2017 40 Days of Prayer, Day 37
The Abiding Presence of God:
A Life of Complete Dependence
Day 37
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37
In All These Things We Overwhelmingly Conquer
“In all these things” includes all the ways persecution comes to believers. In verse 35, Paul provides a list of various ways persecution comes. None of these items seem to be the characteristics of conquering heroes. Instead, “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword” all seem to be the attributes of victims and not victors. How can Paul say that in these things we “overwhelmingly conquer?” Paul can confidently make this claim because none of these things thwart the ultimate plan of God in our lives. Christians are not exempt from troubles. In fact, many Christians face greater difficulty because they are Christians. Our trials do not negate the love of God. Instead, God loves us through these trials. In these troubles, even death itself (“sword”), “we overwhelmingly conquer” through God “who loved us.” Persecutors do not get to write the end of this story. God writes the end of our story. God writes the end of our story through Christ, Who loved us. Through Christ we overwhelmingly conquer because He conquered. We share in His substitutionary death. We share in His victorious resurrection. We share in His defeated of sin, death, shame, alienation, and the grave.
Prayer Focus
Thank You, Oh God, for Your everlasting, conquering love. Thank you for conquering all of this life’s troubles, even death itself, through Your love. I need You, today. I need You to set my heart in line with Your word. Regardless of what difficulties I face, protect my heart from doubting Your love. Set my hope on You as the author of the rest of my story.
From DL Moody’s Secret Power
POWER OF LOVE
Love is the badge that Christ gave His disciples. Some put on one sort of badge, and some another. Some put on a strange kind of clothing, that they may be known as Christians. Some put on a crucifix, or something else, that they may be known as Christians. But love is the only badge by which the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ are known. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:35 NKJV)
Therefore, though a man stand before an audience and speak with the eloquence of a Demosthenes, or of the greatest living orator, if there is no love back of his words, it is like sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. I would recommend all Christians to read the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians constantly, abiding in it day and night. Not spending a night or a day there, but just go in there and spend all our time - summer and winter, twelve months in the year. Then the power of Christ and Christianity would be felt as it never has been in the history of the world. See what this chapter says:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 NKJV
A great many are praying for faith; they want extra ordinary faith; they want remarkable faith. They forget that love exceeds faith. Love is the fruit of the Spirit, the great motive-power of life. What the Church of God needs today is love – more love for God, and more love for our fellow-men. If we love God more, we will love our fellow-men more. There is no doubt about that. I used to think that I should like to have lived in the days of the prophets; that I should like to have been one of the prophets, to prophesy, and to see the beauties of heaven and describe them to men. But, as I understand the Scriptures now, I would a good deal rather live in the thirteenth chapter of 1st Corinthians, and have this love that Paul is speaking of. The love of God burning in my soul like an unquenchable flame, so that I may reach men and win them for heaven.