Room to Grow - To the ends of the earth
In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace (Colossians 1:6).
Praise and thanks be to You, Eternal God—One God, three persons: God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; Spirit of God, who gives all wisdom and understanding; Son of God, the image of the invisible God... (Colossians 1:3, 9, 15).
Every day many pray as the Lord Jesus taught us, that Your kingdom would come, that Your will would be done on earth as it is heaven. Help us to understand what it means for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done.
Give us hearts that truly seek Your reign and rule. You alone are God our Savior, who desires that all people be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people (1 Timothy 2:3-5).
The world around us is filled with such brokenness and loss, pain and confusion, anger and violence, hopelessness and defeat. We see crowds of people, harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Only in Christ do we have hope. Give us the compassion of Jesus. Help us to share the hope of Christ.
Through Your word, You give us the message, preserved at a high cost (Galatians 2:5)—including sometimes even the lives of Your people—that Your grace was given [to humanity] in Christ Jesus... who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:9-10).
The apostle Paul reminded believers that the gospel... is not of human origin (Galatians 1:11). That knowledge sustained him though suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. He knew that God’s word is not chained (2 Timothy 2:8-9)—it has limitless room to grow and thrive and extend to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
In spite of attempts through the centuries to pervert the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:7), the true message of the gospel—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for [believers]in heaven—continues to bring hope and transformation to the world. It is still the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes... Romans 1:16).
Lord, Your purpose prevails. Your word tells us that evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13). For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). And the Lord Jesus has appointed that this gospel of the kingdom... be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations... (Matthew 24:14).
You are the hope for the world, the light for the darkness. Help us to declare Your good news fearlessly as we should (Ephesians 6:20). Help us to be those of whom it's said:
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news! (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15).
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