ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
Jesus is Supreme. Read the passage below and reflect on the Supremacy of Jesus. Reflect on who He is and what he has done.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Praise Jesus.
Use the passage above to speak words of praise to Jesus. Praise Him for being before all things. Praise Him for bing the peace-maker. Praise Him for being creator.
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for unchurched friends. Ask God to give you opportunities to have gospel conversations with those who do not know Him.
- Pray for our Christmas Eve service. Ask God to use that time to grow our church and to introduce the gospel to those who don’t know Christ.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Colossians 3:1-17 Christian Standard Bible
The Life of the New Man
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. 11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
The Christian Life
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
In the world of military chaplaincy there has been an ongoing debate about whether a chaplain could or should “pray in Jesus name.” Generally speaking the rule of thumb is that when people are ordered to attend an event the chaplain should be careful how partisan his prayer is. If the event is voluntary, like a chapel service for instance, then the chaplain can be less concerned with those who believe differently. The issue of praying in Jesus’ name has been extremely controversial. Some believe they must end with the phrase “In Jesus name” or they are betraying their conscience and the Lord. Others believe that using that phrase is unnecessarily provocative for those who don’t follow Christ and who might be in attendance and it is unnecessary for those who follow him. The fact is as a believer all your prayers are prayed in “Jesus name.” You don’t have to tack those words on at the end for it to be so. When you pray to the Father, you go in the authority and power of the Son. Just as all prayers are in the name of Jesus so too our lives and words are all to be in his name. This means that whatever we say and whatever we do, we must do in the authority and through the power of Jesus. To live and speak in the name of Jesus is to realize that all we are is his. In addition all that we do, all that we should do, is to be done in his power. When we feel we are at the end of ourselves, then we can finally see his power at work in us.