Ohana Prayer 412 – 1 Thessalonians 4
For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness [to be dedicated, and set apart by behavior that pleases Him, whether in public or in private]. I Thes 4:7 (AMP)
Praise to Elohim, our loving God and heavenly Father! It’s now of morning when we have yet lifted our eyelids, barely awake, that we can sense of Your presence that leads us through and through. You taught us of being still and experience of Your presence encumbers us to paint out of the beautiful picture of our omniscient LORD. Thanking You for enabling us to put on the cloak of righteousness, purity and the image of You, to fight off the temptations and evilness of the world. You have leaded us from day one until we meet with You, yet we went astray, shunning Your hands of love and Your Word. But You still walk with us, talk with us, and patting us on the shoulder instead! Now lead us on to continue our journey with the sandal of Gospel, broadcasting the magnificent things You have done in our lives and with our lives!
Lord Jesus, praise and honor to be Your name! You sanctified us with Your blood and taught us of living a holy life by guarding our hearts and minds as well as our physical body! Walk not in the way of the sinners and deviate from the path of righteousness, not walk in the counsel of the wicked following their advice and example, not live a life of immorality with lusty thoughts, not gaining of worldly materials of most important focus, and not influenced by the value of the world. Yet, Lord Jesus, forgive us! We have not turned this world unto You! We live as if there is no better life! Forgive our sins, we have not stayed away from evil, not only do it ourselves, but also like others to do it, proud of doing evil! Lord Jesus forgave us for the evil feelings of indulging selfish desires, forgetting that your home is a temple of worship and a temple of prayer. We carry idols into the church to defile the holy temple. Forgive us for carrying your ark into the street, letting unbelievers’ insult and trample, and mock our words and deeds for failing to testify. Forgive us for bringing hatred, argument, and tearing from society into the church and into the family, forgetting Christ You are the head of our family, forgetting unity, forgetting that love is the theme and love is sublime, and the longer it gets, the sweeter it gets.
Holy Spirit, we plead with You to blow a breeze for our churches, to awaken our bewildered hearts, let our sleeping and lost spirits regain and renew their lives. Let the dying fire of love rekindles again, and not be isolated from others by the epidemic, the state of the world and life, and push us thousands of miles away. Although we can’t hug, but with a bowl of considerate broth with a tolerant gruel, bit by bit, it warms the family, the church, the ethnic group, and the world. Holy Spirit, wipe away our tears, heal the sorrow of the loss of our relatives and friends! Have mercy on us who are still bound by the epidemic, places with natural and man-made disasters, and individuals who are physically and mentally stressed. Please give us a towel and a basin of warm water for the church to wash the feet of the polluted, give us bandages to wrap the wounded, and give us the courage to take the first step of reconciliation for others. Give us the banner of Christ, sow the seeds of love, hope and faith in the place of suffering, and bear the fruit of glorifying God and benefiting others.
Pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 4
1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
3-5 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;
9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
11-18 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.