Today we will continue our series entitled “God’s Grace & Our Faith.” We are looking at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. Our primary scriptures are John 1:14 & 17. We have also been walking our way through Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. Today we get to his benediction.
(John 1:14 New International Version)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:17 New International Version)
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(Galatians 6:18 Easy to Read Version)
My brothers and sisters, I pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with your spirits. Amen.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Please remember that there are two aspects of God’s grace.
While most people know “grace” to be the unmerited favor of God, I have shared with you before that there are two aspects of God’s amazing grace.
a) In one sense, YOU DO NOTHING.
— This is where God blesses you DESPITE you.
— God blesses you because HE IS GOOD, not because you are.
— God does what He does simply because He loves you, and it has NOTHING to do with YOUR PERFORMANCE.
— This is the aspect of God’s grace that frees you from the pressure to perform.
b) The other is God’s empowering presence TO DO ALL THINGS!
— This is God’s SUPER on your NATURAL.
— This is where God breathes on you.
— This is God’s POWER to do what you could never do without HIS POWER!
— This is the aspect of God’s grace that empowers you to do all things!
So in one aspect, YOU DO NOTHING!
On the other, YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS!
When Paul prayed for God’s grace to
“be with” the believers in Galatia, he was praying for both aspects of God’s grace to be in operation. And what he prayed then is something we should pray now.
2. Paul’s benediction to the Galatians is a prayer we can and should pray.
Paul’s closing statement to the believers in Galatia was, “My brothers and sisters, I pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with your spirits. Amen.”
— Paul prayed for God’s unmerited favor (where you do nothing and God blesses you) and His overwhelming/empowering presence (where you are supernaturally equipped to do all things) to be with the believers in Galatia. I pray a similar prayer over my children regularly, especially as they go to school.
— When I pray a prayer like this over my children or my family, it reminds me of God’s presence, and it does the same for them. I let my children know, as I am praying for them before they walk out the door (and this happens every school day), that God is with them and that His favor goes before them.
— For the past couple of years, part of this prayer has included a reminder of God’s protection. As I am praying over my children, I declare that COVID-19 has no power over them and that if it attaches itself to their bodies, it must die instantly.
— Remember, this series is about God’s grace and our faith. God has already provided the grace. What we must do is pray, in faith, to come in agreement with what God has already provided.
— You can pray similar prayers over yourself and your family. We all need constant reminders of God’s presence. Especially in challenging times. Because in challenging times, the enemy will tell you that God is not there. But He is. He will never leave you, forsake you, or turn His back on you. We just need to be reminded of it, and we must constantly set our faith in agreement with God’s grace!
3. Pray from a position of grace.
— Prayer is not about you telling God what to do. You cannot command God. He is not your servant; it’s the other way around.
— Prayer is about submission and surrender, acknowledging that there is a God and you are not Him, and then coming to that God to access His grace.
— When you understand God already made plans for you before the world began, and He made those plans completely by His grace, you then understand the importance of seeking God concerning what to pray for. John said, “We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” (1 Jn 5:14,15 ERV)
— Praying from a position of grace means you believe God has already empowered you to do what He called you to do and that He has already stored up everything you will need to be successful (it’s just a matter of time before it manifests). This is much different than praying from a position of need, where you are asking God to give you something you believe you don’t have.
— Praying from a position of grace means you don’t pray to try to get God to do it. You pray from the position that it’s already done!
— When you pray from a position of grace, you are not praying for the victory. You are praying FROM a position of victory!
— When we pray, we come in agreement with heaven on the earth. Prayer is an earthly license for heavenly interference.
— When Paul prayed for the grace of our Lord Jesus to be with us as believers, he was praying for us to walk in God’s power. The grace of God enables us to do what we could never do without Him.
— When you pray and release your faith to tap into God’s grace, you acknowledge that there is nothing you can’t do. Because God lives in you, and there is nothing He can’t do.
— When you pray this way, you are opening your heart to the supernatural. You are believing God to operate in levels, ways, and realms that exceed your power, ability, and strength. You are believing God to operate beyond your ability. And when you do it (when you accomplish things that are way beyond anything you could have ever done without God), you are quick to acknowledge that you were only able to do it BY THE GRACE OF GOD! This is how we are supposed to live. This is #TheGraceLife.
4. Be aware of God’s grace daily.
Paul prayed for “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with” the spirits of the believers in Galatia. In actuality, if you are Born-Again, God is always with you because He lives in you. Paul was praying for believers to be aware of God’s presence. This is my same prayer for you this morning. God is always with you. But you may not always acknowledge Him.
— God will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He will never turn His back on you. He will never relax the grip that He has on you. God is ON you, IN you, WITH you, and FOR you! Please be aware of this daily.
— As you engage in meetings, conversations, and activities today and in the weeks to come, remember that God is with you everywhere you go. His empowering presence is in you, so there is nothing you can’t do.
— When you are continually cognizant of God’s presence and His grace on your life, you live with a level of confidence that is uncommon in this world. Why? Because your confidence is not based on you or your power. Your confidence is based on God, His power, His grace, His commitment to you, and the plans He made for you before the world began.
So, in closing, I will pray what Paul prayed over you. “My brothers and sisters, I pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with your spirits. Amen.”
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You are with me, and I am aware of it. I enter this day cognizant of Your presence, peace, power, and grace. You are ON me, IN me, WITH me, and FOR me!
There is nothing You can’t do. You live in me. Therefore, there is nothing I can’t do.
I enter every meeting, conversation, and activity today and every day with fearless confidence. Because I know You are with me.
You will never turn Your back on me. You will never relax the grip You have on me. You are more committed to me than I am to myself.
My confidence is IN YOU! I trust in You. I believe in You. I acknowledge You this morning, this day, and every day for the rest of my life!
I live with this mindset, “You are with me, Father, everyhere I go and You empower me to do what I could never do without You!” Living this way, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
