2 Corinthians 6: 4-5, 8b -10

Published by ADMIN at September 2, 2020

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2 September, 2020

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger…through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6:4–5, 8b–10

God of Creation, the Great ‘I AM’, here, even before the beginning of time, you filled the darkness with the light and life of your creation. Your greatest marvel, the creation of humankind, mirroring your own image, disgraced the very life you breathed into them, courting sin, death and separation from you. Lord, you are so abounding in compassion that you have not abandoned us as destitute, but have reclaimed us as your own to restore us to the eternal life you had created us for, and to pardon our sinful souls and bequeath us an inheritance, as your children, in your Heavenly Kingdom. You even fleshed out the wonder of the Word of Light and Life, in the person of Jesus Christ to begin your ministry, demonstrate physically your statutes and doctrines and sacrifice his life for our redemption. You have filled us with your Holy Spirit, to impart good counsel and guide us towards implementation of the mission entrusted to us, of bringing every unbeliever back into the fold. New doctrine is always met with skepticism and every new prophet or missionary, with hostility and persecution, because change is not easily acceptable. We are faced with the threat of false apostles masquerading as Christ’s apostles and mounting significant opposition to our ministry. As ambassadors of Christ assist our representing Christ in integrity because our allegiance and responsibility is to you, Father God. Help us mitigate every form of resistance through the message of love and reconciliation and by the armor of righteousness, persevering in the face of persecution and enriching ourselves spiritually, in the sufficiency of your Grace, in Jesus’ Name. Amen