THE WORD OF GOD IN ACTION
God’s Word has power to change and transform us! Isaiah says that God’s Word is like the rain and the snow which make the barren ground spring to life and become abundantly fertile. God’s Word has power to penetrate our dry barren hearts and make them springs of new life. If God’s Word takes root in our heart, it will transform us into His likeness. Ambrose, a fourth century church Father, wrote that the reason we should devote time for reading scripture is to hear Christ speak to us. “Are you not occupied with Christ? Why do you not talk with him? By reading the Scriptures, we listen to Christ.”
The power of speech, or communication, is one of the most wonderful gifts that God has given us. Through words we can tell others our thoughts, our feelings, our hopes and our joys. What we say to others in words can change completely their attitude toward us and establish a new relationship.
The prayer He taught, the “Our Father,” was intended to be a model for prayer. Jesus did not mean that the words of the “Our Father” are the only ones we should use. It is the spirit behind those words which matter the most--a spirit of simplicity, directness and sincerity.
Points to Pray and Ponder:
Words are wonderful, especially the Word of God. We must listen to that Word and put it into action and this happens because we have given it great attention. Our words will also be pretty wonderful as well, if we pray in the way Jesus taught us. All we need to do is be real with “our Father.” Are you?
