Day 14 : Let us be the "salt and light" of this earth

You now understand perhaps a little better what it means to : 'pray intelligently' ? As the needs of these different topics may change, our prayers must change as well. God expects us to remain connected to what is happening around us and to be attentive to His voice and leadership, to take our place as "salt and light" and to exercise one of the best ministries A Christian can have: that of intercessor.

When we know the needs, when faced with great crises (national strikes, floods ...) we must pray for this, even if we do not feel the direct direction of the Holy Spirit in us.

It makes sense, it's smart !

The next point brings us back to more personal needs. "Give us today our daily bread". Besides, you have noticed that the order of God is often different, or even inverse, from the order we normally give to our priorities ? We tend to pray first for our daily needs, the most essential needs. For God, it is the opposite direction. First, he asks us to look at him, to recognize our position in him and before him, and then to proclaim and pray according to the needs of God. It goes without saying that he will take care of us afterwards. Jesus already said it in Matt. 6:33 : "Seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God; And all these things shall be given unto you."

God knows very well that we always have a life here on earth, with all the needs that flow from it. He can provide for all these needs, but he loves when his children ask. In this way we can realize that we are, in all things, entirely dependent on him!

But there are also certain conditions to be fulfilled if we are to rely on the provision of God. 2 Thess. 3: 10-12 tells us, for example, "He who does not want to work, that he does not eat either. We learn, however, that there are some among you who live in disorder, who do not work, but who take care of trifles. There is no room for laziness in the Kingdom of God! Obviously, there may be circumstances that someone finds himself, temporarily, without work. We are talking here about a state of heart.

Besides, laziness is not always the fact of not wanting to work. Paul adds that there are some who "take care of the trivialities." We all have a responsibility to seek the face of God so that he reveals to us the place he has for each and every one of us. Sometimes this is not always obvious. Sometimes we must first learn to give ourselves entirely to God, by realizing the 'conditions' that we have often given him in advance ...

Tomorrow we are still looking at other aspects of this provision of God.

"Lord, help me to find my place, in your body, in society, to be a witness to you, to 'give taste' around me, and to shine with your light. In the name of Jesus, amen !"

René de Groot