Every Day with Jesus

We have identified intercession as distinct from petition as it seeks to speak on behalf of some external need. Here Abraham intercedes for the righteous, those who serve God with integrity, in Sodom. Witness God’s patience as Abraham politely, but persistently, negotiates on behalf of the lives of the righteous. Our learning is that God is indeed gracious and patient with our intercessions, and w...

A framework for prayer is always useful, but only of value if we find a way to use it. God teaches Moses a rhythm; the sacrifice of prayer twice a day, morning and at twilight. It’s a very useful, and simple, twice-daily routine to bring our petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving to God. It demands discipline, best served by setting aside specific times. These will occasionally be miss...

In Scripture we learn that God chose the tribe of Levi to act as priests for the Israelites. They ministered before the Lord (1 Chron. 16:4) and were sustained by the offerings brought to fulfil the sacrificial system at the heart of Israelite worship (Leviticus 1–10). Jesus Himself came to earth and ministered as directed by God. He became the ultimate sacrifice, a declaration of love from God fo...

The Lord’s Prayer is in the first person plural ( Our Father, forgive us , lead us , etc). Whilst we know God personally, we always pray as members of God’s global community, the Church. Our personal church preference is itself just one small expression of the invisible Church, known to God alone and in contrast to the visible, or institutional constructs of human invention, both large and small....

It’s important to note in Luke’s account that the Lord’s Prayer emerges from the disciples’ observation of how Jesus chose to live. Whilst it can be challenging to make time to pray once our day has gathered momentum, it remains important that we do pray. It is why my preference is to pray before my day begins. This means setting my alarm to allow for a good time for prayer and contemplation befor...

Jesus taught His disciples one prayer, the foundation and framework for all prayer. Matthew encourages us to separate ourselves and, in solitude, use this prayer. Today, whilst included in most mainstream liturgies, it’s less frequently used in independent congregations. Perhaps there’s room to rethink its use if absent, since these are the words Jesus actually spoke. It covers both our worship as...

Today we’re fascinated by output. We’ve learnt to measure outcomes, but not to value content and process. Prayer is the process of seeking God with a twofold objective; to deepen our appreciation and understanding of God primarily, and consequently to begin to think and live by God’s desire and not our instinctive preferences. Prayer, whilst generally affirmed by all Christians, often finds little...

Living every day with Jesus is to discover how to grow as a disciple by considering all Jesus said and did. Here, at the start of Mark’s Gospel, we see Jesus getting up ‘very early’ to pray. There is nothing sacred about first light, but I, like many, find this the best time for personal prayer. There are very few distractions, and the symbolism of the dawn is a stimulus for prayer.

Prayer is foundational in learning to live every day with Jesus successfully. Many of us find that prayer is elusive; simple to grasp the principles involved, yet difficult to execute satisfactorily. Many express concern that they do not pray enough, where a precise measure for ‘enough’ is impossible to quantify. Scripture presents countless examples of calls to prayer.

Who doesn’t love a happy ending? Here reconciliation begins between Joseph and his brothers. Now able to rescue his family, Joseph does so and lets go of any resentment against them. They were, after all, the source for his awful experiences, yet he had grown in his formation and spiritual understanding and was able to discern God’s hand in all his life’s horrendous events.

Joseph’s world turns right side up as his dream comes into view. After years with his life and opportunities placed in the hands of strangers, he is now promoted to the top of Egyptian society. A successful immigrant, he holds the highest official title, only exceeded by Pharaoh himself (Gen. 41:40). Now 30, he has spent most of his teenage and adult life in servitude, but God sets him free.

Providence means being subject to God’s influence. Historically, people have used providence to explain what others see as mere chance. Recognising God as the source of life, I am a great believer in providence; it’s one reason we can live with hope despite many contrary experiences. By God’s providence, the cupbearer remembers Joseph’s kindness on hearing Pharaoh’s troubling dreams.

Joseph was a dreamer – he carried a vision of his future despite the unkindness of his brothers (Gen. 37:19). A dreamer sees what does not yet exist, making it the focus for their life. In prison, apparently abandoned to a life of servitude bearing no relationship to his dreams (Gen. 37:5–9), Joseph offers his ability as a dream interpreter, with no returns guaranteed.

Adjusting to a slave’s life, Joseph made himself useful to Potiphar, who entrusted everything he owned to his care. Things were looking up; was God with him? Then tragedy when, honourably avoiding Potiphar’s wife’s advances, he was entrapped in a lie and paid the price. Offering no voice in his defence (compare Isa. 53:7), he’s discredited and imprisoned.

Lying, it turns out, is quite difficult to define. One accepted definition is, “A lie is a statement made by one who does not believe it with the intention that someone else shall be led to believe it”.* Once a lie is created, it will usually require further lies. Lying lays a trap, the consequences of which we cannot see at the point of our first lie. It’s why God calls us to speak truth at all t...

Joseph’s life story is one of spiritual formation, and we will look at it this week. It starts with his brothers’ jealousy. They are fed up that Joseph is their dad’s favourite (a challenge for all parents). His dreams suggesting he has greater authority than them only deepens their resentment. Jealousy is a complicated emotional state breeding suspicion, anger and insecurity.

Who we were, is not who we have to remain. We have a past, yet God’s promise is that whilst we are a product of our past, we need not remain a prisoner to it. Paul, the church’s persecutor, was found by God and surrendered to Him. Then through obedience he became a significant evangelist. 

Paul’s first letter to those in Corinth (a city about fifty miles west of Athens) was written around AD 55, and many of those who had seen the resurrected Jesus were still alive to share their testimony. The Christian faith was born in the time–space world that we occupy through a real person, Jesus Christ, and confirmed by eyewitnesses. This is one reason why the disciples were bold in their proc...

A United Nations report found 23,000 distinct denominations world-wide, when Jesus’ prayer was that we might be one (John 17:20–23)The disciples hid away behind closed doors, fearing punishment from fellow Jews with whom they disagreed about the nature of Jesus, something of an open debate since this was only the evening of resurrection day.

We all have doubts facing life decisions, when the results are unknown. Doubt helps to prevent rash decisions. Thomas doubts, because a decision for Jesus has the power to turn him into an enemy of the state who’d crucified Jesus. Doubt encourages us to think things through. It refines our understanding by inviting us to ask useful questions, consider a variety of answers before making our decisio...

Peter, who denied Jesus despite earlier protestations of undying friendship (Matt. 26:33), meets his risen Lord for breakfast and experiences God’s overwhelming blessing (John 21:6). What were Peter’s emotions ahead of this reconciliation? Jesus presses Peter once again on the depth of his love.

God’s Easter promise is that He’s always with us. We so often struggle to find Him, just like these two downcast disciples. Leaving Jerusalem, they carry deep disappointment, and unknowingly begin to walk away from God. Yet, Jesus doesn’t let them slip away that easily. Accompanying them, He shares from God’s Word, even though they struggle to understand what He says. Like us, these truths can pro...

Christ is risen! Happy Easter, as we celebrate together the remarkable story of a man who died and rose again. Whilst there are stories of resuscitation in Scripture, such as that of Lazarus (John 11:43), this is the only resurrection. Jesus will never die again and offers us the confidence to believe His promise of eternal life. We live both for today and an unseen future.

Mortality is a daily reminder that death awaits us, a reminder that whoever we are will disappear when we die. What is it that we consider the greatest prize in life? Jesus chose to obey His Father regardless of the consequences. This gave meaning to His life and ministry. Indeed, He taught that we, like Him, are to lay up treasure in heaven, and not false deposits of hope on earth (Matt. 6:19–21)...

Whilst familiar, the crucifixion never loses its power. Even Jesus’ critics recognise His teachings as good, and there’s no evidence that He was a subversive seeking to overthrow authority. He pointed to a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36) and refused violence, leaving no firebrand speeches on record criticising His accusers. Indeed, His final words included forgiveness for all the perpetrato...