3 John - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 3 John.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/3jo/1/1/s_1166001

Meditate on verses 1-3.

 

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health,

just as your soul prospers.  For I was very glad when brethren came

and testified to your truth, that is how you are walking in the truth.

 

John’s letter to Gaius is positive because he was walking in the truth.  Poor Diotrephes gets his name in the Bible as someone who was seeking a place of prominence rather than for upholding the truth.

 

People like Diotrephes are still in the church today; they hurt the faith of others by sowing seeds of untruth. “The Bible is not really true.”  Or, “Jesus could not really be all God and all man at the same time, could He?”

 

As you enter the New Year this evening, enter with conviction to live by the truths of God.  Let your abiding fellowship with God and your growing, prayerful, loving, obedient walk with the LORD work to make you a more truthful person.  Be truthful with God, with the Word, with yourself, and with others.  Next year, look back at this commitment and see what a difference walking with the LORD in truth has made in your life and the lives of those you love.

 

Pray 3 John 1-3, for yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“Lord, help _______ and me love in truth.

In all respects, let __________ prosper and be in good health.

Let our souls prosper as we walk in the truth. 

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

2 John - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 2 John.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/2jo/1/1/s_1165001

Meditate on verses 5-6.

 

Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to

you a new commandment, but the one which we

have had from the beginning, that we love one another.  

And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.  

This is the commandment, just as you have heard from

the beginning, that you should walk in it.

 

John addressed the church (lady) with a command for all believers, to walk

in the commandment to love one another.  Jesus said it this way in John

14:21:

 

“He who has My commandments and keeps them

 is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will

be loved by My Father, and I will love him

and will disclose Myself to him.”

 

There is a remarkable promise in that verse.  If you obey the LORD, then

you love Him, and God loves you in a special way by revealing Himself to

you through Jesus.  Walk with the LORD in step with the Spirit (Galatians

5:25), and you will be able to obediently walk in love every day.

 

Pray, in the power of the Holy Spirit, 2 John 5-6 over yourself and those

for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-

7).

 

“LORD, help _________ and me love one another. 

Help us lovingly walk according to Your commandments.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

 

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

1 John 4 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 1 John 4.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/1jo/4/1/s_1163001

Meditate on verse 8.

 

The one who does not love does

not know God, for God is love.

 

Preparing for the New Year, you’ve had the opportunity to be in awe of

God’s gift of Jesus, His gift of forgiveness, and His gift of being His son or

daughter.  With these gifts, there is an expectation of living a changed life,

not in order to earn salvation, that was God’s free gift to you, but a life changed

because you have received salvation, and your heart is made new.

 

1 John 4 is a challenge to live your life abounding in love, God’s love.  He

gave you Jesus, so you can love like the Father loves (vs. 9-10).  He gave you

the Holy Spirit to perfect His love in you and help you love right now (v.

12).  The Holy Spirit inside you is proof God abides in you, and you

abide in God (v. 13).  What an amazing relationship you have with God

and others!

 

The rest of the chapter builds on how important this loving relationship

is to God.  Make it important for every day of the rest of your life. P ray

1 John 4:8-13 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a

faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, thank You that ______ and I know You.

Help us live through Jesus.

Thank You for loving us and sending Your

 Son to be the propitiation, the sacrifice,

 that satisfied Your wrath for our sins.

Help us love one another. 

God abide in us.  Perfect Your love in us.

Thank You for the Holy Spirit, so

we can know we abide in You.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

1 John 3 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 1 John 3.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/1jo/3/1/s_1162001

Meditate on verses 1-3.

 

See how great a love the Father has bestowed

on us, that we would be called children of God;

and such we are.  For this reason the world does

not know us, because it did not know Him. 

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has

 not appeared as yet what we will be.

 We know that when He appears we will be like

 Him, because we will see Him just as he is.

 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him

purifies himself, just as He is pure.

 

It matters a lot if your father is God.  It is an enormous gift to become children of God.  You become a child of God when you become a Christian.  It is a rebirth.  James 1:18 says when you are reborn you are the first fruits of a new type or kind of creation.  This is new DNA in the spiritual realm—unseen before Pentecost.  1 Peter 1:3-4 and 23-25 says you are born again into a living hope, to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, not fading, and on reservation for you in heaven.

If you are a part of the family, you want to grow to become more like Jesus.  Fix your eyes on Him.  Grow each day to be more like Him.

Pray 1 John 3:1 and 3 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, help ______ and me see Your great love for

 us, making us Your children.

Help us and the world to know You.

Help us fix our hope on You, Jesus;

purify us, just as You are pure.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

1 John 2 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 1 John 2.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/1jo/2/1/s_1161001

Meditate on verses 28-29.

 

Now, little children abide in Him, so that when

 He appears, we may have confidence and not

shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

 If you know that He is righteous, you know

that everyone also who practices

 righteousness is born of Him.

 

Over the next few days as you prepare for the New Year, you will be challenged to prepare your life for living with the LORD.  As you read during the next six days, you will see John refer to you as “children” 17 times and refer to the “children of the Devil” one time.  It is a big deal who your father is.

In this passage of Scripture, John contrasts behaviors of the children of God and those who are not.  Take a slow look at this chapter again.  How do you see yourself in the comparisons?  Even faithful believers will have areas of improvement, maybe areas of confession and repentance.

It is great to have a forgiving God.  Look at 1 John 1:8-2:2.  What a Christmas present!  God gave you Jesus so you can be forgiven, become His child, and abide with Him.

Pray 1 John 1:9 and 2:28-29 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, I confess my sins to You. 

Thank You for faithfully and righteously forgiving my sins

and cleansing me from all unrighteousness.

Help me abide in You, so that when You appear,

I may have confidence and not shrink away

 from You in shame at You coming.

 As Your child, help me practice righteousness.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

1 John 1 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 1 John 1.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/1jo/1/1/s_1160001

Meditate on verses 1, 2a, and 3b.

 

What was from the beginning, what we

 have heard, what we have seen with our eyes,

what we have looked at and touched with

our hands, concerning the Word of Life—

and the life was manifested, and we have seen

and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life,

so that you too may have fellowship with us;

and indeed our fellowship is with the

Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

 

John was one of the three disciples closest to Jesus.  He loved Jesus and knew his family well.  In fact, on the cross, Jesus gave John the responsibility to look after Mary when He said to her, “Woman, behold your son!” and to John, “Behold your mother” (John 19:26-27).  John lived over 60 years beyond that time.

John spent years with Mary and her children.  He knew the stories of the night of Jesus’ birth, heralded by bright lights and hosts of joyful angels announcing the King of Kings, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace.  John, the eyewitness of Jesus, joins in proclaiming this is the One who came so people can have fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ (v. 3).

Hear his Christmas message for you!  John wrote so you can know the fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ!

Pray 1 John 1:1-2 and 7 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“Word of Life, thank you for coming to earth

 to be heard, seen, looked at, and touched!

Help ____ and me to have eternal life

and fellowship with You. Help us walk in the

Light, as You, Yourself are the Light.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

2 Samuel 24 - Praying God's Wor

 

Please read 2 Samuel 24.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/2sa/24/1/s_291001

Meditate on verse 10b.

 

David said to the LORD, “I have sinned

greatly in what I have done. 

But now, O LORD, please take away

 the iniquity of Your servant,

 for I have acted very foolishly.”

 

Sin is costly.  Nine months and 20 days wasted; 70,000 men dead because David disobeyed God (vs. 8, 15).   God stopped the plague when David built an altar on a threshing floor purchased from Araunah/Ornan (1 Chronicles 21:18- 30).  This place of sacrifice eventually became the location of God’s temple.

Then Solomon began to build the house

of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah,

where the LORD had appeared to his father David,

at the place that David had prepared on

the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

—2 Chronicles 3:1

 

David was not the first to offer a sacrifice on Mount Moriah.  1,000 years earlier, God called Abraham to take his only son Isaac “to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains” (Genesis 22:1-2).  God provided a ram to replace Isaac that day, and He knew a day was coming, on that same mountain next to the temple built on a threshing floor, when He would die as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world (John 1:29).  The Baby you celebrate today is that Lamb who died to end the plague of sin and death for you.

Thank Jesus for the gift of Himself, and pray 2 Samuel 24:14 and 25 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let ________ and me fall into Your

 hands, for Your mercies are great.

 Do not let us fall into the hands of men. 

LORD, be moved by prayer for our land.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

 

2 Samuel 23 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 2 Samuel 23.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/2sa/23/1/s_290001

Meditate on verses 2-3a.

 

The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. 

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me…

 

The Rock of Israel is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).  He spoke to David, and David called Him, “LORD” (Matthew 22:41-45).  Jesus, the descendant of David, is also the LORD of David. “Jesus, the Messiah, the son of David” was born to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:1, 21b).  He made an everlasting covenant with David for salvation (v. 5), and that covenant extends to you and those you love.

This is the Christmas story!  Jesus is God; He was born in the flesh in order to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2).  The Sacrifice died and rose on the third day proving He is indeed God.  When you, like David, call Him, “LORD” and enter into the everlasting covenant He made with you, your salvation is secured (v. 5).

Pray 2 Samuel 23:2-3 and 5 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“Spirit of the LORD, speak by me. 

Let Your Word be on my tongue.

God of Israel, the Rock of Israel, speak to me.

Truly, let my house be with You, God,

for You have made an everlasting covenant with me,

 ordered in all things and secured;

 for all my salvation and all my desire. 

Make this covenant grow to include _________.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

2 Samuel 22 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 2 Samuel 22.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/2sa/22/1/s_289001

Meditate on verse 47.

 

The LORD lives, and blessed by my rock;

 and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation.

 

As Christmas approaches, think about Jesus and who He is (vs. 2-3):

·      The LORD

·      My Rock

·      My Fortress

·      My Deliverer

·      My God

·      My Shield

·      My Stronghold

·      My Refuge

·      My Savior

 

What has Jesus done for you this past year?

·      He drew me out of many waters (v. 17).

·      He delivered me from my strong enemy (v. 18).

·      He was my support (v. 19).

·      He rescued me (v. 20).

 

“David spoke the words of this song to the LORD” (v. 1).   Reread 2 Samuel 22 and say the words to Jesus as a gift of thanks to Him for coming to earth to rescue you.

 

“LORD, You are my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior…”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

 

 

 

2 Samuel 21 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 2 Samuel 21.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/2sa/21/1/s_288001

Meditate on verse 1.

 

Now there was a famine in the days of David

 for three years, year after year;

 and David sought the presence of the LORD. 

And the LORD said, “It is for Saul and his bloody house,

because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

 

This is a chapter about real life—dealing with mistakes from the past, dealing with the sins of others, and dealing with giants.  David dealt with life by seeking the presence of the LORD.  God explained to him the reason for the famine; it was punishment for Saul breaking a 400-year-old covenant with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:1-10:21).  Based on God’s commands (Numbers 35:33-34), David avenged the blood of the Gibeonites and properly buried the dead.  “After that God was moved by prayer for the land” (v. 14).

Christmas is the perfect time to seek the LORD’s presence, asking Him to reveal to you and your family mistakes from the past and sins that need to be forgiven. Perhaps the best gift you could give is a written or spoken message to one who needs you to forgive them for sinning against you.  The gracious gift of forgiveness topples giants just like Jesus’ forgiveness toppled giants in your life.

Use the words from 2 Samuel 21:1, 14, 16, and 22 to pray over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, I seek Your presence for my family.

Please be moved by prayer for us.

This giant intends to kill us.  Let me kill the giant.

By Your hand, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

2 Samuel 20 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read 2 Samuel 20.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/2sa/20/1/s_287001

Meditate on verses 15b-16.

 

All the people who were with

Joab were wreaking destruction

in order to topple the wall. 

Then a wise woman called from the city,

 “Hear, hear!  Please tell Joab, ‘Come

 here that I may speak with you.’”

 

David reaped the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:10- 12).  His foolishness resulted in death and destruction and brought foolish fellows into his life, like Sheba (v. 1).  Sheba wanted to divide David’s kingdom.  Joab, David’s commander, nearly destroyed an entire city trying to stop him.  God used a wise woman to stop Joab.  Sheba lost his head, but everyone else kept theirs.

While the Christmas Holy days should be joyous, sometimes foolish family members come together, causing division.  And perhaps a zealous relative will try to destroy the foolishness, resulting in more destruction.  Ask God to make you a wise, peaceable, and faithful family member who speaks His counsel to others.  Ask the LORD to give your family ears to hear His Word.

Pray 2 Samuel 20:15-17, 19, and 22 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, there are people wreaking destruction

 and trying to topple my family.  Make me wise.

 Let _________ come and hear that I may speak

with them.  Let them listen to me.

 Make me a peaceable and faithful family member. 

Let _______ stop seeking to destroy us. 

Do not let them swallow up our inheritance

 from You, LORD.  Make us wise and able to cut off

the head of the problem without destroying our family.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell