Focus
Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.
Read
Luke 19:1-10 (NRSV)
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Reflect
Is there someone in your family, church, or community who seems so far from God that you think they will never come to a saving relationship in Christ? Don’t we sometimes categorize people in our minds as the saved group, the not saved yet, and the unreachable? Most people probably thought that Zacchaeus, the underhanded tax collector, would never receive salvation. But, Jesus loved him, as he loves us all. Zacchaeus had an inward change the day he climbed that tree and met Jesus. We should always pray for the lost and never give up on them. Jesus didn’t.
I prayed for my husband for the 28 years that we were married. It just seemed that David’s heart grew harder and harder toward God, but I continued to pray. David went into the hospital for gallbladder surgery on July 14, 2014. They found advanced cancer. My main concern and prayer was that he would come to know Jesus. He died on August 20, 2014, but he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior about three weeks before he passed away. It was beautiful when David asked me to pray with him. Keep praying for the lost! Never give up praying for salvation for anyone!
Pray
Dear God, we are so thankful that you love us so much that you gave your only Son to die on the cross for our sins. We pray that everyone will find their way to you. Help us to never give up on anyone; we know that you never do. Thank you for your grace and your mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Go with God.
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