CHAPTER  TEN
Pray And Move To Reconcile

 

Let us not continue to look backwards at our past mistakes always revisiting what once was, but now let us look forward to our new future! “Brethren, I count not myself to apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13
“Wherefore let him that stands take heed lest he fall.” 1Corinthians 10:12 It is very important that we recognize the importance of having relationships, family and friends that we can count on, that we can call on, and depend upon in our time of need.

In order to establish these relationships we equally also must be there for them in their time of need. “If we desire to have friends we must show ourselves friendly” If we are prideful and insist that we can do things on our own then we fail to take heed of how important it is that we have others to help us, and how easy it is for us to fall.
Why is it that we prefer to do things ourselves, knowing that no one person is able to conquer life alone? Now we have made mistakes, but there is none that are so far gone that we cannot be restored, but we must recognize that we need God, and that we need each other, many will say, “I got my God and he is enough” Why then is it that God himself has stated, “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18
It is because together we are stronger, as it is written, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10
You see a move to reconcile is for our good, it is for the good of all relationships, but it is that we should realize that we need to stop hurting the relationships that we have made and move to make amends and repair any that have been broken. The mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus includes love and friendship with others, as Jesus has called to, as it is written, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12, this is the high calling in Christ. We need to press towards this mark. A move to reconcile is pressing forward towards this mark. To do this we need to forget the past and forgetting the past can only be done by accepting the forgiveness that Jesus has given to us all by shedding his blood to wash away our sins. We can’t forget what Jesus has done for us, we can’t think that we will be ok without him! Here we pray, what do we pray?

We pray for God to help us be reconciled, sure we can go to those that we have offended or hurt and try to be reconciled and this may work, but if you find that it isn’t working there is a good chance that it will require that you pray, and not just a simple prayer, but a fervent prayer that shows God and the other person that it is important to you, that you care about this relationship and that you value this relationship and you do this by showing to God your effort in prayer.
Pray and move to reconcile is exactly in this order, I recommend that you pray and that you ask others to agree with you in prayer, tell of your desire to have your friendship repaired, your family relationship restored, through Jesus this can all take place with a miraculous healing and restoration.

When we are reconciled with others we learn to live for others and not ourselves only!
Living For Others!
"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1
OUR CHALLENGE TODAY!
The famous Evangelist F.B. Meyers said, "A yielded life to God is a life that lives for others." O.K., this is it, we must first be yielded to God, this means that our old man with our old ways are put to death, and the new man wakes each day to live unto God, surrendered and yielded to his call, God's calling is never one that is focused only on our advantage, in other words, it's not about our gain or our advantage, but rather the gain or advantage of others, and his kingdom.

Now the question is, are you living your life for others, or are you trying to find the advantage or gain for you?
Are you serving God for you, or are you serving God for God, and for others?
Since we no longer belong to ourselves when we come to Jesus, and since we were bought with a price, even the crucifixion of Jesus for our sin, who is it that we belong to?
And who is it that should gain from this yielding of ourselves unto God? As we read,
"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:20
To whom does our life belong? We belong to God, and therefore it is reasonable for us to present ourselves ready for service, for God, and for others, and not self alone!
As we read Romans 12:1 we further see that this is not unreasonable that we should be ready, yielded, and even excited to serve!

God doesn't ask from us more than we are able to do if we follow him, it may be more than some others might want us to do, but we don't belong to these others, but rather unto God!
Some do not want to surrender unto God, and some don't want to do for others, but these two are very reasonable expectations, considering that these are commands from our God who loves us so, as we read, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Does God have the right to ask that we live for others?

Absolutely YES!

And this is acceptable unto God.