David’s Prayer                                                                      March 1, 2010

“And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?  You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O Lord, have become their God.”  2 Samuel 7:23-24.

Although this prayer of David was written in the Old Testament as praise and thanksgiving for God’s love for his chosen people Israel, it speaks to us today of that same love and mercy for His body of believers, the church.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  He redeemed us.  As we look around today, we can still see His awesome powers at work and miracles in our lives. 

Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, the praise of His glory.”

He is establishing, loving, showing mercy, power, miracles, and grace to His chosen, the church, today, as He did Israel.  Each person reading this is included in His Chosen!

My prayer for each of us echoes Ephesians 3:16-21… Lord, we pray that out of your glorious riches, You will strengthen your people with power from your Spirit in our inner beings, so that you may dwell in our hearts through faith.  And I pray that each, being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is your amazing love.  I pray we will be able, as you’ve asked us, to love our neighbor as ourselves and to not let any limits or boundaries decide who you’ve told us our neighbors are.  We know Lord that you are able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask, or imagine and we pray that we, the church, may glorify you, now and through all coming generations…  Amen.

Cheri Sullivan