Welcome to 40 Days of Prayer, His Messengers 2 Corinthians 5:18 Week 3, Day 6

HIS MESSENGERS 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18
God has given each of us the ministry of reconciliation. In this sense, reconciliation has to do with making peace between parties that are at odds with one another. As followers of Jesus, we have the great and sacred responsibility of helping others come to peace with God. Christ made such peace possible through His sacrifice on the Cross. His part is complete, and ours is ongoing.
Every person you see is a candidate for reconciliation. We regard no one as unworthy of God’s mercy or from a “worldly point of view” (2 Cor. 5:16). It is easy to view humanity from a worldly perspective, but we must see them from heaven’s point of view.
Recently, a family member was telling me about her neighbors. There was a single mom struggling to make a living, a young couple who had taken in the wife’s father, a soon-to-be high school graduate who was excited about his future, and a host of others. As she told me about the circumstances of people’s lives, she had one prevailing burden, and it was that they would know Jesus! We discussed how that burden could translate into something intentional. Most of these people did not attend church and were unlikely to do so anytime soon.
I asked, “What if your living room became their church?” We agreed it was a great option for the ministry of reconciliation she had been given. This is the ministry each of us is called to do. Go for it!
REFLECTION PRAYER
Lord, help us to see others the way You see them. Grant us opportunities to bring Your peace to the hurting and hopeless of the world. Use our efforts to bring real and lasting change in the lives of others. We’re especially mindful of those we love deeply and who are without Christ in the world. Save them, Lord. Holy Spirit, tenderize the hearts of those on the receiving end of our efforts so they may hear Your gospel and respond positively. We ask You to do this wherever we labor for Your glory and the good of others. Amen.
By Tom Flanders