When we are Born Again by the blood of the Lamb, God's Spirit replaces the carnal nature in our soul with the divine nature of Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4; Galatians 2:20). He is constantly perfecting us by His Spirit who abides in our spirit. He takes away our desire to sin, and unrighteous living no longer appeals to us.
God's Spirit helps our weaknesses and illnesses. He searches our heart and knows our mind; then He prays for us according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27). Prayer is speaking to God from our heart. Ritualistic prayers and formulas for prayer are unnecessary. God already knows our heart and wants to hear our own heart-felt words (Ephesians 1:18).
God also places His prayer burdens on our heart for the lost people groups in our world, for the persecuted church, for those burdened by illness, for people devastated by the loss of a loved one through death or divorce, our unsaved loved ones, etc. Prayer prepares us for victory both in life and in death.
Dying is not the travesty of life; it is the reward of a life lived in Christ. Jesus removed the sting of death, and He gave authentic Believers the victory over it through His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:54; Isaiah 25:8). In fact, there is a greater benefit for us to go Home to the glory of Heaven than to continue living life here on this sin-cursed earth.
What the world views as the finality of death is actually a victorious event to God. He uses it for our ultimate good, because God rejoices in the death of His Saints (Romans 8:28; Psalm 116:15). We encourage loved ones to fight debilitating illnesses and to live with unbearable pain in order not to leave us alone on this earth, which places a heavy burden on them.
Once we see death as God views it, however, we can rejoice with those we love as they slip from the confines of this world into the glorious light of Heaven and into the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8). Life in His service starts here on earth but intensifies once we attain our glorified body (1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:21), and live in continual union with Him throughout eternity.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You that, through Christ, death is swallowed up in victory. We know that Your Holy Spirit works in our heart, until the glorious day when either Christ returns for His Bride, or we come through the valley of death into Your glorious light (1 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 60:1). Remind us not to limit You by our thoughts and fears, but teach us to pray the words, which Your Spirit inspires us with, and which sometimes breaks our heart to utter (Romans 8:26).
We do not want to relinquish the presence of our loved one on this earth, but You draw a boundary around our life and call Your Saints home in Your timing and way. We can avail our self to advanced medical means of sustaining our life here on earth, but when the time comes for us to depart this world, thank You for giving us Your dying grace and eternal perspective. We look forward to seeing You face-to-face on that special day.
Thought for the Day:
Once we realize our human limitations, we will rely on God's Spirit to pray through us during our life, as well as to escort us through death to our heavenly Home in glory. There is nothing on this earth that compares to the glories of Heaven and the opportunity to abide in God’s presence for eternity.
- Romans 8:26-34; 2 Corinthians 5:1
