DIG for Sunday the 24th of January…..if you want to be like Jesus start by praying like Him…..John 11 v 43

How many times have you heard Christians say that they want to be like Jesus?

If you are like me you’ll have heard that a few times.

While I was reading the Word today I was looking at the account of when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11 v 1 to 44).

As Jesus spoke out that powerful prayer as He brought Lazarus back to life, I thought, “I wish people would pray more like Jesus”.

A lot of prayer today seems to be about telling the other people in the room what is going on, or telling God about your problem (as if he doesn’t know already).

This prayer of Jesus is a prayer of assertiveness and a prayer of boldness.

At other times when we see Him praying He is communing with His Father or giving thanks.

When we pray are we giving thanks, spending time with the Lord and being bold?

If I were honest I would answer, no, not all the time.

I am aware that my prayers are more about being thankful than they were in the past, but I think I can still learn a thing or two about prayer from Jesus.

Jesus did not ask for things to happen, He spoke them out and commanded them.

He did not say, “Please I f it be thy will, oh glorious and heavenly Father, raise Lazarus from the dead”.

Jesus recognised what He could do and spoke these out.

Maybe it is time to be more like Jesus in our prayer lives.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for prayer and thank you for the example of the prayers spoken out by Jesus”.

John 11 v 43…..And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth

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DIG for Saturday the 23rd of January…..you are as righteous as God, yes you…..2 Corinthians 5 v 21

The truth held within 2 Corinthians 5 v 21 are some of the best-kept secrets in the church.

I say secrets, as I do not often hear them being preached.

I hear people being told to do this and do that, stop this and stop that, in order to become right before God.

The truth however is that if you have trusted in and believed upon Jesus and His finished work you have already been made right before God.

In fact you have been made as righteous as God (2 Corinthians 5 v 21).

This is an amazing truth and a truth that if you truly understand will change your life.

But I am still doing unrighteous acts, so how can I be righteous already you may ask.

Well, this is talking about the important part of you, the real part, the part that God sees when He looks at you.

God looks at the spirit part of you, the part that was alive to sin but became new when you were born again (2 Corinthians 5 v 17)

He looks at the part of you that was created in righteousness and true holiness at your point of salvation (Ephesians 4 v 24).

The truth is that the “real” part of you is already righteous, and is as righteous as God.

That is something to celebrate about this morning.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus I have already been made righteous”.

2 Corinthians 5 v 21…..For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him