Tag Archives: Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W.- Course Change

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Elisabeth Elliot, wife of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, continued her late husband’s work with the Auca tribe in Ecuador. She said that the will of God “is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.” Elisabeth could have easily listened to others and condemned the tribe whose members murdered her husband and left her widowed – but she sought God’s will, returned to their village, and eventually led many of them to Christ.

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

I Corinthians 1:1

Paul was once known as Saul…the murderer of Christians…until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then he changed course and came into line with God’s will for his life. He could have listened to his Pharisee friends; instead, he listened to Jesus’ voice and reached out to Gentiles, leading them to Christ then – and even today with his recorded words in the Bible.

What areas of your life need to be lined up with Jesus and His Word? Pray for yourself, and the citizens and leaders of the nation, to see the light of Christ and change course.

Recommended Reading: Acts 9:1-8, 20-22

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M.- Master Sculptor

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A little boy watched a sculptor begin chiseling a large block of marble. The sculptor worked meticulously until the slab looked like the face of Abraham Lincoln. “How did you do that?” the little boy asked. The sculptor said with a smile, “All I have to do is chip away everything that doesn’t look like Lincoln.”

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Romans 8:29

Pain, persecution, stress and accusations are some of the struggles that believers in Christ often endure. At the time, it may not be known exactly why the Lord has allowed them. However, the loving Father uses trials to chip away at flaws in character. He uses great care and thoughtfulness so that the end result will look like His Son.

Thank God, the Master Sculptor of your soul, for His work in your life and His dedication to your future. Whatever difficulties are happening with you personally (and in the nation), practice patience and trust that He will do His work carefully and creatively. Pray also that America’s leaders who are Christians will allow their trials to draw them to a closer relationship with the Lord and conform their lives to His purposes.

Recommended Reading: I Peter 1:3-9

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. -Be Moved

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What does it mean to repent? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition is “to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life.” Repent is a verb, so true repentance causes you to take action.

They were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Acts 2:37

When Peter addressed the Jews after Christ’s ascension into Heaven, he shared how Jesus was the Son of God. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36) When hearing this truth, the people were “cut to the heart” and were immediately moved to action. They asked the apostles how to make amends – and Peter told them to repent and be baptized.

Has the Lord recently shared something with you that cut you to the heart? Don’t be overwhelmed with sorrow; instead, be moved to make a life-altering change. Start by praying and asking for forgiveness, knowing that He will hear you and respond in His love. Then pray for America and its national leaders to hear truth and repent. God’s will for everyone is salvation through Christ. May many in the nation be moved to action.

Recommended Reading: Acts 2:29-41

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Heart Residence

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Too ashamed or intimidated in front of others, the student, co-worker or friend will wait until all are gone to ask the question that concerns them. The leader, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, did the same. Coming to Jesus by night, he inquired of Him if He were truly the Messiah sent from God. Belief that it was so would have expelled him from the ruling class. But he had to know.

Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:3

The answer was definite. You must believe in the Savior Jesus; God sent His Son not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). Belief brings about a moral transformation (being born again). This rebirth, Bible commentator Matthew Henry says, brings a new nature, new principles, new affections and new aims. Jesus takes up residence within to guide you to do right, to love others, and to seek purity in your life – and to provide forgiveness when you fall short of these aspirations.

Knowing the Lord and having access to Him through prayer and His Word will guide you to understand His will. Pray that the Word of God will have a place in the hearts of every man and woman in this country, including its political leaders. They have to know.

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 4:7-16

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P.- Purposes

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Concerning God’s will for the individual, some picture Him whispering a neatly packaged to-do list. You are to go to this specific college, work this job, and live here. However, learning God’s will for your life is a process. First, you need to learn God’s purposes in general.

I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well.

Luke 4:43

As you study God’s Word, you discover who He is, what He’s like, His priorities, His desires and what He expects of His children: things such as praying, loving Him, and caring for others. As you get to know Him and begin putting the teachings of the Bible into practice, you will respond to needs, decisions, and circumstances the way God wants you to. You’ll also learn to recognize His Holy Spirit as He guides you through the seasons of your life: attending school, raising children, or working a particular job or ministry.

Today’s verse shows Jesus was clear on why He was sent to the Earth. Are you sure of your purposes? Pursue the Lord and His will, respond to His leading…and don’t forget to pray for the leaders and people of this nation to seek God on the issues at hand in the country. Trust Him to accomplish His purposes through your prayers.

Recommended Reading: I Peter 4:1-11

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Need to Respond

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Read: Leviticus 2

When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. Lev 2:1-2a

Now we come to the grain offering. Many versions call it the meal offering. In the King James Version it is called the meat offering because meat was the old English word for food, or meal. But there is no meat in it at all. In fact, this is the only one of the offerings that is bloodless. In all the others animals had to die but in this one no blood was shed.

It is obvious that the essence of this offering was that it was bread. It was food, the staff of life. This theme is the key to the grain offering. All through the Old Testament you find people offering meal offerings, often in the form of three loaves of bread. And in the tabernacle there was the showbread.

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Never Too Busy

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“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.” (John 9:1)

Have you ever wanted to talk to people, and found they were just too busy? Megan experienced that this past Christmas. The whole family was planning to meet at Grandma’s house for the holiday. This was the one time of the year where every uncle, aunt, and cousin got together. Megan was especially excited about it, because her older cousin Audrey was going to be there.

Megan had always looked up to Audrey. Audrey was the oldest cousin, the coolest cousin, and also the first cousin to go to college. Even though Megan was only in 6th grade, she still could hardly wait to hear all about college life.

The day finally came when Megan’s family loaded up the car and headed to Grandma’s house. Megan’s family was the first to arrive. One by one, the other families came, until finally Audrey’s family came. Megan ran out the door and into the snow without even bothering to put on her coat. As she ran up, she saw someone in the car that she did not recognize. Audrey climbed out of the car and gave Megan a big hug. “Hey, Megan! How are you doing?” Audrey said. “I want you to meet a friend of mine; his name is Derrick.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Knowing Our Motives

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

“The Lord looks on the heart.”

Our motivation for commitment, discipline, and obedience is as important to God as our performance, perhaps even more so. As Ernest F. Kevan wrote, “The law’s demands are inward, touching motive and desire, and are not concerned solely with outward action.”

David said, “The Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought” (1 Chronicles 28:9). The apostle Paul echoed the importance of motives when he wrote that, at the Lord’s coming, he “will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

To be acceptable to God, our motives must spring from a love for him and a desire to glorify him. Obedience performed from a legalistic motive—from fear of consequences or to gain favor with God—is not pleasing to him. Abraham Booth (1734?806), an English pastor and author, wrote, “To constitute a work truly good, it must be done from a right principle, performed by a right rule, and intended for a right end.” Booth defined a right principle as our love for God. He defined the right rule as God’s revealed will in Scripture. The right end—the right goal—is the glory of God.

Our good works are not truly good unless they’re motivated by a love for God and a desire to glorify him. But we cannot have such a Godward motivation if we think we must earn God’s favor by our obedience or if we fear we may forfeit his favor by disobedience. Such a works-oriented motivation is essentially self-serving, prompted more by what we think we gain or lose than by a grateful response to the grace he has already given us through Jesus Christ.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Christlike

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Billy Graham once asked, “Do you want to know what God’s will is for you? To become more and more like Christ. This is spiritual maturity, and if you make this your goal, it will change your life.” And, it can be added, the lives of others as well.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10

In today’s verse, Christ was instructing His disciples how to pray. He emphasized God’s will over their desires. He precisely followed these instructions later as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Facing death, Jesus begged, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) By allowing His Father’s purposes to be accomplished, Christ saved the life of every person on Earth who chooses to believe in Him.

As you pray today and throughout the month of April, ask God to help you become more like Christ and to compel you to seek His will more than your own desires – even when it means strife or struggle for you. Pray, too, for God’s perfect purposes to be carried out in America for its leaders and citizens…so that His kingdom may be fulfilled to His glory!

Recommended Reading: Luke 22:39-46

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M.- Godly Centerpiece

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The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a man whose deeply held religious faith brought him peace. In 1998, after Scalia attended the funeral of Justice Lewis Powell at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Virginia, he wrote a letter to Dr. James Goodloe, who conducted the service.

God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.

Genesis 45:7

“I have attended so many funerals of prominent people that I consider myself a connoisseur of the genre,” said Scalia. “When the deceased and his family are nonbelievers, of course, there is not much to be said except praise for the departed who is no more. But even in Christian services conducted for deceased Christians, I am surprised at how often eulogy is the centerpiece of the service, rather than (as it was in your church) the resurrection of Christ and the eternal life which follows from that.”

Just as Joseph from today’s verse was a leader used by God to impact a nation, there are men in women in the halls of government today who love the Lord. Pray for more leaders who keep Him as the centerpiece of their lives. Ask God to enable them to uphold biblical principles and to take opportunities to publicly honor Him.

Recommended Reading: Genesis 45:4-15

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Do You Recognize Him?

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Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is a neurological disorder that impairs one’s ability to recognize faces. In extreme cases, the sufferer has difficulty recognizing family members and sometimes even their own reflection.

They came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

Luke 24:23

The individuals speaking in today’s verse may not have had prosopagnosia, but they had difficulty recognizing the risen Savior. Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James found His tomb empty and told the disciples. That same day, some were traveling to Emmaus discussing what had transpired. Jesus joined them on their walk, but they were prevented from recognizing Him. They recounted the week’s remarkable events…and eventually Christ revealed Himself to the travelers. They remembered their hearts burning within them while they walked and talked with the risen Lord.

You’ve had moments where you didn’t recognize the presence of Christ? Ask God to help you to see Him more in your everyday circumstances and life events. Pray also for the country’s leaders to hear His voice, realize He is alive, and allow Him to guide and direct them.

Recommended Reading: Luke 24:13-15; 22-32

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R.- Prolific and Plentiful

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“Within your lifetime,” noted a Reader’s Digest article a few years back, “American agriculture has advanced more than in all the preceding millenniums of man’s labor on the land.” The proof of this is in these remarkable numbers: an American farmer around the time of the Civil War had the capability of producing enough food and fiber to feed and clothe a total of four people. By the time of World War II, that number had risen to 11. Today, a single farmer provides sustenance for 155 people.

The Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land.

Psalm 41:2

Many of those 155 people do not live here. The United States is far and away the most generous provider of humanitarian aid to other countries. Who is it that “the Lord protects” and “keeps alive?” In the preceding verse, Psalm 41:1, the answer is found: “the one who considers the poor.”

Today, thank God you live in a bountiful land of generous people who have the resources to help others. Then, as you pray for the country and its leaders, ask what you should do, personally and locally, to prolifically and plentifully mirror the generosity of your nation to your neighbors who are in need.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 41:4-13

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P.- Stay Awake

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Wake up! Sometimes that’s hard to do – particularly if you go to bed late or sleep sporadically during the night. You keep hitting that snooze alarm, hoping that you’ll eventually feel like you haven’t been run over by a truck.

I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Revelation 3:1

Today’s verse is Jesus speaking to the church at Sardis. He continues in the next verse by saying, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.” (Revelation 3:2) In the verse after that, He concludes: “Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent.”

Is there anything you know to do but are not doing? One good check-off list is in today’s recommended reading, which includes such things as respecting spiritual leaders, praying without ceasing, and doing good to others, even those who hurt you. Then take time today to pray for God’s Spirit to move in this country and turn hearts to Him. Pray that Christians will stay awake in this election season, remembering and applying those things received and heard from the Lord as they speak with others about their views and faith.

Recommended Reading: I Thessalonians 5:12-22

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Absence of Beauty

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I stood in front of the painting long enough that my neck hurt from craning upward, long enough to make the connection that onlookers that day likely held a similar stance as they watched Jesus of Nazareth on the cross. Francisco de Zurbarán’s massive 1627 painting The Crucifixion hangs in gallery 211 of the Chicago Art Institute. Viewers must stand back from the piece and gaze upward in order to take it all in. Zurbarán depicts the point just before Christ takes his last breath. His body leans forward from exhaustion; his head hangs downward. All details of any background activity are absent, the black backdrop a jarring juxtaposition beside his pale, bruised skin. The artist’s use of light intensifies the stark pull of sympathy towards a body that is both clearly suffering and yet somehow beautiful. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I believed about Christianity. But there was something about the painting I couldn’t stop trying to grasp.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R.- Family Tree Trouble

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Thanks to technology, it’s easier than ever to research family ancestry. Without even leaving your home, it’s possible to dig up a wealth of information about your long-ago relatives – discovering where they lived, their occupations, and much more. Now, suppose you are researching, hoping to discover you have royal blood in your veins, only to stumble upon a matriarchal relative who was a notorious prostitute who lived in the worst scumbag of a town known only for one thing: debauchery. Your family research project might come to an abrupt and disappointing end.

But Rahab the prostitute and her father‘s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive.

Joshua 6:25

Did you know that Jesus was a direct legal descendent of Rahab? Some commentators have tried to “correct” the record by suggesting the Hebrew term translated “harlot” really could be interpreted as “hostess” or “tavern keeper,” but the weight of scholarship is conclusive that Rahab was, in fact, a prostitute.

It is not your past but your future that matters! Rahab was “saved alive” because she turned from her wicked ways and followed God. Just as redemption was possible for her, it is possible for the nation’s citizens and leaders. Today, pray that they will turn to the Lord – and that America’s future will be blessed.

Recommended Reading: Exodus 6:1-8

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; – Credentials

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Some may remember the show What’s My Line? The panel had a certain amount of time to ask questions of three contestants, two of whom were imposters and the other who actually was who he said he was. Today many ask, “Since there are many religions, how do we know which one is true?” Even after the panelists asked questions, they often guessed the wrong person. The one who was true had the credentials.

Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise.”

Matthew 27:63

In today’s verse, the religious leaders pointed out to Pilate that Jesus said He’d rise again, so Pilate told them to secure the body so His disciples couldn’t steal it and say He had risen. They didn’t count on angels showing up and Jesus actually rising from the dead as He said He would. He fulfilled hundreds of scriptures, healed the sick and raised the dead. He died for everyone’s sin, resurrected, and ascended to Heaven. His predictions are coming true. Jesus has the credentials.

Many in America are still serving imposters. Ask the Lord to open their eyes in these last days and bring a spiritual revival to this nation. Pray for America’s leaders and citizens this Easter season to put their trust in the One who is alive!

Recommended Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M.- Tireless Prayer

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In his first season at the University of Alabama, football player Derrick Henry won several awards, including the college’s second Heisman Trophy. Today, the star running back has foregone his senior year to play as a professional in the National Football League. In his acceptance speech for the Heisman, Henry encouraged all of the young people who were watching.

While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept.

II Samuel 12:22

“Don’t be afraid to pray. He always hears your cry. If you have dreams, go chase them. If you believe it, you can achieve it, and God will be there every step of the way. I am a living testament, man. Growing up, having this dream, I am so nervous. I never thought I would be up here. But God is good and I get on my knees every night and thank Him for everything,” Henry said. “So keep God first. Always pray. And always chase your dream.”

Just as David in today’s verse prayed for his child as long as was possible, pray tirelessly for the children in your life to come to know Jesus as Savior. Intercede also that America’s future leaders will embrace godly values and seek His wisdom for all of their decisions.

Recommended Reading: II Samuel 12:13-22

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C.- Filter Change

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Have you discovered the amazing array of photo filters available on your phone’s camera? You can process a standard photo to appear similar to one taken with an old Polaroid, an antique land camera, or even psychedelic paint. While the filters are interesting, they still cannot change the subject matter. If you photographed a monkey, it will always be a monkey.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

I Corinthians 15:22

In the spiritual world, a different principle holds true. According to the Bible, every person born has a predisposition to sin and running away from God. It’s your inheritance from Adam, your distant grandfather, and the result is spiritual death. The good news is your old nature is not a permanent condition – if you choose Jesus as the way for reconciliation with Holy God. When you invite Christ to be Lord over you, a dramatic change takes place…not a filter change but a miraculous composition change. Your deadly sinful nature is rewired with Christ’s life-giving hope, helping you to reject sin and actually seek God.

Today, ask God to make more than a filter change in the lives of America’s leaders. Pray for those entering office to reject sin and find new life and faith in Jesus Christ.

Recommended Reading: Ezekiel 36:22-33

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W.- Love in Judgment

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Today’s worldwide statistics on orphans are staggering. An estimated 153 million children have lost one or both parents. This number doesn’t include another 150 million street children, trafficked children and child soldiers. Many ask why so many children suffer. “Because of sin in the world” may not be an answer that satisfies. Some think those children didn’t do anything wrong, but the consequences of sin reach far beyond the person who commits the sin.

Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me.

Jeremiah 49:11

In today’s verse, the Edomites, Israel’s enemy, were about to be destroyed in divine judgment, but God still promised to care for their widows and orphans. He gave hope that even when there is a price to pay for wrongdoing, He still cares for and loves you and your family even while bringing His purposes to fruition.

Sin and its vast consequences are tragic, but pray today for the Lord to make His presence known as a father to the fatherless. Ask also that God will lovingly bring national leaders who fall into scandal or wrongdoing through His judgment – and that they will repent and choose to trust in Him.

Recommended Reading: Hosea 14:1-9

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H.- See and Believe

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David Copperfield is hailed as one of the greatest magicians of all time. He has grossed over $4 billion, more than any other solo performer. People are amazed at his ability to seemingly defy the laws of nature before their very eyes. Onlookers are left scratching their collective heads and saying to themselves, “How can it be?”

But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Mark 16:11

The disciples in today’s passage surely asked the same question when Mary Magdalene arrived to tell them Jesus was alive. They wanted to see it with their own eyes because seeing is believing. No magic was necessary to bring Jesus back from the grave. God doesn’t seemingly defy the laws of nature – He actually literally controls them.

Until Jesus returns, no one on Earth will see His physical body like Mary and later the disciples did that day. But when you serve and love one another, you are the hands and feet of Christ. When others see the love of God through you, they, too, may come to see and believe in Him. Pray for Americans and your national leaders to see Jesus in the lives of believers and come to know Him as well.

Recommended Reading: Luke 24:1-12

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