Witness-Day 139
WEEK 20 | DAY 139
Read John 3:1-8
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
On days 134 through 138, you consumed a lot of truth regarding people outside of a relationship with God and what He is doing to wake them up. He is incomprehensibly creative in how He draws people to Himself. I have prayed for certain people for years, thinking I knew what God would use to get their attention and from way out in “left field” the answer would come, leaving me beside the bed shaking my head!
“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26b-27). Paul refers to a prayer partner named Epaphras who was “always wrestling in prayer.” This is our privilege and calling to engage for those around us who don’t know Christ yet. God has put them strategically in our lives and has given us a ring side seat on His activity. Take the next few lines to write down five people from your work or school life. Be prayerful about who you should put on this list. God will tie them to your heart. Watch out! You may be up nights praying for them or even praying with them at some point. Most of the people that I have seen come into relationship with God through the years have come primarily through my prayer list first. I very rarely get to sit down with them and lay out the whole gospel from end to end, but rather it seems that the Spirit patiently moves in small steps, involving me at what seems only the precise time and usually not the time of my choosing!
“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26b-27). Paul refers to a prayer partner named Epaphras who was “always wrestling in prayer.” This is our privilege and calling to engage for those around us who don’t know Christ yet. God has put them strategically in our lives and has given us a ring side seat on His activity. Take the next few lines to write down five people from your work or school life. Be prayerful about who you should put on this list. God will tie them to your heart. Watch out! You may be up nights praying for them or even praying with them at some point. Most of the people that I have seen come into relationship with God through the years have come primarily through my prayer list first. I very rarely get to sit down with them and lay out the whole gospel from end to end, but rather it seems that the Spirit patiently moves in small steps, involving me at what seems only the precise time and usually not the time of my choosing!
Work / School Prayer List (Unsaved):
To close, I want to pray for you! Father, I know that You love to draw people to Yourself. I know that You love to reveal Yourself in unique ways. I know You love to “reward those openly” who pray in secret to You. For that reason, I pray for these two lists of names above. They’ve been carefully considered. I know that every person on them has already “bumped” into You MANY times before. Now, Father, energize the prayers of my brothers and sisters for these people. Holy Spirit, pray specifically and boldly through them for these lost individuals. Arrange circumstances and situations where the truth of who You are will sink in deeper. I pray that You would, by Your Spirit, loosen the satanic chains of sin and slavery that are on these lives. Create a hunger in these souls Holy Spirit, as ONLY You can do. Show and reveal the true nature of the work of Your Son on the cross to these people. Convict them of sin, righteousness and judgment. Bring a holy fear of death and separation to their soul. And lastly, make my friends praying for them divinely sensitive as to when and how to speak and share Your love into their lives.
MEMORY VERSES
PRIMARY VERSE: But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, … 1 Peter 3:15
SECONDARY VERSE: For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
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