CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 827

“The Greatest Gift”

John 3:16 (ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

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There was a man who loved to give gifts at Christmas.  Each year he would up the ante and try to give better and greater gifts than before.  This year as he sat down to prepare his gift list he struggled to come up with a greater material gift than the one he had previously given.  Finally, after making little progress, the man prayed, ‘Lord, help me to find the greatest gifts I can give each person on my list’ and the Lord heard his prayer.

‘Perhaps a Disney cruise this year would be the greatest gift for the children’, he thought to himself.  Then the Lord spoke clearly to his heart, ‘The greatest gift you can give your children is to love their mother as I have loved My church’.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… Eph 5:25

The man paused for a moment and reflected on the arguments he’d had with his wife.  How petty and selfish on his part the arguments seemed now.  He recalled the pensive look in the eyes of his children as they’d overheard their parents fight. ‘Yes, Lord.  Help me to be less selfish and more loving’, he prayed.  The Lord continued to speak to the man’s heart as he thought about his family: ‘The greatest gift you can give your family is to lead them by example in the love and respect of the Lord your God’.

…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life…be renewed in the spirit of your minds…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness…be imitators of God… And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us… – Eph 4:22 – 5:2

The man reflected on how he had not set a consistent example of daily prayer and reading of the Word of God.  He became keenly aware of how he had not made it a priority for his family to attend worship and be involved in their local church.  ‘I am leading my family on the broad path of the world’, he thought. ‘I am leading them away from God’. The man opened his Bible and read Psalm 51:10, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me’; he paused and prayed this Psalm of David, making it his own prayer of repentance.

As the man continued in worship the Lord spoke to his heart again, ‘The greatest gift you can give to your neighbors, your coworkers and everyone I send your way is to tell them the Gospel Message of Salvation through Jesus’.  ‘But Lord’, the man argued aloud, ‘They all know I am a Christian. I have the emblems on my car and I wear them on my person. What more can I do?’  The man felt the Lord’s love and compassion as He once again spoke to his heart. ‘The loudest message you speak is your life example. The greatest gift and clearest Gospel message will be spoken from the integrity of your life example as you follow me’.

The man put down his pencil and paper and knelt in worship.  The greatest gift that God gave mankind was salvation through Jesus Christ.  There was nothing in this material world that could compare.  He would give material gifts this season as before, but the greatest gift would be given every day throughout the coming years as he let the light of Christ shine through the integrity of his walk with the Lord.