Midweek Praise: Growth in the Family of God

Wednesday July 22 2020

Prayer
Father God, thank you for loving us so much and for giving us the opportunity to come to you through your son our Lord Jesus Christ and for inviting us all back into your family. Giving us the chance to start anew and to do your will and not our own. To follow the example as set by your son Jesus Christ. Please help us remain on the path you have set for us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Amen

Reflection
To be part of the family of God means having God as your Father. Most people think that God is the father of everyone. Scripture tells us that this is not the case.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve mankind has been born in sin and therefore alienated from God (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:12; 4:8)
God is the creator of all. He is not the Father of all. Only those who through the powerful working of the Spirit of God, believe in and receive Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for their sins are reconciled to God and adopted into his family. (John 1:12-13, Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:4-7)
The only way to have God as one’s Father is to have Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Saviour. (John 14:6; John 2:23)
To be part of the family of God means knowing and experiencing the love of God. To be able to call the only eternal, all knowing and all powerful, Creator of the Universe, Father, is one of the greatest blessings of what it means to be part of God’s family. It means that the wall of sin and hostility that separated us from God has been demolished by the cross of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:15). It means that we are now at peace with God and can experience the full breadth, length, height and depth of his love. (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 3 :7-19)
To be part of the family of God means having our needs met. Those who have God as their father have access to Him in Prayer (Hebrews 4:16)
To be part of God’s family means having a large and loving family. Those who have received Jesus Christ have him not only as Lord and saviour but also as elder brother (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:6 Revelation 1:5)
To be part of the family of God means having a purpose in this life that has eternal significance. As part of God’s family, we are given spiritual gifts that we can use to grow and strengthen the family. As members of the family, we have the duty and privilege to extend the invitation to others to believe in Christ and become members with us in the family of God. (Matthew 28: 19-20).
The spirit is working through us all, and we need be ready to listen and to receive it with a true and humble heart, it is then up to us to act upon the call. The call can come in a variety of ways, it could be a situation you find yourself in, you might find yourself at rock bottom but something stops you, it could be through a person in a chance encounter, it could be through a friend or neighbour inviting you to a community event, the call can even hit if you have been visiting church for years but you can be reminded of the call and have your faith re- ignited and refreshed.

Father God thank you for giving us all a place in your family and roles to fill, even if we are unsure about what that may be. Please help us to see your way and help us to open our minds to the ideas you have for our future and please understand there will be times when we lose faith, but please look out for us even when that happens and be ready to lead us and accept us back into your fold. We ask all this in the name of your son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Amen

For children: