what about when we are at work or at school or with other people? Are we to cease praying because we cannot speak out loud? “Pray without ceasing” indicates that we can pray without our voice, even when we are with others.

When Moses was leading the people out of Egypt, Pharaoh called his army together and chased the people of Israel. Moses found himself trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army. He had nowhere to go. Exodus 14:15 says:

The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15 ESV)

Apparently, Moses was crying out to the Lord without using his voice. We, too, can pray without using our voices. When Jesus was having dinner at a Pharisee’s house, a woman came in and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. The Pharisee was outraged because she was a prostitute, but the Pharisee did not say anything. However, Jesus knew what he was thinking and corrected what the Pharisee had been thinking within himself. Jesus knew what the Pharisee was thinking, and He knows what goes on in our minds as well.

Praying does not require the use of our voice. Therefore, we can add to our daily time of prayer the idea that we can call out to the Lord wherever we are, at any time without disruption of our work or activities.

Since we can pray wherever we are without disruption of our work or activities, it follows that we should not engage in activities that disrupt our ability to pray.

I have a habit of praying about everything, and at times find myself starting to pray for people portrayed in movies. When this happens, I feel rather foolish and end up talking with the Lord about how much my mind and heart are being captured by these things. 

What would a person pray when living together unmarried and he/she encounters relationship problems? “Lord, bless me in my sin and fix this relationship the way I want it to be?” What would a person pray when cheating on his/her taxes? “Lord, keep me from getting caught?”

Praying without ceasing implies that I do not put myself in situations where I cannot pray. If my heart or the word of God condemns me, then I cannot pray and therefore should stop or not do what I am doing.

We are in a spiritual battle. When we were dead in our trespasses and sins, we were already prisoners of the enemy and were by nature children of wrath. But we were set free. We were given life and were united with Christ. Now, as children of God, we must stand firm against the tricks and schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6 lists the armor God provides for our protection. The list of armor concludes with these words:

...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:18-19 ESV)

In this conclusion to the instructions to be prepared for battle, we are instructed to pray at all times in the Spirit. We are to persevere in prayer. We are to pray for all our fellow Christians a.k.a. “Saints.”

We have already talked about praying at all times. Now, it is time to talk about persevering in prayer. Jesus told a parable designed to teach that we ought always to pray and never give up.

He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:2-8 ESV)

The last sentence of this passage is troubling. God answers prayer, and yet we still do not believe Him. Some cease praying because of discouragement. Some cease praying because of unbelief. Whatever the reason, ceasing to pray is a huge problem for our spiritual lives. We cannot be renewed, we cannot be refreshed without this vital link to our Heavenly Father.

We all get tired at times. The burdens of life get heavy and sometimes we are tempted to give up, but we must not give up. We must continue to pray. Jesus instructed us:

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24 ESV)

Here is a promise that brings refreshing. Jesus ties prayer to joy. He says to ask and we will receive, that our joy may be full. This sounds a lot like where we started in 1 Thessalonians where rejoicing, prayer and thanksgiving are tied together.

If we would be full of the joy of the Lord, if we would be free from the burdens of life, if we would enjoy victory over the world and the devil, we must be people of prayer.

If we would be refreshed, we must be people of prayer.

Thanksgiving (not the holiday)

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Few things are more important than thanksgiving in the life of a believer, not the holiday, but an attitude of thankfulness.

Nothing will go further in refreshing our spirits and renewing our hearts than giving thanks.

At the conclusion of his letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul says,

...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)

“Give thanks in all circumstances” is also translated “In everything give thanks.” This command is strengthened by the phrase that follows, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Let’s consider a few other places where the Apostle Paul includes thanksgiving in his writings.

...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 5:20 ESV)

And,

...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6 ESV)

And,

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17 ESV)

In Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, when he is giving instructions on how to live the Christian life, Paul says, “Give thanks.”  And in the passage above from Colossians, he says three times in three verses, “Give thanks.”  Give thanks. Give thanks. Give thanks.

Few things are more important than thanksgiving or thankfulness in the life of a believer. If we are going to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, thanksgiving must be a part of our daily lives. We must give thanks in every circumstance - from moment to moment. I am going to give you two solid reasons for giving thanks.

First, let’s refer back to 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Which says:

... give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)

The reason for giving thanks according to this verse is:

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The will of God for us is good. Romans 12:2 calls it “good and acceptable and perfect.” Psalm 34:8 challenges us, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!”

If the fact that it is God’s will and He commands it is not enough to convince us to give thanks, there is another strong reason for giving thanks.

Let’s start our look at this second reason with a look at Romans 1:21. Romans 1:21 says:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21 ESV

When this verse talks about those who knew God, it is talking about all humanity. We can refer back to the Tower of Babel when humanity was united and felt confident that they could do anything. We can reference the modern age where humanity is confident that we can do anything. In either case, not honoring God as God or giving thanks to Him leads to futile thinking. 

As an example of futile thinking, I want to quote for you a passage from Isaiah.

To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. (Isaiah 40:18-20 ESV)

They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, "Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?" He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" (Isaiah 44:18-20 ESV)

Some nations still have idols made of wood and stone, and some people consider themselves above such nonsense. However, according to Romans 1, modern secular people have progressed two steps further into futility than idols. According to Romans 1 the steps of futility are: 

1. Idols (Romans 1:21-23)
2. Serving lust or desires (Romans 1:24-25)
3. Perverted passions (Romans 1:26-27)

We are well into perverted passions. We have lost our moorings and do not know what or who we are. And it all started with not honoring God as God and giving thanks. 

All that is good comes from God. James 1:17 reminds us that every good and every perfect gift comes from God. God is the source of life. He is the source of light. He is the source of truth and goodness and justice. When we forget these facts, we turn to futility and foolishness.

The command of God and our need are two strong reasons to practice thanksgiving. 

What we have not talked about yet are the benefits. This is a series about refreshing, renewing and revitalizing our lives. Thanksgiving is vital to our spiritual life. Thanksgiving is a crucial part of our joy and it is foundational to our praise.

We have already talked about peace. Philippians 4:6-7 makes it clear that thanksgiving is a vital part of our peace. Without acknowledging God with gratitude, we cannot enjoy peace.

The word in Philippians 4:6 that is used for “thanksgiving” is “εὐχαριστίας” (eucharistias). This compound word is made by combining “eu”, which means “good”, with “charis”, which means “grace”. In other words, thanksgiving is recognizing or remembering God’s good grace.

We have an example of thanksgiving in the New Testament that shows how we ought to give thanks and also how rare it is for us to give thanks. The account is found in Luke 17.

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:11-19 ESV)

How is it that only one of the ten came back to give thanks?

As scandalous as this is, it is the norm. How many of us give thanks daily for the great salvation we enjoy - the forgiveness of our sins, our adoption as God’s children, our inheritance as saints? 

How many of us give thanks daily for the mercies of God which are new every morning? 

Have you ever wondered how we are to praise God? What does it mean to praise God?

Notice how the Samaritan leper praised God by thanking Him for what He had done. 

Praising God is more than repeating the words “praise God, praise God, praise God.” This is not wrong nor would I stop doing it, but it can become meaningless repetition if it is not connected to a heart of thanksgiving.

We praise God by telling what He has done. We praise God by thanking Him for what He has done. 

Psalm 100 is a Psalm of praise to God. In verse 4, it says,

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalms 100:4 ESV)

This Psalm, along with others, ties thanksgiving and praise together. We praise God by proclaiming what He has done. 

Consider also what Hebrews 13 instructs us to do:

Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. (Hebrews 13:13-15 ESV)

In this passage, our sacrifice of praise is explained as the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. This is the key to our happiness, joy and fullness in the Lord. Notice also, it is the key to our joy in spite of suffering. These verses are talking about bearing the reproach that Jesus bore. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to give thanks in all circumstances. This would include suffering. Another passage that points to how we can find joy in suffering is Romans 5.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5 ESV)

Thanksgiving comes from a heart that acknowledges what God has done. Thanksgiving is the foundation of our praise. When God gave the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3 ESV), He attached to this command a recognition of what He had done. He prefaced this command with:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Exodus 20:2 ESV)

Do you want to have faith?

Do you want to have joy?

Do you want the peace of God to rule in your heart?

Then you must have a thankful heart. Faith, joy and peace all start with thanksgiving. These things grow with acknowledging the work of God in our lives. Telling others the wonderful things God has done for us requires that we first have hearts full of gratitude for what He has done. If we lack thanksgiving, we will lack fruit in our lives. 

Thanksgiving is so crucial that I will go as far as to say we cannot enjoy real peace, real rest or enter into the fullness of Sabbath without thanksgiving.

We must do as the song writer said and name our blessings one by one, and they are many.

Peace

John 14:25-31

Many things trouble us.

How about that Corona Virus?

Will I be able to pay the bills this month?

Will I have enough set aside by the time I reach retirement?

I wonder if this bump under my skin is something to worry about?

Will I pass the history exam tomorrow?

Will I get enough scholarships and financial aid to pay for college?

Will I be able to pay off my student loans?

Will I lose my job in this economy?

Will my basement flood in the rains this spring?

The worry list is endless and the list is as varied as we are as individuals. What I worry about may not worry you at all, and I may not have any clue as to what worries you. But, one thing we have in common, we live in a world full of trouble.

The Apostles were not strangers to trouble. Jesus spent His last night, the night that He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, with His closest disciples. We call this time the Last Supper, and at this time Jesus told His disciples some important stuff. Some of it was scary.

Peter was told He would deny Jesus three times.

Jesus told all of them:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." (John 13:21 ESV)

And...

Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' (John 13:33 ESV)

After telling them a few upsetting things like this, Jesus said:

Let not your hearts be troubled. (John 14:1 ESV)

Boy, talk about troubled hearts!

I find the Greek word Jesus used for “troubled” fascinating. It is the word “ταρασσέσθω” (tarassestho). This word is defined as follows:  to put in motion (to agitate back-and-forth, shake to-and-fro).

I get quite a picture from that word agitate. I think of stirring the pot, or shaking things up. This was their hearts, all shaken and stirred up!

This is our hearts when we are “troubled” about many things.

Good news follows bad news. The bad news is that we tend to be troubled by many things. The good news is given by Jesus. While talking to His disciples about these things, He said:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)

Saying “calm down” or “don’t let your hearts be troubled” is easy. But, if these words are not accompanied by something to replace or calm the trouble, they are of no value. They do nothing for us. But, when Jesus says “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” He gives us further instructions, like, “Trust in God, trust also in Me.” Here in John 14:27, He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Now, here is something useful, He gives peace. He gave it to the disciples and He gives it to us. He has not taken it away, because He does not give as the world gives.

First, let’s look at what “peace” is. The dictionary, or Google, defines peace as: “freedom from disturbance; tranquility.”

“Freedom from disturbance: tranquility” just sounds good. I get a picture like this in my head: 

Sitting in a meadow or beautiful, quiet place without any worries or pressures seems to be the very thing peace is talking about. Psalms 23 says:

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. (Psalms 23:2 ESV)

This is meant to be a peaceful image. The last thing a shepherd wants is for his sheep to be agitated. They aren’t dangerous like stampeding cattle, but they will definitely hurt themselves.

Jesus talks about two things that are not peaceful. He says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Troubled means agitated and this is the opposite of peace. Agitation refers to the worries and concerns of life. But, Jesus talks about one more thing that is the opposite of peace. John 14:27 says:

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)

“Neither let them be afraid,” fear is the second thing that is the antithesis of peace.

According to 1 John 4:17-18, fear is related to judgment and punishment. 1 John 4:17-18 says:

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:17-18 ESV)

The frightening thing about judgment is the punishment that comes after. If the judge does not pass sentence then there is nothing to fear. In telling us that perfect love casts out fear, John explains to us the source of fear. Fear and dread come upon us because of the certainty of judgment. The Bible tells us, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) God has made us with a conscience and part of that conscience is an innate or inborn certainty that we will be judged. This inborn certainty is what Paul is referring to in Romans 2:15 when he says:

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them (Romans 2:15 ESV)

Ultimately, fear is related to the ending of life. Fear of monsters, fear of the dark, fear of heights are all tied to the fear of death. The fear of death is not so much the fear of the unknown, but fear of the certainty of judgment, although many of the unbelieving would deny this.

The agitation of worry and the fear of judgment rule the lives of the unbelieving. But Jesus has given us His peace. We can live in the tranquility of the green pastures and still waters that He leads us in.

John 14 points out the way to enjoy this refreshing of our spirits.

First, in answer to the agitation of worries, Jesus says, “Believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1) It seems overly simple, but all of our worry and all of our anxiety comes back to this issue of trust. When Jesus addressed the worries of life in His Sermon on the Mount, He tells us not to worry because our Heavenly Father knows what we need. Consider what Philippians 4:6-7 tells us:

...do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

Do you see how the peace of God is linked to trusting God?

When Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” His solution was “trust in God and trust also in me.”

The second issue covered by Jesus that keeps us from enjoying peace is fear. 1 John 4:18 already told us that the answer to this is love, but let’s consider this a little more. 

I want to point out something intriguing in Jesus’ words to His disciples. He says:

And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. (John 14:29-31 ESV)

Notice that Jesus says that the ruler of this world has no claim on Him. The ruler of this world is also known as Satan, or the accuser. In Zechariah, he is seen accusing the high priest (Zechariah 3:1). Satan had nothing He could accuse Jesus of. Jesus was the sinless, spotless lamb of God. This was simply because as Jesus says in John 14, “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”  Jesus does what the Father tells Him because He loves the Father. Because He does what the Father tells Him, He has nothing to fear.

Earlier in John 14 Jesus tells His disciples:

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.” (John 14:23-24 ESV)

In verse 15 of this same chapter, Jesus also says, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

If we were perfect in love, we would have nothing to fear in the judgment. However, since none of us is perfect in love, how can we have nothing to fear in the judgment? How is it that Jesus has given us His peace?

1 John 1:7-9 answers this question.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9 ESV)

“The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Because Satan had nothing on Jesus, He has nothing on you and me if we have called upon Jesus to save us.

Two of the burdens the world puts on us are worry and fear. Jesus promised that if we come to Him, He will give us rest. 

Why do we continue to live in worry and fear?

Come to Jesus and experience times of refreshing!

He is the answer.

Trust Him because He cares for you and knows all your needs.

Trust Him because if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We have nothing to fear. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

This is the promise of God concerning peace:

...do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)