Living Free: Free To Receive Grace
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Living Free: Free To Receive Grace

Freedom.  It seems everyone wants to be free yet we often struggle to even admit when we are not.  When Jesus stated that holding to His teachings would lead people to know the truth that would set them free, the religious leaders bristled at even the hint that they had ever been slaves to anyone or anything.  Over the next 12 days I will be sharing the daily devotions from the book, “Living Free”, that I wrote several years ago to help you discover a life of freedom found through a consistent gazing into, and practice of, the perfect law of God’s Word.

Here is day twenty-one with an important reminder that living free in Christ means that you, and those around you, have been set free to receive God’s grace.

Free To Receive Grace

“To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
Ephesians 1:6 (NIV)

How do you feel about receiving gifts that are unexpected and undeserved?  Are you one that feels you have to earn everything you receive?  Why?  Does a loving relationship with a person make you more willing to accept something from them that you know you don’t deserve?  Why?  Is it possible to have unhealthy expectations of what should be given to you?  How does that differ from grace?  How does your perception of received grace influence your willingness to extend grace to the people around you?

Scripture teaches that God has chosen us before the creation of the world to be His through a relationship with Jesus.  His love calls us to Himself in a way that sets us free to receive His grace.  When we abide in God’s love we are free to receive His grace, knowing that He has no hidden agenda behind His gift.  When we fully experience the grace of God, we are equipped to share His grace with others.  As you pray, ask God to remove any guilt that would keep you from fully receiving His grace.  Pray that you would live fully in Jesus each day as you experience a grace that you can share with others.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (7/23/20)

 

This is the audio from the July 23, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Living Free: Free From Punishment
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Living Free: Free From Punishment

Freedom.  It seems everyone wants to be free yet we often struggle to even admit when we are not.  When Jesus stated that holding to His teachings would lead people to know the truth that would set them free, the religious leaders bristled at even the hint that they had ever been slaves to anyone or anything.  Over the next 13 days I will be sharing the daily devotions from the book, “Living Free”, that I wrote several years ago to help you discover a life of freedom found through a consistent gazing into, and practice of, the perfect law of God’s Word.

Here is day twenty with an important reminder that living free in Christ means that you, and those around you, have been set free from punishment.

Free From Punishment

“Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.”
Proverbs 11:21 (NIV)

What is the difference between discipline and punishment?  Do you enjoy either of them when they happen?  Why?  What makes one more acceptable to you than the other?  If it is not you they’re applied to, which one do you generally want applied to others?  Why?  Are there times you know you deserve to be punished?  How does it feel if you receive discipline in those times instead of what you deserve?  How does God’s Word help you to live a life that can be free from punishment?

Most, if not all, of us have experienced punishment at some time in our life — often well-deserved.  But as Christians, we can live with the confidence that the punishment for our sin has already been laid upon God’s Son so that we can be free from its bondage.  Yes, God disciplines His children — those that He loves — but we have been set free from the punishment that we deserve.  As you pray, ask God to free you from the fear of punishment that sin can bring.  Pray that you would not fear God’s discipline, but grow from it.  Pray that you would live free, not only from punishment, but from the felt need to punish others.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (7/22/20)

 

This is the audio from the July 22, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Living Free: Free To Praise God
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Living Free: Free To Praise God

Freedom.  It seems everyone wants to be free yet we often struggle to even admit when we are not.  When Jesus stated that holding to His teachings would lead people to know the truth that would set them free, the religious leaders bristled at even the hint that they had ever been slaves to anyone or anything.  Over the next 14 days I will be sharing the daily devotions from the book, “Living Free”, that I wrote several years ago to help you discover a life of freedom found through a consistent gazing into, and practice of, the perfect law of God’s Word.

Here is day nineteen with an important reminder that living free in Christ means that you, and those around you, have been set free to praise God.

Free To Praise God

“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.”
Psalm 142:7 (NIV)

How readily do you praise people for who they are and what they accomplish?  What makes you feel more free to do that?  Are there times when it feels like you are holding back on your praise of God?  Why?  How difficult is it to praise someone when you feel guilty about your relationship with them?  How does being set free through forgiveness help you to praise?  Are there times when the prison of specific sins makes it difficult for you to praise God?  How does an accurate look into God’s Word free you to praise Him?

Praise can be a fickle thing in the lives of many people.  Too often we limit our praise-giving based on how we feel rather than on the “praise worthiness” of who we ought to praise.  We even limit our praise because we don’t feel worthy to offer it.  When God sets us free from the prison of sin, we should experience the freedom of offering praise where praise is due.  As you pray, ask God to fill you with praise as you contemplate the freedom He has brought into your life.  Pray that you would share the freedom you have in Christ as you share praise with others.  Pray that you would know the goodness of God.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (7/21/20)

 

This is the audio from the July 21, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Living Free: Free By a New Covenant
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Living Free: Free By a New Covenant

Freedom.  It seems everyone wants to be free yet we often struggle to even admit when we are not.  When Jesus stated that holding to His teachings would lead people to know the truth that would set them free, the religious leaders bristled at even the hint that they had ever been slaves to anyone or anything.  Over the next 16 days I will be sharing the daily devotions from the book, “Living Free”, that I wrote several years ago to help you discover a life of freedom found through a consistent gazing into, and practice of, the perfect law of God’s Word.

Here is day seventeen with an important reminder that living free in Christ means that you, and those around you, have been set free by a new covenant.

Free By a New Covenant

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance — now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
Hebrews 9:15 (NIV)

Have you ever signed an agreement that seemed like a great idea at the time, but later felt like it had trapped you into something you couldn’t get out of?  How does living under such an agreement make you feel?  What would it feel like for the other party to “buy out” what you could not pay and rewrite the contract in your favor?  How would being released from the burden free you to live under the new agreement?  How would living with freedom help you accept the terms of the new agreement.

The covenant of the law was written to provide a framework of living a holy life which is acceptable to God.  The Bible teaches that the law was useful as a teacher to help us see we could never make it to heaven on our own.  In Jesus, the penalty we owed under the covenant of the law was paid so that we can be set free to live under a new covenant.  As you pray, ask God to fill you with an appreciation for the price He paid to free you from the penalty of the law.  Pray that you would use your freedom to live with joy under the new covenant that has been written with the blood of Jesus.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (7/20/20)

 

This is the audio from the July 20, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom