Sometimes we may get caught in a bit of a trap of thinking about God simply in broad, non-precise terms. For example, we may think and pray about how God has saved us from our sins and promises to bring us to dwell with him forever.
This is a beautiful and infinitely glorious truth! But there is more.
As Christians when we think of God, we think in Trinitarian terms. There is one God, one being that is God. At the same time, within the one being that is God there are distinct, coequal, coeternal persons. The distinct persons are: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father sent the Son. Jesus, the Son, lived and died for us, purchasing our redemption. The Holy Spirit was sent to apply what the Son has accomplished according to the what the Father has decreed. Look, you just went from a “Costco sample sized” prayer or theological thought to a 48 oz. ribeye!
Consider also the work of evangelism. This is another area that often gets relegated to more generalized thinking and praying. Think about how you pray about evangelism. When we pray we may simply say, “God, please save Joe.”
There is nothing wrong with this. Please don’t misunderstand. But, there is more.
What if we were thinking of evangelism, praying for people and pursuing a life of faithful evangelism with some of the following biblical truths and prayers on our minds?
- The Trinity is involved in the task of making disciples. Remember, the baptism of a new convert: They are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Mt. 28:19-20)
- Prayer: God three in one, I am helpless without you. Use me to faithfully, boldly and lovingly speak of Christ. Give me opportunities and the guts to take them. Make disciples for your Trinitarian fame.
- It was the Father who created people for his own glory. He has sent Jesus to recover his hungry and hurting people by means of his perfect work of atonement. (Gen. 1:1; Isa. 43.7; Mk. 6:34: Rm. 5:6ff)
- Prayer: Father, you have committed yourself to the highest level to rescue and restore your warped and wrecked creation; make me to be a willing, committed participant in this mission.
- Jesus himself was moved by love for his Father and for the lost. He became a man so that he could save people from their sin. Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:5-7)
- Prayer: My loving Savior, your holy love for your Father coupled with your redemptive love for the lost makes me want to say, ‘Depart from me for I am a sinful man,’ but I remember that you call, cleanse and commission sinners to be soul-winners! Use me, O Great Savior, for your mission!
- Prayer: My loving Savior, your holy love for your Father coupled with your redemptive love for the lost makes me want to say, ‘Depart from me for I am a sinful man,’ but I remember that you call, cleanse and commission sinners to be soul-winners! Use me, O Great Savior, for your mission!
