PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS
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I hope that you have a deep desire to live in such a way that your life brings pleasure to the Lord. For me, the idea that I might bring joy to the Lord as I seek to live my life as a follower of Christ is a great driver behind my efforts to be fully devoted to the Lord (or at least to make a real attempt at being devoted to Jesus Christ).
In the passage that we are studying in this series of devotionals, we hear an example of something that we can do with our lives that brings pleasure to the Lord.
As you read the passage below, listen for just what it is that makes the Lord pleased with you.
1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
(1 Timothy 2:1-6 NIV11)
Pleasing to God
In this teaching, we are told that the Lord is pleased when:
- We make prayer a priority
- We bring our urgent requests to the Lord (petitions)
- We share our righteous desires and wishes with God (prayers)
- We represent those who cannot represent themselves before the Lord (intercession)
- We stop and give thanks for the Lord’s blessings (thanksgiving)
- We pray for all that the Lord places into our lives
- We pray for those in leadership
- We seek to live peaceful and quiet lives
- When we seek godliness and holiness.
When we are engaged in this kind of other-focused and purposeful prayer, the Lord is pleased with us. That is a great thing to hear and hopefully makes us want to stop right now and spend some time in communion with the Lord.
Good for us
Another thing that we are told in this teaching is that when we seek to live for Christ in these selfless and others-focused ways, we find that this work and these times of prayer are good for us.
Most of us spend most of our time and almost all of our energy thinking about and serving our own interests. Even when we do happen to look up from ourselves and see the needs and circumstances of others, we often think of how the other person’s choices, attitudes, and actions might impact us and our own needs.
We are routinely called and challenged to set aside our own interests and wants and see the real needs of those God has placed into our lives. I love how this is stated in Romans 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Doing good
It is good for us to lift others up, to bring them honor.
It is good for us to consider ways that we might bless others, not for the thanks and recognition, but for no other reason than we want them to be blessed.
When we pray for others, we are doing good for ourselves. We are becoming stronger, more mature, more aligned with the heart of the Lord.
Why not stop now and put a smile on the Lord’s face as you choose to place the needs of others ahead of your own as you lift them up in prayer. It is good for us, and it pleases the Lord.
In Christ,
Ryan Laden
PASTOR RYAN LADEN
Senior Pastor at PARK HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
Worked at MTN. CHURCH
Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church
Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at Baylor University
Studied at Texas Tech University
Went to Castle Hills First Baptist
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