Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
World Women’s Day of Prayer
Ephesians 4:1-7
I “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (Ephesians 4:1-7)
Devotion
I “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (Ephesians 4:1-7)
Devotion
The word ‘entitlement’ can be defined as the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. Often the sense of entitlement and feeling of superiority go hand in hand. This was very much the case of the Jewish people who lived with the sense of superiority and entitlement as ‘God's chosen people’. As God's own people, they considered themselves special and set apart from the rest of the world and believed that salvation belonged only to them and no one else. However, Jesus shattered these barriers and made the kingdom of God available to anyone who chose to believe in Him. This must have been a huge shock to the crowds who heard Jesus as He was claiming the kingdom of God was open to all who chose to follow Christ.
Peter must have also lived with a sense of entitlement and superiority as a disciple of Jesus. After all, Jesus had designated Peter as the ‘Rock’ on which He would build His church and as a ‘Fisher Of Men’. Naturally, Peter felt special not only as a Jew but even more so as Jesus’ disciple.
God humbled Peter through a vision as described in Acts Chapter 10. Through the vision, God showed Peter that all of His creation is special and worthy. Peter realized then that what he had been given was a gift that was to be shared freely. Peter did not incur any cost to receive this gift, then how could Peter decide who should or should not receive what had been given to him freely?
Through his vision, God was preparing Peter to lose his sense of entitlement and freely spread the Gospel to anyone who might be willing to receive it. Cornelius was such a man who was eagerly waiting to receive the Gospel and had sent men to Peter. Peter went to Cornelius, shared the good news and all who heard Peter's message received the Holy Spirit. When the circumcised believers heard what had happened, they became upset because what they had considered a precious commodity was now being given to anyone who believed. When they realized God does not show favoritism, they became upset with Peter for sharing the Gospel that only they had a right to know about. What they did not realize was that the Gospel was a gift from God. Peter pointed out to them that it was God's will to freely give everyone the gift of salvation and Peter, having enjoyed the gift from God, chose to share.
As a Christian, it is our duty to share the gift we have been given. We all have faults within us. We are all fractured and broken in our own ways, but it is the love of God and His willingness to Today we live in a polarized world. We disagree with each other in so many ways: Religion, Politics, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, generational, geographical and the list goes on.
The theme of the 2024 WDP written by the Christian women of Palestine reflects the conflicts they are facing around them. They are praying for peace and unity. Paul's letter to Ephesians, chapter 4:1-7 is giving advice to Christians in Ephesus on how to live with each other.
Paul's advice includes “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends…I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” (John 15:12,13,17)
Paul’s letter to Ephesians is considered one of Paul’s “prison letters,” written in Rome around 60-61 CE. Paul wrote this epistle to strengthen the community of faith in Christ, the grace of God and the Gospel. He also wrote to encourage them to continue their work of living in holiness and service in response to God’s redeeming quality. Ephesians therefore carries themes of exhortation and assurance.
In these verses, Paul encourages the Ephesians to live a sanctified life, bearing with one another in humility and love, to maintain the gift of unity that God had given to them. Paul reminds the Ephesians that God chose both Gentiles and Jews to be saved and bringing together people of quite diverse backgrounds through the shared promise guaranteed by Christ to all the members of his church. Paul urges the Ephesians to live a life worthy of the calling they received, as people united with one another through Christ’s saving work.
A call for unity among God’s people: This calling is not easy. It requires patience, self-denial, and love. Paul reminds the Ephesians to be united in one spirit by the hope they share in Christ. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace: This humble, forgiving attitude towards each other naturally fulfills the gift of unity of the spirit. We must endeavor to keep this unity in Christ Jesus.
Peter must have also lived with a sense of entitlement and superiority as a disciple of Jesus. After all, Jesus had designated Peter as the ‘Rock’ on which He would build His church and as a ‘Fisher Of Men’. Naturally, Peter felt special not only as a Jew but even more so as Jesus’ disciple.
God humbled Peter through a vision as described in Acts Chapter 10. Through the vision, God showed Peter that all of His creation is special and worthy. Peter realized then that what he had been given was a gift that was to be shared freely. Peter did not incur any cost to receive this gift, then how could Peter decide who should or should not receive what had been given to him freely?
Through his vision, God was preparing Peter to lose his sense of entitlement and freely spread the Gospel to anyone who might be willing to receive it. Cornelius was such a man who was eagerly waiting to receive the Gospel and had sent men to Peter. Peter went to Cornelius, shared the good news and all who heard Peter's message received the Holy Spirit. When the circumcised believers heard what had happened, they became upset because what they had considered a precious commodity was now being given to anyone who believed. When they realized God does not show favoritism, they became upset with Peter for sharing the Gospel that only they had a right to know about. What they did not realize was that the Gospel was a gift from God. Peter pointed out to them that it was God's will to freely give everyone the gift of salvation and Peter, having enjoyed the gift from God, chose to share.
As a Christian, it is our duty to share the gift we have been given. We all have faults within us. We are all fractured and broken in our own ways, but it is the love of God and His willingness to Today we live in a polarized world. We disagree with each other in so many ways: Religion, Politics, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, generational, geographical and the list goes on.
The theme of the 2024 WDP written by the Christian women of Palestine reflects the conflicts they are facing around them. They are praying for peace and unity. Paul's letter to Ephesians, chapter 4:1-7 is giving advice to Christians in Ephesus on how to live with each other.
Paul's advice includes “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends…I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” (John 15:12,13,17)
Paul’s letter to Ephesians is considered one of Paul’s “prison letters,” written in Rome around 60-61 CE. Paul wrote this epistle to strengthen the community of faith in Christ, the grace of God and the Gospel. He also wrote to encourage them to continue their work of living in holiness and service in response to God’s redeeming quality. Ephesians therefore carries themes of exhortation and assurance.
In these verses, Paul encourages the Ephesians to live a sanctified life, bearing with one another in humility and love, to maintain the gift of unity that God had given to them. Paul reminds the Ephesians that God chose both Gentiles and Jews to be saved and bringing together people of quite diverse backgrounds through the shared promise guaranteed by Christ to all the members of his church. Paul urges the Ephesians to live a life worthy of the calling they received, as people united with one another through Christ’s saving work.
A call for unity among God’s people: This calling is not easy. It requires patience, self-denial, and love. Paul reminds the Ephesians to be united in one spirit by the hope they share in Christ. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace: This humble, forgiving attitude towards each other naturally fulfills the gift of unity of the spirit. We must endeavor to keep this unity in Christ Jesus.
Prayer
O Lord, we pray that you lighten the life of all women on the earth with freedom of expression, good health, joy, and self-actualization. May you bring new hope to the lives of all oppressed women and give them a better life! Amen.
Mariamma Abraham (Lalitha)
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church Houston
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church
O Lord, we pray that you lighten the life of all women on the earth with freedom of expression, good health, joy, and self-actualization. May you bring new hope to the lives of all oppressed women and give them a better life! Amen.
Mariamma Abraham (Lalitha)
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church Houston
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church