Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day. And repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. Luke 24-46-47
We will never be able to comprehend the betrayal, rejection, persecution and physical pain that Jesus endured. After such a brutal beating and mocking, He was led to carry a cross by Himself to His death. The ultimate torture lead to the ultimate sacrifice for us.
The complete darkness of the age was blinded that He was the Son of God. They discredited the works of His hands and the miraculous miracles to deliver and heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead.
The resurrection power of Christ to defeat death and the grave and transcend to life embodies the everlasting hope and faith of the ultimate love for the remission of sins. Jesus paid the price and penalty for our freedom and redemption to escape all forms of bondage, sickness, sin and death in exchange for eternal life and abundant living.
May the hope and freedom of His resurrection encourage you to rise above any circumstance and face any challenge with a fresh level of faith towards the future understanding the cost of His sacrifice for the gift of life. May the renewal of this season breathe new life in every area of your soul.
The Resurrection Prayer
Thank you, Lord that you paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for my sins. You transformed darkness into light. May your Spirit illuminate my mind, body and spirit with understanding and wisdom as I continue down an unknown path as you continue to guide me along the way. I receive extraordinary faith, peace and power to rise above my present circumstances and to rebuke any challenges, obstacles or distractions that block your plan and purpose for my life. I pray for endurance to fight the good fight of faith and to carry the love of Christ in my heart and to expose the darkness and transcend to light in this world by your Spirit. To God be the glory!
In Jesus name, Amen.
Related Scriptures
Luke 24 – The Whole Chapter
Eph 1:7
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s
Eph 1:17-20
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
Eph 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Eph 2:11-13
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him sent himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
For what profit Aman if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Mark 11:30
The Lord desires your communion and union with him. His deepest desire is for you to have a relationship which starts with learning about his character, his commandments, covenants, promises and laws and then learning how to apply practical instruction to your life.
You cannot build a relationship if you do not spend quality time with the Lord. He wants your undivided attention to solely focus on Him for His good pleasure and to mold and build your faith. All of your trials, obstacles, challenges and struggles are designed for His purpose to develop your patience, endurance, strength and faith in Him.
There is value in submission and obedience in God. When you enter into the presence of the Lord, you gain peace, clarity, strength and direction. Everything you need is at the foot of the cross. He is the bread of life and the wellspring of life. In the secret place, there is rest even in the midst of chaos, uncertainty and distress. Finding intimacy with God in your daily routine should be a priority.
There is a difference between spiritual rest and physical rest. The Lord can provide you rest for your soul even when you’re tired, mentally exhausted or drained. There is a blanket of peace that comforts you despite the natural emotions that you experience when you tap into the reservoir of His spirit, the outpouring of His presence delivers and restores you.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Phil 4:8
Finding intimacy with the Lord is more than an action or physically doing something. It is being present within the moment. You can connect instantly with the Lord by doing absolutely nothing. When you learn the importance of stillness, as well as stillness of the mind, you can receive instruction, healing, restoration or whatever you may need at that time. There are no rules. There are no schedules, agendas or routines. Just be. The expression of His love will touch the inner and deeper parts of you. When you’re building a relationship with the Lord, you’ll develop a stronger desire to read the Bible and please Him. He will reveal the intimate details of Jesus’ life journey through His word.
Carving Out a Sacred Space
We all need time to be alone but you might find it challenging if you’re around family, roommates or friends on a regular basis. Finding a place where you can be in solitude where you can think out loud, pray, or reflect is so helpful to connect with the Lord. It’s also a healing place where you can release negative emotions. You may prefer to go to a park, the beach or the mountains to get away. You may resort to your bathroom, den or bedroom as a sacred place. Wherever you decide to go, be sure that it’s quiet and serene.
Step into the Silence
When you incorporate Bible study into your daily routine, you will develop a sense of guidance throughout the day. Not every day will be perfect, by any means, but you will gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding to key principles you encounter in life. You will lead with integrity. It will bring new life and perspective on how to handle problems and situations, as well as protection from the attacks of the enemy. It will also bring new insight and revelation based on what you’re going through or experiencing in your current situation. The word of God is a living word that is always active and mobile. It doesn’t matter how many times you read a passage, you will gain fresh revelation at every stage or season of life.
Spill the tea with Jesus. He is your comforter and your friend.
Tea Time with Jesus
Spending quality time in prayer is time never wasted. Whether you prefer mornings or nights, it’s your preference. Communication doesn’t have to be limited to a certain time of the day. You can seek him anytime and for anything within His will or purpose for your life. Just like a good friend, prayer is a two-way conversation so listening to the voice of God is important for direction, wisdom and discernment. Its’ not just about submitting requests or petitioning the Lord to move in your situation. Jesus wants you to desire His presence on a continuous basis. It should be based on a genuine and real connection with the Lord.
When you spend regular time in prayer, you gain clarity about your issues and direction on what to do. He also heals past wounds and restores strength, peace or whatever you need at the moment. You may not feel like your prayers are being answered right away but the Lord requires us to be patient. He is building your character, strength and resilience through the storms of life. He is also testing your faith. You may not always receive what you prayed, but you can trust that the Lord will provide exactly what you need within His timing.
During prayer, the Lord may share intimate details about your present or future. He reveals the secret things hidden in divine mysteries. Jer 33:3 The Lord provides the revelation of understanding, knowledge and discernment. Living a lifestyle of prayer provides protection in every area of your life.
Mindful Moments in Your Daily Life
Your daily tasks and routines can easily become moments of reflection and prayer.
Usually when I’m doing the dishes, I tend to drift away into day to day thoughts or just simply meditate as I watch the water and soap suds dance upon the plates and utensils before I load them into the dishwasher. Over the years, I’ve shifted my perspective on how I look at daily chores and find pleasure in folding laundry, cleaning the bathroom or organizing my bedroom.
The process of cleaning and organizing provides contentment and a sense of peace. It connects me to the Lord in solitude time so I can think, reflect, pray or worship as I complete my daily tasks. This is only one example, but you can connect with the Lord while driving in your car, waiting in line at the grocery store or in traffic.
When you take the limits off on how the Lord can move in your life, you will begin to experience His voice in a new profound way. He will show up when you least expect it, and when he does, don’t blow it off as a coincidence, serendipity or pure luck. The happenstance or occurrence is divine and orchestrated. Nothing is by chance. The Lord is a God of order, precise timing and intricate detail.
Worship and Obedience Pleases God
Your body is a temple which is made for worship. A healthy diet and eating habits reflect your intimacy with the Lord. Your social and personal relationships, attitudes and behavior should be in a posture of holiness and surrender. You should set apart time for worship or fasting to purify your thoughts and actions.
Sexual lusts and desires, promiscuity and adultery has no place in the lives of a believer. You must surrender your desires to the Lord and wash away the iniquity that keeps you bound. You cannot escape these desires in your own flesh, however the Holy Spirit can purge these desires from your heart, mind and body. It’s only by the Blood of Jesus that you can walk in purity and righteousness.
But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. John 8:6-7
Finding the Beauty in Forgiveness
Surrender your pain to the Lord and release anger. Whoever you need to forgive, FORGIVE and let it go! Pray for your enemies. God is your contender. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to stay in a relationship once someone has shown you their true colors. You can move on without bitterness, pain or anger. Of course, it takes time to heal. Do not allow unforgiveness to steal your peace and joy. Once you learn to forgive others, you are set free from past pain. Remember mistakes can often be the best teacher so learn from them and move on.
Do not be entangled with a yoke of bondage. Gal 5:1
God is the redeemer and will make your crooked path straight. Isaiah 45:2
Seek the Lord for all things. His intentions are well-pleasing to your soul.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord for showering me with your presence. I give you all the praise and glory in my life. My heart is open to your everlasting love. I surrender my own will so you can work through me to heal and mold me according to your will. Forgive me for ________. Purge anything that is not pleasing in your sight. I’m available to be a vessel of your goodness. Help me when I’m weak and strengthen me in every encounter that I face. I pray for a hedge of protection as I come and go from my destination each day. I am blessed from the top of my head to the souls of my feet. I walk with peace under the shadow of your wings. I’m covered by the precious Blood of Jesus. Amen.
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The resurrection of Christ is the most miraculous experience seen by men. The sacrifice of the Lord is the provision made for mankind to be set free from the law of sin and death.
After Jesus was crucified, Mary Magadalene approached the sepulche and noticed the body of Jesus was gone, she wept until she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus laid. She turned around but did not recognize Jesus until he spoke to her.
In John 20:15-17, it reads:“ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”
Why did Jesus refuse for Mary to touch or cling to him? For some reason I’ve been contemplating this intricate detail for the past few weeks. I reflected back to the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years. Jesus felt virtue leave his body after the woman touched the hem of his garment. It was by faith that made her whole.
Jesus did not allow Mary to touch him until after he ascended to the Father. When Jesus returned, he allowed Thomas, one of the disciples, to touch his wounded hands and his pierced side due to his lack of belief.
John 20:24
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
John 20:27-29
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Unfortunately, our culture has more false prophets than we can count and misleading people by what they perceive in their own minds.
I have wondered deeply about the details of the specifics relating to faith and the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus returned later that evening and appeared to the disciples, he offered peace upon them and gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This small section of scripture is such a powerful revelation of the testimony of Jesus and the operation of the Holy Ghost.
Unfortunately, the Body of Christ is not operating in complete faith and the full God-given authority to receive the miraculous gift of the Power of the Holy Spirit. There is no power in the midst of division, fear, doubt, or unbelief. The church has conformed to the standards of the world and at times does not look much different than the culture.
Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zech 4:6
I definitely don’t have the answer on how to bring unity to the Body of Christ, however to access the power needed to do the greater miracles which Christ did, we must walk in one accord to embody the Power of the Holy Spirit. It is available to us. Touching Jesus through prayer, renewing our minds to align with Christ, cleaning up our lives, and stepping into our faith will access the power of the Holy Spirit to heal and restore our land.
You must believe Christ is the Son of the Living God and through believing you will have eternal life through His name.
Related Scripture
John 20 – The Whole Scripture
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Matt 9:20-22 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
Luke 8:43-48 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Writing with Purpose 