Thursday, January 9, 2020

EACF 40 Days of Prayer - January 9, 2020

EACF 40 Days of Prayer 2020
Day 9: Praying for Fruit of Gentleness

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:22-25 ESV

What is gentleness? How is it God's goodness to exhibit gentleness? Was Jesus gentle?

Sometimes he was and sometimes he wasn't - he was tender to repentant sinners but seemed angry toward the obstinate Pharisees. For me, coming from an Asian culture that tends toward non-confrontational comfort zones, how do I differentiate between gentleness and culturally-formed avoidance? Scripture helps us:
Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. - Titus 2:15-3:2
Being gentle does not mean not declaring, exhorting, or rebuking. It does not mean becoming invisible or inactive. We can call out sin while still pursuing gentleness. They are not mutually exclusive.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. - James 3:17-18
Gentleness is fruit of the Spirit, and as such, it is born of a godly heart and motive - righteousness is our goal. Gentleness is not about preserving a fleshly sense of comfort but about promoting making peace with God by conveying God's grace.

Praying for gentleness means praying for us to have a heart, mind, and spirit that are nurtured by God's grace. Godly gentleness pursues God's goals with a gracious heart, because Christ laid down His life for us while exposing our sins.

Pray for the goodness of the Spirit's gentleness to help people today. Who needs to experience God's gentleness? Maybe you know someone who's been hurt and needs this God-ward gentleness. Pray for two people to experience God in this way and to grow in gentleness. Remember to write down the names of those for whom you prayed, and send them a message saying you prayed for them today, to encourage them and demonstrate to them how God loves us so we can love others. You can say, "I prayed for you today. Is there anything I can keep in mind as I continue to pray for you?" As we do this, God will work powerfully through our group, bringing us closer together and closer to Him.

This is day 9 as we "Pray for Good." Bless others with gentleness today!

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