20 Days of Prayer Day 18 "We Crucified God's Son, His Only Son, the Son He Loved"

Today is day 18 of our 20 days of prayer. Today, Friday, we mark Jesus’ death on the cross. On this day, over 2000 years ago, God sent His Son, His Only Son, the One He loved, to suffer a brutal, bloody, and horrific death on the instrument of torture we call the cross. John writes, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4: 9). Sin separates us from God. But for sin to be propitiated, there must be blood. And not any blood, but the blood of a perfect, spotless sacrifice. God could find no one in this sin-drenched universe to be this sacrifice, except His own Son. So, God decided – because of His great, self-sacrificial love for you and me – to send Jesus to die in my place so I could live.

On the morning Jesus went before Pilate, the world was one way. By early evening on that same day, the world had completely changed – the Kingdom of God was released and nothing would ever be the same. I commend this prayer by Brenda Bradshaw to you. In it, she praises God for this new Kingdom life, only possible because of what happened on that Friday, 2000 years ago.

John Van Wagoner

He Brings Gifts Into Our Lives

“He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, and serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely” (Gal. 5:22-23 The Message).

Dear heavenly Father, how blessed we are to be Your children, to live under Your tender care, to grow more like You as we walk with you and learn to surrender our wills to Your will and finally learn to love You and each other as You have shown us—deeply, sacrificially, holding nothing back.

This Holy Week, help us to be less focused on whatever hardships we are facing and concentrate wholly on the inexpressibly loving sacrifice of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

We thank You for all Your gifts and pray that, by the power and guidance of Your Holy Spirit living within us, we will use them in service to others in Your name and to honor and glorify You. Amen

Brenda Bradshaw