Check out all the previous Pray for ONE readings here.
Pray for ONE Reading Plan | Week 1 | Day 2
Prayer
Allow some silence for your soul to catch up with your body. Hebrews 12:2 says that as Jesus faced the cross, it was the joy of us in heaven with Him that motivated Him. Thank Jesus for loving you and ask HIm to teach you about His heart today.
Bible Reading: Luke 15:1-7
Read these verses three times slowly.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Reflection & Questions
Celebration reveals values. What we throw parties about shows us what we care about. Whether it be a birthday, an anniversary or a team’s victory. So what makes heaven throw a party? Amazingly, it is one sinner who truly repents. Heaven goes crazy over that!
And that’s why Jesus was always hanging out with sinners. He was over the moon at the thought of people who knew they needed freedom and forgiveness finding it in Him. The Pharisees and the teacher of the law weren’t hanging out with them. They were disgusted by them. As far as they were concerned, sinners would keep them out of heaven. The Pharisees considered themselves clean and didn’t want to be contaminated by sinners.
However, for Jesus, it was these lost sinners repenting that gave him joy. It was the thought of these ONEs finding freedom and forgiveness in Him that motivated Him to leave heaven and become a man. As we think about reaching ONEs, that same joy is a powerful motivation for us! The joy of heaven of our ONE coming to know Jesus. Heaven will be throwing parties! And so will we.
- Do you spend time with people who don’t know Jesus? If not, talk to God about that and ask Him what steps you need to take.
- Have you considered joy as a motivator for reaching ONEs? Picture for a moment someone you know coming to know Jesus and praising HIm. Let the joy of that picture stick in your mind as you think about being a witness for Jesus!
Prayer
Talk to God in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
