Do God's Will - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 15, 2023

Matthew 12:50 - For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.

I recently spent a little time with today's anchor scripture and for the first time in my life, it got me very excited. Jesus told each of us the way to become more than just his followers. The way to become family with Him. And the tip is simple - do the will of His Father.

And now, you're asking, what exactly is the will of God?

That's a fair question. I remember wondering the same when I gave my life back to the Lord, after thinking (very wrongly, if I may add) that I could take control of my life and do something with it. But, I digress... I also wasn't sure what God expected from me. However, He was kind and showed me that He wanted me to regularly spend quiet time with Him, study the Bible, and give Him praise. Then, He taught me to pray for others, to give to the less fortunate, to tithe, to Sabbath...

Seems like a long list and I can imagine why someone would think so. However, I have seen how God has helped me add these things slowly over time and in that way none of it seemed like a burden. And, I have to say, I have seen the benefits of doing the will of God - it has led to intimacy with Him. He nudges me in the direction I should go and helps me stay out of trouble, because believe me, I sometimes have a knack for it.

It makes sense that doing the will of God brings us into His family. This is why God made provision for all who believe in His Son to receive Holy Spirit and we are told in Romans 8:14 - For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Thus, Holy Spirit acts as a guide - the Voice of God - telling us where to go (Isaiah 30:21). And when we do His will, we become the family members to Christ Himself, and enjoy the benefit of Holy Spirit.

That same Holy Spirit also helps us understand God's will for us. One day, the Lord may fill you with joy and cause you to worship Him hard for five minutes. A few days later, He might send someone your way who needs a comforting word that He will place on your lips. On another day, He may place a burden on your heart to pray for someone you know. And as we obey these instructions, we can eventually become like those Jesus spoke of in John 15:14 - You are my friends if you do what I command.

May the Lord help us. May He graciously show us how to do His will so we can become the true family member's of Christ, the genuine children of God, who Jesus can call His friends, IJMN, Amen.