Jesus gives his disciples authority to heal and set free

Do you believe in the life-changing power of the Gospel and experience its transforming effect in your life? The core of the Gospel message is quite simple: the kingdom (or reign) of God is very near!What is the kingdom of God? It is that society of men and women who know God's love and mercy, and who willingly obey and honor God as their Lord and King. In the prayer which Jesus gave to his disciples (the Lord's Prayer or Our Father), he taught them to pray for God to reign in their daily lives and in the world around them: May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The power of the Gospel to heal and set free

When Jesus proclaimed the good news of God's kingdom he also demonstrated the power of the Gospel with supernatural signs and wonders. Jesus healed people who suffered physical, emotional, and mental illnesses. He freed people from spiritual bondage to sin and demonic powers. Jesus gave his disciples the same authority he had to heal and set people free from spiritual bondage.

The Gospel (which literally means "good news") which Jesus proclaimed is just as relevant and real today, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If we believe in the Lord Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, and in the power of the Gospel, we will know and experience the freedom, joy, and power he gives us that enables us to live and witness as his disciples. No one can buy heaven; but if we know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, then we already possess heaven in our hearts! Do you believe that Jesus can change and transform your life and share with you the power and authority of God's kingdom?

Jesus chose ordinary people to do extraordinary work

Jesus commissioned his disciples to carry on the works which he did - to speak God's word and to bring his healing power to the weary and oppressed. In the choice of the twelve apostles we see a characteristic feature of God's work - Jesus chose very ordinary people. They were non-professionals, had no wealth or privileged position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages.

Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these men, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and power. When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not think we have nothing or very little to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you believe that God wants to work in and through you for his glory?

Lord Jesus, you have chosen me to be your disciple. Take and use what I can offer, however meager it may seem, for the greater glory of your name.

source: From the desk of Don Schwager, 

hosted by Kairos Europe and the Middle East

Lord, teach us to pray

Do you pray with joy and confidence? The Jews were noted for their devotion to prayer. Formal prayer was prescribed for three set times a day. And the rabbis had a prayer for every occasion. It was also a custom for rabbis to teach their disciples a simple prayer they might use on a regular basis. Jesus' disciples ask him for such a prayer. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them the disciple's prayer, what we call the Our Father or Lord's Prayer.

God treats us as his own sons and daughters

What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father in being the Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and he is eternally Father by his relationship to his only Son who, reciprocally is Son only in relation to his Father (Matthew 11:27). All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). In Jesus Christ we are reborn and become the adopted children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:3).

We can approach God confidently as a Father who loves us

Jesus teaches us to address God as "our Father" and to confidently ask him for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he responds with grace and mercy. He is kind and forgiving towards us and he expects us to treat our neighbor the same.

We can pray with expectant faith and trust in the Father's goodness

We can pray with expectant faith because our heavenly Father truly loves each one of us and he treats us as his beloved children. He delights to give us what is good. His love and grace transforms us and makes us like himself. Through his grace and power we can love and serve one another as Jesus taught - with grace, mercy, and loving-kindness.

Do you treat others as they deserve, or do you treat them as the Lord Jesus would with grace and mercy? Jesus' prayer includes an injunction (charge) that we must ask God to forgive us in proportion as we forgive those who have wronged us (Matthew 6:14-15). God's grace frees us from every form of anger, resentment, envy, and hatred. Are you ready to forgive others as the Lord Jesus forgives you?

"Father in heaven, you have given me a mind to know you, a will to serve you, and a heart to love you. Give me today the grace and strength to embrace your holy will and fill my heart with your love that all my intentions and actions may be pleasing to you. Help me to be kind and forgiving towards my neighbor as you have been towards me."

source: Kairos-EME, Don's Daily eMail

Give us each day our daily bread

Do you pray with joy and confidence? The Jews were noted for their devotion to prayer. Formal prayer was prescribed for three set times a day. And the rabbis had a prayer for every occasion. It was also a custom for rabbis to teach their disciples a simple prayer they might use on a regular basis. Jesus' disciples ask him for such a prayer. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them the disciple's prayer, what we call the Our Father or Lord's Prayer. 

God treats us as his own sons and daughters

What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father in being the Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and he is eternally Father by his relationship to his only begotten Son who, reciprocally is Son only in relation to his Father (Matthew 11:27). All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). In the Lord Jesus Christ we are spiritually reborn and made new, and we become the adopted children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:3).

We can approach God confidently as a Father who loves us

Jesus teaches us to address God as "our Father" and to confidently ask him for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his atoning death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he responds with grace (his favor and blessing) and mercy (pardon and healing). He is kind and forgiving towards us and he expects us to treat our neighbor the same. 

We can pray with expectant faith and trust in the Father's goodness

We can pray with expectant faith because our heavenly Father truly loves each one of us and and he treats us as his beloved sons and daughters. He delights to give us what is good. His love and grace transforms us and makes us like himself. Through his grace and power we can love and serve one another as Jesus taught - with mercy, pardon, and loving-kindness. 

Do you treat others as they deserve, or do you treat them as the Lord Jesus would with grace and mercy? Jesus' prayer includes a petition that we must ask God to forgive us in proportion as we forgive those who have wronged us (Matthew 6:14-15). God's grace frees us from every form of anger, resentment, envy, and hatred. Are you ready to forgive others as the Lord Jesus forgives you?

Parable of the late night guest

What can we expect from God, especially when we recognize that he doesn't owe us anything and that we don't deserve his grace and favor? Jesus used an illustration from the hospitality customs of his time to show how God is always ready to treat us with the best he has to offer. The rule of hospitality in biblical times required that every guest, whether stranger or friend, be warmly welcomed, refreshed (which often involved the washing of feet), and fed with the best food and drink available. It didn't matter what time of the day or night the guests might show up, it was your duty to stop what you were doing so you could give the guests the best care and shelter you could provide. If there wasn't adequate sleeping accommodation for both your guests and your family, the family slept outside under the stars. When guests showed up in a village, the whole community could be prevailed upon to provide whatever was needed.

Jesus' parable of the importunate and bothersome neighbor shows a worst case scenario of what might happen when an unexpected guest shows up in the middle of the night! The family awakens, unbolts the locked door to receive the guest, then washes the guest's feet, and the wife begins to prepare a meal. When the wife discovers that she has no bread to set before the guest, she prevails on her husband to go and get bread from a nearby family, who by now is also asleep with their door bolted shut. In a small village it would be easy for the wife to know who had baked bread that day. Bread was essential for a meal because it served as a utensil for dipping and eating from the common dishes. Asking for bread from one's neighbor was both a common occurrence and an expected favor. To refuse to give bread would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality.

God's generosity towards us 

If a neighbour can be imposed upon and coerced into giving bread in the middle of the night, will not God, our heavenly Father and provider, also treat us with kind and generous care no matter how troubling or inconvenient the circumstances might appear? Jesus states emphatically, How much more will the heavenly Father give! St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) reminds us that "God, who does not sleep and who awakens us from sleep that we may ask, gives much more graciously." The Lord Jesus assures us that we can bring our needs to our heavenly Father who is always ready to give not only what we need, but more than we can ask. God gives the best he has. He freely pours out the blessing of his Holy Spirit upon us so that we may be filled with the abundance of his provision. Do you approach your heavenly Father with confidence in his mercy and kindness towards you?

"Father in heaven, you have given me a mind to know you, a will to serve you, and a heart to love you. Give me today the grace and strength to embrace your holy will and fill my heart with your love that all my intentions and actions may be pleasing to you. Help me to be kind and forgiving towards my neighbour as you have been towards me."

source: Kairos-EME, Don's Daily Email

JESUS, have mercy on a sinner like me and intercede for me to our Father in heaven

Lord JESUS, I come to you with an open heart, to confess to you all my past mistakes. All that I am going through in these rough times are the results of my own actions. I have accumulated quite a sum of debts which is beyond my control at current, but I truly believe, hope and trust that you will help me, heal me and provide the financial means in overcoming it. JESUS, it is impossible for me to overcome this situation by myself, but there is nothing impossible for You. All I am asking is to be able to attained the amount sufficient to settle my debts, to change myself to a better person and to lead a moderate debt free life. JESUS, have mercy on a sinner like me and intercede for me to our Father in heaven that by the Father's will, he will grant me the finance to settle all my debt burdens and be able to breathe freely again. Come Lord JESUS, help in the predicament, and after this guide me to make the right decisions throughout my life. Lord JESUS, I trust in you and I claim all said in this prayer request in Your most Holy Name. AMEN.

The Lord's Prayer - Our Father ....

It is the most basic, frequently or daily prayed prayer among Catholics and Christians of other denominations is the Our Father and is said each week during the liturgy . Jesus taught his disciples the prayer, “Our Father” or “the Lord’s Prayer” as in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. 

Therefore we dare to say,

Our Father, who art in heaven

When we call God “Father,” it is a reminder for us to live as children in relation with God.

Hallowed be thy name

We are asking that God’s name would be “hallowed” or sanctified.

Thy kingdom come

We are praying for the coming of the kingdom of God and Christ’s glorious return at the end of time and the final coming of the reign of God.

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

We commit ourselves to following Jesus by taking up our cross and our will be conformed to his divine will.

Give us this day, our daily bread

Our trust in our heavenly Father to provide our earthly nourishment that is necessary to physically sustain us throughout the day and the Bread of Life (the Word of God and the Body of Christ) that spiritually nourishes us.

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us

We acknowledge that the Father’s mercy and forgiveness are able to penetrate our hearts to the extent that we are able to forgive our enemies.

Lead us not into temptation

We are asking that God does not allow us to take the path that leads to sin.

But deliver us from evil

We acknowledge the reality of the devil, we place our trust in Christ, His victory over evil on the cross and to protect us from all evil.

Amen.

We end by affirming our belief in all that we have prayed by saying “Amen” or “So be it”.

Matthew 6:9-13

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’ 

Luke 11:2-4

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread.

4 Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.’”

The new Catholic Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it clear that this prayer should end with “Amen” whenever it is said outside of Mass (C.C.C. 2856)

 

Our Father, who art in heaven

At the Saviour's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Indonesian
Atas pentunjuk Penyelamat kita, dan menurut ajaran ilahi, maka beranilah kita berdoa:

Bapa kami yang ada di surga

Our Father, who art in heaven

Dimuliakanlah namaMu

Hallowed by thy name

Datanglah kerajaanMu

Thy kingdom come

Jadilah kehendakMu

Thy will be done

Di atas bumi seperti di dalam surga

On Earth as it is in heaven

Berilah kami rejeki pada hari ini

Give us this day our daily bread

Dan ampunilah kesalahan kami

And forgive us our trespasses

Seperti kamipun mengampuni yang bersalah kepada kami

As we forgive those who trespass against us

Jangan masukkan kami dalam cobaan

And lead us not into temptation

Tapi bebaskan kami dari yang jahat

But deliver us from evil.

Sebab Tuhanlah raja yang mulia dan berkuasa

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours

Untuk selama-lamanya.

Now and forever

Amin.

Amen.