The scripture for today, December 11 (12/11), is Romans 12:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Sometimes we get physically tired and our spiritual zeal wanes along with it. We just want to rest. Well, while we rest, we can always become prayer warriors.
When you see friends, ask them, “How was your week/day/month?” Don’t ask them how they are, for they will probably reply, “Fine.” But if you ask how their week has been, that gives them something to talk about. They’ll tell you of things they have been doing. Regardless of what they say, reply, “May I pray for your success in….” or “I’d like to pray for your….”
What the world needs is prayer. Many people have never in their entire life heard someone tell them, “I am praying for you.” Be the first. Open up their lives to the love of God.
Prayer is powerful, especially when you are not praying for yourself all the time, but rather are praying for others. Do you have a prayer list? How many are on it besides yourself? Ten? Fifty? A hundred? Five hundred? Is that too many to cover? Not at all. How long does it take to read 500 names in earnest, sincere prayer?
You may say, “But just mentioning a name is so meaningless; it’s too simple. God expects me to explain all I know about this person’s problem and then do some begging.” No, he doesn’t; not with everyone. Prayer is so very, very powerful, that just mentioning a person’s name will bring this person before the very throne of God.
Then, even when you are tired and lack physical zeal, your soul can rise up with spiritual fervor to heaven itself.
” ‘So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’ “
“Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now, these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.”
” ‘At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks…On the twenty-fourth day of the first month…I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude….Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I was detained there with the king of Persia.’ “
“Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith will it be done to you.’ “
“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
“So, you handed them over to their enemies who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed, they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.”
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly….”
“O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises…and there rejoice in your salvation.”
“O Lord, we and our kings, our princes, and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.”