JULY "prayer-starters" DAY 14

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July 2008 Day 14

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We pray...That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge
…that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

DAY 14—The Ascension Gift Ministries work for the knitting together of the Body.

The ministries placed in His Body by the Lord Jesus after His resurrection are to work toward ...the •perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). The word perfecting comes from a New Testament Greek word that is used also in Matthew 4:21 where we find James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, •mending their nets.

What those fishermen were doing to their nets illustrates the work of the ministries appointed by the Lord for His Body. The Greek word from which these words—perfecting and mending—come is katartiz’o. It means “to adjust thoroughly; to knit together; to unite completely.” In Ephesians 4:12, it means to bring about a complete qualification for a specific purpose. This work is to be accomplished in the saints, the same ones the Prophet Daniel declared ...shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever—(Daniel 7:18), the ones to whom Paul addressed the Epistle to the Ephesians.

The work of these Five Ministries is directed to the whole Body, to bring the many members into a place of usefulness in the Kingdom of Christ. Besides carrying the meaning of knitting the individual units together like the strands of a net, it may also mean setting a broken bone. The spiritual implications are boundless and simply emphasize the need all of us have for the ministry of others.

FATHER, I’ve had difficulty fitting in with others. It seems I’d rather just carry on by myself. Surely there’s something in me that needs healing. Oh, please heal what needs to be healed in me! And, DEAR LORD, it’s been difficult for me to find a Body with whom I can feel joined. Won’t You please undertake and bring this about for me. And here is something else: I have a great tendency to find faults in other people. This has been a hindrance in my being joined with others. Please teach me, instead of finding faults, to see people I don’t like as opportunities to pray for them and to see the beautiful qualities You have placed in them. Many of them probably have qualities that I need in my life.

Berean Ministries
PO Box 38
Elk Park, NC 28622-0038

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We pray...That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge …that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19
DAY 14—The *Ascension Gift Ministries* work for the knitting together of the Body. The ministries placed in His Body by the Lord Jesus after His resurrection are to work toward ...the •perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). The word *perfecting* comes from a New Testament Greek word that is used also in Matthew 4:21 where we find *James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, •mending their nets. What those fishermen were doing to their nets illustrates the work of the ministries appointed by the Lord for His Body. The Greek word from which these words—perfecting* and *mending—come is katartiz’o.* It means “to adjust thoroughly; to knit together; to unite completely.” In Ephesians 4:12, it means to bring about a complete qualification for a specific purpose. This work is to be accomplished in *the saints, the same ones the Prophet Daniel* declared ...shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever—(Daniel 7:18), the ones to whom Paul addressed the Epistle to the Ephesians. The work of these Five Ministries is directed to the whole Body, to bring the many members into a place of usefulness in the Kingdom of Christ. Besides carrying the meaning of knitting the individual units together like the strands of a net, it may also mean setting a broken bone. The spiritual implications are boundless and simply emphasize the need all of us have for the ministry of others. FATHER, I’ve had difficulty fitting in with others. It seems I’d rather just carry on by myself. Surely there’s something in me that needs healing. Oh, please heal what needs to be healed in me! And, DEAR LORD, it’s been difficult for me to find a Body with whom I can feel joined. Won’t You please undertake and bring this about for me. And here is something else: I have a great tendency to find faults in other people. This has been a hindrance in my being joined with others. Please teach me, instead of finding faults, to see people I don’t like as opportunities to pray for them and to see the beautiful qualities You have placed in them. Many of them probably have qualities that I need in my life.
Berean Ministries PO Box 38 Elk Park, NC 28622-0038 © Berean Gospel Fellowship. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Permission to reprint in part or in whole is usually granted.